Pennsylvania fishing regulations now have an official, legally binding standard for measuring a catch.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) voted at its July 2026 meeting to amend state code and formally define “total length” under state law. While the agency has long recommended specific measuring techniques in its annual summary handbooks, the lack of an explicit definition in the Pennsylvania Code created potential legal gray areas for waterway conservation officers enforcing size limits.
Under the newly approved regulation, determining whether a fish meets minimum size requirements—or exceeds maximum harvest caps—must be done using a specific method:
Total Length: The greatest straight-line length measured on a fish while laid flat on its side with its mouth closed, from the most forward tip of the jaw or snout to the farthest extent of the tail, with the upper and lower tail lobes compressed or squeezed together.
To ensure compliance with state fish laws, conservation officers advise anglers to follow these key steps:
Lay the Fish Flat: Place the fish on its side on a flat, hard measuring board or surface (such as a bump board or measuring tape).
Close the Mouth: Ensure the fish’s mouth is completely closed and touching the front edge or zero-mark of the measuring device. An open mouth adds artificial length and can invalidate the measurement.
Pinch the Tail: Gently squeeze or compress the upper and lower lobes of the tail fin together.
Read the Straight Line: Measure to the farthest tip of the compressed tail fin.
The commission emphasized that “fork length”—a method used in some federal or saltwater jurisdictions that measures only to the inside curve of a split tail—is not recognized in Pennsylvania freshwater regulations.
While the Commission’s recommended technique hasn’t changed practically for everyday fishermen, codifying the definition into state regulation solves several legal and administrative issues:
Legal Enforceability: Without an explicit definition in 58 Pa. Code, citations issued for undersized or oversized fish were vulnerable to court challenges over measurement variance.
Interstate Compliance: The rule aligns Pennsylvania with regional mandates, including the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which requires member states to strictly define total length for species such as Atlantic Striped Bass.
Fairness and Consistency: Different measurement techniques can result in differences of half an inch or more—often the precise margin between a legal keeper and a poaching citation.
The new standard takes effect immediately upon second publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
