Bonnethead Shark
Sphyrna tiburo
Partially verified
Handling & regulations: Federally open with a 1-per-person/trip bag limit as of the last confirmed check — but see the note below on the permit requirement that applies before that limit is even relevant. Important regulatory distinction: bonnethead is managed as a 'small coastal shark,' a completely separate category from 'hammerhead sharks' (great, scalloped, and smooth hammerhead), which carry a 78-inch fork-length minimum size and a 1-per-vessel/trip limit as of the last confirmed check. If you're not certain whether what you caught is a bonnethead or a true hammerhead, treat it as the more restricted species and release it. Recreational anglers must hold a federal HMS Angling or Charterboat/Headboat permit *with a shark endorsement* to legally retain any shark species at all — most anglers fishing without one must release every shark regardless of that species' individual status, and Virginia (VMRC) rules may add further restrictions on top of federal ones. Anyone targeting sharks (from shore or a vessel) is also federally required to carry a device capable of quickly cutting the leader or hook. If removing the hook would delay release, cut the leader or hook as close to the hook as possible instead — the shark does not need to be lifted, dragged onto dry sand/a pier deck, or restrained to be released safely, and a shark should stay in the water throughout release whenever that's achievable.
Commonly confused with: Scalloped Hammerhead. If you're not sure which one you've caught, treat it as the more restricted species and release it until you can confirm.
Identification
Distinctive smooth, shovel- or spade-shaped head (not the double-notched 'hammer' shape of true hammerhead sharks) — the smallest and most rounded head of any hammerhead-family shark in the region, Small size at maturity compared to true hammerheads
Where this fish fits
Bonnethead Shark is found across more than one water environment — this reflects real movement between them (e.g. a tidal migration or life-stage change), not uncertainty about where to look.
These are discovery categories describing where anglers realistically fish for this species, not a guarantee this project has confirmed regional access at every listed setting — see the linked locations below for this project's own actually-sourced spots.
- Typical season
- Summer, in shallow grass flats and inlets at the northern edge of its range in Virginia waters.
- Habitats
- Shallow grass flats, Inlets and shallow bay structure
- Food use
- Catch-and-release recommended
Data not yet verified.
This site hasn't checked for a fish-consumption advisory covering this species yet. That is not the same as confirmed safe — check current official guidance before eating your catch.
Seasons, size limits, and possession limits change and vary by water body. Always check the current regulations at the current regulations page before you fish.
- Bait & lures
- Live or cut crab and small fish on light tackle
- Beginner difficulty
- Moderate
Part of this record is confirmed against an official source; other parts are not. See the notes below for exactly which.
The head-shape identification feature and the bonnethead/true-hammerhead regulatory distinction (different management category, different size/limit rules) are directly confirmed via NOAA's own bonnethead-shark recreational page and the HMS status page. Habitat/season/bait notes remain general regional knowledge, not individually fact-checked.