Guide
Squid Regulations & Bag Limits Australia 2026
Squid & calamari bag limits by Australian state, 2026. Victoria: 10 combined, no minimum size. Plus NSW, SA, WA, QLD, TAS, NT + official government links.
Rules change. This page is a planning guide, not legal advice.
Last checked: 5 July 2026.
Before you fish, open the official state source for the water you are standing beside. Squid, calamari, cuttlefish and octopus can be grouped differently across Australia, and closures can override the normal bag limit.
Rules decide what you can keep; jig choice still decides how well you fish the session. After checking your state rules, use the technique guides here, then shop squid jigs that match the water, light and depth.
Squid bag limits by Australian state (2026) — at a glance
Australia has no single squid bag limit — it is set per state, and most states list no minimum legal size. Here is the current state-by-state summary. Open the official source for your water before you keep a catch, because limits and closures change.
| State / Territory | Bag or possession limit | Min. legal size | Closure / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIC | 10 combined (squid, calamari, octopus, cuttlefish) | None | Marine parks & sanctuaries are no-take |
| NSW | 20 combined (squid & cuttlefish) | None | — |
| QLD | Possession 50 (squid / cuttlefish); tiger squid 20 | None | — |
| SA | Zone-specific | None | Total Southern Calamari closure from 1 May 2026 in Spencer Gulf & Gulf St Vincent / Kangaroo Island zones |
| WA | 15 per day, boat 30 (squid, cuttlefish, octopus) | None | RFBL required from a powered boat |
| TAS | Southern Calamari 10 (possession 20); Gould’s squid 15 (possession 30) | None | Seasonal closures in some areas |
| NT | Possession 30 (octopus, cuttlefish, squid) | None | — |
Last checked 5 July 2026. Always confirm the official state source (linked in the table below) before keeping a catch.
Fast answers for current ranking searches
squid vic regulation
Victoria: no minimum legal size, combined total limit 10. VFA groups squid, calamari, octopus and cuttlefish together, and Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries are no-take areas.
qld squid bag limit
Queensland: no size limit, possession limit 50 for cuttlefish or squid excluding tiger squid. Tiger squid is separate with a possession limit of 20.
squid limit nsw
NSW: squid and cuttlefish have no legal length and a bag limit of 20 in total. The NSW guide lists them under invertebrates, so check that official table before fishing.
squid size limit wa
WA: no minimum squid size limit applies. Western Australia groups squid, cuttlefish and octopus with a daily bag limit of 15 and a boat limit of 30.
squid legal size
Most Australian squid rules are controlled by bag or possession limits, not legal size. If you are asking “is there a size limit on squid?”, the practical answer is usually no minimum size, but you still need to check the state, species group, zone and closure.
squid limit
There is no single Australia-wide squid limit. Use the state table below: VIC 10, NSW 20, WA 15, QLD 50 for ordinary squid / cuttlefish and 20 for tiger squid.
squid radar
This page covers legal limits. For current fishing conditions, use the live squid radar before choosing the pier, wind angle and squid jig size.
Quick state-by-state planning table
| Query | Current official planning note | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Squid bag limit VIC | Squid, calamari, octopus and cuttlefish are listed together with no minimum legal size and a combined total limit of 10. Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries are excluded. | VFA squid, octopus and cuttlefish rules |
| Squid bag limit NSW | NSW’s current saltwater guide lists squid and cuttlefish with no legal length and a bag limit of 20 in total. | NSW saltwater bag and size limits |
| Squid bag limit SA | Southern Calamari is zone-specific. PIRSA lists a total closure from 1 May 2026 in Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent / Kangaroo Island fishing zones, with different limits in all other waters. | PIRSA Southern Calamari - Squid |
| Squid bag limit WA | WA lists squid, cuttlefish and octopus as a combined group with no minimum size, daily bag limit 15 and boat limit 30. Powered boat fishing requires an RFBL. | WA squid group rules |
| Squid bag limit TAS | Tasmania separates Gould’s squid and Southern Calamari. The size and bag limits page lists Gould’s squid bag 15 / possession 30, and Southern Calamari bag 10 / possession 20. Seasonal closures can apply. | Tasmania size and bag limits |
| Squid bag limit QLD | Queensland’s tidal waters page lists cuttlefish or squid excluding tiger squid with no size limit and possession limit 50; tiger squid has possession limit 20. | Queensland tidal waters limits |
| Squid bag limit NT | NT lists octopus, cuttlefish and squid combined with a personal possession limit of 30. | NT possession limits for fish |
Do squid and calamari have a size limit in Australia?
Short answer: in most Australian states there is no minimum legal size for squid or calamari. They are controlled by bag and possession limits, not a size limit — so the question is usually how many you can keep, not how big. Wording still varies by species and zone, so confirm the official state source linked above before keeping a catch.
| State | Minimum legal size | The real limit to watch |
|---|---|---|
| VIC | None listed by VFA | Combined bag of 10 |
| NSW | None (no legal length) | Bag of 20 in total |
| WA | None | Daily bag 15 / boat 30 |
| QLD | None | Possession 50 (tiger squid 20) |
| SA | None listed — but zone closures apply | Zone-specific limits + closures |
| TAS | None listed — confirm current table | Gould’s squid 15 / 30, calamari 10 / 20 |
| NT | None listed | Possession of 30 |
So if you are asking “what size squid can you keep?” or “is there a size limit on squid?”, the honest answer for most waters is that there is no legal minimum — keep what you will use, within the bag limit. For how to measure a squid properly (mantle versus total length), see the how to measure squid guide.
Why squid rules are easy to misread
Squid anglers often search for “squid bag limit Australia” and expect one simple answer. That is dangerous because the rule might be written as:
- squid only
- squid and cuttlefish
- calamari and cuttlefish
- squid, octopus and cuttlefish
- personal bag limit
- possession limit
- boat limit
- zone closure
- seasonal closure
Those words matter. A possession limit is not always the same thing as a daily bag limit, and a closure can make the usual limit irrelevant.
State squid bag limits: direct answers first
Squid bag limit in Victoria
In Victoria the combined total limit is 10 squid, calamari, octopus and cuttlefish per person, with no minimum legal size listed by VFA. Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries are no-take areas, so always check the exact location before keeping a catch.
This is a statewide limit, so the busy squid waters of Port Phillip Bay and Western Port follow the same combined bag of 10 — there is no separate Port Phillip Bay squid limit to look up. The rule you need is the Victoria-wide one above, plus the no-take areas for the exact spot you fish.
When checking rules, also measure the animal the same way each time. The how to measure squid properly guide keeps mantle length, total length and casual “big squid” talk separate.
Squid bag limit in NSW
In NSW the current saltwater guide lists squid and cuttlefish with a bag limit of 20 in total and no legal length. Possession and species-group wording can change, so confirm the current NSW DPI guide before a trip, especially if you are keeping other cephalopods.
Squid bag limit in SA
In South Australia, Southern Calamari is zone-specific, and the current PIRSA species page lists a total Southern Calamari closure from 1 May 2026 in Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent / Kangaroo Island fishing zones. Other waters have different limits, so the zone check is the rule, not a footnote.
If you fish SA, do not rely on memory, old screenshots or old forum posts. Open the PIRSA species page before the trip and confirm:
- the fishing zone
- whether a closure applies
- whether the limit is for calamari only or calamari and cuttlefish combined
- whether a boat limit applies
Squid bag limit in WA
In Western Australia the daily bag limit is 15 squid, cuttlefish or octopus per fisher, with a boat limit of 30. Powered boat fishing requires an RFBL, and WA boat-limit rules depend on the licensed fishers aboard, so check the WA rules page or app for your zone.
Squid bag limit in TAS
In Tasmania, Gould’s squid and Southern Calamari are separated in the size and bag limits table. The current table lists Gould’s squid bag 15 / possession 30 and Southern Calamari bag 10 / possession 20, with seasonal closures in some areas.
That means a simple number is not enough. You need the species, the area and the date.
Squid bag limit in QLD
In Queensland tidal waters, cuttlefish or squid excluding tiger squid are listed with no size limit and a possession limit of 50. Tiger squid is listed separately with a possession limit of 20.
Squid bag limit in NT
In the Northern Territory, octopus, cuttlefish and squid are grouped together with a personal possession limit of 30. Possession wording matters if you are travelling with stored or frozen seafood.
Octopus bag limit
Octopus limits differ from squid in many places. In Victoria, octopus sits inside the combined squid, calamari, octopus and cuttlefish total limit of 10. WA and NT also group octopus with squid or cuttlefish, while other states may separate wording differently. Check the official state source before keeping octopus.
Useful related fishing pages:
Use this pre-trip compliance checklist
Before a squid session, check:
- state or territory
- exact waterway and zone
- species group wording
- daily bag limit
- possession limit
- boat limit
- seasonal closure
- marine park or sanctuary rules
- gear restrictions
- whether you need a licence
Save the official page on your phone before you lose reception.
Final answer
Use this page to find the right official source quickly. Use the official source to make the legal decision. Squid fishing rules are manageable, but only if you check the state, species group and zone before you keep a catch.