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SEVEN CASTS
Coastal Companionby Seven Casts · Coastal Virginia
Plate 53 of 79SaltwaterSurf & pier

Spinner Shark

Carcharhinus brevipinna

The blacktip's twin — a leaping, spinning surf-zone shark told apart by the black tip on its anal fin and a longer snout.

Typically present

intermediateShore-accessibleBoat recommendedNearshore ocean
Practice this species

Try a simulated catch in Seven Casts. Use this guide and its official sources to plan a real trip.

This profile has not yet been checked against an official regional data source — confirm identification, seasons, and regulations before you rely on it.

Spinner Shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna)
  1. 1Black-tipped anal fin — Black-tipped anal fin
  2. 2Long, pointed snout — Long, pointed snout
Fig. 53. Carcharhinus brevipinna

Photo: NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory (Brandi Noble collection), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — Public domain

Side-by-side comparison of blacktip shark (left) and spinner shark (right) tail regions, showing the blacktip's plain white anal fin versus the spinner's black-tipped anal fin

Fig. 53b.Anal fin: plain on blacktip, black-tipped on spinner

NOAA's own shark-identification comparison: blacktip shark (left) with a plain anal fin, spinner shark (right) with a black-tipped anal fin — the one reliable tell between the two.

Photo: NOAA Fisheries / NMFS, NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Shark Tagging Program — Public domain (U.S. government work)

Habitat
Atlantic surf
Methods
Inshore boat, Surf, Pier
Difficulty
intermediate
Eating
fair

Identification

Look for

  1. Black-tipped anal fin — the key field mark separating it from the very similar blacktip shark, which has a plain white anal fin
  2. Similar overall size, shape, coloring, and leaping/spinning feeding behavior to blacktip shark
  3. Long, pointed snout

Tell them apart

Look first: The anal fin decides it: plain on a blacktip, black-tipped on a spinner.

Spinner Shark

Spinner Shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna)
Blacktip Shark
Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)
Look at
Spinner Shark
Blacktip Shark
Anal finBlack tipPlain, no black tip
SnoutLonger and more pointedModerately long and pointed
First dorsal finBegins farther back, behind the pectoral fins' rear tipsBegins over or just behind where the pectoral fins attach
BehaviourLeaps and spins — not a tellLeaps and spins when feeding — both do
Numbers on the figures match the rows; a grey number has no mark on either figure. Both are release-first fish for anyone without a federal HMS permit; see each species page for status.Florida Museum — spinner shark

Local waters

Nearshore and surf-zone waters

Catchable both from shore (surf, pier) and by boat (inshore boat).

Show on the map

When to fish

Typically present: summer

Warmer months, in nearshore and surf-zone waters off the Virginia coast, alongside the very similar blacktip shark.

Tide stage for this kind of water

Rising through high, and the first of the fall

The trough has depth when the water is up; scout the bars and cuts at low water, then fish them as the tide comes in.

From: Reading the surf

Water temperature

The water, not the calendar, sets the season here — a warm October or a cold snap moves these bands.

Water temperature and the seasons

How to catch it

Catchable both from shore (surf, pier) and by boat (inshore boat). Technique notes for this species have not been written yet; the baits and rigs below are the documented starting points.

Bait & lures

  • Cut or live fish bait on circle hooks from surf, pier, or nearshore boat
Terms usedPresentationTroughCut

On the table

Eat with caution — check current Virginia fish consumption advisories for the specific waterbody before eating.

  • Federally confirmed open as of 2026-08-18, managed under the 'large coastal shark' complex: 54" fork-length minimum size, 1 shark total per vessel per trip. Frequently confused with blacktip shark — check the anal fin specifically (black-tipped on spinner, plain white on blacktip) before assuming which species you have. 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.

Cleaning, chilling, and cooking a legal catch covers the steps between the cooler and the pan.

Where to try

Water that suits spinner shark

Spots marked “habitat match” share this species' water type, habitat, and methods — not a report that it has been caught there.

On the mapAll fishing spots