Skip to main content
New Hampshire

Saltwater Fishing

Saltwater Fishing

Special River Restrictions

Fishways: No person is allowed to take finfish in fishways nor allowed in or on a fishway without permission. The waters surrounding any dam containing a fishway are closed to all fishing, except eels may be taken by traps, pots or spears within the tidal portions from June 15 – October 1:

Area

Restriction(s)

Cocheco River

Closed from the upstream side of Central Avenue Bridge to downstream side of Washington Street Bridge in Dover

Exeter River (downtown)

Closed from the upstream side of High Street (Great) Bridge to downstream side of Chestnut Street (String) Bridge (on Squamscott River) in Exeter

Lamprey River

  • No person shall use any type of net or weir for the taking of finfish from the downstream side of the Macallen Dam to a line perpendicular with the two riverbanks from the north side of the Newmarket boat launch ramp
  • Closed from upstream side of Rte 108 Bridge to 275 feet below the downstream side of Macallen Dam (tidal water) in Newmarket
  • In the Lamprey River, use of nets, except weirs, shall be restricted to the period of sunrise to sunset

Oyster River

Closed from the upstream side of dam and fishway, including a 50-foot radius in front of the fishway; closed to the taking of river herring from Mill Pond Dam, Durham, downstream to the river mouth in Little Bay

Piscataqua River

Including Great Bay estuary and tributaries inland of Memorial Bridge, closed to the use of gill nets with mesh larger than 3 inches

Salmon Falls River

Closed from the upstream side of the Route 4 Bridge to 150 feet downstream of South Berwick Dam

Squamscott River

  • Closed to all harvest of river herring in NH waters

Taylor River

  • Closed from the railroad bridge to the head of tide dam in Hampton to the taking of river herring by netting of any method
  • Closed from the upstream side of fishway and dams, including a 50-foot radius in front of the fishway on the upstream side, to a line perpendicular to south end of south overflow culvert at Route 95 to opposite side of river (east)

Winnicut River

  • Closed to all fishing within a 25-foot radius of the downstream portion of the fishway and a 6-foot radius of the upstream portion of the fishway.
  • Closed to the taking of all fish, except by angling, from the south side of the Boston and Maine Railroad bridge to the Route 33 bridge.