Welcome to 2025 New Hampshire Saltwater Fishing
New Rules
- Lobster:
- Effective July 1, 2025, lobster minimum size will increase from 3 1/4” to 3 5/16” (see Lobster & Crab)
- Effective January 1, 2025, lobster license holders will only be able to purchase the number of trap tags up to the maximum trap allocation based on license/permit (see Lobster & Crab)
- River herring harvest has been reopened with the exception of the Cocheco, Oyster, and Taylor rivers (see Recreational Saltwater Fishing — Finfish, Commercial Saltwater Fishing — Finfish, and Coastal Harvest)
- Striped bass rules may change in 2025, check electronic version of the NH Saltwater Digest before fishing for possible changes (Recreational Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- NH marine boundaries shown on chart in Cod Spawning Protection Area.
Catching the Coast
As the new Director of the NH Fish and Game Department, I am pleased to present our digest of regulations for saltwater fishing on our seacoast. I have come here from the West Coast and am very excited to experience the fun to be had on the East Coast’s waters.
Don’t be fooled by New Hampshire’s short coastline, it has a lot to offer our coastal anglers, including: striped bass, bluefish, mackerel, flounder, tuna, haddock, black sea bass, and more. So whether you prefer casting from a dock or a rock or heading out on a boat, there are opportunities for everyone.
New Hampshire’s estuarine and saltwater species, including fish, lobsters, clams, and oysters, are managed by Fish and Game’s Marine Fisheries Division, based in Durham. Our biologists work closely with other state and federal agencies to protect and maintain our marine resources and habitats for both recreational and commercial fisheries. To read more about some of their important work, visit wildlife.nh.gov/saltwater-fisheries-new-hampshire.
If you encounter Fish and Game’s trained survey staff at one of the many saltwater fishing access sites along New Hampshire’s seacoast or on the ice this winter, I encourage you to take a few minutes to speak with them and participate in the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey or the Winter Smelt Survey. Fish and Game also invites striped bass anglers to report catch and effort online as well. Your input is vital to successful management of our fisheries resources. Find out about these and other survey efforts involving the public at wildlife.nh.gov/saltwater-fisheries-new-hampshire.
We here at Fish and Game work hard every day conserving the resources of the Granite State for residents and visitors to use and enjoy. So whatever your interest, or if you are new to saltwater angling, enjoy the beauty of the New Hampshire coast and all that our magnificent state has to offer. And thank you for your support.
Stephanie L. Simek, Ph.D.
Executive Director
N.H. Fish and Game Department
2025 Free Fishing Days
Saturday, January 18 and Saturday, June 7
- Recreational fishing by angling only
- All other regulations apply
- Saltwater or freshwater
- NO LICENSE REQUIRED*
* Participants in fishing tournaments must have a license, even on free fishing days.
