Welcome to 2024-25 New Hampshire Saltwater Fishing
New Rules
- Recreational Atlantic cod season — closed season Nov. 1 – Aug. 31 (Recreational Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- Striped bass — length limit ≥ 28 inches to < 31 inches; same length for fish rack with head and tail intact. (Recreational Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- Sharks:
- Porbeagle — recreational catch only (no sale) (Recreational Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- Porbeagle — Commercial — No take in state waters (Commercial Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- Additional list of sharks with no possession allowed not common to NH waters — gencourt.state.nh.us/rules/state_agencies/fis600.html Fis 603.20 (Recreational Saltwater Fishing — Finfish and Commercial Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- Atlantic menhaden:
- Only small gear or non-directed gears permitted in state waters—call (603) 868-1095 for list of allowable gears (Commercial Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- No licensee shall receive menhaden from a harvester vessel while at sea (Commercial Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- Closed season January 1–June 14 (Commercial Saltwater Fishing — Finfish)
- Restrictions on certain clam species — No shell discards in state waters if harvesting surf clams, sea clams, hen clams, black clams, or mahogany quahogs by dredge. (Shellfish)
Saltwater Fun
As the Director of the NH Fish and Game Department it is my pleasure to welcome you to our digest of regulations for saltwater fishing on our seacoast. Our coastal anglers can experience sport fishing at its finest including: striped bass, bluefish, mackerel, flounder, tuna, haddock, black sea bass, and more. Our shoreline may be short, but the opportunities are great.
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
Our staff are busy out and about as well and you can help. 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. Find out about these and other survey efforts involving the public at wildlife.nh.gov/saltwater-fisheries-new-hampshire
So whatever your interest, or if you are new to saltwater angling, enjoy the beauty of the New Hampshire coast and all that we have to offer in our small state. See you on the water!
Scott R. Mason
Executive Director
N.H. Fish and Game Department
