Recreational & Commercial Regulations

Closed Season: No closed season (except surrounding fishways)

Minimum Length (Total Length): 9 inches

Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish per day

Special Rules: Fishway closures apply October 2 – June 14
(see Coastal Harvest Section)

Closed Season: Fishway closures: October 2 – June 14

Minimum Length (Total Length): 9 inches

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules:

• See Coastal Harvest Section
• Harvest Permit required if taken by any method other than angling

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 14 inches

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules:

• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Gill net: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 12 inches

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules:

• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession prohibited

Special Rules: All shad must be immediately released

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules:

• All shad taken in State waters must be immediately released
• Commercial landing cannot exceed 5% of the total landing by weight per trip

Closed Season: Nov. 1 – Aug. 31

Minimum Length (Total Length): 23 inches

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per day

Special Rules:

• Head and tail intact, unless fillet is ≥14 inches minimum
• See Gulf of Maine Cod Spawning Protection Area map
• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 19 inches

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules:

• See Gulf of Maine Cod Spawning Protection Area map

• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 41 inches

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per trip/vessel

Special Rules:

• Head and tail intact while on or leaving waters of the state
• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Gill net: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 41 inches

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per trip/vessel

Special Rules:

• Head and tail intact
• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: 20 fish harvest or possession per day

Special Rules:

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules: Commercial saltwater license and coastal harvest permit required

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules:

Closed Season: Jan 1 – May 14

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: 6,000 lbs./day once state quota harvested

Special Rules:

• Only non-directed or small scale gears permitted in state waters (call 603-868-1095 for list of allowable gears)
• See gill net/small-scale purse seine restrictions
• No receiving menhaden from harvester at sea or transfer catch while at sea.
• Daily electronic reporting requirement for menhaden dealers

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules: Federal regulations apply in federal waters

Closed Season: September 23 – November 3

Contact Marine Fisheries for prohibited landing days

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: Contact Marine Division for current trip limits: (603) 868-1095

Special Rules:

• Fish and Game Director may revise closure dates
• Max. incidental catch = 2,000 lbs./day during specific area closures
• Permit required to possess herring
• May be possessed without a permit for use as bait when tending lobster and crab pots and recreational fishing

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession prohibited

Special Rules: All sea-run Atlantic salmon caught on coastal and estuarine waters must be immediately released

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession prohibited

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules:

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 27 inches Curved fork length — See definition.

Daily Bag Limit: Variable; see special rules

Special Rules: Federally managed — follow federal regulations (call 1-888-USA-TUNA) or visit hmspermits.noaa.gov

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 73 inches CFL*

Daily Bag Limit: Variable; see special rules

Special Rules: Federally managed — follow federal regulations (call 1-888-USA-TUNA) or visit hmspermits.noaa.gov

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: Recreational — 3 fish per day; For-Hire — 5 fish per day

Special Rules: Non-offset, corrodible circle hooks required if angling with bait.

Closed Season: October 1 – June 30 (by any method)

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules: None

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules: Finning prohibited

Closed Season: May 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: Contact Marine Division for current trip limits: (603) 868-1095

Special Rules:

• Subject to additional closures contact Marine Division, (603) 868-1095
• Finning prohibited

Closed Season: March 1 – March 31

Minimum Length (Total Length): 18 inches

Daily Bag Limit: 15 fish per day

Special Rules:

• Head and tail intact, unless fillet is ≥10 inches minimum
• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 16 inches

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules:

• Head and tail intact, unless fillet is ≥10 inches minimum
• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 17 inches

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules:

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 17 inches

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules:

• Tails: minimum 11 inches; measured from the anterior portion of the fourth cephalic dorsal spine to the end of the caudal fin
• Livers: shall not exceed 25% of the total weight of monkfish tails or 10% of the total weight of whole monkfish on any trip

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules:

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules: None

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules:

• 19 inches, if taken in federal waters
• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Gill net: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 19 inches

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: 4 liquid quarts

Special Rules: Head and tail must remain intact

Closed Season: Net or Weirs: March 1 – December 15 inland of Memorial Bridge (Portsmouth)

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: 4 liquid quarts/day

Special Rules:

• Head and tail intact
• Bow nets and dip nets held in hand may be used in: Oyster, Squamscott, Bellamy, and Lamprey Rivers
• Harvest Permit required for nets (see Coastal Harvest Section)
• Commercial saltwater license required to sell

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 9 inches

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Gill net: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 7 inches

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Closed sunrise Wednesday – sunrise Thursday

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: See Squamscott River in Special River Restrictions.

Special Rules: See Special River Restrictions and Coastal Harvest Section. Fishing prohibited around fishway closure areas. Cocheco, Oyster, and Taylor rivers closed.

Closed Season: Sunrise Wednesday – sunrise Thursday

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules:

• Harvest Permit required if taken by any form or netting (including chicken wire)
• See specific river regulations and Coastal Harvest Section

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per day

Special Rules:

• Recreational angling only
• Anglers fishing Berry Brook in Rye: All fish species caught must be immediately released.
• In Winnicut River: The salter daily limit applies only downstream of the B&M Railroad bridge

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules: No take or possession

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules: See Fis 603.20 for additional species not common to NH waters.

Special Rules:

• No take or possession.
• See Fis 603.20 for additional species not common to NH waters.

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules:

• All sharks — head, fins and tail must remain attached through landing.
• Non-offset, corrodible circle hooks required if angling with bait.
• Additional federal regulations apply in federal waters (call 1-978-281-9315).

Closed Season: Blue and Thresher — No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): Blue and Thresher — No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: Blue and Thresher — No Limit

Special Rules:

• Porbeagle — No take in state waters.
• All sharks — head, fins and tail must remain attached through landing
• Additional federal regulations apply in federal waters (call 1-978-281-9315)

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 28 inches to less than 31 inches

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per day

Special Rules:

• Gaffing and culling are prohibited; No sale allowed, regardless of origin.
• Non-offset, corrodible circle hooks required if angling with bait.
• Head and tail must be intact while on or leaving the waters or shores of the state except may possess up to 2 fillets with skin intact and possess fish rack ≥ 28” and less than 31” TL with head/tail intact that fillets came from.
• Total length is the straight-line distance from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail (caudal fin) when the tail is squeezed to its maximum length while the fish is laying on its side.

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules:

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules: None

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules: Take and possession prohibited

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 15 inches

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules:

• Sale is prohibited
• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules: Take prohibited

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish per day

Special Rules: Sale is prohibited

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Non-federally permitted

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules:

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Possession is prohibited

Special Rules: None

Closed Season: Closed year round

Minimum Length (Total Length): Possession is prohibited

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted

Special Rules:

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Gill net: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): No min. length

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 12 inches

Daily Bag Limit: 8 fish per day

Special Rules:

• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 12 inches

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules:

• If not federally permitted for groundfish, may possess up to 500 lbs./vessel
• All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): 13 inches

Daily Bag Limit: No bag limit

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Gill net: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 12 inches

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: No closed season

Minimum Length (Total Length): No minimum length

Daily Bag Limit: No limit

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.

Closed Season: Gill net: April 1 – June 30

Minimum Length (Total Length): 13 inches

Daily Bag Limit: Non-federally permitted vessels fishing in state waters with a commercial saltwater license are restricted to current daily trip limits for common pool vessels pursuant to 50CFR648.86. Federally permitted vessels, current federal regulations and trip limits apply.

Special Rules: All groundfish species that are filleted and skinned must retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact for identification purposes.