Baitfish

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

See separate regulations for Delaware River. For marine waters, see the New Jersey Saltwater Fishing Regulations.

Regulations in red are new this year.

Baitfish Regulations
Baitfish Species
Baitfish species: American Eel, Banded Killifish, Creek Chub, Fallfish, Fathead Minnow, Gizzard Shad, Golden Shiner, Margined Madtom, Mummichog, and Tadpole Madtom. For Herring, Alewife and Blueback—see below.
Season	Location	Minimum Size	Daily Limit
Open year round Exception: In trout stocked waters baitfish may be taken only with hook and line: from April 6 to June 15, or in waters open to fishing during the pre-season closure, from March 18 to June 15.	Statewide (fresh waters)	No minimum size Exception American eel: 9 inches	35 per day, species combined
Herring, Alewife and Blueback	All freshwater streams, rivers and marine waters	CLOSED	Possession, take or attempt to take herring PROHIBITED
	Freshwater lakes in Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties and Spruce Run Reservoir (Hunterdon)	6 inches maximum	35 Any unused herring must be returned to the water upon conclusion of the angler’s fishing trip. Herring may not be transported away from the shoreline of these lakes by any mechanism. They may not be sold.
	All other freshwater lakes (regardless of ownership)	CLOSED	Only purchased herring, no greater than 6 inches, may be possessed. Receipt of purchase, dated within 7 days, must be in possession.
Notes: Any person with a valid fishing license (or those under 16 and residents 70 years or older) may take baitfish in fresh waters. Possession limit is one day’s limit, regardless of the intent to use these fish. Baitfish may be taken from the fresh waters of the state in numbers greater than 35 per day, in lakes over 250 acres, under a special permit issued by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife at its discretion. Contact 908-236-2118 for application information.

Gear	Gear Description
Seine	Not over 50 feet long in ponds and lakes over 100 acres; in all other waters not over 30 feet in length. Exception: In trout-stocked waters and special regulation trout areas a seine may not be more than 10 feet in length and 4 feet in depth.
Minnow Trap	Not larger than 24 inches in length with a funnel mouth no greater than 2 inches in diameter.
Umbrella Net	No greater than 3.5 feet square.
Dip Net	Not more than 24 inches in diameter; may be used only for alewife or blueback herring.
Cast Net	No greater than 8 feet in diameter; may be used only in streams that are not trout-stocked or special regulation trout areas (may not be used in lakes).
Hook and Line	Maximum of nine single hooks or three hooks with three burrs per contrivance on all waters except the Delaware River where only three single hooks are permitted.

Turtle and Frog Regulations
Species	Season	Location	Minimum Size	Daily Limit
Snapping Turtle	April 1–May 14 July 1–October 31	Statewide	12 inches	1 per day
Bull Frog and Green Frog	January 1–March 31 July 1–December 31	Statewide	No minimum	15 per day, combined
Means of Take
Snapping turtles may only be taken in fresh waters of the state. See Fishing License Boundary Lines for established fishing license boundary lines that designate between fresh and marine waters. Any person with a valid fishing license or those entitled to fish without a license may take snapping turtles, bull frogs, and green frogs by means of spears, traps, hook and line, dip nets (not more than 24 inches in diameter), or by hand. They may NOT be sold unless taken under a Commercial Harvest Permit. Bull frogs, and green frogs may be taken in numbers greater than the daily limit under a Commercial Harvest Permit issued by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife at its discretion. The commercial harvest of snapping turtles is closed to new harvesters. Existing harvesters may contact [email protected] for application information.