Size, Season & Creel Limits

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Certain waters are closed to fishing for all species from March 20 to April 8, 2023 at 8 a.m. because of trout stocking. Refer to General Trout Information and Trout Fishing for complete lists and exceptions. Regulations in red are new this year. For Delaware River and Greenwood Lake, see Delaware River Regulations and Greenwood Lake Regulations.

		Season	Location	Minimum Size	Daily Limit
Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass
Largemouth Bass		Jan. 1–April 14 April 15–June 15 Catch & Release only (all waters) June 16–Dec. 31	Statewide (exceptions below)	12 inches	5 combined
			Lunker Bass Lakes: Alloway, Assunpink, Parvin and Delaware lakes; Splitrock Reservoir	15 inches	3 combined
Smallmouth Bass
			Conservation Regulations: Ryker Lake	15 inches	2 combined
Northern Pike, Tiger Musky, Muskellunge*
Northern Pike		Open year round March 20–May 20 are Catch & Release only for Echo Lake Reservoir, Mercer Lake, Mountain Lake, Monksville Reservoir	Statewide	Northern Pike: 24 inches	2
			Statewide (exceptions below)	Tiger Musky & Muskellunge: 40 inches	1 combined
Muskellunge
			Trophy Muskie Waters: Echo Lake Reservoir, Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong & Monksville Reservoir	Tiger Musky & Muskellunge: 44 inches
		*IMPORTANT: trout may not be used as bait in the Pequest River drainage.
Chain Pickerel and Redfin Pickerel
Chain Pickerel		Open year round	Statewide	15 inches	5 combined
Walleye
Walleye		Jan. 1–Feb. 28 March 1–April 30 Catch & Release only May 1–Dec. 31	Statewide	18 inches	3
Striped Bass (freshwater only)
Striped Bass		March 1–Dec. 31	Statewide Non-offset circle hook required when fishing with bait (see Summary of Fishing Regulations)	One @ 28" to < 38"	1
Hybrid Striped Bass (freshwater only)
Hybrid Striped Bass		Open year round	Statewide (exceptions below)	16 inches	2
		March 1–Dec. 31	Raritan River (downstream of Duke Island Park dam)	One @ 28" to < 38"	1
American Shad
American Shad		Open Year Round Season Closed in all other fresh waters	Delaware River Mainstem (see regulations on Delaware River Regulations)	—	3
Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish		Open year round	Statewide	12 inches	5
Crappie (Black and White)
Crappie		Open year round	Statewide	8 inches	10 combined
Sunfish and All Other Species with No Specified Creel Limits
Rock Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch, Sunﬁsh (see below for sunfish exceptions), Bullheads, White Catﬁsh, Suckers, Carp, Bowﬁn, Pumpkinseed and all other species with no specified creel limit.		Open year round	Statewide (exceptions below)	No minimum size	25 combined
			Conservation Regulation Ryker Lake	Sunﬁsh: 7 inches	10 combined
				Yellow Perch: No minimum size	10
			Conservation Regulation Rainbow Lake (Salem Co.)	Sunﬁsh: 7 inches	10 combined
Banded, Blackbanded, BlueSpotted and Mud Sunfish
		Closed	Statewide	Protected	0
Bluespotted Sunfish*	Mud Sunfish * Illustrations by Ted Walke, PA Fish and Boat Commission
Freshwater Baitﬁsh (See Baitfish for complete description of gear types and restrictions)
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 Baitfish Regulations (Baitfish).		Open year round Exceptions In trout stocked waters baitfish may only be taken with hook and line: from April 8 to June 15, or in waters open to fishing during the pre-season closure, from March 20 to June 15.	Statewide	No minimum Exception American Eel: 9 inches	35 combined