State Size & Possession Limits
New Jersey
Saltwater Fishing
| 2021 New Jersey Recreational Fishing Seasons, Minimum Size and Possession Limits | |||
| Regulations remain in effect until changed. For the most current regulations, go to NJFishandWildlife.com or call the marine fish “listen-only” information line at (609) 292-2083. Regulations in red are new this year. See Finfish Regulations for how to measure fish. Note: No species of fish with a minimum size limit listed below may be filleted or cleaned at sea. Party boats licensed to carry 15 or more passengers may apply for a permit to fillet the these species. See also Summer Flounder, Finfish Regulations . | |||
| Species | Open Season | Minimum Length (total length except sharks) | Harvest & Possession Limit (per person unless noted) |
| American Eela | No Closed Season | 9″ | 25 |
| Black Drum | No Closed Season | 16″ | 3 |
| Black Sea Bass (Min. length excludes tail filament; see Finfish Regulations ) | May 15–June 22 | 12.5″ | 10 |
| July 1–Aug. 31 | 12.5″ | 2 | |
| Oct. 8–Oct. 31 | 12.5″ | 10 | |
| Nov. 1–Dec. 31 | 13″ | 15 | |
| Bluefish (Snapper) | No Closed Season | None | 5 fish per person while fishing from a party/charter vesself |
| Cobia | No Closed Season | 37″ | 1 fish per vessel |
| Cod | No Closed Season | 21″ | No Limit |
| Haddock | No Closed Season | 18″ | No Limit |
| Pollock | No Closed Season | 19″ | No Limit |
| Red Drum | No Closed Season | 18″–27″ | 1 |
| River Herring | No Open Season | None | 0 |
| Scup (Porgy) | No Closed Season | 9″ | 50 |
| Shad | |||
| Delaware River & tributaries | No Closed Season | None | 6 (maximum of 3 American shad) |
| All Other Marine Waters | No Closed Season | None | 6 (no American shad may be harvested or possessed) |
| Sharkb, c, † | |||
| Aggregated large coastal group† | Jan. 1–May 14 and | Aggregated Large Coastal and Pelagic: Shortfin Mako: Hammerheads: 78″ fork length Other listed sharks: None | One shark (of any species, except prohibited species) per vessel per trip; plus one Atlantic sharpnose shark per person per trip (no minimum size); plus one bonnethead shark per person per trip (no minimum size). |
| Hammerhead group† | |||
| Non-blacknose small coastal group† Blacknose group† | No Closed Season | ||
| Pelagic group† | No Closed Season | ||
| Spanish Mackerel | No Closed Season | 14″ | 10 |
| Striped Bass or Hybrid Striped Bass** | |||
| Delaware River & tributaries (Calhoun St. bridge to Salem River & tributaries) | March 1–March 31 | one @ 28″ to less than 38″ | 1 |
| Delaware River & tributaries (upstream of Calhoun St. bridge) | March 1–Dec. 31 | ||
| Atlantic Ocean (0–3 nautical miles from shore) | No Closed Season | ||
| Rivers, bay and estuaries | March 1–Dec. 31 | ||
| 3–200 nautical miles (federal waters) | Prohibited | – | 0 |
| Summer Flounder (Fluke) | |||
| Delaware Bay and tributariese | May 22–Sept. 19 | 17″ | 3 |
| Island Beach State Park, shore fishing | May 22–Sept. 19 | 16″ | 2 |
| All water except as above | May 22–Sept. 19 | 18″ | 3 |
| Tautog (Blackfish) | Jan. 1–Feb. 28 | 15″ | 4 |
| April 1–April 30 | 15″ | 4 | |
| Aug. 1–Nov. 15 | 15″ | 1 | |
| Nov. 16–Dec. 31 | 15″ | 5 | |
| Weakfish | No Closed Season | 13″ | 1 |
| Winter Flounder | March 1–Dec. 31 | 12″ | 2 |
| Blue Crab | |||
| peeler or shedder | No Closed Seasond | 3″ | 1 bushel |
| soft | No Closed Seasond | 3½” | |
| hard | No Closed Seasond | 4½” | |
| Lobster (carapace length) | See closed seasons on Mollusks & Crustaceans | 33⁄8″ | 6 |
| Hard Clam (license required) | No Closed Season‡ | 1½” | 150 clams |
| a Except 50 fish harvest/possession limit for party/charter boat employees. b Not including dogfish; see description on Finfish Regulations under Sharks. c See Finfish Regulations for a list of Prohibited Species. d Unless using non-collapsible, Chesapeake-style crab pots, trot lines or crab dredges. See Mollusks & Crustaceans and Shellfish & Crab Information. e Applies to Delaware Bay and tributaries, west of COLREGS line delineating Delaware Bay from Atlantic Ocean but does not include waters of Cape May Canal east of Cape May Ferry Terminal. Transport of summer flounder caught in Delaware Bay, greater than or equal to 17 in. but less than 18 in., may occur in waters east of Cape May Ferry Terminal to George Redding Br. (Rt. 47) located at entrance of Wildwood provided all fishing gear aboard the vessel is stowed with rigs removed; vessel may not stop to fish for any species. f See Finfish Regulations under Bluefish regarding party/charter definition and regulations. ** See Striped Bass Closed Seasons (Finfish Regulations ) for specifics of non-offset circle hook requirements. † See Federal Size & Possession Limits for Federal Recreational Regulations. ‡ Non-resident license valid only June – Sept. See water classification chart information at nj.gov/dep/bmw/nssphome.html#charts. | |||