Can I Keep?New Hampshire Saltwater Fishing Regulations (2026)
Recreational size limits, bag limits and seasons for 71 saltwater species in New Hampshire, from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Marine Division. Last checked November 7, 2026. Where a species has several rules (by area or water), the table shows the first; open the species for all of them.
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Official New Hampshire regulations · Saltwater fishing license
Inshore
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| American eel | 9 in minimum | (c) No recreational anglers shall possess more than 25 American eels… | — |
| American shad | — | — | — |
| Red drum | 20–27 in | (b) Possession shall be limited to 5 fish per day. | — |
| River herring (alewives and bluebacks) | — | — | (a) No person shall take river herring, alewives ( Alosa… |
| Salt water smelt | — | (b) The daily limit for salt water smelt, taken by any method from… | — |
| Striped bass | 28–31 in | (c) No person shall possess more than the daily creel limit of 1 fish. | (d) There shall be no closed season for the taking of striped bass. |
| Weakfish | 16 in minimum | (b) No person shall possess more than 10 weakfish per day. | — |
| White perch | — | 25 per person | — |
Reef fish
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black sea bass | 16.5 in minimum | 4 per person | — |
Offshore & pelagic
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic angel shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Atlantic bluefin tuna | 27 in minimum | (d) No person shall take, retain, or possess more bluefin tuna than… | — |
| Atlantic mackerel (2 rules) | — | 25 per person | — |
| Atlantic menhaden | — | (f) Any person who possesses a recreational saltwater license… | — |
| Atlantic shortfin mako shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Basking shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Bigeye sand tiger shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Bigeye sixgill shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Bigeye thresher shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Bignose shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Blue marlin | 99 in minimum | (d) Possession shall be limited to one billfish per trip. | — |
| Bluefish (2 rules) | — | 5 per person | — |
| Bluntnose sixgill shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Caribbean sharpnose shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Dusky shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Galapagos shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Longbill spearfish | — | (d) Possession shall be limited to one billfish per trip. | — |
| Longfin mako shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Narrowtooth shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Night shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Oceanic Whitetip shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Porbeagle shark | — | — | — |
| Reef shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Sailfish | 57 in minimum | (d) Possession shall be limited to one billfish per trip. | — |
| Sand tiger shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Sharpnose sevengill shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Smalltail shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| Whale shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
| White marlin | 66 in minimum | (d) Possession shall be limited to one billfish per trip. | — |
| White shark | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of… |
Groundfish & flatfish
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| American plaice | 14 inches minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits) | — | — |
| Atlantic cod | 23 inches minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits) | 1 per person | (s) The open season for taking Atlantic cod shall be September 1… |
| Atlantic halibut | 41 inches minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits) | (n) The possession limit for Atlantic halibut on all vessels shall be… | — |
| Atlantic wolffish | — | No harvest (0) | (p) No person shall take or possess Atlantic wolffish, windowpane… |
| Goosefish (monkfish) | 17 in minimum | — | — |
| Haddock | 17 inches minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits) | 15 per person | (q) From March 1 through March 31, no person shall take or possess… |
| Ocean pout | — | No harvest (0) | (p) No person shall take or possess Atlantic wolffish, windowpane… |
| Pollock | no minimum length minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational… | — | — |
| Redfish | 9 inches minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits) | — | — |
| Spiny dogfish | — | — | (c) The open season for taking dogfish in state waters shall be July… |
| Summer flounder | 15 inches minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits) | — | — |
| Windowpane flounder | — | No harvest (0) | (p) No person shall take or possess Atlantic wolffish, windowpane… |
| Winter flounder | 12 inches minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits) | 8 per person | — |
| Yellowtail flounder | 13 inches minimum total length (Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits) | — | — |
Salmon & trout
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salters (sea-run trout) | — | 1 per person | — |
| Sea-run salmon | — | — | — |
Crabs, lobster & shrimp
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| American lobster | 3.25–5 in | — | — |
| Horseshoe crab | — | 10 per person | — |
| Jonah crab | — | (d) No person taking crabs for personal use, and not for the purpose… | — |
| Northern shrimp | — | No harvest (0) | (a) No person shall fish for, take, land, transport, or have in… |
| Rock crab | — | (d) No person taking crabs for personal use, and not for the purpose… | — |
Clams, oysters & scallops
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic sea scallop | 3.5 in minimum | (i) No person shall take or possess from the waters under the… | (b) Taking of sea scallops ( Placopecten magellanicus ) from the… |
| Blue mussel | — | — | (f) The taking of mussels in the Hampton/Seabrook estuary shall only… |
| Green sea urchin | 2 in minimum | — | (1) By hand or by pot from October 1 through March 15; or (d) No… |
| Mahogany quahog | — | — | — |
| Quahog (little necks, cherrystones) | (b) No person shall possess quahogs, littlenecks, or cherrystones (… | — | (a) There shall be no open season for quahogs, little necks, or… |
| Razor clam | — | — | — |
| Softshell clam | — | (a) No person shall possess or take, in one calendar day, more than… | (a) The taking of clams ( Mya arenaria ) shall only be permitted… |
| Stimpson's whelk | (3) The minimum shell height for whelks shall be 2.5 inches. | (2) Persons shall take no more than 5 whelks per day; and | — |
| Surf clam | — | — | — |
| Waved whelk | (3) The minimum shell height for whelks shall be 2.5 inches. | (2) Persons shall take no more than 5 whelks per day; and | — |
Other species
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sturgeon | — | No harvest (0) | Sturgeon . No person shall take or possess any sturgeon (… |