River Herring regulations in New Jersey

· Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? River Herring is closed to harvest. Release it.

River Herring size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
statewide	No Open Season	None	0

Notes

A 2026-10-31 check against the official source found a discrepancy in this species' zones. Read the official wording before keeping the fish: https://www.eregulations.com/newjersey/fishing/freshwater/baitfish

Exact NJDEP Fish & Wildlife wording

Season: No Open Season
Size: None
Limit: 0
statewide — as printed: “RIVER HERRING Alewife Blueback Herring | No Open Season | None | 0 | The taking or possession of any river herring in New Jersey is prohibited.”

Source: NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).

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About the river herring

Species of North American shad

The alewife or river herring is a species of herring found in North America. It is commonly anadromous but there are also significant landlocked populations. It is one of the smaller species of shad, of the subgenus Pomolobus. As an adult it is a marine species found in the northern West Atlantic Ocean, moving into estuaries before swimming upstream to breed in freshwater habitats, but some populations live entirely in fresh water.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for River Herring in New Jersey?

None in New Jersey state waters.

How many River Herring can you keep per day in New Jersey?

When is River Herring season in New Jersey?

Open year-round.

Is my River Herring a keeper today?

River Herring is closed to harvest. Release it.