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New Jersey saltwater size limits and seasons

31 species, 2026 rules for state waters. Tap a species for every zone, the exact NJDEP Fish & Wildlife wording and a keeper check. Updated 2026-10-04. All 62 New Jersey species A–Z →

Species	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
American Eel	Open year-round	9 inch minimum	25 per person per day
American Shad	Closed	—	—
Atlantic Cod	January 1 – May 31, September 1 – December 31	23 inch minimum	5 per person per day
Atlantic Herring	Open year-round	No size limit	No limit printed; personal-use bait only
Atlantic Sturgeon	Closed	—	—
Black Drum	Open year-round	16 inch minimum	3 per person per day
Black Sea Bass	May 15 – December 31	12.5 inch minimum	10 (May 15 – Jun 21); 1 (Jun 22 – Sep 22); 10 (Sep 23 – Oct 31); 15 (Nov 1 – Dec 31)
Blacknose Shark	Open year-round	Digest text: no state minimum; digest table: 54 inch FL under 'all other retainable sharks'	One per person per trip
Bluefish	Open year-round	No size limit	5 per person (7 on party/charter boats)
Cobia	Open year-round	43 inch minimum	1 per person, 2 per vessel
Haddock	Open year-round	18 inch minimum	No daily limit
Hickory Shad	Open year-round	None	6 shad combined
Pollock	Open year-round	19 inch minimum	No daily limit
Red Drum	Open year-round	18–27 inch slot	1 per person per day
River Herring	Closed	—	—
Scup	January 1 – June 30, September 1 – December 31	10 inch minimum	30 per person per day
Sharks — Aggregated Large Coastal group	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	54 inch minimum	One per person per trip
Sharks — Hammerhead group	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	78 inch minimum	One per person per trip
Sharks — Non-Blacknose Small Coastal group	Open year-round	Atlantic sharpnose and bonnethead: no minimum. Finetooth: table lists 54 inch FL under 'all other retainable sharks'; text says no state minimum for the group — federal 54 inch FL applies in federal waters	One per person per trip
Sharks — Pelagic group	Open year-round	54 inch minimum	One per person per trip
Sharks — Prohibited species	Closed	—	—
Sharks (coastal species)	Aggregated large coastal and hammerhead groups: Jan 1–May 14 and July 16–Dec 31; other groups no closed season	Hammerheads 78" FL; all other retainable sharks 54" FL; Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, smoothhound: none	One per person per trip (smoothhound no limit); prohibited species and shortfin mako: zero
Shortfin Mako	Closed	—	—
Shortnose Sturgeon	Closed	—	—
Smoothhound Shark	Open year-round	No minimum size	No limit
Spanish Mackerel	Open year-round	14 inch minimum	10 per person per day
Striped Bass	March 1 – December 31	28–31 inch slot	1 per person per day
Summer Flounder	May 4 – September 25	18 inch minimum	3 per person per day
Tautog	January 1 – February 28, April 1 – April 30, August 1 – December 31	15 inch minimum	4 (Jan–Feb, April); 1 (Aug 1 – Nov 15); 5 (Nov 16 – Dec 31)
Weakfish	Open year-round	13 inch minimum	1 per person per day
Winter Flounder	March 1 – December 31	12 inch minimum	2 per person per day