New Jersey Fishing Regulations: State and Federal Waters

Fishing off New Jersey splits at 3 nautical miles. State waters run 0 to 3 nautical miles from shore, federal waters run 3 to 200, and different agencies set the rules on each side. If you are fishing off New Jersey, you need to know which side of that line you are on. We map the water; chart layers are not for navigation, and the agencies below set the rules. Each section lists size, bag, season and gear for a species, along with the official page to check before you fish.

New Jersey Fishing Official Government Organizations

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Fisheries manages state waters, and NOAA Fisheries manages federal waters with the regional councils. New Jersey recreational marine rules apply to any fish possessed in state waters or landed in New Jersey, regardless of where it was caught. Anyone 16 or older registers free with the Saltwater Recreational Registry before fishing saltwater, and registration renews every calendar year. Rules change at state lines; see other U.S. regions. Report marine violations to (609) 748-2050 or the 24-hour DEP hotline 877-WARN-DEP. The NOAA Fisheries Enforcement tipline is (800) 853-1964.

• NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Fisheries – Sets and enforces New Jersey recreational marine rules in state waters and on fish landed in New Jersey. In-season changes are posted on the NJDEP marine fishing rules page.
• Saltwater Recreational Registry Program – Requires free registration for anyone 16 or older, renewed each calendar year, so register with the Saltwater Registry before you fish. Anglers 18 or older need ID and must complete the Child Support Certification form each year. For-hire owners and captains register each vessel they own or run.
• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) – Runs the interstate plans New Jersey follows for striped bass and cobia, and co-manages summer flounder, scup and black sea bass with the MAFMC.
• Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) – Manages summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, bluefish and tilefish in federal waters, with NOAA Fisheries.
• NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) – Issues federal-waters recreational rules and vessel permits for the Mid-Atlantic. The permits line is (978) 282-8438. Charter and party boat operators holding a Greater Atlantic vessel permit need an operator card. See the NOAA Fisheries federal species rules.
• NOAA Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division – Requires a federal HMS permit to fish for tunas, billfish, swordfish and sharks: the Angling permit for private vessels, the Charter/Headboat permit for for-hire vessels, and the shark endorsement for sharks. Use the NOAA HMS permit shop.
• South Atlantic Fishery Management Council – Manages mahi-mahi (dolphin), wahoo, king mackerel and Spanish mackerel, including in federal waters off New Jersey.

New Jersey Offshore Fishing Regulations by Species

The regulations are easiest to read species by species. Each block gives the state rule first, then the federal-waters difference in the same bullet. The landing rule holds throughout: fish possessed in state waters or landed in New Jersey fall under New Jersey rules. For summer flounder and black sea bass, federal measures are waived, and boats follow the rules of the state where they land.

Length is total length, snout to tail tip, by default. Sharks, cobia and the mackerels in federal waters use fork length. Black sea bass are measured from the snout to the end of the central portion of the tail, with the tail filament excluded. Fish with a size limit may not be filleted or cleaned at sea, though party boats may apply to NJDEP for a Special Fillet Permit. No parts of fish from a previous trip may be aboard, and a fish purposely killed counts toward the bag limit. For the broader region, see our Mid-Atlantic and Northeast canyon and shelf fishery guide. Check the agency page at the end of each section before you fish.