New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules
Fis - Executive Director, Fish and Game Department
Chapter Fis 400 - FRESHWATER FISHING SEASONS AND RULES
Part Fis 410 - MAINE-NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERSTATE WATERS RULES
Section Fis 410.02 - Ice Fishing Restrictions

Universal Citation: NH Admin Rules Fis 410.02

Current through Register No. 52, December 26, 2024

(a) The open season for ice fishing except on Great East Lake as specified in Fis 410.06 and Salmon Falls River as specified in Fis 410.05, shall be January 1 to March 31 for all species except salmon.

(b) No person shall take a salmon or cusk through the ice.

(c) The daily bag limits shall be as follows:

(1) Two lake trout, also known as togue, 2 rainbow trout, 2 brown trout or 2 brook trout except in Lake Umbagog as specified in Fis 410.07;

(2) Pickerel shall be 10 fish;

(3) Black bass shall be 2 fish with only one over 14 inches;

(4) Smelt shall be 2 quarts; and

(5) There shall be no bag limits on all other species of fish.

(d) The minimum total lengths shall be as follows:

(1) Lake trout, also known as togue, shall be 18 inches, except in Great East Lake as specified in Fis 410.06;

(2) Brook trout shall be 6 inches, except in Lake Umbagog as specified in Fis 410.07;

(3) Brown trout and rainbow trout shall be 10 inches in lakes and ponds; and

(4) There shall be no length or weight limits on all other species of fish.

(e) No person shall use more than 5 lines to take fish except in Great East Lake as specified in Fis 410.06..

(f) No dead or living pickerel, goldfish, yellow perch, white perch, black bass, sunfish, crappie, horned pout, carp or any spiny finned fish shall be taken, sold or possessed for use as bait for fishing in New Hampshire-Maine interstate waters.

(g) Smelt shall be taken only by angling in all interstate waters and their tributaries except in the tributaries of Great East Lake the taking of smelt shall be closed.

(h) The following restrictions shall apply to ice fishing shacks on the Maine/New Hampshire interstate waters:

(1) No person who owns any shack or temporary structure used for ice fishing shall place, or allow the shack or structure to be placed, on the ice more than 3 days before the waters on which the shack or structure is located are open to ice fishing;

(2) All ice fishing shacks while on the ice shall be labeled on the outside in 2 inch letters with the name and address of the owner; and

(3) Ice fishing shacks shall be removed from the ice within 3 days after those waters close to ice fishing.

#745, eff 1-25-76; ss by #2263, eff 1-7-83; ss by #2839, eff 8-31-84; ss by #4723, eff 1-1-90; ss by #6141, INTERIM eff 12-20-95, EXPIRED 4-18-96

New. #6253, eff 5-22-96; amd by #7582, eff 1-1-02; ss by #8381, eff 6-21-05; ss by #8442, eff 1-1-06; ss by #9005, eff 1-1-08 ss by #10425, eff 1-1-14

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