New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules
Fis - Executive Director, Fish and Game Department
Chapter Fis 600 - MARINE FISHING RULES
Part Fis 603 - RULES FOR CERTAIN FIN FISH SPECIES
Section Fis 603.09 - Groundfish Restrictions

Universal Citation: NH Admin Rules Fis 603.09

Current through Register No. 40, October 3, 2024

(a) For the purposes of this section, "recreational fishing" means the taking of fish by angling and spearfishing for personal use only and which are not sold.

(b) No person shall take or possess fish, except by recreational fishing as specified in (c), less than:

Table 603.01 Commercial Size Limits

Fish Species

Minimum Total Length Limit

Atlantic cod

19 inches

Haddock

16 inches

Pollock

19 inches

Winter flounder

12 inches

Witch flounder

13 inches

Yellowtail flounder

12 inches

American plaice

12 inches

Redfish

7 inches

Atlantic halibut

41 inches

(c) No person shall take or possess fish by recreational fishing less than the minimum total lengths specified in Table 603.02:

Table 603.02 Recreational Size Limits

Fish Species

Minimum Total Length Limit

Atlantic cod

22 inches

Haddock - Private recreational

17 inches

Haddock - Charter or party

18 inches

Pollock

no minimum length

Winter flounder

12 inches

Yellowtail flounder

13 inches

American plaice

14 inches

Summer flounder

15 inches

Redfish

9 inches

Atlantic halibut

41 inches

(d) Summer flounder shall only be taken by recreational fishing.

(e) Fillets of all groundfish species that are skinned shall retain at least 2 square inches of contiguous skin intact that enable the identification of fish species.

(f) Cod shall have head and tail intact or as fillets no less than 14 inches in length while on or leaving the waters of the state.

(g) Haddock shall have head and tail intact or as fillets no less than 10 inches in length while on or leaving the waters of the state.

(h) From April 1 through June 30, cod, haddock, and winter flounder shall not be taken for the purpose of sale.

(i) The waters of the state that are included in the Gulf of Maine Cod Spawning Protection Area described in 50 CFR 648.81 (o) (1) shall be:

(1) Closed to all fishing from April 1 through June 30, except by:
a. Fishing with a line in hand or rod in hand with gear that has no more than one ounce of artificial weight, a single artificial lure weighing one ounce or less; and

b. Commercial vessels using gear described in 50 CFR 648.2; and

(2) Closed to the taking and possession of groundfish, as defined in Fis 601.08, from April 1 through June 30 except possession shall be permitted only if transiting the area with groundfish caught outside the Gulf of Maine Cod Spawning Protection Area and provided:
a. Commercial vessels have gear stowed in accordance with the provisions of 50 CFR 648.23 (b); and

b. Private recreational or charter/party vessels that have all bait and hooks removed from fishing rods or handlines and the groundfish species on board have been gutted.

(j) The recreational fishing daily limit for Atlantic cod shall be no more than one Atlantic cod.

(k) The recreational fishing daily limit for winter flounder shall be no more than 8 winter flounder.

(l) Persons only licensed to commercially take finfish under RSA 211:49-a and RSA 211:49-b shall be restricted to daily limits per vessel in accordance with the weight limits for federally permitted, limited access vessels pursuant to 50 CFR § 648.87(c)(2)(ii)(A) for sector vessels or 50 CFR § 648.86 for common pool vessels and non-federally permitted vessels in state waters.

(m) Commercial vessels that have not been assigned a federal groundfish permit may possess a maximum of 500 lbs. of winter flounder per vessel.

(n) The possession limit for Atlantic halibut on all vessels shall be no more than one fish per trip.

(o) Atlantic halibut shall have head and tail intact while on or leaving the waters of the state.

(p) No person shall take or possess Atlantic wolffish, windowpane flounder, and ocean pout.

(q) From March 1 through March 31, no person shall take or possess haddock by recreational fishing.

(r) The recreational fishing daily limit for haddock shall be no more than 15 haddock for charter or party vessels and 10 haddock for private recreational boats.

(s) The open seasons for taking Atlantic cod shall be:

(1) For private recreational boats, September 1 through October 31.

(2) For charter or party vessels, September 1 through October 31.

#2030, eff 6-l-82; ss by #2839, eff 8-31-84; ss by #4395, eff 4-18-88; ss by #4604, eff 4-26-89; ss by #5412, eff 6-19-92; amd by #5521, eff 12-3-92; ss by #5789, eff 2-18-94; amd by #5953, eff 1-25-95; ss by #6176, eff 1-27-96; ss by #6712, eff 3-11-98; amd by #6916, eff 12-22-98; amd by #7002, eff 5-25-99; amd by #7213, eff 3-16-00; ss by #7715, INTERIM, eff 6-21-02, EXPIRES: 12-19-02; ss by #7753, eff 8-19-02; ss by #7965, eff 9-24-03; ss by #8087, eff 5-27-04; ss by #8302, eff 4-1-05; amd by #8343, EXEMPT, eff 7-1-05; ss by #8793, eff 1-9-07; amd by #9056, eff 1-2-08; amd by #9425, eff 3-17-09; amd by #9493, eff 6-25-09; ss by 9610, EXEMPT, eff 1-1-10; ss by #9805, eff 10-26-10; ss by #10095, eff 2-29-12; amd by #10119, INTERIM, eff 5-1-12, EXPIRES: 10-29-12; amd by #10162, eff 7-24-12; amd by #10266, EXEMPT, eff 1-29-13; amd by #10365, INTERIM, eff 7-1-13, EXPIRES: 12-30-13; ss by #10477, eff 11-28-13

The amended version of this section by New Hampshire Register Number 37, eff. 7/24/2024 is not yet available.

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