New Hampshire Administrative Code

(a) The Connecticut River shall be closed to the taking of all species from October 16 to December 31, in the portion of the river beginning at the confluence of the Upper Ammonoosuc River and the Connecticut River in Northumberland and ending at the northern boundary of the town…

Violators of the provisions of this part shall be liable to prosecution under the laws of New Hampshireor, alternatively, may be liable to prosecution under Vermont law. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 408.11 #745, eff 1-25-76; ss by #2263, eff 1-7-83; ss by #2839, eff 8-31-84; ss b…

(a) There shall be no closed season for taking American, sea-run, shad, by all legal fishing methods, from the waters of New Hampshire. Such taking from designated brook trout waters shall be prohibited from October 16 to the Friday before the fourth Saturday in April. (b) Americ…

(a) Northern pike less than 28 inches total length shall not be taken. (b) The daily bag limit shall be one fish. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 408.13 #3169, eff 12-31-85; ss by #4808, eff 4-27-90; ss by #6276, INTERIM, eff 6-26-96, EXPIRED 10-24-96 New. #6432, eff 1-21-97, EXPIRE…

Fishways on the Connecticut River shall be closed as follows: (a) Vernon Dam in Vernon, Vermont and Hinsdale, New Hampshire shall be closed to all fishing 150 feet below the dam; and (b) Wilder Dam in Wilder, Vermont and Lebanon, New Hampshire shall be closed to all fishing 150 f…

Any person fishing in open water shall use no more than 2 lines. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 408.15 #4808, eff 4-27-90; ss by #6276, INTERIM, eff 6-26-96, EXPIRED 10-24-96 New. #6432, eff 1-21-97; ss by #6627, eff 1-1-98; ss by #8442, eff 1-1-06; ss by #10425, eff 1-1-14 Amended…

(a) There shall be no closed season for taking black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), white perch (Morone americana), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), horned pout, or sunfish (Lepomis auritus, L. gibosus, or L. macrochirus) by all legal methods, except as otherwise provided in F…

The Connecticut River and tributaries shall be closed to the taking of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis). Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 408.17 Derived From Volume XXXV Number 40, Filed October 8, 2015, Proposed by #10936, Effective 1/1/2016, Ex…

Round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum) taken by any method shall be immediately released back into the waters from which it was taken. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 408.18 Derived From Volume XXXVII Number 19, Filed May 11, 2017, Proposed by #12161, Effective 4/18/2017, Expires …

(a) The following bodies of water, lying in the towns identified and subject to the rules specified in this part, shall be designated as Massachusetts-New Hampshire interstate waters: (1) Bent Pond in Winchester, New Hampshire and Warwick, Massachusetts; (2) Long Pond in Pelham, …

There shall be no closed season for taking any species, by all legal methods, in Massachusetts-New Hampshire interstate waters. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 409.02 (See Revision Notes at chapter headings for Fis 400 and Fis 500) #5016, eff 1-1-91; EXPIRED 1-1-97 New. #6432, eff 1…

(a) The daily bag limit shall be: (1) From January 1 to March 31, 2 fish, of which only one black bass may be greater than 16 inches; and (2) From April 1 to May 14 and June 16 to June 30, 2 fish; and (3) Five fish from July 1 to ice-in. (b) From May 15 through June 15, all black…

(a) There shall be no closed season for taking black crappie, white perch, yellow perch, horned pout, or sunfish by all legal methods. (b) The daily bag limit for black crappie shall be 25 fish. (c) The daily bag limit for white perch shall be 25 fish. (d) The daily bag limit for…

(a) The daily bag limit shall be 10 fish. (b) There shall be no limits on length or weight for pickerel. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 409.05 (See Revision Notes at chapter headings for Fis 400 and Fis 500) #5016, eff 1-1-91; EXPIRED 1-1-97 New. #6432, eff 1-21-97, EXPIRED: 1-21-0…

(a) Interstate waters between New Hampshire and Maine subject to this part shall include: (1) Umbagog Lake in Errol/Cambridge, New Hampshire and Upton, Maine which shall include the waters of the Androscoggin River upstream of the Errol Dam, the waters of the Magalloway River ups…

(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 l…

(a) The open water fishing season, except on the Salmon Falls River, shall be April 1 to December 31 except that in all lakes and ponds between October 1 and December 31, all trout, landlocked salmon, and lake trout shall be released alive at once. (b) From May 15 to June 30, bla…

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 410.04 #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; ss by #6628, eff 1-1-98; ss by #7582, eff 1-1-02; ss by #8442, eff 1-1-06…

(a) In the Salmon Falls River the exceptions to the general ice fishing and open water restrictions as specified in Fis 410.02 and Fis 410.03 shall be as follows: (1) The open water fishing season for the Salmon Falls River shall be January 1 to December 31; and (2) The Salmon Fa…

(a) In Great East Lake the exceptions to the general ice fishing and open water restrictions as specified in Fis 410.02 and Fis 410.03 shall be as follows: (1) Only 2 lines may be used to take fish during the ice fishing season: and (2) Lake trout also known as togue, shall be 16…

(a) In Umbagog Lake the exceptions to the general ice fishing and open water restrictions as specified in Fis 410.02 and Fis 410.03 shall be as follows: (1) Brook trout shall be 18 inches minimum total length; and (2) Brook trout daily bag limit shall be one fish. (b) That portio…

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 410.08 #745, eff 1-25-76; ss by #2263, eff 1-7-83; ss by #2839, eff 8-31-84; rpld by #4723, eff 1-1-90 The amended version of this section by New Hampshire Register Volume 35, Number 40, eff.1/1/2016 is not yet available.

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 410.09 #1464, eff 1-1-80; #745, eff 1-25-76; ss by #2263, eff 1-7-83; amd by #2500, eff 11-1-83; ss by #2839, eff 8-31-84; amd by #3169, eff 12-31-85; amd by #4153, eff 10-31-86; rpld by #4723, eff 1-1-90 The amended version of this section by New Ham…

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 411.01 #5614, eff 4-16-93; ss by #6629, eff 1-1-98; ss by #8119, eff 1-1-05; ss by #10279, eff 2-28-13 Reserved byVolume XXXIV Number 41, Filed October 9, 2014, Proposed by #10674, Effective 1/1/2015, Expires1/1/2025.

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 411.02 #5614, eff 4-16-93; ss by #5991, eff 2-24-95; ss by #6629, eff 1-1-98; ss by #8119, eff 1-1-05; ss by #8442, eff 1-1-06; ss by #10425, eff 1-1-14 Reserved byVolume XXXIV Number 41, Filed October 9, 2014, Proposed by #10674, Effective 1/1/2015, …

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 411.03 #5614, eff 4-16-93; ss by #6629, eff 1-1-98; ss by #6714, eff 3-11-98; amd by #7115, eff 9-29-99; ss by #8119, eff 1-1-05; ss by #10279, eff 2-28-13 Reserved byVolume XXXIV Number 41, Filed October 9, 2014, Proposed by #10674, Effective 1/1/201…

This chapter shall apply to persons harvesting bait, participating in or conducting organized or commercial activities within the freshwaters of the state. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 501.01 (See Revision Notes at chapter headings for Fis 400 and Fis 500) #5016, eff 1-1-91; ss b…

All the definitions in Fis 401 shall apply to this chapter. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 501.02 #5292, eff 12-20-91, EXPIRED: 12-20-97 New. #8120, eff 7-16-04; ss by #10279, eff 2-28-13

(a) Except as provided in Fis 406, Fis 407, and Fis 410, there shall be no closed season for licensed anglers to take bait fish listed in Fis 402.08(a) for personal use as bait by the methods prescribed in RSA 211:9. In addition, white suckers may be taken for personal use as bai…

(a) There shall be no closed season for taking bait fish listed in Fis 402.08 for bait, except as otherwise provided in Fis 406, Fis 407, and Fis 410, by persons holding a bait dealer's license and by methods prescribed in RSA 214:34-a. (b) Persons holding a bait dealer's license…

(a) Licensed bait dealers may take freshwater smelt for sale as bait. (b) Licensed bait dealers shall only take freshwater smelt in the waterbodies listed in Table 502.1 in paragraph (c) below by means of a dip net held in hand, a drop net not over 48 inches in diameter, or a squ…

No person shall molest, pull, tend, or disturb any gear as specified in RSA 214:34-c. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 502.04 (See Revision Notes at chapter headings for Fis 400 and Fis 500) #5016, eff 1-1-91(from Fis 406.04) , EXPIRED: 1-1-97 New. #6432, eff 1-21-97; ss by #8120, ef…

(a) In addition to the equipment requirements specified in RSA 214:34-a, licensed bait dealers shall use a fish grader, with minimum grader spacings of 14/64 inches, while taking freshwater smelt for sale as bait from ice in through February 28. (b) The licensed bait dealer shall…

Any premises used by persons licensed to take and hold live finfish or aquatic invertebrates for bait shall be open for inspection by the executive director or designee at any time. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 502.06 (See Revision Notes at chapter headings for Fis 400 and Fis 50…

(a) No person shall import fin fish for bait, unless the person is a licensed retail or wholesale bait dealer in accordance with Fis 1104.04, who is also in possession of a permit to import bait fish, issued in accordance with Fis 1104.07. (b) A permit to import bait fish shall b…

(a) All persons licensed to deal in bait in accordance with RSA 214:34 shall file a monthly report on combined brochure form 84 and 84-A "Freshwater Bait Dealers Monthly Report", Rev. 12/2018, available on line at https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt746/files/document…

(a) The wholesale bait dealer licensee shall provide a dated bill of sale or record of transaction to the purchaser whenever bait fish are sold to another licensed bait dealer. (b) The dated bill of sale or record of transaction shall include: (1) The species; (2) The quantity by…

(a) Any person may complain in writing to the executive director of the department if that person has reason to believe that a licensed bait dealer or holder of a permit to import bait fish has failed to comply with any provision of RSA 214:34 and RSA 214:35 or these rules. (b) A…

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 502.10 #6177, eff 1-27-96, EXPIRED: 1-27-04 New. #8120, eff 7-16-04; ss by #10279, eff 2-28-13 Reserved by Volume XXXIX Number 19, Filed May 9, 2019, Proposed by #12768, Effective 5/3/2019, Expires 5/3/2029.

(a) "Black bass tournament" means a type of fishing tournament where the only eligible species for entry are black bass (Micropterus salmoides and M. dolomieui), and all of these fish caught are released. (b) "Club level event" means a black bass tournament involving up to and in…

(a) No person shall conduct a fishing tournament without obtaining a fishing tournament permit pursuant to in Fis 1104.05. (b) A permit issued for a fishing tournament shall be valid for no longer than 3 consecutive days. (c) A person shall be deemed to have a fishing tournament …

The department shall not tag fish for the purpose of prize determination in a fishing tournament. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 503.03 (See Revision Notes at chapter headings for Fis 400 and Fis 500) #5016, eff 1-1-91, EXPIRED: 1-1-97 New. #6478, INTERIM, eff 3-28-97, EXPIRED: 7-2…

(a) Any person conducting a fishing tournament, except kids derbies as described in Fis 503.05(k) and black bass tournaments reported as specified in paragraph (b) below, shall submit form "General Tournament/Derby Record Form", Rev 10/24/22, available on line at https://www.wild…

(a) No fishing tournaments, except as specified in paragraph (k) below, shall be held on waterbodies stocked for trout by the department. (b) No fishing tournaments shall be held on waterbodies stocked for lake trout and salmon by the department, except: (1) Black bass tournament…

(a) In addition to the general restrictions specified in Fis 503.01 through Fis 503.05, black bass tournaments shall also be subject to the following:(1) Black bass shall only be held in a functional live well; (2) No participant shall hold more than the daily limit of black bass…

(a) Schools holding intra-scholastic fishing tournaments shall provide the New Hampshire fish and game department, fisheries division, with the following information at least 3 days prior to the beginning of their intra-scholastic tournament: (1) School name; (2) Contact name; (3…

The species listed in Table 500.1 below, shall be eligible for the trophy fish program if they meet the minimum qualifying weights for fish kept or minimum lengths for fish caught and released: Table 500.1 Species Name Scientific Name Weight Inches FRESHWATER FISH Atlantic salmon…