Mollusks & Crustaceans

A person shall not use any spear, gig, gaff or other penetrating device as a method of capture of lobsters.

peeler or shedder

No Closed Season e

e: Unless using non-collapsible, Cheasapeake-style crab pots, trot lines or crab dredges — see below for additional information.

No Closed Season e

No Closed Season e

No Closed Season f

f: Non-resident license valid only June–Sept. See water classification chart information at https://www.state.nj.us/dep/wms/bmw/nssphome.html

Crustaceans

American Lobster

The legal possession size limit of whole lobsters, measured from the rear of the eye socket along a line parallel to the center line of the body shell to the rear of the body shell, shall be not less than 3⅜ inches nor greater than 5¼ inches. Lobster parts may not be possessed at sea or landed. There is no harvest or possession of lobster in Lobster Management Area 4 from April 30–May 31 and Lobster Management Area 5 from February 1–March 31.

The possession limit is six lobsters per person. No person shall possess any lobster with eggs attached or from which eggs have been removed or any female lobster with a v-notched tail, as illustrated below.

V-notched tail of female lobster

Special Lobster Restrictions: No person shall use, leave, deploy, or tend any lobster, fish or conch pot within an artificial reef located in state waters except in areas designated as a full access zones. Within these designated full access zones lobster, fish and conch pots shall be used, left, deployed or tended only between sunrise and sunset.

For information about lobster pot deployment and New Jersey Reef Full Access Zone Locations, go to dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/njfw/marine-letter-lobster.pdf

The use of spears, gigs, gaffs or other penetrating devices as a method of capture for lobsters is prohibited. A recreational lobster pot license is required to use pots or traps to capture lobsters. For details call (609) 748-2020. Lobsters taken recreationally may not be sold or offered for sale.

Blue Crabs

<a href=Diagram showing how to measure a crab" />

  1. Crabs may be taken recreationally with hand lines, manually operated collapsible traps or scoop nets without a license. A non-commercial crab pot license is required for the use of not more than two non-collapsible Chesapeake-style crab pots (see illustration) or two trot lines to harvest crabs. See the non-commercial crab pot license information.
  2. It is illegal to harvest or possess more than one bushel of crabs per day per person or offer for sale any crabs without having in your possession a valid commercial crabbing license.
  3. Minimum size for crabs that may be harvested (measured from point to point of shell) are as follows:
    1. Peeler or shedder crab: 3 inches
    2. Soft crab: 3½ inches
    3. Hard crab: 4½ inches

    Notice: All non-collapsible Chesapeake-style crab pots (see illustration) must be constructed to include a biodegradable panel designed to create an opening to allow crabs and other organisms to escape if the pot is lost or abandoned. All non-collapsible Chesapeake-style crab pots set in any manmade lagoon or any water body less than 150 feet wide must also include a turtle excluder device inside all pot entrance funnels.

    Crab Pot License Information

    Recreational Crab Pot/Trot Line Licenses and Non-Commercial Crab Dredge Licenses are available for purchase online at: https://nj.aspirafocus.com/internetsales or at any NJDEP Fish & Wildlife-certified license agent including those license agents listed below. For the most current list of NJDEP Fish & Wildlife-certified license agents, go to dep.nj.gov/njfw/licenses-and-permits/license-agents/

    Terrapin Excluders and Biodegradable Panels Are Required on Chesapeake-Style Crab Pots

    NOTE: It is illegal to catch or take diamondback terrapins in New Jersey. Users of non-collapsible, Chesapeake-style crab pots note: all pots set in any body of water less than 150-feet wide at mean low tide or in any manmade lagoon MUST include diamondback terrapin excluder devices. Non-collapsible, Chesapeake-style crab pots set in any body of water MUST include biodegradable panels.

    These crab pot modifications will help reduce the unintentional drowning of terrapins allowing these and other species to escape in the event that pots are lost or abandoned. Terrapin excluder devices must be no larger than 2-inch high by 6-inch wide and securely ­fastened inside each funnel entrance. Biodegradable panels must measure at least 6½-inch wide by 5-inch high and be located in the upper section of the crab pot. The panel must be constructed of, or fastened to the pot with, wood lath, ­cotton, hemp, sisal or jute twine not greater than 3⁄16" diameter, or non-stainless steel, uncoated ferrous metal not greater than 3⁄32" diameter. The door or a side of the pot may serve as the biodegradable panel ONLY if it is fastened to the pot with any of the material specified above. Crabbers should note: ALL non-­collapsible, Chesapeake-style crab pots MUST be licensed and marked with the 9-digit ­identification number (CID) of the owner.

    Diagram of a Chesapeake-Style Crab Pot

    Mollusks

    1. All persons must be licensed to harvest any shellfish. See Shellfish License Information. Shellfish means any species of benthic mollusks (except conch) including hard and soft clams, oysters, surf clams, bay scallops and mussels.
    2. It is illegal to harvest shellfish from condemned waters, even for bait purposes. It is also illegal to harvest shellfish including surf clams from beaches adjacent to water classified as condemned. Shellfish water classification charts are available from license agents or any state shellfish office. Charts are updated annually.
    3. Shellfish harvesting is prohibited before sunrise and after sunset. Shellfish harvest is also prohibited on Sundays except in the seasonally approved areas of the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, when harvesting is permitted between Nov. 1 and April 30.
    4. Harvesting shellfish on public grounds is restricted to the use of hand implements.
    5. It is illegal to harvest shellfish from leased grounds. These grounds are delineated by stakes or buoys set by the lease holder. Charts of the leases may be examined at NJDEP Fish & Wildlife’s Nacote Creek or Delaware Bay shellfish offices during regular business hours. Invasion onto leased grounds is punishable by penalties up to $3,000 and loss of all equipment.

    Recreational Shellfishing

    1. No holder of any recreational shellfish license may take more than a total of 150 shellfish (in aggregate) per day. See Shellfish License Information.
    2. It is illegal to dredge shellfish on public grounds. Use of hand implements are the only legal harvest methods.

    <a href=Diagram showing how to measure a clam" />

    Shellfish License Information

    A shellfish license (formerly called clamming license) is required for harvesting all species of benthic mollusks (except conchs, addressed in the commercial marine fisheries regulations), including, but not limited to, hard and soft clams, surf clams, oysters, bay scallops and mussels. Other specific commercial shellfish licenses exist such as surf clam dredge, Delaware Bay oyster dredge boat and Delaware Bay licenses to harvest in Areas 1, 2 and 3.

    Anyone engaged in any shellfish harvesting activity with someone holding a commercial shellfish license must also possess their own commercial shellfish license.

    Prior to harvesting any shellfish, you must consult the Shellfish Growing Water Classification Charts published by DEP’s Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring, available at shellfish license agents, state shellfish offices, online at nj.gov/dep/bmw/nssphome.html#charts or call Marine Water Monitoring at (609) 748-2000. Purchase shellfish licenses online at nj.aspirafocus.com/internetsales.

    Shellfish License Fees

    Shellfish and Non-CommercialCrab Pot License Agents

    Note: All license agents statewide can now sell all license and permit privileges.