Striped Bass Fishing in New Jersey: Seasons, Slots and Where

New Jersey has one striped bass slot but several different seasons, and which one applies depends on where you stand: the ocean, the Delaware River, or the other marine waters that include the bays. This guide lays the zones side by side, explains the Bonus Program that lets some anglers keep a smaller fish, and points to the waters where each rule applies. For how to catch striped bass, see the striped bass guide.

The slot and the zones

Everywhere in New Jersey the striped bass slot is 28 to 31 inches, with one fish a day. The season is what changes.

New Jersey striped bass seasons (ocean, Delaware River and other marine waters)

From the eRegulations New Jersey: saltwater size and possession limits (updated Oct 5, 2026), checked November 1, 2026. The page asks anglers to check the website for possible striped bass changes during 2026. Check New Jersey Fish & Wildlife before you fish. Pennsylvania allows a different spring harvest on the Delaware River below Trenton; possession of those fish in New Jersey is illegal.

Atlantic Ocean, 0 to 3 nautical miles

Dates	Status	Where	Limit
January 1 to December 31	Harvest open	Atlantic Ocean within 3 nautical miles of shore	1 fish per person per day, 28 to 31 inches.

Delaware River and tributaries

Dates	Status	Where	Limit
March 1 to December 31	Harvest open	Upstream of the Calhoun Street Bridge	1 fish per person per day, 28 to 31 inches.
March 1 to March 31 and June 1 to December 31	Harvest open	Calhoun Street Bridge downstream to the Salem River and its tributaries	1 fish per person per day, 28 to 31 inches.

All other marine waters

Dates	Status	Where	Limit
March 1 to December 31	Harvest open	All other New Jersey marine waters	1 fish per person per day, 28 to 31 inches.

Federal waters, 3 to 200 nautical miles

Dates	Status	Where	Limit
All year	Closed	Federal waters	Harvest prohibited.

Striped Bass Bonus Program (permit holders)

Dates	Status	Where	Limit
May 15 to December 31	Harvest open	Marine waters, with a Bonus permit	1 fish per permit, 24 to under 28 inches.

• Atlantic Ocean, 0 to 3 nautical miles: open all year.
• Delaware River and tributaries, Calhoun Street Bridge to the Salem River: March 1 to 31 and June 1 to December 31, so April and May are closed.
• Upstream of the Calhoun Street Bridge: March 1 to December 31.
• All other marine waters: March 1 to December 31. The Delaware Bay shore is not listed separately and appears to fall here, which we could not confirm with the agency.
• Federal waters, 3 to 200 nautical miles: harvest is prohibited.

Pennsylvania has a different spring harvest rule on the Delaware River below Trenton. A striped bass taken under that rule is illegal to possess in New Jersey, and the state’s table says so. See our rules guide.

The Bonus Program

New Jersey’s Striped Bass Bonus Program lets anglers who hold a permit keep one striped bass from 24 to under 28 inches, from May 15 to December 31, for each permit. Permits are not transferable, they are valid for the calendar year and harvest reporting is mandatory. A fishing log for 2026 must be submitted by January 15, 2027 for an angler to stay eligible for 2027. The 2026 allocation was 200,798 pounds. We did not read how to apply for a 2027 permit, so check the eRegulations program page.

Hooks and gaffing

Non-offset circle hooks are required when you fish for striped bass with bait, in every zone. It is illegal to gaff a striped bass. These apply to surf, bay and river anglers alike.

Where each rule applies

• Sandy Hook and the northern ocean beaches: the ocean season, open all year within three miles. See Sandy Hook.
• Island Beach: the same ocean rule. See Island Beach State Park, where reports describe slot fish in the fall surf.
• Cape May: ocean rule on the Atlantic side. The refuge’s Atlantic beach is open to surf fishing only from October 1 to March 31. See Cape May.
• Delaware Bay shore: the “other marine waters” season. A May 2026 report describes fish of 30 to 43 inches on bloodworms around Fortescue and Cape May, with the over-slot fish released. See the Delaware Bay shore guide.
• Delaware River: the river seasons above. See the Delaware River guide.

What we could not confirm

We could not read New Jersey Fish and Wildlife’s own striped bass pages, so the zone seasons come from the eRegulations table and nothing else. We did not verify the Delaware Bay reading above, how to apply for a Bonus permit or how any coast-wide change adopted for 2027 will apply in New Jersey. We also do not publish run timing for the Delaware River, because the only reports we found describe a single spring. Where a report from a tackle shop or magazine appears on this page, it is labeled as a report and not a rule.

Rods and baits

A 9 to 11 foot surf rod suits the ocean beaches and the bay shore, and a 7 to 9 foot medium-heavy spinning rod handles piers, jetties and the river. Bloodworms, clams, bunker and eels are standard baits, and swimming plugs and bucktails are the usual artificials. These are general practices, not rules. The shared tactics are in our striped bass guide, and Delaware’s side of the bay is in the Delaware striped bass guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the size limit for striped bass in New Jersey? One fish from 28 to 31 inches, with Bonus Program permit holders allowed one fish from 24 to under 28 inches from May 15 to December 31.

Do I need circle hooks? Yes, non-offset circle hooks with bait.

Can I keep striped bass in the ocean beyond three miles? No. Harvest in federal waters is prohibited.