HaddockorPollock
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Haddock
BLACK lateral line and the 'devil's thumbprint' smudge above the pectoral; tall pointed first dorsal.
Haddock, next to pollock: black line and thumbprint.
Pollock
Olive-green cod cousin with a straight pale lateral line, slightly undershot jaw, and forked tail; outfights both cousins.
Pollock, next to haddock: no thumbprint, undershot jaw.
Side by side
| Haddock | Pollock | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Melanogrammus aeglefinus | Pollachius virens |
| Also called | — | Boston bluefish |
| Waters | Offshore | Offshore |
| Heaviest state record | 20 lb · Massachusetts (1974) | 48 lb 2 oz · Massachusetts (1992) |
| On the table | Excellent — sweeter than cod. | Good — darker than cod, great smoked. |
| Rules of its own in | 7 states | 7 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 6 of 7 states with a rule for either. In Maine, haddock is 17" min, 15 per day and pollock is No size limit (state waters), No bag limit (state waters). Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Haddock: size · bag · season | Pollock: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Per federal regulationsPer federal regulationsPer federal regulationsOpenCT DEEP 2026 · likely · checked | Per federal regulationsPer federal regulationsPer federal regulationsOpenCT DEEP 2026 · likely · checked |
| Maine | 17" min15 per dayOpen year-round except Mar 1-31 (no possession)OpenME DMR 2026 · checked | No size limit (state waters)No bag limit (state waters)Open year-roundOpenME DMR 2026 · checked |
| Massachusetts | 18 in total length15 per dayApr 1 – Feb 28 (closed March)OpenFederal rule (Gulf of Maine federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MA DMF 2026 · checked | 19 in total lengthNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (Gulf of Maine federal waters)NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked |
| New Hampshire | 17 in min15 per dayOpen year-round except Mar 1 – Mar 31OpenNH F&G 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit in state watersNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNH F&G 2026 · checked |
| New Jersey | 18 in minNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNJ DEP 2026 · checked | 19 in minNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNJ DEP 2026 · checked |
| New York | 18"No bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNY DEC 2026 · checked | 19"No bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNY DEC 2026 · checked |
| Rhode Island | 18" minNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenRI DEM 2026 · checked | 19" minNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenRI DEM 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, haddock or pollock, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell haddock from pollock?
Haddock: BLACK lateral line and the 'devil's thumbprint' smudge above the pectoral; tall pointed first dorsal. Pollock: Olive-green cod cousin with a straight pale lateral line, slightly undershot jaw, and forked tail; outfights both cousins. Pollock, next to haddock: no thumbprint, undershot jaw. Haddock, next to pollock: black line and thumbprint.
Which gets bigger, haddock or pollock?
Pollock. The heaviest state record we hold is 48 lb 2 oz in Massachusetts; the heaviest haddock record is 20 lb in Massachusetts.
Which is better to eat, haddock or pollock?
Haddock: Excellent — sweeter than cod. Pollock: Good — darker than cod, great smoked.
Do haddock and pollock have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 6 state rulebooks. Maine: haddock 17" min, 15 per day, pollock No size limit (state waters), No bag limit (state waters); Massachusetts: haddock 18 in total length, 15 per day, pollock 19 in total length, No bag limit; New Hampshire: haddock 17 in min, 15 per day, pollock No size limit in state waters, No bag limit; New Jersey: haddock 18 in min, No bag limit, pollock 19 in min, No bag limit; New York: haddock 18", No bag limit, pollock 19", No bag limit; and more in the table on this page.