New Hampshire state waters, out to 3 miles
Cocheco, Oyster, and Taylor rivers closed; fishing prohibited around fishway closure areas.
NH F&G 2026 · checked · the official rulebook is the final word
Often mistaken for
AlewifeBigger eye, gray-green back, pale gut lining. Tell them apart
Atlantic herringNo shoulder spot. Tell them apartKeep the wrong fish and its rule applies.
How to tell it
The alewife's twin with a blue-black back and smaller eye; told apart for sure by the black gut lining. More on the blueback herring page: every state’s rule, the records, and how anglers catch it.
Blueback herring in other states14 rulebooks
Questions anglers ask4
What is the size limit for blueback herring in New Hampshire?
No size limit.
How many blueback herring can you keep in New Hampshire?
See Squamscott River special restrictions. Counts toward the River Herring aggregate.
When is blueback herring season in New Hampshire?
Closed weekly sunrise Wednesday to sunrise Thursday.
How current is this New Hampshire blueback herring rule?
Source: NH F&G 2026, last checked Sep 10, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency's pages nightly. Rules change mid-season by proclamation; the official rulebook is the final word.
In the appPoint the camera at a blueback herring in New Hampshire and this rule is on the screen before you take the picture. No signal needed.
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