Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species) · New Hampshire lists none of its own
The boat needs an HMS Angling permit to fish for Atlantic tunas.
NOAA HMS 2025 · checked · the official rulebook is the final word
Often mistaken for
False albacoreWavy marks on the back, spots under the pectoral. Tell them apartNot listed by New Hampshire: the default applies (No size limit, no bag limit).
Atlantic bonitoStripes on the back, slimmer. Tell them apartNot listed by New Hampshire: the default applies (No size limit, no bag limit).
Keep the wrong fish and its rule applies.
How to tell it
Dark horizontal stripes on the BELLY — not the back; stout purple-backed football. More on the skipjack tuna page: every state’s rule, the records, and how anglers catch it.
Questions anglers ask4
What is the size limit for skipjack tuna in New Hampshire?
No size limit.
How many skipjack tuna can you keep in New Hampshire?
No bag limit.
When is skipjack tuna season in New Hampshire?
Open year-round.
How current is this New Hampshire skipjack tuna rule?
Source: NOAA HMS 2025, last checked Sep 20, 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 skipjack tuna in New Hampshire and this rule is on the screen before you take the picture. No signal needed.
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