New Jersey · Fishing license · Free days
Free fishing days in New Jersey
June 6 and September 26, 2026
NJDEP words it as residents fishing "without a license or trout stamp" — the trout stamp is waived too, which is unusual. Whether a visitor may fish on those days without a licence is not spelled out. Nothing else changes: limits, sizes, seasons and closed waters all still apply.
freshwater
June 6 and September 26, 2026
New Jersey holds two free fishing days a year, one in June and one in September: "on these days residents may fish on the Garden State’s public waters without a license or trout stamp". All other regulations, including size and daily catch limits, remain in effect.
Confirmed on the agency's own page.
What a free day does not cover
- Bag limits, size limits and closed seasons are unchanged.
- Waters that are closed stay closed.
- Separate permits can still be required — New Jersey charges for trout stamp, resident aged 16 to 69, trout stamp, nonresident aged 16 and over, boat ramp permit. Check before you rely on a free day.
- A free day waives the license, not the rules the license comes with.
