Winter Flounder (also known as Blackback Flounder, Blackback) in New Jersey. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit — verified against the NJ Fish & Wildlife guide, 2026.
In New Jersey, the minimum legal size for Winter Flounder is 12 in and the daily bag limit is 2 per person (single combined harvest & possession limit — NJ does not set a separate daily-vs-multiday distinction for this species). Season note: Open March 1 – December 31; closed January 1 – February 28/29 (no exception windows or regional variants, unlike summer flounder or black sea bass).
Open March 1 – December 31; closed January 1 – February 28/29 (no exception windows or regional variants, unlike summer flounder or black sea bass)
NJ state marine waters. Measured as total length, tip of snout (mouth closed) to longest part of tail, per NJ DEP's general Fish Measurement guidance (Marine Digest p.14). Filleting at sea is prohibited for winter flounder except aboard permitted party boats holding a Special Fillet Permit (summer flounder is the only species with a blanket at-sea filleting exception). NJ marine regulations apply to winter flounder regardless of where caught, provided the fish is possessed in NJ waters or landed in NJ.
These limits are pulled from the NJ Fish & Wildlife marine recreational fishing regulations. Last verified July 2026.
Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.
New Jersey requires no paid saltwater licence, but anglers aged 16 or older must enrol (free) in the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program. NJ saltwater registry.
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