N.J. Admin. Code § 7:25-6.2
The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
"Baitfish" means the following species:
| 1. | Alewife (landlocked form) | Alosa pseudoharengus; |
| 2. | American Eel | Anguilla rostrata, greater than six inches in length; |
| 3. | Banded Killifish | Fundulus diaphanus; |
| 4. | Creek Chub | Semotilus atromaculatus; |
| 5. | Fallfish | Semotilus corporalis; |
| 6. | Fathead Minnow | Pimephales promelas; |
| 7. | Gizzard Shad | Dorosoma cepedianum; |
| 8. | Golden Shiner | Notemigonus crysoleucas; |
| 9. | Margined Madtom | Noturus insignis; |
| 10. | Mummichog | Fundulus heteroclitus; and |
| 11. | Tadpole Madtom | Noturus gyrinus. |
"Brook Trout Conservation Zone" means all waters within the northwest region of the State, delineated by Interstate 287 to the east, Route 202 to the south, the New York/New Jersey border to the north, and extending to, but not including, the Delaware River to the west.
"Closed season" shall mean a period of time during which the taking of one or more species of fish is not permitted.
"Closed waters" means those waters in which angling is not permitted, particularly in reference to time.
"Code" means the State Fish Code.
"Creel or possession limit" means the total number of fish that are legally retainable. Most normally this is expressed on a daily basis.
"Creeled trout" shall mean any trout which a fisherman has in his possession.
"Director" means Director of the Division.
"Division" means the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
"Fathom" shall mean a unit of measure equal to six feet.
"Foodfish" for the purpose of N.J.A.C. 7:25-6.11 only, means the following species:
| 1. | American Eel | Anguilla rostrata; |
| 2. | American Shad | Alosa sapidissima; |
| 3. | Black Bullhead | Ameiurus melas; |
| 4. | Bowfin | Amia calva; |
| 5. | Brown Bullhead | Ameiurus nebulosus; |
| 6. | Common Carp | Cyprinus carpio; |
| 7. | Channel Catfish | Ictalurus punctatus; |
| 8. | Gizzard Shad | Dorosoma cepedianum; |
| 9. | White Catfish | Ameiurus catus; |
| 10. | White Perch | Morone americana; |
| 11. | White Sucker | Catostomus commersoni; |
| 12. | Yellow Bullhead | Ameiurus natalis; |
| 13. | Yellow Perch | Perca flavescens; and |
| 14. | Any other marine fish species that is legal for taking with net in marine waters, except Striped Bass, Alewife and Blueback Herring. |
"Indigenous fish" means the following species and all hybrids and strains thereof, including the young or eggs of any such species:
| 1. | Alewife | Alosa pseudoharengus |
| 2. | American Eel | Anguilla rostrata |
| 3. | Banded Killifish | Fundulus diaphanus |
| 4. | Blueback Herring | Alosa aestivalis |
| 5. | Bullhead, Brown | Ameiurus nebulosus |
| 6. | Bullhead, Yellow | Ameiurus natalis |
| 7. | Catfish, White | Ameiurus catus |
| 8. | Creek Chub | Semotilus atromaculatus |
| 9. | Creek Chubsucker | Erimyzon oblongus |
| 10. | Dace, Blacknose | Rhinichthys atratulus |
| 11. | Dace, Longnose | Rhinichthys cataractae |
| 12. | Darter, Shield | Percina peltata |
| 13. | Darter, Swamp | Etheostoma fusiforme |
| 14. | Darter, Tessellated | Etheostoma olmstedi |
| 15. | Eastern Mosquitofish | Gambusia holbrooki |
| 16. | Eastern Mudminnow | Umbra pygmaea |
| 17. | Fallfish | Semotilus corporalis |
| 18. | Hogchoker | Trinectes maculatus |
| 19. | Hogsucker, Northern | Hypentelium nigricans |
| 20. | Lamprey, American Brook | Lampetra appendix |
| 21. | Lamprey, Sea | Petromyzon marinus |
| 22. | Longnose Gar | Lepisosteus osseus |
| 23. | Madtom, Margined | Noturus insignis |
| 24. | Madtom, Tadpole | Noturus gyrinus |
| 25. | Minnow, Cutlips | Exoglossum maxillingua |
| 26. | Minnow, Eastern Silvery | Hybognathus regius |
| 27. | Mummichog | Fundulus heteroclitus |
| 28. | Perch, Pirate | Aphredoderus sayanus |
| 29. | Perch, White | Morone americana |
| 30. | Perch, Yellow | Perca flavescens |
| 31. | Pickerel, Chain | Esox niger |
| 32. | Pickerel, Redfin | Esox americanus |
| 33. | Pumpkinseed | Lepomis gibbosus |
| 34. | Quillback | Carpiodes cyprinus |
| 35. | Sculpin, Slimy | Cottus cognatus |
| 36. | Shad, American | Alosa sapidissima |
| 37. | Shad, Gizzard | Dorosoma cepedianum |
| 38. | Shad, Hickory | Alosa mediocris |
| 39. | Shiner, Bridle | Notropis bifrenatus |
| 40. | Shiner, Comely | Notropis amoenus |
| 41. | Shiner, Common | Luxilus cornutus |
| 42. | Shiner, Golden | Notemigonus crysoleucas |
| 43. | Shiner, Ironcolor | Notropis chalybaeus |
| 44. | Shiner, Satinfin | Cyprinella analostana |
| 45. | Shiner, Spotfin | Cyprinella spiloptera |
| 46. | Shiner, Spottail | Notropis hudsonius |
| 47. | Shiner, Swallowtail | Notropis procne |
| 48. | Stickleback, Fourspine | Apletes quadracus |
| 49. | Stickleback, Threespine | Gasterosteus aculeatus |
| 50. | Stickleback, Ninespine | Pungitius pungitius |
| 51. | Striped Bass | Morone saxatilis |
| 52. | Sturgeon, Atlantic | Acipenser oxyrinchus |
| 53. | Sturgeon, Shortnose | Acipenser brevirostrum |
| 54. | Sucker, White | Catostomus commersonii |
| 55. | Sunfish, Banded | Enneacanthus obesus |
| 56. | Sunfish, Blackbanded | Enneacanthus chaetodon |
| 57. | Sunfish, Bluespotted | Enneacanthus gloriosus |
| 58. | Sunfish, Mud | Acantharchus pomotis |
| 59. | Sunfish, Redbreasted | Lepomis auritus |
| 60. | Trout, Brook | Salvelinus fontinalis |
"In-season stocking period" shall mean April 9, 2018, through May 25, 2018, for the 2018 trout season, April 8, 2019, through May 24, 2019, for the 2019 trout season, April 13, 2020, through May 29, 2020, for the 2020 trout season, and April 12, 2021, through May 28, 2021, for the 2021 trout season.
"Natural bait" means any bait that in its live, preserved or original form would be consumed by fish.
"Open waters" (all sections except N.J.A.C. 7:25-6.9) means those waters in which angling is permitted, particularly in reference to time.
"Open waters" (N.J.A.C. 7:25-6.9) means those waters not covered with ice.
"Opening day" shall mean 8:00 A.M. on April 7, 2018, for the 2018 trout season, 8:00 A.M. on April 6, 2019, for the 2019 trout season, 8:00 A.M. on April 11, 2020, for the 2020 trout season, and 8:00 A.M. on April 10, 2021, for the 2021 trout season.
"Oswego bass" or "black bass" shall mean largemouth and smallmouth bass.
"Possession" means all fish, live or dead, under the control of the fisherman. No more than the daily creel limit of any fish for one person may be held on a stringer or in a container. On board containers, in boats, may only contain the combined daily creel limit of any fish for each legal fisherman aboard.
"Potentially dangerous fish" means the following species:
| 1. | Asian Swamp Eel | Monopterus albus |
| 2. | Bighead Carp | Hypophthalmichthys nobilis |
| 3. | Brook Stickleback | Culaea inconstans |
| 4. | Flathead Catfish | Pylodictis olivaris |
| 5. | Grass Carp (diploid) | Ctenopharyngodon idella |
| 6. | Green Sunfish | Lepomis cyanellus |
| 7. | Snakeheads | Channa spp. |
| 8. | Oriental Weatherfish | Misgurnus anguillicaudatus |
| 9. | Silver Carp | Hypophthalmichthys molitrix |
| 10. | Warmouth | Lepomis gulosus |
"Pre-season closure" shall be the period from the period from midnight March 18, 2018, to 8:00 A.M. on April 7, 2018, for the 2018 trout season, the period from midnight March 17, 2019, to 8:00 A.M. on April 6, 2019, for the 2019 trout season, the period from midnight March 22, 2020, to 8:00 A.M. on April 11, 2020, for the 2020 trout season, and the period from midnight March 21, 2021, to 8:00 A.M. on April 10, 2021. Unless otherwise specified, this closure applies to all waters, both public and private, stocked with trout.
"Private fishing club" shall mean an incorporated or unincorporated organization that as an organization owns or leases a section of a river for the purposes of fishing that is not open to the general public.
"Set line" means a line(s) to which a hook(s) is attached placed in freshwaters of the State for the purpose of taking fish or turtles, that is secured to shore, or to a fixed or buoyant object, except as permitted when ice fishing. All rods, reels, or hand lines not under immediate control will be considered unattended and considered a set line. In accordance with 23:5-13, set lines are prohibited in any State water inhabited by Pickerel, Pike, Pike Perch, Black Bass, Oswego Bass, White Bass, Calico Bass, Perch, or Trout.
"Size limit" means the legal length of fish and may be expressed as a minimum size or a maximum size of a fish that may be retained. Length shall be the maximum total length.
"Snagging" means the hooking of fish other than inside the mouth, through the action of the fisherman.
"Trout" shall include the following species and all hybrids and strains thereof:
| 1. | Atlantic (landlocked) Salmon | Salmo salar |
| 2. | Brook Trout | Salvelinus fontinalis |
| 3. | Brown Trout | Salmo trutta |
| 4. | Lake Trout | Salvelinus namaycush |
| 5. | Rainbow Trout | Oncorhynchus mykiss |
"Unattended" means user not available for questioning by officer at the time of inspection.
"Warmwater fish" includes the following species and all hybrids and strains thereof:
| 1. | Banded Sunfish | Enneacanthus obesus |
| 2. | Blackbanded Sunfish | Enneacanthus chaetodon |
| 3. | Black Crappie | Pomoxis nigromaculatus |
| 4. | Bluegill | Lepomis macrochirus |
| 5. | Bluespotted Sunfish | Enneacanthus gloriosus |
| 6. | Brown Bullhead | Ameiurus nebulosus |
| 7. | Chain Pickerel | Esox niger |
| 8. | Channel Catfish | Ictalurus punctatus |
| 9. | Largemouth Bass | Micropterus salmoides |
| 10. | Longear Sunfish | Lepomis megalotis |
| 11. | Mud Sunfish | Acantharchus pomotis |
| 12. | Muskellunge | Esox masquinongy |
| 13. | Northern Pike | Esox lucius |
| 14. | Pumpkinseed | Lepomis gibbosus |
| 15. | Redbreast Sunfish | Lepomis auritus |
| 16. | Redear Sunfish | Lepomis microlophus |
| 17. | Redfin Pickerel | Esox americanus americanus |
| 18. | Smallmouth Bass | Micropterus dolomieu |
| 19. | Striped Bass | Morone saxatilis |
| 20. | Walleye | Sander vitreus |
| 21. | White Catfish | Ameiurus catus |
| 22. | White Perch | Morone americana |
| 23. | White Crappie | Pomoxis annularis; and |
| 24. | White Sucker | Catostomus commersoni |
| 25. | Yellow Bullhead | Ameiurus natalis |
| 26. | Yellow Perch | Perca flavescens |
N.J. Admin. Code § 7:25-6.2