New Jersey vs New York fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, New Jersey is $10 cheaper than New York. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, New Jersey is $16 cheaper than New York. You need a license from age 16 in New Jersey and in New York.
- Free
- Official sources first
- Checked monthly
- Independent, not a state website
What visitors pay
Cheapest way for an adult non-resident to cover the trip, including required stamps, worked out from each state's price list. The cheaper state is marked.
| Trip | New Jersey | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $9 | $10 |
| 3 days | $18 | $28 |
| 7 days | $19.50 | $28 |
| 1 year | $34 | $50 |
| Salt water | ||
| 1 day | Free | Free |
| 3 days | Free | Free |
| 7 days | Free | Free |
| 1 year | Free | Free |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $22.50 | $25 |
| Salt water | Free | Free |
| Prices for | 2026 | 2026 |
Rules side by side
| New Jersey | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 16 | 16 |
| Senior residents | Free (fresh): New Jersey residents 70 and over (fresh water; a driver license or other proof of age serves as the license, and no trout stamp is needed). Saltwater anglers still register free | Resident annual freshwater fishing license (70 and over): $5 (ages 70+) Resident lifetime freshwater fishing license (70 and over): $65 (ages 70+) |
| Senior visitors | Normal visitor prices | Normal visitor prices |
| Required stamps | None | None |
| Next free fishing day | Not yet announced | Wed, Nov 11, 2026 Not yet announced |
| On a charter | Usually not: the boat's license covers its passengers | Usually not: the boat's license covers its passengers |
| License on your phone | – | Accepted |
| Annual licenses last | To 12-31 | 12 months from purchase |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: New Jersey fishing license · New York fishing license
Shared waters
Greenwood Lake (New Jersey and New York) (New Jersey rules)
New York and New Jersey fishing licenses are both recognized anywhere on the lake and along its shoreline (N.J.S.A. 23:9-126, on a reciprocal basis). Secondary source: NJ Fish & Wildlife freshwater fishing digest 2026 (eRegulations)2
Greenwood Lake (New Jersey) (New York rules)
A New York license is valid on the New Jersey portion from a boat or the ice only. Official source
Limits for fish found in both states
Guide only. Statewide rules; many waters have their own. Check each state's official rules before you keep a fish.
| Fish | New Jersey | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
| Trout |
Trout (brook, brown and rainbow) |
Trout in inland streams (brook, brown, rainbow, splake) Trout in lakes and ponds |
| Walleye |
18" minimum; bag 3 (Statewide; 1 more) |
15" minimum; bag 5 |
| Crappie |
8" minimum; bag 10 combined |
Crappie (black and white) |
| Striped bass |
Striped bass (non-tidal fresh water) Hybrid striped bass |
23" to 28" slot; bag 1 (Hudson River north of the George Washington Bridge; 1 more) |
| Northern pike |
24" minimum; bag 2 |
18" minimum; bag 5 |
| Yellow perch |
No minimum; bag 25 |
No minimum; bag 50 |
| Muskellunge (muskie) |
Muskellunge and tiger musky |
Muskellunge and tiger muskellunge |
| Flounder |
Summer flounder (fluke): set each year Winter flounder |
Summer flounder (fluke): set each year Winter flounder |
| Cobia |
43" minimum; bag 1 |
43" minimum; bag 1 |
| Black sea bass |
Black sea bass: set each year |
Black sea bass: set each year |
Questions
Is a New Jersey fishing license valid in New York?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Greenwood Lake (New Jersey and New York); Greenwood Lake (New Jersey).
Which is cheaper for visitors, New Jersey or New York?
1 day (fresh water): New Jersey $9, New York $10. 1 year (fresh water): New Jersey $34, New York $50.
At what age do you need a fishing license in New Jersey and New York?
You need a license from age 16 in New Jersey and in New York.