Verified against NJDEP Fish & Wildlife recreational and 2026 commercial regulation summaries, September 2026. Rules change. Confirm with NJ Fish & Wildlife before you set gear. This page is a reference, not legal advice.
Cull rings: not required. Panels and excluders are.
New Jersey does not require escape rings in blue crab pots. It handles derelict-pot escapement differently: every non-collapsible Chesapeake-style crab pot must have a biodegradable panel, and pots set in narrow water must also have terrapin excluder devices.
Biodegradable panel
At least 6-1/2" wide by 5" high, located in the upper section of the pot. The panel must be built of, or fastened to the pot with, one of: wood lath; cotton, hemp, sisal or jute twine no larger than 3/16" diameter; or non-stainless, uncoated ferrous metal no larger than 3/32" diameter. The door or a side panel can serve as the biodegradable panel if it is fastened with one of those materials.
Terrapin excluder device
Required inside every funnel entrance on any commercial-style pot set in a manmade lagoon or any water body less than 150 feet wide at mean low water. Rectangular or diamond shaped, no larger than 2" high by 6" wide. The 2" by 6" rectangle tested by NJ Fish & Wildlife did not reduce crab catch; the diamond did reduce large crabs.
Pot construction
- Cube or rectangle, no larger than 30" on a side
- Minimum mesh 1"
- Funnel openings oval, no larger than 7" wide by 4" high
- No floating line on any pot or buoy
- Marked with the owner's gear identification number
Minimum sizes
| Crab | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Hard crab | 4-1/2" point to point |
| Soft crab | 3-1/2" |
| Peeler / shedder | 3" |
| Egg-bearing female | Must be returned immediately |
New Jersey's 4-1/2" hard crab is the smallest legal crab on the coast. A Maryland 5" or 5-1/4" stick will throw back legal New Jersey crabs. Our aluminum cull stick is listed at 5-1/4"; if you want a 4-1/2" cut, call the shop.
Seasons, tending, limits (recreational pots and trot lines)
- Delaware Bay: April 6 to December 4, tended 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM
- All other waters: March 15 to November 30, tended any hour
- Pots checked and emptied at least once every 72 hours
- Recreational trot lines no more than 150 feet, 25 baits
- Harvest limit one bushel per day
- No crab harvest from the Newark Bay Complex
- Recreational crab pot / trot line license required; hand lines and collapsible traps do not need one
Commercial
Commercial trot lines up to 3,000 feet, marked at both ends, not within 100 feet of another trot line. Commercial pots in water under 150 feet wide or manmade lagoons carry the same terrapin excluder rule.
Sources
- NJ Fish & Wildlife, Recreational Crab Pot and Trot Line Regulations
- NJ Fish & Wildlife, 2026 Commercial Regulations Summary
- NJ Fish & Wildlife, Change in Commercial Style Crab Pot Regulations
Gear for New Jersey pots
- Door hooks: FlatStack, 4-1/4" overall, 3-1/2" center to center, fits the Chesapeake-style pot New Jersey runs. Bulk boxes from 100 to 10,000.
- Cull rings: not required in New Jersey.
- Cull stick: New Jersey is a 4-1/2" crab. Machined aluminum, held to .005"; call for the 4-1/2" cut.