The salmon generally run 4 to 12 pounds and give experienced Atlantic salmon anglers a truly memorable experience. The fish made available to anglers are raised at the National Fish Hatchery in Nashua. Eggs collected from these salmon are used to produce salmon fry, which are released in the Merrimack River and its tributaries for the Merrimack River Anadromous Fish Restoration Program. Each year, some 2 million fry are released in hopes of restoring naturally reproducing salmon to the Merrimack watershed. The Atlantic salmon brood stock fishing season is open year round, though anglers catching salmon from Oct. 1 through March 31 must release them immediately.
Anglers can keep one fish a day, and the season limit is five fish per angler.
These and other statistics come from diaries that Atlantic salmon anglers return to Fish and Game. The diary information helps biologists assess and manage the fishery, according to Jon Greenwood, coordinator of Fish and Game's Merrimack River Anadromous Fish Restoration Program. So, if you plan to fish for salmon, please return your diary, even if you don't actually get out on the water. As an incentive to salmon anglers, those who return their diaries by January 15 each year are eligible to win valuable prizes.