New Jersey had a commercial fish catch of 195,918,000 lb (9th in the US) in 1998, worth $90.9 million. Cape May–Wildwood was the 14th-largest fishing port in the US by volume, bringing in 94 million lb of fish, worth $29.2 million. Clams, scallops, swordfish, tuna, squid, lobster, and flounder are the most valuable species. In 1998, landings of surf clams totaled 44.8 million lb; ocean quahog (a species of clam), 15.7 million lb; and Atlantic mackerel, 18.4 million lb.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior maintains a total of 190,000 acres (76,900 hectares) on 12 different sites with boating access.
Recreational fishermen catch finfish and shellfish along the Atlantic coast and in the rivers and lakes of northern New Jersey. In 1998, the state issued 219,541 sport fishing licenses.