Maryland fishing rules change at the tidal line
Before keeping a fish in Maryland, identify the water first: nontidal freshwater, Chesapeake Bay, a tidal tributary, Atlantic Ocean, coastal bay, or Potomac water managed under a different agreement. The same species can have a different season, size or daily limit only a few miles away.
The most important Maryland regulation today
Chesapeake striped bass
Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries are closed to striped bass fishing for the entire month of August.
Not just no harvest
Attempting to catch striped bass is illegal during the August closure.
Bay harvest window
September 1–December 5: one striped bass per person, 19–24 inches, subject to current rules.
Catch-and-release
Bay striped bass returns to catch-and-release only beginning December 6.
Which Maryland regulation table should you use?
Nontidal freshwater
Lakes, ponds and nontidal rivers/streams use Maryland freshwater seasons, creel limits and special-management rules.
Chesapeake Bay
Bay and tidal tributaries use tidal limits, plus a detailed striped-bass seasonal map and circle-hook framework.
Atlantic / coastal bays
Ocean City, Atlantic Ocean and coastal bays use the Atlantic seasons/sizes table, with federal rules for some offshore species.
Potomac / border water
The tidal Potomac mainstem can involve Potomac River Fisheries Commission rules and reciprocity. Do not automatically apply Chesapeake rules.
“River” does not automatically mean freshwater regulation
Freshwater rulebook
Bass harvest season, trout regulations, freshwater walleye limits and nontidal license requirements apply.
Bay/coastal framework
Tidal fish limits, saltwater registration/license routes, striped-bass seasons and marine-species rules can apply.
Maryland fishing licenses run 365 days from purchase
For qualifying Maryland residents age 65+ or turning 65 during the current calendar year.
Match your fishing trip to the correct Maryland license
Freshwater lake / stream
Start with a non-tidal freshwater license if age 16+ and no exemption applies.
Trout trip
Add the applicable trout stamp if age 16+ unless a specific exemption applies.
Chesapeake / Atlantic
Use the Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fish privilege unless another boat/charter/free-area route legally covers you.
Licensed boat / exempt angler
You may still need Maryland’s free Saltwater Angler Registration depending on why you are fishing without an individual tidal license.
Maryland anglers under 16 fish without a recreational fishing license
Fishing seasons, sizes, creel limits and property rules still apply.
Passengers fishing on a properly licensed charter boat are covered through the charter license route.
Covered pier anglers do not need an individual tidal fishing license.
Maryland’s three 2026 statewide Free Fishing Days have passed
First Saturday in June 2026.
Second Saturday in June 2026.
Maryland freshwater seasons, sizes & creel limits
| Species | Size | Season | Daily / possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| American eel | 9″ | Year-round | 25 / 25 |
| Baitfish / madtoms | None | Year-round | 35 aggregate / 35 |
| Largemouth + smallmouth bass | 12″ or special regulation | June 16–last day of February | 5 aggregate / 10 |
| Carp | None | Year-round | 15 / 30 |
| Chain pickerel | 14″ | Year-round | 5 / 10 |
| Channel catfish | None | Year-round | 5 / 10 |
| Crappie | None | Year-round | 15 / 30 |
| Alewife + blueback herring | — | CLOSED | Catch-and-release only |
| Muskellunge / tiger muskie | 36″ | Year-round | 1 / 2 |
| Northern pike | 30″ | Year-round | 2 / 4 |
| Saugeye | 15″ | Year-round | 5 / 10 |
| American / hickory shad | — | CLOSED | Catch-and-release only |
| Striped / hybrid striped bass — lakes & ponds | 18″ | Year-round | 2/day; only one may exceed 30″. Possession 4; only one over 30″. |
| Suckers | None | Year-round | 30 / 60 |
| Sunfish / bluegill / rock bass | None | Year-round | 15 aggregate / 30 |
| Trout — statewide baseline | None | Year-round baseline | 2 aggregate / 4; special trout management areas differ. |
| Walleye | 15″ baseline | Year-round baseline | 5 / 10 |
| White perch | None | Year-round | No statewide creel limit listed |
| Yellow perch — rivers/streams | 9″ | Year-round | 5 / 10 |
| Yellow perch — lakes/ponds | None | Year-round | 10 / 20 |
| Atlantic / shortnose sturgeon | — | CLOSED | No harvest |
Lake/pond striped bass can be kept; nontidal river striped bass cannot
Two striped/hybrid striped bass per day combined; only one may be over 30 inches.
Maryland states that keeping striped bass and hybrid striped bass caught in nontidal streams and rivers is illegal.
The statewide 15-inch walleye minimum has two major exceptions
Most nontidal waters
15″ minimumFive daily, ten in possession.
Deep Creek Lake
18–21″ releaseMinimum is 15″, but fish in the protected 18–21 inch slot must be released.
Upper Potomac special reach
20″ maximumJanuary 1–April 15 in the specified mainstem reach from approximately 0.5 mile above Chain Bridge to the Cumberland spillway.
Maryland size limits depend on an accurate total length
A soft tape around the body is not a reliable substitute for the regulation’s required fish length.
Do not wait until the fish has been in the cooler to discover that it is inside a protected slot.
Offshore species can use special definitions, including rules about tail filaments, fork length or carapace length.
Maryland trout waters are managed by area type—not one statewide rule
The statewide trout baseline is two fish daily and four in possession, but Maryland’s Put-and-Take and Special Trout Management Areas use specific seasons, closures, creel limits and tackle restrictions.
Youth-only trout day
Closure 1 areas were reserved for children younger than 16 from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Youth creel
Two trout per child on Youth-Only Trout Fishing Day; no brook trout allowed.
Temporary closures
Put-and-Take areas can close from 10 p.m. before a scheduled stocking date until 6:30 a.m. on the following listed date.
Gear can change
Catch-and-return, fly-fishing-only and other special areas can restrict bait, tackle and harvest.
Two Maryland river reaches close to all fishing in February, March & April
Magothy River
From the base of Lake Waterford Dam downstream for approximately 3,300 feet.
FEB–APR CLOSEDSevern River / Severn Run
From the Route 3 Bridge downstream for approximately 2,400 feet.
FEB–APR CLOSEDChesapeake striped bass: season changes nine times during the year
Catch & release
No harvest. Circle-hook requirements continue. Eels cannot be used as bait.
Limited C&R area
Lower Bay fishing area only. Spawning rivers/Upper Bay spawning area closed. Trolling limited to six lines; barbless trolling hooks.
Harvest opens in defined area
One fish/person/day, 19–24 inches. Geographic restrictions remain.
Expanded harvest area
One fish/person/day, 19–24 inches, with listed tributary and spawning-area restrictions.
All areas open
One fish/person/day, 19–24 inches.
FULL CLOSURE
No targeting. Attempting to catch striped bass is illegal.
Harvest reopens
One fish/person/day, 19–24 inches.
Catch & release
No harvest. Eels cannot be used as bait.
Different spring closure
Susquehanna Flats, Lower Susquehanna and Northeast River are closed to striped bass fishing April 1–May 31.
A 25-inch Chesapeake striped bass is too large to keep
During the 2026 Chesapeake Bay harvest periods, a legal striped bass must be at least 19 inches and no more than 24 inches. The daily creel is one fish per person.
Do not confuse three separate rules
- Size: 19–24 inches during open harvest periods.
- Bag: one fish per person per day.
- Season: the fish must also be legally targeted/harvested on that date and in that area.
Maryland changes hook requirements based on how you fish
A non-offset circle hook is required when chumming in Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries.
Anglers are generally required to use a non-offset circle hook when live-lining.
When using fish, crabs, worms or processed bait and not chumming/live-lining, use a non-offset circle hook or a qualifying J-hook with a gap no greater than ½ inch.
Current Chesapeake Bay recreational fish limits
| Species | Size | Season | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| American eel | 9″ | Jan. 1–Aug. 31; year-round for spear/baited trap or pot | 25 |
| Atlantic menhaden | None | Year-round | None listed |
| Largemouth / smallmouth bass |
15″ Mar. 1–Jun. 15; 12″ Jun. 16–end Feb. |
Year-round | 5 aggregate |
| Black drum | 16″ | Year-round | 1/person; 6/boat |
| Black sea bass | 12½”, excluding tail filament | May 1–Dec. 31 | 15 |
| Bluefish | 8″ | Year-round | Shore/private boat 5; for-hire boat 7 per person |
| Chain pickerel | 14″ | May 1–Mar. 14 | 10 |
| Cobia | 43″ total length | Jun. 15–Sept. 20 | 1/person/day; maximum 2/vessel with 2+ people |
| Atlantic croaker | 9″ | Year-round | 25 |
| Longnose gar | None | Year-round |
Apr. 15–Jun. 30: 1; Jul. 1–Apr. 14: 5 |
| Chesapeake channa / northern snakehead | None | Year-round | None |
| Red drum | 18–26″ | Year-round | 3 |
| Sheepshead | 12″ | Year-round | 4 |
| Spanish mackerel | 14″ | Year-round | 15 |
| Spot | None | Year-round | 50 |
| Spotted seatrout | 14″ | Year-round | 4 |
| Striped bass | Season-specific | See 2026 striped bass calendar | Season-specific |
| Summer flounder |
16″ Jan. 1–May 31; 17½” Jun. 1–Dec. 31 |
Year-round | 4 |
| Tautog | 16″ | Harvest Jul. 1–May 15; C&R May 16–Jun. 30 |
Jan. 1–May 15: 4; Jul. 1–Oct. 31: 2; Nov. 1–Dec. 31: 4 |
| Walleye | 15″ | Year-round | 5 |
| Weakfish | 13″ | Year-round | 1 |
| White perch |
No minimum hook-and-line; 8″ with other gear |
Year-round | None listed |
| Yellow perch | 9″ | Year-round | 5 |
| Alewife, blueback herring, shad & sturgeon | — | CLOSED | No harvest |
Maryland summer flounder minimum increases June 1
Four fish daily.
Four fish daily.
Maryland coastal recreational limits
| Species | Size | Season | Daily / vessel limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black drum | 16″ | Year-round | 1/person; 6/boat |
| Black sea bass | 12½”, excluding tail filament | May 1–Dec. 31 | 15 |
| Bluefish | 8″ | Year-round | Shore/private boat 5; for-hire 7 |
| Cobia | 43″ TL | Jun. 15–Sept. 20 | 1/person; max 2/vessel with 2+ persons |
| Atlantic croaker | 9″ | Year-round | 25 |
| Mahi-mahi / dolphinfish | None listed | Year-round | Federal waters: 10/person; 54/boat |
| Red drum | 18–26″ | Year-round | 3 |
| Scup / porgy | 9″ | Year-round | 30 |
| Sheepshead | 12″ | Year-round | 4 |
| Spanish mackerel | 14″ | Year-round | 15 |
| Spot | None | Year-round | 50 |
| Spotted seatrout | 14″ | Year-round | 4 |
| Summer flounder |
16″ Jan.–May; 17½” Jun.–Dec. |
Year-round | 4 |
| Tautog | 16″ | Seasonal harvest | 4 early/late season; 2 Jul.–Oct. |
| Wahoo | None | Year-round | 2 in federal waters |
| Weakfish | 13″ | Year-round | 1 |
Atlantic Coast striped bass uses a different slot than Chesapeake Bay
Maryland wants invasive fish harvested—but they cannot stay alive in possession
Chesapeake channa/northern snakehead, blue catfish and flathead catfish can be targeted with legal recreational gear.
Maryland’s invasive-fish program requires covered invasive species to be killed when retained.
Chesapeake channa/northern snakehead may not legally be possessed alive.
Several Maryland species are not legal harvest just because you caught one
Catch-and-release opportunities may exist for certain closed freshwater species where expressly allowed, but closed harvest means the fish cannot be put into your possession.
Fishing license and crabbing license are separate decisions
$10 nonresident.
Resident or nonresident.
Six questions before a Maryland fish enters the cooler
- What exact species is it? Similar-looking fish can have completely different limits.
- Is this tidal or nontidal water? The dividing line can change the rule table.
- Is the season open today? Maryland bass, trout, striped bass, tautog, cobia and other species use seasonal rules.
- Does a minimum, maximum or protected slot apply? Chesapeake striped bass, red drum and Deep Creek walleye are examples where an upper boundary matters.
- How many fish are already in possession? Daily and possession limits are not always identical.
- Does this exact water have a special rule? Reservoirs, trout-management areas, Potomac waters and spawning areas can override the ordinary statewide assumption.
Maryland fishing regulation trip checklist
- Save the exact waterbody name and verify whether the location is tidal or nontidal.
- Carry the correct license for freshwater or Chesapeake/coastal fishing.
- Add the trout stamp if your nontidal trout trip requires it.
- Check the striped-bass map by date rather than relying on one annual bag-limit number.
- Save legal size + creel for every species you plan to keep.
- Bring a measuring board long enough for striped bass, cobia, red drum or other targeted fish.
- Confirm circle-hook requirements before chumming, live-lining or bait fishing for Chesapeake striped bass.
- Check trout stocking closures if fishing a Maryland Put-and-Take area.
- Verify federal requirements before offshore tilefish or other federally managed trips.
- Check fish-consumption guidance if your catch is going home for dinner.
Twelve Maryland regulation mistakes that can ruin a fishing trip
Chesapeake striped bass fishing is fully closed Aug. 1–31.
Atlantic and Chesapeake striped-bass slots are different.
Nontidal bass harvest has a separate season.
Nontidal rivers/streams do not allow striped/hybrid bass harvest.
Senior Consolidated no longer includes trout privilege.
Some license-exempt tidal anglers still must register.
18–21 inch walleye must be released.
Minimum rises from 16 to 17½ inches on June 1.
Put-and-Take areas can temporarily close around stocking.
Chesapeake chumming requires a non-offset circle hook.
Chesapeake channa/northern snakehead cannot be possessed alive.
Federal permit/reporting rules can apply offshore.
Ask Maryland DNR the exact question
580 Taylor Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21401
“I’m fishing [exact Maryland water] on [date], targeting [species] with [bait/method]. Can you confirm whether this location is tidal or nontidal, the current season, size/slot, daily and possession limit, and any special-area or hook restriction?”
Complete the license side before fishing
Use official Maryland pages for the final live check
The working rules have been brought into this article. These official sources are for final verification, current public notices and transactions immediately before fishing.
Maryland fishing regulations — practical answers
Can I fish for striped bass in Chesapeake Bay in August 2026?
No. Maryland closes Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries to striped bass fishing from August 1 through August 31, 2026. The closure prohibits targeting or attempting to catch striped bass; it is not merely a no-harvest period.
What is the 2026 Chesapeake Bay striped bass limit?
During open harvest periods, the limit is one striped bass per person per day and the fish must be at least 19 inches and no more than 24 inches. The exact open area and season depend on the date. August is fully closed, and December 6–31 is catch-and-release only.
What is Maryland’s freshwater bass limit?
The general nontidal limit is five largemouth and smallmouth bass combined, with a 12-inch minimum unless special regulations apply. The ordinary harvest season is June 16 through the last day of February. Catch-and-release is permitted outside the harvest season where otherwise legal.
What is the Maryland crappie limit?
Maryland’s nontidal freshwater crappie limit is 15 fish per day and 30 in possession, with no statewide minimum size listed in the current freshwater table.
Do I need a Maryland fishing license if I am under 16?
No. Individuals under age 16 may fish recreationally in Maryland without purchasing a fishing license. All seasons, size limits, creel limits and other fishing regulations still apply.
How long is a Maryland fishing license valid?
Maryland’s recreational fishing licenses are generally valid for 365 days from the date of purchase rather than expiring on a fixed calendar-year date.
Does the Maryland Senior Consolidated License include the trout stamp?
No. Maryland DNR states that the Resident Senior Consolidated License no longer includes the trout stamp. A senior who wants to catch, attempt to catch or possess trout in nontidal waters must obtain the trout stamp unless another exemption applies.
What is the Maryland walleye limit?
The general nontidal walleye limit is five per day and ten in possession with a 15-inch minimum. Deep Creek Lake has an 18–21 inch protected slot, and special season/size rules apply on parts of the Potomac and Youghiogheny system.
Can I keep a Chesapeake channa or northern snakehead in Maryland?
Maryland allows recreational harvest of Chesapeake channa/northern snakehead, but it is illegal to possess the fish alive. Maryland encourages harvest of invasive Chesapeake channa, blue catfish and flathead catfish.
Do I need a circle hook for striped bass in Maryland?
Maryland requires a non-offset circle hook when chumming in Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries and generally requires one when live-lining. Additional bait-hook and spring striped-bass rules apply depending on date and fishing method.
Check the water type before the fish limit
Maryland’s fishing rules make the most sense when you identify the jurisdiction first: nontidal freshwater, Chesapeake tidal water, Atlantic/coastal water or a special border-water system. Then check species, season, legal length, daily limit, possession and any special method restriction.
Regulation research reviewed . Current Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic limit tables were updated August 4, 2026 by the official Maryland DNR-linked regulation system.
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