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fishregs

2026 regulation year

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park Fishing License 2026

Last updated

MarylandDistrict of ColumbiaWest VirginiaVirginia

C&O Canal NHP runs on the host state's fishing license; the National Park Service does not sell a separate permit here.

Quick answer

State fishing license applies

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park is the FIRST FOUR-JURISDICTION NPS unit in the catalog — spanning Maryland (canal + towpath proper), the District of Columbia (Georgetown terminus + tidewater Potomac), West Virginia (upper Potomac border reach), and Virginia (lower Potomac border reach). Fishing regulations CONFORM TO THE LICENCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE STATE WHERE THE CANAL AND POTOMAC RIVER ARE LOCATED. DC requires a license for ages 16-65 (DOEE/DCDCRA); MD requires a license for 16+ (MDDNR non-tidal); VA requires a license for 16+ (Department of Wildlife Resources, formerly VDGIF); WV requires a license for ages 15-65 (WVDNR). NORTHERN SNAKEHEAD is an invasive species in the Potomac — DO NOT RELEASE ALIVE; report catches with photo to [email protected].

What to know before you fish C&O Canal NHP

  • Park context: Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park preserves 184.5 miles of the historic C&O Canal + towpath from CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND (Mile 184.5, where the canal terminated in the Allegheny coal country) downstream to GEORGETOWN, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (Mile 0) along the Maryland bank of the Potomac River. The canal operated 1828-1924 transporting coal, lumber, and grain; the towpath now functions as a continuous multi-use trail. The park's fishery spans FOUR JURISDICTIONS — Maryland (the canal + towpath itself are on the Maryland bank); the District of Columbia (the Georgetown tidewater reach below Chain Bridge); West Virginia (the upper Potomac from Cumberland to Hancock MD is the WV/MD border — anglers casting into the river from the MD side may need WV licence depending on where the boundary line falls under state water apportionment); Virginia (the lower Potomac from Hancock MD downstream is the VA/MD border — same boundary-line consideration). Park HQ: 1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100, Hagerstown, MD 21740 — (301) 739-4200; canal-system contact (301) 739-4200.
  • Four-jurisdiction licence framework: (a) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — DC Department of Energy & Environment (formerly DCRA) FISHING LICENCE required for anglers AGES 16 THROUGH 65 (under 16 + 65+ exempt). Information: (202) 535-2260 (DOEE Fisheries). Applies in the tidewater Potomac reach below Chain Bridge in DC. (b) MARYLAND — MD Department of Natural Resources NON-TIDAL FISHING LICENCE required for anglers 16+ for the canal + non-tidal Potomac reaches; a separate MD Chesapeake Bay Sport Fishing Licence applies to tidal-water sections (below Little Falls Dam). Information: (410) 260-8DNR. (c) VIRGINIA — Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) FRESHWATER FISHING LICENCE required for anglers 16+; both VA and MD recognize a RECIPROCAL agreement on the Potomac as a boundary water — anglers with MD licence may fish from the VA bank and vice-versa for the mainstem (verify per-water rules with each state). Information: 1-866-721-6911. (d) WEST VIRGINIA — WV Division of Natural Resources FISHING LICENCE required for anglers AGES 15 THROUGH 64 (under 15 + 65+ exempt). Information: (304) 558-2758. PA + NY anglers fishing the Potomac border waters need the WV or MD state's licence depending on which side of the border line they are casting from.
  • Park-specific federal rule under 36 CFR §2.3: state fishing regulations of the respective state govern unless overridden by the Superintendent's Compendium. Standard NPS §2.3 prohibitions apply (drugs / poisons / explosives / electricity; commercial fishing except where statutorily authorised; chumming; bait-bucket dumping; mandatory immediate-return for undersize / out-of-season / unwanted fish; fishing from motor-road bridges or within 200 ft of designated rafts / floats / swim beaches / boat docks except in designated areas). NORTHERN SNAKEHEAD (Channa argus) — INVASIVE — DO NOT RELEASE ALIVE; this exotic Asian fish has established in the Potomac and Anacostia and is destroying native fish populations; if caught, do not release; report catches (with photo) to [email protected] per MD DNR invasive-species reporting program.
  • Anchor species — Potomac River mainstem (anchor sport-fishery): SMALLMOUTH BASS (the upper-mid Potomac from Cumberland to Little Falls Dam is a renowned smallmouth river — Whites Ferry, Point of Rocks, Brunswick, and Williamsport are popular access points), LARGEMOUTH BASS (canal pools + tidewater reach), CHANNEL CATFISH + flathead catfish, walleye (multiple reaches), MUSKELLUNGE (upper Potomac near Cumberland is nationally recognized for native musky), STRIPED BASS (anadromous run up the Potomac from Chesapeake Bay — spring run is a marquee tidewater event reaching Chain Bridge in late spring), AMERICAN SHAD + HICKORY SHAD spawning runs (April-May), white perch + yellow perch, blue catfish (invasive but established + sport-fished). Crappie + bluegill + pumpkinseed + redbreast sunfish in canal pools + slack-water reaches. NORTHERN SNAKEHEAD (invasive — do not release alive). FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES from MD DNR + DC DOEE + VA Department of Health apply for PCBs + mercury + Chlordane in certain species + reaches — striped bass, channel cat, snakehead, and large smallmouth all have advisories.
  • Outside-park context: Great Falls of the Potomac (MD side at Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center mile 14.3, VA side at Great Falls National Park) is the upper limit of the tidewater Potomac — below Great Falls is anadromous; above Great Falls is the upper-river freshwater fishery. Whites Ferry (Mile 35.5, the last operating cable ferry across the Potomac, suspended since 2020 but reopening planned), Point of Rocks (Mile 48.2), Brunswick (Mile 54.4), Harpers Ferry NHP (Mile 60.7 — confluence of the Potomac + Shenandoah at the MD/WV/VA tri-state point), Williamsport (Mile 99.4), Hancock (Mile 124.0 — bend at the WV/MD border), Paw Paw Tunnel (Mile 155.2), Cumberland (Mile 184.5 — western terminus). The C&O Canal Trust + Friends of the C&O Canal maintain the towpath + visitor experience. Coordination with USFWS + EPA + each of the 4 state agencies + DC DOEE governs the multi-jurisdictional Potomac sport fishery.

How licensing works at C&O Canal NHP

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park runs on the host state's regular fishing license — there is no separate National Park Service fishing permit to buy. Use the same Maryland / District of Columbia / West Virginia / Virginia license you would use anywhere else in the state. Park-specific regulations (gear restrictions, species closures, catch-and-release zones) still layer on top of the state rule, so read the unit's current fishing page before launching.

Compare what the Maryland / District of Columbia / West Virginia / Virginia license costs on the non-resident fee table, or open the full Maryland regulations / District of Columbia regulations / West Virginia regulations / Virginia regulations.

Official source

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park publishes its authoritative 2026 fishing rules on the page below. Regulations change annually — verify the current year before you fish.

nps.gov →

Emergency-order & closure feed

On federal land, in-season closures don't go through the host state's DFW — they post to the unit's own news desk. Road closures that cut off river access, wildfire trailhead shutdowns, drought-driven access changes, and bear-activity lake closures all publish to C&O Canal NHP's National Park Service news feed. Subscribe before any long-haul trip.

C&O Canal NHP — National Park Service news releases

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C&O Canal NHP fishing license — FAQ

Do you need a fishing license to fish Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park?
C&O Canal NHP runs on the host state's fishing license; the National Park Service does not sell a separate permit here.
Who issues the fishing license for C&O Canal NHP?
The host state's fish & wildlife agency issues the controlling fishing license for C&O Canal NHP — the Maryland / District of Columbia / West Virginia / Virginia license. There is no federal fishing permit to buy here.
Is your Maryland / District of Columbia / West Virginia / Virginia fishing license valid in C&O Canal NHP?
Yes — C&O Canal NHP runs on the Maryland / District of Columbia / West Virginia / Virginia fishing license. The same license you use elsewhere in those states covers the unit's waters, subject to any unit-specific regulation that layers on top.
Where are C&O Canal NHP fishing closures posted?
In-season closures inside C&O Canal NHP are published to the unit's National Park Service news feed (RSS), not the host state's emergency-order page. Subscribe to the feed on this page to catch road, wildfire, drought, and access closures before a trip.

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