2026 regulation year
District of Columbia Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
The District of Columbia runs a single-agency recreational fishing regulatory system through DOEE's Fisheries and Wildlife Division (DCMR Title 19 Chapter 15). A DC Fishing Licence is REQUIRED to fish ANY fishable waters within the District for any angler age 16-64 — Rock Creek + the C&O Canal (DC sections) + Tidal Basin + the DC-side Anacostia + the DC-side Tidal Potomac + every other DC-jurisdiction water, including from the Virginia shoreline or from National Park Service lands within the District boundary. DOEE switched to ONLINE-ONLY licence sales in January 2022 and discontinued the previously-popular 14-day visitor licence at the same time — the only DC products now are the $10 (resident) + $13 (non-resident) annual calendar-year licences (Jan 1 – Dec 31 validity, no proration, no refunds). Persons under 16 + persons 65 and older are exempt from the licence requirement entirely. The Tidal Potomac River fishery jurisdiction is nationally distinctive: under the 1632 royal charter granting the entire Potomac River and its tidal estuary to Maryland (a charter upheld in modern federal litigation), the Potomac River downstream of the Mason-Dixon survey line + Little Falls Dam (Chain Bridge, NW Washington DC) falls under MARYLAND DNR primary jurisdiction even on the DC side of the river. The Maryland-DC fishery is administered through the Potomac River Fisheries Commission for the tidal segment downstream of the Wilson Bridge / Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge — but DC waters require a DC Fishing Licence (a PRFC licence is NOT valid in DC waters per the PRFC reciprocity table), and DC DOEE publishes its own creel + size limits (DCMR Title 19) that harmonize with the PRFC / Maryland Chesapeake recreational measures: striped bass run the 19-24 in Chesapeake protected slot + 1 / day in the open summer/fall season (catch-and-release only Jan 1 – May 15 spawning protection, a no-targeting closure Jul 7 – Aug 20, and non-offset inline circle hooks required on cut or whole natural bait — DC DOEE + PRFC 2026). The 19-24 in slot is the Chesapeake/tidal-river measure, distinct from the 28-31 in coastal/ocean slot. The Anacostia River (the 8.7-mile tidal tributary of the Potomac that flows southwest through DC from Bladensburg MD to the Anacostia mouth at Hains Point in East Potomac Park) is the DC-distinctive fishery — almost entirely under DC DOEE jurisdiction, holding a recovering urban-river fishery built around tidal largemouth bass (the Anacostia hosts the annual Bassmaster Elite Series whenever the schedule places it on the DC market), tidal striped bass spring spawning run, channel + blue catfish (the invasive Ictalurus furcatus has exploded in the Anacostia + Potomac since the 1980s and now dominates the catfish catch by mass — DOEE encourages unlimited harvest of blue catfish as a population-control measure), white perch, yellow perch, and a growing northern snakehead (Channa argus) population since the species' US East-Coast introduction was first documented in Crofton Maryland in 2002 + the Potomac in 2004 — snakehead has no size or bag limit + is encouraged for harvest as an invasive species. Rock Creek (the 33-mile tributary of the Potomac that bisects northwest DC + flows through Rock Creek Park, the 1,754-acre federal NPS urban park created 1890 — Washington's flagship urban-wilderness park) carries the DC stocked-trout fishery + smallmouth + sunfish + American eel + native shiner tier; DOEE annually stocks brook + rainbow + brown trout in Rock Creek upstream of Pierce Mill from April through May. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (C&O Canal) — the 184.5-mile federal NPS historic canal from Georgetown DC to Cumberland MD — has DC sections in Georgetown + Glover-Archbold Park hosting smallmouth + largemouth + sunfish + carp + bowfin under DC license. The Tidal Basin (the 107-acre constructed cove between the Jefferson Memorial + the Washington Channel, fed by tidal flow from the Potomac through inlet gates) hosts panfish + bass + occasional striped bass + the famous Cherry Blossom seasonal aesthetic but is rarely fished for sport. Kingman + Heritage Islands (the two large Anacostia River islands between Benning Road + the East Capitol Street Bridge — managed by DOEE + DC Parks & Recreation) carry shoreline + small-boat tidal-river fishing access. East Potomac Park / Hains Point (the southwestern tip of the Potomac peninsula between the Tidal Basin + the Washington Channel + the Potomac mainstem) is THE classic DC fishing-shoreline destination — striped bass spring run + summer bass + catfish + perch + occasional gar + the rare summer cobia. The Bassmaster Northern Open + Elite + Major League Fishing tour schedule frequently places DC + Tidal Potomac events (Hains Point launches + Pohick Bay MD launches commonly used).
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual fishing licence | $10.00 | Calendar-year validity Jan 1 – Dec 31; online-only sales since January 2022 |
| Resident under 16 | Free | Licence not required under age 16 |
| Resident senior (65+) | Free | Licence not required age 65+ |
| Scientific Collection Permit (Nonprofit / Public Institution) | Free | DOEE-issued; required for scientific collection of fish or aquatic organisms from DC waters |
| Scientific Collection Permit (For-Profit Research) | $50.00 | DOEE-issued; for-profit research entity collecting DC fish or aquatic organisms |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual fishing licence | $13.00 | Calendar-year validity Jan 1 – Dec 31; online-only sales since January 2022; 14-day visitor licence DISCONTINUED in January 2022 — only annual sold now |
| Non-resident under 16 | Free | Licence not required under age 16 |
| Non-resident senior (65+) | Free | Licence not required age 65+ |
Buy directly from District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) — Fisheries and Wildlife Division. Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round on most DC waters; statewide standard rule | 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) — DC standard; on Tidal Potomac the Potomac River Fisheries Commission harmonized MD rule applies | 12 in min DC freshwater; on Tidal Potomac PRFC harmonized rule applies (typically 15 in min March – June + 12 in min July – Feb) |
| Striped bass (rockfish)Compare across states → | Catch-and-release only Jan 1 – May 15 (spawning protection); harvest May 16 – Jul 6 + Aug 21 – Dec 31; no-targeting closure Jul 7 – Aug 20 (DC DOEE / PRFC 2026) | 1 / day per angler (DC DOEE / PRFC harmonized Chesapeake recreational) | 19–24 in protected slot (Chesapeake / tidal Potomac recreational — DC DOEE + PRFC 2026); distinct from the 28–31 in coastal slot |
| Blue catfishCompare across states → | Year-round; DOEE-designated invasive species — unlimited harvest encouraged | No daily bag limit (invasive species — harvest encouraged for population control) | No minimum size limit |
| Northern snakehead | Year-round; DOEE-designated invasive species — unlimited harvest encouraged | No daily bag limit (invasive species — harvest encouraged for population control) | No minimum size limit |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round on Potomac upstream of Chain Bridge + C&O Canal + Rock Creek; statewide standard rule | 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) — DC standard | 12 in min DC freshwater |
| Channel catfishCompare across states → | Year-round; DC DOEE standard rule | 3 / day (DC DOEE, DCMR Title 19) | 12 in min (DC DOEE) — native catfish; invasive blue catfish carries no limit |
| Yellow perchCompare across states → | Year-round; spring spawning run up the Anacostia + tidal Potomac tributaries Feb – Apr | 3 / day (DC DOEE); 10 / day on the PRFC tidal Potomac mainstem | 8 in min (DC DOEE); 9 in min on the PRFC tidal Potomac mainstem |
| WalleyeCompare across states → | Year-round; spring run concentrates at the Chain Bridge / Little Falls / Fletcher's Cove fall line Mar – Apr | 1 / day (DC DOEE, DCMR Title 19) | 14 in min (DC DOEE) |
Notable water-body special regulations
Tidal Potomac River — DC waters
Downstream of Chain Bridge / Little Falls Dam; under the 1632 royal charter the river belongs to Maryland, but DC waters require a DC Fishing Licence (a PRFC licence is NOT valid in DC waters). DC DOEE harmonizes with the PRFC / Maryland Chesapeake recreational striped bass rule — 19–24 in slot + 1 / day, catch-and-release only Jan 1 – May 15 + no-targeting closure Jul 7 – Aug 20, inline circle hooks required on natural bait (DC DOEE / PRFC 2026)
8.7-mile tidal Potomac tributary entirely under DC DOEE jurisdiction; recovering urban-river fishery — tidal largemouth bass + striped bass spring run + blue + channel catfish + white perch + yellow perch + invasive snakehead (harvest encouraged); annual Bassmaster Elite + Northern Open events frequently held; DC Fishing Licence REQUIRED ages 16-64
33-mile Potomac tributary bisecting NW DC through the 1,754-acre Rock Creek Park (federal NPS, est. 1890); DOEE-stocked rainbow + brook + brown trout April – May upstream of Pierce Mill; year-round smallmouth + sunfish + American eel + native shiner tier; DC Fishing Licence REQUIRED ages 16-64; NPS regulations also apply (no live bait in designated stocked trout sections, confirm current Rock Creek Park bulletin)
C&O Canal — Georgetown + Glover-Archbold sections
Federal NPS historic canal (Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, 184.5 miles Georgetown DC to Cumberland MD); DC sections in Georgetown + Glover-Archbold Park host smallmouth + largemouth + sunfish + carp + bowfin; DC Fishing Licence REQUIRED ages 16-64; NPS regulations also apply
107-acre constructed cove between the Jefferson Memorial + Washington Channel, fed by tidal flow from the Potomac through inlet gates; hosts panfish + bass + occasional striped bass; rarely fished for sport given the iconic Cherry Blossom seasonal context; DC Fishing Licence REQUIRED
Anacostia/Potomac confluence channel between East Potomac Park + the Wharf; tidal striped bass (19–24 in slot, 1 / day) + channel catfish (12 in / 3 day) + no-limit blue catfish + yellow perch (8 in / 3 day) + white perch + winter black crappie (water of the 2.10-lb DC record crappie, Devon Addison Nov 2022); DC Fishing Licence REQUIRED
Two large Anacostia River islands between Benning Road + East Capitol Street Bridge — managed by DOEE + DC Parks & Recreation; shoreline + small-boat tidal-river fishing access; tidal largemouth bass + catfish + perch + snakehead; DC Fishing Licence REQUIRED
East Potomac Park / Hains Point
Southwestern tip of the Potomac peninsula between Tidal Basin + Washington Channel + Potomac mainstem; THE classic DC shoreline fishing destination — striped bass spring run + summer bass + channel + blue catfish + yellow + white perch + occasional gar; striped bass run the harmonized DC DOEE / PRFC 19–24 in Chesapeake slot + 1 / day; channel catfish 12 in / 3 day + yellow perch 8 in / 3 day (DC DOEE); DC Fishing Licence REQUIRED (a PRFC licence is not valid in DC waters)
Potomac River — upstream of Chain Bridge
Small DC-jurisdiction fall-line segment upstream of Chain Bridge to the Maryland line at Little Falls, anchored by Fletcher's Cove (Fletcher's Boathouse, NPS concession just above Georgetown); the March – April fall-line spring run stacks walleye (14 in / 1 day, DC DOEE) + hickory shad (C&R, moratorium) + striped bass + white perch below Little Falls; year-round smallmouth bass + channel catfish; DC Fishing Licence REQUIRED; MD non-tidal regulations apply on the MD bank
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in District of Columbia?
- Yes. District of Columbia requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) — Fisheries and Wildlife Division; resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in District of Columbia?
- Resident fees range from $10.00 (resident annual fishing licence) to $50.00 (scientific collection permit (for-profit research)); Non-resident fees are $13.00 (non-resident annual fishing licence). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare District of Columbia against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in District of Columbia?
- District of Columbia anglers most commonly target Largemouth bass, Striped bass (rockfish), Blue catfish, Northern snakehead, Smallmouth bass, Channel catfish, and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in District of Columbia?
- It depends on the species — District of Columbia sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) — Fisheries and Wildlife Division can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific District of Columbia waters?
- Yes. 9 named District of Columbia waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Tidal Potomac River, Anacostia River, Rock Creek, and 6 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) — Fisheries and Wildlife Division is the authoritative source for District of Columbia fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official District of Columbia fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment's emergency-order feed — check it before any District of Columbia trip during the active season.