2026 regulation year
Maryland Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
Maryland runs a single-agency regulatory system through the Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR) Fisheries Service, with separate Inland (freshwater non-tidal) and Tidal Bay & Coast (Chesapeake Bay + tidal Atlantic) licence tiers. The Chesapeake Bay — the largest estuary in the contiguous United States — is the state's saltwater backbone, with Maryland-specific striped bass (rockfish) seasons distinct from the ASMFC ocean rule: a spring trophy season (typically May 16 – May 31, 35 in min + 1 / day in approved areas), then a summer/fall recreational season (typically Jun 1 – Aug 31 + Sep 1 – Dec 10, 19 in min + 1 / day with circle hooks REQUIRED on natural bait). Susquehanna Flats (the head-of-Bay shallows where the Susquehanna River enters Chesapeake Bay near Havre de Grace) runs a Maryland-distinctive catch-and-release-only striped bass season April 1 – May 15 — no harvest permitted, world-famous trophy striper light-tackle / fly-rod destination. The Potomac River boundary water with Virginia + DC is administered by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) under a 1958 interstate compact — the PRFC issues its own tidal Potomac sport-fishing licence and Maryland Tidal + Virginia Saltwater licences are honored on the tidal Potomac under the compact. Deep Creek Lake (3,900 acres in Garrett County — Maryland's largest inland water body, a 1925 hydroelectric impoundment of the Youghiogheny River drainage at 2,462 ft elevation in the Allegheny Mountains) is the freshwater flagship — smallmouth bass + largemouth + walleye + yellow perch + chain pickerel + stocked rainbow + brown trout. The Baltimore + Washington DC water-supply reservoir tier — Loch Raven (2,400 acres, Gunpowder Falls, City of Baltimore) + Liberty Reservoir (3,100 acres, North Branch Patapsco, Baltimore County / Carroll County) + Prettyboy Reservoir (1,500 acres, Gunpowder Falls, Baltimore County) + Triadelphia Reservoir (800 acres, Patuxent River, Howard / Montgomery Counties) + Rocky Gorge Reservoir / T. Howard Duckett Reservoir (770 acres, Patuxent River) — operates under City of Baltimore DPW + WSSC watershed rules: shore-only access (no gas motors, registered electric only, no body contact) but trophy bass + holdover trout fisheries year-round. The Youghiogheny Reservoir (2,840 acres on the MD/PA boundary, US Army Corps of Engineers flood control + Maryland's most-isolated mountain reservoir) and Jennings Randolph Lake (1,008 acres on the MD/WV boundary, North Branch Potomac, USACE) round out the western-MD reservoir tier. The Conowingo Dam tailwater on the Susquehanna River (Cecil + Harford Counties) is the East Coast's premier spring striped bass + walleye + smallmouth bass + flathead + blue catfish tailwater. Antietam Creek + Beaverdam Creek + Big Hunting Creek + Owens Creek + Falling Branch + the upper Gunpowder Falls main stem carry the western-MD wild brown + brook trout tier, with Catch-and-Return ONLY zones on Beaverdam Run + Big Hunting Creek upper reaches + Falling Branch + Owens Creek upper reaches. The Patapsco River + Magothy + Severn + South + West + Patuxent + Choptank + Nanticoke + Chester Rivers carry tributary tidal striped bass + white perch + spotted seatrout + summer flounder + blue catfish on Maryland's Chesapeake tributary system. Maryland-distinctive invasive species rule: NO closed season, NO minimum size, NO bag limit on blue catfish + flathead catfish on tidal Maryland waters (DNR encourages unlimited harvest — invasive Mississippi-origin species first stocked in the James and Rappahannock in the 1970s, now established across the entire tidal Potomac + Susquehanna + Patuxent + Choptank + Nanticoke drainages; 100+ lb fish caught annually from tidal Potomac).
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual non-tidal (freshwater) fishing | $20.50 | |
| Resident annual Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence | $15.00 | |
| Resident Consolidated Sport Fishing Licence (non-tidal + Chesapeake & Coastal combined) | $30.50 | |
| Resident Trout Stamp (add-on) | $5.00 | Required to retain trout from any non-tidal water — opening day late March + year-round stocked sections |
| Resident 3-day non-tidal | $7.00 | |
| Resident senior (65+) non-tidal | $5.00 | |
| Resident senior (65+) Chesapeake Bay & Coastal | $5.00 | |
| Resident Bay Sport Boat Licence (vessel-based — covers all aboard, alternative to per-angler licence) | $50.00 | Annual licence covering all anglers aboard a registered private boat in MD tidal waters |
| Resident under 16 | Free | Not required under age 16 |
| Resident blind | Free | Free with eligibility documentation |
| Resident disabled veteran 100% | Free | Free Disabled Veteran Complimentary Licence |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual non-tidal (freshwater) fishing | $30.50 | |
| Non-resident annual Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence | $22.50 | |
| Non-resident Consolidated Sport Fishing Licence (non-tidal + Chesapeake & Coastal combined) | $45.00 | |
| Non-resident Trout Stamp (add-on) | $10.00 | Required to retain trout from any non-tidal water |
| Non-resident 7-day non-tidal | $14.00 | |
| Non-resident 3-day non-tidal | $10.00 | |
| Non-resident 7-day Chesapeake Bay & Coastal | $12.00 | |
| Non-resident Bay Sport Boat Licence (vessel-based — covers all aboard) | $100.00 | Annual licence covering all anglers aboard a registered private boat in MD tidal waters |
| Non-resident under 16 | Free | Not required under age 16 |
Buy directly from Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal). Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass (rockfish)Compare across states → | Chesapeake Bay MD-distinctive: spring trophy season May 16 – May 31 (35 in min, 1 / day in approved areas); summer/fall season Jun 1 – Aug 31 + Sep 1 – Dec 10 (19 in min, 1 / day); Atlantic Ocean ASMFC 28–31 in slot | 1 / day per angler (Chesapeake Bay MD recreational rule) | Chesapeake Bay: 19 in min summer/fall + 35 in min spring trophy; Atlantic Ocean: 28–31 in slot (ASMFC) |
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round on most waters; 5 March – 15 June pre-spawn catch-and-release-only window on Potomac River tidal + listed Eastern Shore tidal tributaries | 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) statewide; 0 / day Potomac tidal Mar 5 – Jun 15 | 12 in min statewide; 15 in min Potomac River tidal section; 12 in min Triadelphia + Rocky Gorge + Liberty + Loch Raven reservoirs |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round on most waters; Susquehanna Flats + tidal Susquehanna pre-spawn catch-and-release rules per current DNR notice | 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) statewide | 12 in min statewide; 12 in min Deep Creek Lake + Youghiogheny Reservoir + Potomac non-tidal |
| Summer flounder (fluke)Compare across states → | Per annual MD DNR Tidal Fisheries notice (typical Chesapeake Bay + Atlantic Ocean May 4 – Oct 9) | 4 / day per angler (recreational, ASMFC harmonized) | 16.5 in min Chesapeake Bay; 17 in min Atlantic Ocean (typical 2025-26 — confirm current-year DNR notice) |
| Blue catfish (invasive)Compare across states → | Year-round — no closed season | No limit (DNR encourages unlimited harvest of invasive species) | No minimum size — invasive species rule |
| WalleyeCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide (15 in min, 5 / day); Deep Creek Lake + Youghiogheny River below the Route 42 bridge CLOSED to walleye Mar 1 – Apr 15 (spring spawn) | 5 / day statewide (nontidal + Chesapeake tidal) | 15 in min statewide; Deep Creek Lake adds an 18–21 in protected slot (release all 18–21 in); Potomac mainstem 20 in MAX size Jan 1 – Apr 15 |
| Yellow perchCompare across states → | Open year-round; the Feb – Mar tidal-tributary spawning run is the marquee fishery (first major run of the MD season) | 5 / day in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams (reduced from 10 effective 2026); 10 / day in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs | 9 in min in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams; no minimum size in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs |
| Channel catfishCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide | 5 / day in nontidal waters; NO creel limit in tidal / Chesapeake waters | No minimum size statewide |
Notable water-body special regulations
MD-distinctive striped bass: spring trophy May 16 – May 31 (35 in min, 1 / day in approved areas) + summer/fall Jun 1 – Aug 31 + Sep 1 – Dec 10 (19 in min, 1 / day); Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence + MD DNR Tidal registration required; circle hooks REQUIRED on natural bait for striped bass
Striped bass + white perch + summer flounder + spotted seatrout + bluefish + spot + croaker; Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence required; circle hooks REQUIRED on natural bait for striped bass
Striped bass + speckled trout + flounder + cobia + bluefish; PRFC tidal Potomac compact applies on the Potomac side; Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence required
World-famous shallow-water trophy striped bass catch-and-release ONLY April 1 – May 15 — no harvest permitted, MD-distinctive trophy C&R season; non-tidal Susquehanna River below Conowingo Dam tailwater carries spring run striper + walleye + smallmouth
East Coast's premier spring striped bass + walleye + smallmouth + flathead + blue catfish tailwater; PA boundary upstream; trophy migration April – May; striped bass C&R below dam April 1 – May 15 paired with Susquehanna Flats
PRFC interstate compact (1958) — Potomac River Fisheries Commission issues sport-fishing licence; MD Tidal + VA Saltwater licences reciprocally honored under compact; tidal striped bass + blue catfish + white perch + Largemouth bass 15 in min + 5 / day with March 5 – June 15 C&R pre-spawn window
MD non-tidal freshwater licence required (VA freshwater does NOT cover — non-tidal Potomac is MD-only jurisdiction); smallmouth bass + walleye + muskellunge + carp + channel catfish; Great Falls of the Potomac trophy smallmouth
3,900-acre — Maryland's largest inland water body; 1925 hydroelectric impoundment Youghiogheny River drainage at 2,462 ft elevation Allegheny Mountains; MD's flagship walleye fishery; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth, 5 / day combined; walleye 15 in min + 18–21 in protected slot (release all 18–21 in), 5 / day, CLOSED Mar 1 – Apr 15 (spring spawn); yellow perch no minimum size, 10 / day (nontidal lake); stocked rainbow + brown trout (Trout Stamp); chain pickerel + bluegill + crappie + channel catfish
Youghiogheny Reservoir / Yough Lake
2,840-acre USACE flood-control impoundment of the Youghiogheny River; MD/PA joint-management compact governs; smallmouth + largemouth bass 12 in min, 5 / day combined; walleye 15 in min, 5 / day; lake trout (stocked carry-over) + brown trout + rainbow
1,008-acre USACE flood-control reservoir; MD/WV joint-management; smallmouth + largemouth 12 in min, 5 / day combined; walleye 15 in min, 5 / day — MD state-record walleye water (14 lb 4 oz, 1998); trophy brown trout in cold-water North Branch Potomac tailwater below Bloomington Dam — one of the East Coast's premier brown trout tailwaters
2,400-acre Baltimore City water supply on Gunpowder Falls; shore + registered electric-motor-boat access only (no gas motors, no body contact, DPW Watershed Use Permit required); trophy largemouth + smallmouth + crappie + bluegill + carp + holdover stocked trout; 12 in min black bass, 5 / day combined
3,100-acre Baltimore City water supply on the North Branch Patapsco; shore + registered electric-motor access only (no gas motors); trophy smallmouth + largemouth + crappie + walleye (stocked) + holdover trout; 12 in min black bass, 5 / day combined
1,500-acre Baltimore City water supply; shore + registered electric-motor access only (no gas motors); smallmouth + largemouth + holdover trout + chain pickerel; 12 in min black bass
800-acre Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) water supply; WSSC Watershed Use Permit required; shore + electric-motor only; largemouth + smallmouth + crappie + bluegill + carp + tiger musky
Rocky Gorge Reservoir / T. Howard Duckett Reservoir
770-acre WSSC water supply downstream of Triadelphia; WSSC Watershed Use Permit; shore + electric-motor only; largemouth + smallmouth + crappie + tiger musky (stocked)
Maryland's premier wild brown trout tailwater — cold-water releases from Prettyboy Dam support self-sustaining wild brown trout population; Catch-and-Return ONLY artificial-lures-only year-round Prettyboy Dam to Falls Road (Glencoe); standard regs below Falls Road; one of the East Coast's top wild brown trout fisheries
Maryland's first-designated Catch-and-Return ONLY trout stream (1932) — artificial-lures-only year-round; wild brown + native brook trout + stocked rainbow; one of the first trout C&R streams in the United States
Premier western Maryland wild brown trout + stocked rainbow + smallmouth bass stream; standard stocked sections + Special Trout Management Area C&R artificial-only listed reach; Trout Stamp required to retain stocked trout
Trophy Trout Catch-and-Return ONLY artificial-lures-only year-round; small wild brown trout limestone stream; one of MD's most-protected Class I wild trout waters
Tributary of Deer Creek; Catch-and-Return ONLY artificial-lures-only year-round on listed upper reaches; wild brown + native brook trout
Native brook trout headwater within Catoctin Mountain Park (NPS); Catch-and-Return ONLY artificial-lures-only year-round on upper reaches; standard regs below park boundary
Savage River Trophy Trout Fly-Fishing Reach below Savage River Dam
Maryland's flagship trophy trout tailwater (Garrett Co.) — ~1.4 mi from below Savage River Reservoir Dam to the Allegany Bridge; artificial flies + fly tackle ONLY, no bait, year-round; 12 in min brook + 18 in min brown, 2 trout / day (COMAR 08.02.11.01)
Savage River Trophy Trout Lower Single-Hook Reach to the mouth
Trophy Trout area on the lower Savage tailwater (Garrett Co.) — ~3.4 mi from the Allegany Bridge to the North Branch Potomac confluence; single-hook artificial lures or flies ONLY, year-round; 12 in min brook + 18 in min brown, 2 trout / day
Upper Savage River Brook Trout Catch-and-Return Watershed
Zero-creel native brook trout area — Savage River main stem + tributaries upstream of Savage River Reservoir Dam (Garrett Co.); artificial lures / flies only, no bait; all brook trout released immediately year-round to protect wild Eastern brook trout
North Branch Potomac River Zero Creel Limit Trout Area Westernport to Pinto
Zero Creel Limit Trout Area — ~20 mi of the North Branch Potomac (Allegany/Garrett Co.) from the Westernport treatment-plant discharge down to the Route 956 bridge at Pinto; all trout released immediately year-round, a put-and-grow wild-condition fishery on acid-mine-restored water
North Branch Potomac River Catch-and-Return Tailwater below Jennings Randolph Dam
Catch-and-return tailwater below Jennings Randolph Dam near Barnum (Garrett Co.) — from the cable ~345 yd below the spillway / Blue Hole reach down to Piney Swamp Run; artificial lures only, no barbed hooks, all trout released; notable for stocked cutthroat trout
North Branch Potomac River Delayed Harvest Reach in Potomac State Forest
Delayed Harvest reach (Garrett Co.) in Potomac State Forest from near Lostland Run to the upper forest boundary at Wallman; Oct 1 – Jun 15 catch-and-release, artificial-only / no bait, no barbed hooks, then a 5 trout / day creel Jun 16 – Sep 30
Casselman River Delayed Harvest Area
Delayed Harvest area on the Casselman River main stem (Garrett Co.) from the I-68 eastbound bridge to the Pennsylvania line; Oct 1 – Jun 15 catch-and-release, artificial-only / no bait, no barbed hooks, then a 5 trout / day creel Jun 16 – Sep 30
Youghiogheny River Delayed Harvest Area below Friendsville
Delayed Harvest reach on the Youghiogheny main stem below Friendsville (Garrett Co.) — ~1.8 mi from Minnow Run to the powerline above Youghiogheny Reservoir; Oct 1 – Jun 15 catch-and-release / no bait, then a 5 trout / day creel Jun 16 – Sep 30
Youghiogheny River Catch-and-Return Reach below Deep Creek Lake Tailrace
Catch-and-return area on the upper Youghiogheny main stem (Garrett Co.) — ~4 mi from a post ~100 yd above the Deep Creek Lake tailrace down to Sang Run Bridge; artificial lures only, no barbed hooks, all trout released year-round through the whitewater run
Town Creek Delayed Harvest Area in Green Ridge State Forest
Delayed Harvest area on Town Creek main stem (Allegany Co.) in Green Ridge State Forest along Lower Town Creek Road; Oct 1 – May 31 catch-and-release, artificial-only / no bait, no barbed hooks, then a 5 trout / day creel Jun 1 – Sep 30
Morgan Run Catch-and-Return Area
Catch-and-return trout area on Morgan Run (Carroll Co.) from the London Bridges Road bridge upstream to the MD Route 97 bridge; artificial lures only, no barbed hooks, all trout released immediately year-round on this wild-brown-trout stream
Middle Patuxent River Delayed Harvest Area
Delayed Harvest area on the Middle Patuxent River (Howard Co.) from U.S. Route 29 down to Murray Hill Road; Oct 1 – May 31 catch-and-release, artificial-only / no bait, no barbed hooks, then a 5 trout / day creel Jun 1 – Sep 30
Patuxent River Catch-and-Return Area from Route 97 to Route 27
Catch-and-return trout area on the Patuxent main stem (Howard/Montgomery Co.) from MD Route 97 up to MD Route 27, plus Cabin Branch to Hipsley Mill Road; artificial lures only, no barbed hooks, all trout released year-round
Patuxent River Fly-Fishing-Only Area below Brighton Dam
Fly-fishing-only catch-and-return tailwater on the Patuxent (Montgomery/Howard Co.) from posts ~400 yd below Brighton Dam to Mink Hollow Road; artificial flies + fly tackle ONLY, no barbed hooks, all trout released year-round
Beaver Creek Fly-Fishing-Only Catch-and-Return Area
Fly-fishing-only catch-and-return area on Beaver Creek (Washington Co.) — limestone spring creek from the Black Rock Creek confluence to the U.S. Route 40 bridge; artificial flies + fly tackle ONLY, no barbed hooks, all trout released year-round
Paint Branch Catch-and-Return Area above Fairland Road
Catch-and-return area on Paint Branch + tributaries (Montgomery Co.) upstream of Fairland Road — one of the few wild brown trout streams in the DC suburbs; artificial lures only, no barbed hooks, all trout released immediately year-round
Little Hunting Creek Catch-and-Return Area in Cunningham Falls State Park
Catch-and-return area on Little Hunting Creek (Frederick Co.) from a post ~1/4 mi below MD Route 806 up through all waters within Cunningham Falls State Park; artificial lures only, no barbed hooks, all trout released year-round
Catoctin Creek Delayed Harvest Area at Doubs Meadow Park
Delayed Harvest area on Catoctin + Little Catoctin Creek (Frederick Co.) from U.S. Route 40 in Doubs Meadow Park to the lower park boundary near Myersville; Oct 1 – May 31 catch-and-release / artificial-only / no barbed hooks, then a 5 trout / day creel Jun 1 – Sep 30
South Branch Patapsco River Delayed Harvest Area at Hugg-Thomas WMA
Delayed Harvest area on the South Branch Patapsco (Howard/Carroll Co.) from West Friendship Road up ~1.1 mi to the Hugg-Thomas Wildlife Management Area boundary; Oct 1 – May 31 catch-and-release / artificial-only / no barbed hooks, then a 5 trout / day creel Jun 1 – Sep 30
Atlantic Ocean — Ocean City / Assateague
Atlantic Ocean rules apply: striped bass 28–31 in slot + 1 / day ASMFC; summer flounder 17 in min + 4 / day (typical 2025-26); tautog 16 in min + 4 / day Apr – May + Oct – Dec; black sea bass 12.5 in min + 15 / day mid-May – mid-Dec; Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence + MD DNR Tidal registration required
Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays
Shallow-water inshore tier: summer flounder + striped bass + bluefish + spotted seatrout + tautog + croaker + spot; MD/VA boundary at Chincoteague Bay; Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence required
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in Maryland?
- Yes. Maryland 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 Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal); resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in Maryland?
- Resident fees range from $5.00 (resident trout stamp (add-on)) to $50.00 (resident bay sport boat licence (vessel-based — covers all aboard, alternative to per-angler licence)); Non-resident fees range from $10.00 (non-resident trout stamp (add-on)) to $100.00 (non-resident bay sport boat licence (vessel-based — covers all aboard)). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare Maryland against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in Maryland?
- Maryland anglers most commonly target Striped bass (rockfish), Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Summer flounder (fluke), Blue catfish (invasive), Walleye, 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 Maryland?
- It depends on the species — Maryland 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 Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal) can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific Maryland waters?
- Yes. 42 named Maryland waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Chesapeake Bay — upper Bay, Chesapeake Bay — middle Bay, Chesapeake Bay — lower Bay, and 39 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal) is the authoritative source for Maryland fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official Maryland fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Maryland Department of Natural Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Maryland trip during the active season.