When is yellow perch season in Maryland?

Open year-round; the Feb – Mar tidal-tributary spawning run is the marquee fishery. 9 in min + 5 / day in tidal waters & nontidal rivers/streams (creel reduced from 10 effective 2026); no minimum size + 10 / day in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs. Those are the 2026 Maryland dates; always confirm against Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal) before a trip, because an emergency order can shift an opener with little notice.

What is the Maryland bag limit for yellow perch?

The Maryland daily bag limit for yellow perch is 5 / day in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams (reduced from 10 effective 2026); 10 / day in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs. The possession limit is Daily creel applies — MD publishes no separate multi-day possession limit for yellow perch. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size yellow perch can you keep in Maryland?

The Maryland size rule for yellow perch is 9 in min in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams; no minimum size in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs. Trophy rule: MD state-record yellow perch — Nontidal Division 3.3 lb (Harford County farm pond, 2006, Phillip Deere IV); Chesapeake Division 2.3 lb (lower Susquehanna River, 2025, Thomas Dembeck Jr. — broke a 46-year-old 1979 record).

Do you need a license to fish for yellow perch in Maryland?

Yes. Maryland requires a valid fishing license to fish for yellow perch, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Maryland license — compare resident and non-resident Maryland fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for yellow perch in Maryland?

Yes. In Maryland, yellow perch fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; snagging of yellow perch prohibited; MD non-tidal freshwater licence on inland waters; Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence (+ free DNR Tidal Registration) on tidal tributaries; 2026 reduction: daily creel cut from 10 to 5 in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams (MD DNR public notice, January 2026); the 9 in minimum is unchanged; lakes / ponds / reservoirs remain at 10 / day with no minimum; No spring harvest closure specific to yellow perch (the Feb–Apr Magothy / Severn / Severn Run closures protect alewife, American shad & sturgeon).

Do specific Maryland waters have different yellow perch rules?

Yes. 5 named Maryland waters carry rules that override the statewide yellow perch regulation, including Allen's Fresh, Choptank River, Nanticoke River, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Maryland Yellow perch 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Perca flavescens

Last updated June 3, 2026

Yellow perch run the FIRST major spawning migration of Maryland's fishing season — late February through March, anadromous-style runs push up the tidal tributaries to fresh water and draw shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Allen's Fresh on the Wicomico River (Charles County), the Choptank and its Tuckahoe Creek arm, the Nanticoke / Marshyhope, and the upper-Bay Bush, Gunpowder and Northeast Rivers are the classic 'yellow ned' run waters. Effective 2026, the Maryland DNR REDUCED the daily creel from 10 to 5 fish per person in tidal waters and nontidal rivers & streams (the 9-inch minimum size is unchanged), a response to a long-term decline in the spawning stock; reservoirs, lakes and ponds were left at the old 10-fish limit with no minimum size. Deep Creek Lake and the western reservoirs hold strong still-water perch populations under the lake rule. Note there is NO spring harvest closure specific to yellow perch — the February–April closures on the Magothy River, Severn River and Severn Run protect alewife herring, American shad and sturgeon, not yellow perch. The MD non-tidal freshwater licence covers inland perch; the Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence (+ free DNR Tidal Registration) covers the tidal tributary runs.

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Season

Open year-round; the Feb – Mar tidal-tributary spawning run is the marquee fishery. 9 in min + 5 / day in tidal waters & nontidal rivers/streams (creel reduced from 10 effective 2026); no minimum size + 10 / day in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs.

Jan 1 – Dec 31Tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams
9 in min, 5 / day (reduced from 10 effective 2026); Feb – Mar spawning run is the marquee fishery
Jan 1 – Dec 31Nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs
No minimum size, 10 / day

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 5 / day in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams (reduced from 10 effective 2026); 10 / day in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs
Possession: Daily creel applies — MD publishes no separate multi-day possession limit for yellow perch

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: 9 in min in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams; no minimum size in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs
Trophy rule: MD state-record yellow perch — Nontidal Division 3.3 lb (Harford County farm pond, 2006, Phillip Deere IV); Chesapeake Division 2.3 lb (lower Susquehanna River, 2025, Thomas Dembeck Jr. — broke a 46-year-old 1979 record)

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; snagging of yellow perch prohibited
MD non-tidal freshwater licence on inland waters; Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence (+ free DNR Tidal Registration) on tidal tributaries
2026 reduction: daily creel cut from 10 to 5 in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams (MD DNR public notice, January 2026); the 9 in minimum is unchanged; lakes / ponds / reservoirs remain at 10 / day with no minimum
No spring harvest closure specific to yellow perch (the Feb–Apr Magothy / Severn / Severn Run closures protect alewife, American shad & sturgeon)

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Maryland waters:

Allen's Fresh (Wicomico River, Charles County)
9 in min, 5 / day; one of MD's premier spring yellow perch spawning runs (Feb – Mar)
Choptank River / Tuckahoe Creek
9 in min, 5 / day; classic Eastern Shore tidal spring perch run
Nanticoke River / Marshyhope Creek
9 in min, 5 / day; Eastern Shore spring run
Upper-Bay tributaries (Bush, Gunpowder & Northeast Rivers)
9 in min, 5 / day; early-spring upper-Bay yellow perch runs
Deep Creek Lake
No minimum size, 10 / day (nontidal lake); strong still-water yellow perch population

Official source

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal) publishes the authoritative 2026 Marylandfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The yellow perch rules on this page are sourced from Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal)'s official yellow perch regulation page.

Visit official Maryland fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Yellow perch closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Maryland Department of Natural Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Maryland trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is yellow perch season in Maryland?: Open year-round; the Feb – Mar tidal-tributary spawning run is the marquee fishery. 9 in min + 5 / day in tidal waters & nontidal rivers/streams (creel reduced from 10 effective 2026); no minimum size + 10 / day in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs. Those are the 2026 Maryland dates; always confirm against Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal) before a trip, because an emergency order can shift an opener with little notice.
What is the Maryland bag limit for yellow perch?: The Maryland daily bag limit for yellow perch is 5 / day in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams (reduced from 10 effective 2026); 10 / day in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs. The possession limit is Daily creel applies — MD publishes no separate multi-day possession limit for yellow perch. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size yellow perch can you keep in Maryland?: The Maryland size rule for yellow perch is 9 in min in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams; no minimum size in nontidal lakes, ponds & reservoirs. Trophy rule: MD state-record yellow perch — Nontidal Division 3.3 lb (Harford County farm pond, 2006, Phillip Deere IV); Chesapeake Division 2.3 lb (lower Susquehanna River, 2025, Thomas Dembeck Jr. — broke a 46-year-old 1979 record).
Do you need a license to fish for yellow perch in Maryland?: Yes. Maryland requires a valid fishing license to fish for yellow perch, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Maryland license — compare resident and non-resident Maryland fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for yellow perch in Maryland?: Yes. In Maryland, yellow perch fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; snagging of yellow perch prohibited; MD non-tidal freshwater licence on inland waters; Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence (+ free DNR Tidal Registration) on tidal tributaries; 2026 reduction: daily creel cut from 10 to 5 in tidal waters + nontidal rivers & streams (MD DNR public notice, January 2026); the 9 in minimum is unchanged; lakes / ponds / reservoirs remain at 10 / day with no minimum; No spring harvest closure specific to yellow perch (the Feb–Apr Magothy / Severn / Severn Run closures protect alewife, American shad & sturgeon).
Do specific Maryland waters have different yellow perch rules?: Yes. 5 named Maryland waters carry rules that override the statewide yellow perch regulation, including Allen's Fresh, Choptank River, Nanticoke River, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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