2026 regulation year
Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays 2026 — Maryland Fishing Regulations
Maryland statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays carries 2 special-regulation overlays on top of Maryland's 2026 fishing rules — covering Summer flounder (fluke). Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
Get change alerts
Watch Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays (MD) and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.
State-level special regulation
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
Source: Maryland special-water list
Per-species rules on Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays
Summer flounder (fluke) regulations →
17 in min, 4 / day; densest MD coastal-bay fluke population May – October
Official source
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal) publishes the authoritative 2026 Maryland fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
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.
Other special-regulation waters in Maryland
- Allen's Fresh (Wicomico River, Charles County)
- Antietam Creek
- Atlantic Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean — Ocean City / Assateague
- Beaver Creek Fly-Fishing-Only Catch-and-Return Area
- Beaverdam Run
- Big Hunting Creek
- Casselman River Delayed Harvest Area
- Catoctin Creek Delayed Harvest Area at Doubs Meadow Park
- Chesapeake Bay
- Chesapeake Bay — lower Bay
- Chesapeake Bay — middle Bay
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays?
- Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays carries 2 special-regulation overlays that override Maryland's statewide 2026 rules, covering Summer flounder (fluke). One of them reads: "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." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays?
- Yes. Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays is in Maryland, so a valid Maryland fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — Fisheries Service (Inland + Tidal). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Maryland rules.
- Do Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays' special rules replace Maryland's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Maryland's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays?
- Summer flounder (fluke) has a water-body-specific rule on Sinepuxent + Chincoteague Bays, each linking to its full Maryland regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Maryland limits.