Regulations
Maryland Fishing Regulations 2026
Maryland fishing is regulated by the DNR. As of 2026-05-08, fishid tracks 1,593 current rules covering 19 top-targeted species across saltwater and freshwater waters.
Source: DNR · Buy a license · Verified
Top species (2026)
Tap a species below to see Maryland-specific seasons, size limits, slot limits, and gear restrictions, pulled directly from DNR's current published rules and verified within the last few hours.
- Trout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow)172 rules
- Stripers (Striped Bass)107 rules
- Largemouth Bass46 rules
- Smallmouth Bass46 rules
- Black Drum10 rules
- Yellow Perch9 rules
- Tog (Tautog / Blackfish)8 rules
- Channel Catfish8 rules
- White Perch7 rules
- Black Sea Bass5 rules
- Bluefish5 rules
- Weakfish5 rules
- Blue Catfish5 rules
- Crappie (Black & White)4 rules
- Cobia3 rules
- Redfish (Red Drum)2 rules
- Fluke (Summer Flounder)2 rules
- Spanish Mackerel2 rules
- Sheepshead2 rules
Famous Maryland waters
Per-waterbody rule pages for the most-searched fishing destinations in Maryland. Multi-state lakes link to a single cross-state page that consolidates each agency's rules.
- Chesapeake Bayred drum, speckled trout
- Potomac Rivercatfish, largemouth bass
- Deep Creek Lakebass, trout
- Conowingo Damstriped bass, catfish
- Lake Needwoodlargemouth bass, bluegill
- Pine Lakelargemouth bass, bluegill
How Maryland fishing regulations work
DNR publishes the binding regulations covering recreational fishing in Maryland. Rules vary by water body, species, season, and zone, and they change mid-season more often than most anglers expect. fishid mirrors the published source pages and PDFs nightly, normalizes the rules into structured data (bag limits, size minimums, slots, season start/end, gear restrictions, and status), then re-verifies against the source.
For most species in Maryland, you'll want to check four things before keeping a fish: open season (year-round vs. spring/fall windows), size limit (minimum and any maximum), slot limit (a permitted size range with everything outside released), and daily bag. Many waters layer additional restrictions on gear, hook type, or live-bait use.
The species cards above link to the rule tables we maintain for each fishery. Trout, Stripers, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass are the most-rule-dense fisheries in Maryland's data.
Reference only. Regulations change frequently, often mid-season. Always confirm with DNR before keeping a catch. The CatchRules iOS app reflects the same data, with offline access and species identification.
Official sources cited
Every rule on this page traces back to one of these official DNR pages or PDFs.
- https://www.eregulations.com/assets/docs/guides/26MDFW_LR5.pdf
- https://www.eregulations.com/maryland/fishing/put-and-take-trout-fishing-areas
- https://www.eregulations.com/maryland/fishing/special-management-areas-trout
- https://www.eregulations.com/maryland/fishing
- https://www.eregulations.com/maryland/fishing/youghiogheny-river-lake-seasons-sizes-limits