Maryland Fishing License, Limits and Rules

Maryland splits its fishing rules between tidal and non-tidal water, and between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic coast. This guide explains which license you need, what the 2026 fee changes mean, the free options, the Atlantic coastal limits we verified, the gear rules that catch shore anglers out and the invasive-fish rules. It is a summary of published rules, not legal advice, and every value carries the date we checked it.

Which license do you need?

Maryland has two kinds of fishing license, and the line between them matters.

• Tidal: the Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License covers the Atlantic Ocean, the coastal bays, the Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries. Anglers who hold no tidal license must be registered with the state’s free Saltwater Angler Registration unless an exemption applies.
• Non-tidal: the non-tidal license covers freshwater above the tidal line. A trout stamp is also required to catch or possess trout in non-tidal waters at age 16 or older.

DNR’s 2026 guide includes a Tidal/Non-tidal Dividing Lines section for rivers and streams, so check it if you fish near the head of tide. Anglers under 16 do not need a license.

2026 fee changes

The rules snapshot below lists the fees we verified. Two points are worth highlighting. Non-tidal fees went up in 2026: the guide’s tables show the resident non-tidal license moving from $20.50 to $32 and the resident trout stamp from $5 to $20. Older, lower figures may still circulate on other sites, so use DNR’s page when you buy. Non-resident seven-day and three-day non-tidal fees are described two ways, as fixed amounts in one source and as the home-state fee in another. Because those sources disagree, we are not publishing a figure for them; check DNR.

Licenses are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase, not for a calendar year. Seniors 65 and older have a resident senior license that covers tidal and non-tidal water but no longer includes the trout stamp. A boat license covers the anglers aboard in tidal water, but passengers on a licensed boat still need the free registration.

Ways to fish without buying a license

• Free fishing days: the first two Saturdays in June and July 4.
• Registration only: anglers under 16, anglers with a licensed guide and anglers on a licensed commercial fishing pier do not need a license.
• License-free areas: DNR lists town and county sites where no license or stamp is required, including two in Ocean City. See the Eastern Shore guide for the ones near Delaware.

In each case you still need the free registration in tidal water, and every other rule still applies.

Atlantic coast limits we verified

The 2026 Maryland guide has one table for the Atlantic Ocean, coastal bays and their tributaries. The limits in the snapshot cover summer flounder, black sea bass, tautog, bluefish, red drum, black drum, cobia, croaker, spot, weakfish, sheepshead, spotted seatrout and scup, plus Atlantic striped bass. For where these fish are caught, see Ocean City and Assateague.

Atlantic striped bass is a different regime from the Chesapeake: one fish a day between 28 and 31 inches, with no area restrictions in state waters. The Chesapeake Bay has its own area-by-date seasons, a summer closure in August and a different size window, and those change from year to year, so we publish the Bay calendar on the striped bass page rather than here.

Gear rules that matter

Snagging is not legal anywhere. Sabiki rigs and mackerel trees are illegal in Maryland waters, though multi-hook rigs are allowed in the federal Exclusive Economic Zone. When you fish for striped bass with fish, crabs, worms or processed bait, state rules require non-offset circle hooks and prohibit treble hooks. Towns such as Ocean City can have their own fishing ordinances, like the summer surf-casting hours covered in the Ocean City guide.

Invasive fish

Northern snakehead, which Maryland calls the Chesapeake channa, has no season, size or bag limit, and anglers are encouraged to catch and keep them. It is illegal to possess a live snakehead, with fines of up to $2,500 per fish. It is also illegal to move live snakehead, blue catfish or flathead catfish to another body of water. If you plan to eat a snakehead, kill it immediately.

Non-tidal limits that matter most

The 2026 guide’s non-tidal table sets the rules for most inland fishing, and the rules snapshot above shows the ones we verified. Bass harvest runs from June 16 to the last day of February with a 12 inch minimum and a combined limit of 5, and catch and release is allowed at all times. Walleye must be 15 inches with a limit of 5, with special rules on Deep Creek Lake and the Potomac. Northern pike are 30 inches with a limit of 2, muskellunge are 36 inches with a limit of 1 and chain pickerel are 14 inches with a limit of 5. Crappie have a limit of 15 and channel catfish a limit of 5. Striped bass and hybrid striped bass may not be kept from non-tidal streams and rivers, and in lakes and ponds the limit is two a day at 18 inches, with only one over 30 inches. American shad, hickory shad and river herring are closed, though catch and release is permitted.

Tidal limits that matter most

In the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, white perch have no minimum size if caught on hook and line and no creel limit, yellow perch must be 9 inches with a limit of 5, and walleye must be 15 inches with a limit of 5. Tidal bass have a 15 inch minimum from March 1 to June 15 and 12 inches after that. Catfish have no size or creel limit. Shad, river herring and sturgeon are closed. The Bay’s striped bass rules are the most complicated in the state and live on the striped bass guide.

Trout

Trout need a stamp, and trout have their own kinds of water with different limits, closures and gear. The details are in the Maryland trout guide. The standard limit is 2 trout a day, put-and-take water allows 5, and some areas are catch-and-return only.

Where to buy a license

You can buy a license or register at mdoutdoors.maryland.gov, at a DNR Licensing and Registration Service Center or from a license agent such as a tackle shop or outdoor outfitter. Complimentary licenses for some veterans must be obtained at a service center and cannot be bought at independent retail locations. A Maryland veteran who received a Purple Heart qualifies for a 50 percent discount on hunting and fishing licenses.

Shared waters and reciprocal licenses

Maryland has reciprocal arrangements with its neighbors on shared waters. A Pennsylvania resident with a Pennsylvania license may fish the Maryland portions of the Conowingo and Youghiogheny reservoirs, and a Maryland resident with a non-tidal license may fish the Pennsylvania portions. West Virginia residents may fish the non-tidal Potomac mainstem opposite their shore, and holders of a Potomac River Fisheries Commission license may fish tidal Maryland waters. Reciprocal privileges run from waters’ edge to waters’ edge and do not include tributaries or fishing from shore.

Penalties

DNR can suspend a person’s fishing license or privilege after a conviction or paid fine for certain violations, listed in COMAR 08.02.13.05. Under the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a suspension in Maryland can carry over to other states. Releasing live snakehead or invasive catfish into another water can bring fines of up to $2,500 per fish.

Fish consumption advisories

Maryland has advisories on many waters. We could not read the Department of the Environment’s tables cleanly, so we publish no advisory figures. Use the state advisory list before you keep fish.

What we left out

We did not verify Maryland’s non-tidal limits for bass, walleye, pickerel, pike or trout, the tidal limits for largemouth bass and white perch, or the rules for shad. Those rules belong to pages we have not finished, and nothing is stated about them here. When a rule is missing, the page shows a “check the current rule” line instead of a guess.