| American Eel | 9" | You may use all gear from 1/1/2021 through 8/31/2021 Only Spear, Baited Trap and Eel Pot may be used from 9/1/2021 through 12/31/2021 Wire mesh may not be less than ½" when unstretched | |
| Atlantic Menhaden | | Open Year Round
Unlimited fishery is open until the State-wide quota is met
After the quota is met the fishery will switch to the permitted fishery | |
| Black Sea Bass | 11" | Open Year Round
Quotas by permit
Without permit - 50 lbs/vessel/day | |
| Blue Crabs | HARD from April 1 through July 14 - 5" HARD from July 15 through December 15 - 5 1/4" PEELERS from April 1 through July 14 - 3 1/4" PEELERS from July 15 through December 15 - 3 1/2" SOFT - 3 1/2"FEMALES - No size limit | 4/1/2021 through 12/15/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
Must take Sunday or Monday off
Catch Times:
Trotlines and Scrapes: May - Sept: 1 hour before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise
Trotlines: Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec: sunrise to 10 hours after sunrise
Scrapes: Apr. & Oct.: sunrise to 10 hours after sunrise
Pots, Bank Traps, Channel Pounds, Collapsible Traps, Net Rings, Handlines, Dip Nets, and Pound Nets: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 7 1/2 hours after sunrise
Trotline floats must be three dimentional and the same size, shape and color
Scrapes prohibited Oct 31 - Apr 14
Female bushel limits and importation dates are established by public notice
Catch Times for 5/31, 5/30, 7/3, 7/4, 9/5, 9/6:
Trotlines and Scrapes: 2 hours before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise
Pots, Bank Traps, Channel Pounds, Collapsible Traps, Net Rings, Handlines, Dip Nets, and Pound Nets: 1-1/2 hours before sunrise to 7-1/2 hours after sunrise
| |
| Bluefish | 8" | Open Year Round
Coastwide quota and daily catch limit set by National Marine Fisheries Service and ASMFC | |
| Catfish: Blue, Channel Flathead or White | | Open Year Round
A special commercial blue and flathead catfish finfish trotline license is available.
Needed if you want to harvest blue or flathead catfish with a trotline and do not have a FIN or an Unlimited TFL.
Permit required to use finfish trotlines. | |
| Clam, Hard | | 1/1/2021 through 5/31/2021 and 9/15/2021 through 12/31/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
May not catch or land on Sunday
Hydraulic Dredge: Sunrise to 4pm
Other Gear - Sunrise to Sunset
Harvest permitted only in Pocomoke Sound and Tangier Sound | |
| Clam, Soft | | Open Year Round
May not catch or land on Sunday
1/1/2021 through 4/14/2021 and 11/1/2021 through 12/31/2021
Harvest permitted sunrise to sunset
Must be landed by 1 hour after sunset
4/15/2021 through 10/31/2021
Harvest permitted ½ hr before sunrise to 1pm
Must be landed by 3pm
1/1/2021 through 5/14/2021 and 11/1/2021 through 12/31/2021
8 bushels/boat/day
5/15/2021 through 10/31/2021
15 bushels/boat/day | |
| Cobia | 33" fork length | Open Year Round
2/person/day - not to exceed 6/vessel/day
May not catch, possess, or land cobia when federal waters are CLOSED | |
| Croaker | | 3/16/2021 through 12/31/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates | |
| Diamondback Terrapin | ___ | CLOSED
Harvest Prohibited | |
| Drum, Black | | Open Year Round
10/vessel/day - regardless of the number of licenses on board | |
| Drum, Red | | 5/person/day
Open Year Round | |
| Herring | ___ | CLOSED
Harvest Prohibited | |
| Horseshoe Crab | | 712/2021 through 11/30/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
May not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday
Female harvest prohibited
Catch limits specified on permit
25/person/day without permit | |
| Oysters | | Rules for Power Dredge
Season CLOSED at this time
The season and other parameters for the fishery will be established in a public notice | |
| Oysters | | Rules for Sail Dredge
Season CLOSED at this time
The season and other parameters for the fishery will be established in a public notice | |
| Oysters | | Rules for Shaft Tong, Patent Tong, Dive
Season CLOSED at this time
The season and other parameters for the fishery will be established in a public notice | |
| Scup | 9" | Open Year Round
Federal permit required
Limits set by ASMFC
Gear restrictions in COMAR 08.02.05.22 | |
| Shad, American or Hickory | ___ | CLOSED
Harvest Prohibited | |
| Shark, Aggregated Large Coastal Group | | Season CLOSED 5/15/2021 through 7/15/2021
Silky, Tiger, Blacktip, Spinner, Bull, Lemon, Nurse, Scalloped hammerhead, Great hammerhead, Smooth hammerhead
See public notice for limits
See Regulation (COMAR 08.02.22.03) for gear and harvest requirements
May not harvest, possess, or land sharks when federal waters are CLOSED. | |
| Shark, Non-Blacknose Small Coastal Group | None | Open Year Round
Atlantic sharpnose, Finetooth, Bonnethead
See Regulation (COMAR 08.02.22.03) for gear and harvest requirements
May not harvest, possess, or land sharks when federal waters are closed. | |
| Snakehead | None | Open Year Round
A special commercial northern snakehead bowfishing license is available. Needed if you want to harvest snakehead with archery equipment and do not have a FIN or an Unlimited TFL.
| |
| Snapping Turtles | 11" | Charles County CLOSED Apr 15 thru May 31
Open Year Round in all other areas
Permit required
May not pierce a turtle to capture
Nets must have airspace | |
| Spanish Mackerel | 14" | Open Year Round
3,500 lbs/vessel/day or trip, whichever is longer | |
| Spotted Sea Trout | 14" | Open Year Round
150 lbs/day or trip, whichever is longer
Trawl mesh min. 3-3/8" square or 3-3/4" diamond stretched
Gill net mesh min. 3" stretched | |
| Striped Bass | 18'' minimum
36" maximum | Rules for Drift Gill Net - Common Pool Open dates and limits during the season are established by public notice1/1/2021 through 2/28/2021 and 12/1/2021 through 12/31/2021 Season CLOSED All Other Dates 3:00 am until 6:00 pm Except for the last Saturday and Sunday in February, you may not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday Permit required Fish must be checked in within 3 hours of completing trip and not later than 9:00 pm the day of harvest Stretched mesh 5" min, 7" max No more than 3500 yards of net on a vessel in no more than 10 boxes | |
| Striped Bass | 18" minimum
36" maximum | Rules for Drift Gill Net - ITQ
1/1/2021 through 2/28/2021
and
12/1/2021 through 12/31/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
3:00 am until 6:00 pm
Permit required
Fish must be checked in no later than 9 am the day immediately following harvest
Stretched mesh 5" min, 7" max
No more than 3500 yards of net on a vessel in no more than 10 boxes | |
| Striped Bass | 18" minimum
36" maximum | Rules for Haul Seine
1/1/2021 through the 2/28/2021
and
6/1/2020 through 12/31/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
May not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday
Permit required
Fish must be checked in no later than 9 am the day immediately following harvest | |
| Striped Bass | 18" minimum
36" maximum | Rules for Hook and Line - Common Pool Open dates and limits during the season are established by public notice6/1/2021 through 11/30/2021 Season CLOSED All Other Dates Times: 1 hour before sunrise through 1 hour before sunset May not catch or land on Friday, Saturday or Sunday Permit and flag required Fish must be checked in no later than 9 pm on the day of harvest or 9 am the day immediately following harvest A maximum of 4 individuals, including crew members may be present on a vessel engaged in the Chesapeake Bay common pool hook-and-line fishery | |
| Striped Bass | 18" minimum
36" maximum | Rules for Hook and Line - ITQ
6/1/2020 through 12/31/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset
May not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday
Permit and flag required
Fish must be checked in no later than 9 am the day immediately following harvest | |
| Striped Bass | 18'' minimum
36" maximum | Rules for Pound Net
6/1/2020 through 12/31/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
12 am to 6 pm
May not catch or land on Sunday
Permit required
Fish must be checked in no later than 9 am the day immediately following harvest | |
| Sturgeon, Atlantic and Shortnose | ___ | CLOSED
Harvest Prohibited | |
| Summer Flounder | 16.5" - Hook and Line
14" - All Other Gear | Open Year Round
Quotas by permit
Without a Permit: 100 lbs/person/day | |
| Tautog | 16" | Season CLOSED 5/16/2021 through 6/30/2021
1/1/2021 through 5/15/2021
and
11/1/2021 through 12/31/2021
4/person/day
A pot and trap shall have hinges on one panel/door made of untreated hemp or jute string 3/16" diameter or smaller, magnesium alloy timed float releases (pop-up devices) or similar magnesium alloy fasteners or ungalvinized/uncoated iron wire of 0.094" diameter | |
| Tautog | 16" | 7/1/2021 through 10/31/2021
2/person/day
A pot and trap shall have hinges on one panel/door made of untreated hemp or jute string 3/16" diameter or smaller, magnesium alloy timed float releases (pop-up devices) or similar magnesium alloy fasteners or ungalvinized/uncoated iron wire of 0.094" diameter | |
| Walleye | 15" | 3/15/2021 through 11/30/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
5/person/day
May only use Hook & Line | |
| Weakfish | 12" | Rules for Gear Other than Hook and Line
Open Year Round
May not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday
50 lbs/day or trip, whichever is longer
The weight of the weakfish may not exceed the weight of the catch of the other species on board the vessel
Trawl mesh minimum 3-3/8" square or 3-3/4" diamond stretched mesh
Gill net mesh minimum 3" stretched | |
| Weakfish | 12" | Rules for Hook and Line
8/1/2021 through 9/30/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
50 lbs/day or trip, whichever is longer | |
| White Perch | Hook and Line - No minimum size
All other gear - 8" | Open Year Round | |
| Yellow Perch | 8½" minimum
11" maximum | 1/1/2021 through 3/31/2021
Season CLOSED All Other Dates
Fyke nets are prohibited in certain areas of tributaries in February and March (see regulation)
See Regulation for Fishing Areas (Upper Bay; Chester River; Patuxent River)
Must have permit and tags
Daily phone reporting required
Hook and Line - 10/person/day
All Other Gear - Patuxent River Area - 150 lbs/person/day
No limits in other 2 areas
Areas will be CLOSED by public notice when quota has been caught | |