Fishing and Crabbing
Fishing
The piers are quite popular because of the variety of fish that can be caught including perch, striped bass, croakers, sea trout, and catfish. Be sure to know the seasons of which fish can be kept, as seen in the Maryland Fishing Regulations. Weekly fishing reports (for Maryland as a whole) can be found online, here. Tidal fishing licenses are required to fish at the pier, see below for more information.
|
A view of the pier and the Choptank River below. Photo credit: Stephen Schatz, DNR
|
The park service does not have any equipment or bait available for sale or rent, you must provide your own. Individuals are not allowed to buy or sell equipment, bait, fish, or other products between themselves on any Maryland state park property.
Crabbing
Crabbing is also permitted at the pier. Please be sure to follow any size or season regulations, which can be found online here, and follow guidelines as to whether you require a crabbing license.
Licenses
Tidal fishing licenses are required to fish at the pier. Licenses are not available for purchase on site. They may be purchased online, or in person at select sports retailers. Full information on how to get licensed can be found here. Please see this page for a full list of Maryland regulations. For those visiting from out of state, cheaper temporary licenses are available. Complimentary licenses are available for Marylanders who are blind, disabled veterans, or prisoners of war. Licenses are not needed for fishers under 16, or who are active military duty Maryland residents on official leave. Replacement licenses (if lost or damaged) can be reprinted from the COMPASS website.
We do participate in Maryland’s yearly license-free fishing days, on the first two Saturdays of June and July 4th every year. Aside from fishing licenses, admission to the park is free every day.
