| Species |
Minimum Size |
Season, Days, Times, Creel Limits |
Special Conditions/Comments |
| Bass, Black Sea |
12" |
Jan 1 thru Nov 30
25/person/day |
Closed Sept 8 thru Sept 21 and month of December |
Bass, Black
Bass, Largemouth
Bass, Smallmouth |
12"
15" = Mar 1 - Jun 15 |
Open Year Round
5/person/day
|
Pocomoke and its tributaries Closure Jul 15 - Aug 31 |
Bass, Striped
CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY |
|
Mar 15, 2004 - May 3, 2004
Please use Circle Hooks |
Susquehanna Flats, upstream of a line from Sandy Point to Turkey Point and downstream from the lower Railroad Bridge near Perry Point, excluding the area of Susquehanna River from the Railroad Bridge near Perry Point upstream to the base of the Conowingo Dam; and Northeast River. No eels. |
| Bass, Striped (Bay) |
28" |
Spring Trophy Season
Apr 17, 04 - May 15, 04
1/person/day
Captain/mate not eligible
May not possess striped bass while fishing
between 12:00 midnight and 5:00 a.m. |
No Eels. Restricted to the mainstem Chesapeake Bay from Brewerton Channel to the Maryland/ Virginia Line, Tangier & Pocomoke Sounds (no Tributaries)
Proposed
Maximum two charterboat trips/day
|
18"-28" |
May 16, 2004 - Dec. 15, 2004
2 @ 18"- 28" OR
1 @ 18" - 28" and 1 larger than 28"/person/day.
May not possess striped bass while fishing between 12:00 midnight and 5:00 a.m. |
May 16 - 31, 2004- Restricted to the mainstem Chesapeake Bay from a Line between Tolchester to the south pt. of Hart-Miller Island south to the MD/ VA Line plus 5 mi. into the Chester, Choptank and Patuxent Rivers.
Charter boat captain or mate = 1/fish/boat/trip
Maximum two charterboat trips/day
June 1 - Dec. 15, 2004: Maryland's Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Charter boat captain or mate = 1/fish/boat/trip
Maximum two charterboat trips/day
|
Bass, Striped
Potomac River
and Md Tribs
Call the Potomac River Fisheries Commission at
800-266-3904
|
28" |
Apr 17, 2004 - May 15, 2004
1/person/day |
Downstream of the Harry W. Nice Bridge (US 301), including the Maryland and Virginia tributaries downstream of the bridge |
| 18"-28" |
May 16, 2004 - Dec 31, 2004
2 @ 18" - 28" OR
1 @ 18" - 28" and 1 larger than 28"/person/day |
Downstream of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-95), including the Maryland and Virginia tributaries downstream of the bridge. |
| Bass, Striped (Ocean) |
28" |
Open year round 2/person/day |
Prohibited in EEZ beyond MD waters (3 miles -200 miles from shore) |
| Bluefish |
8" |
Open year round 10/person/day |
|
| Catfish: Blue, Channel, White |
10" |
Open year round |
(Except bullheads) |
| Pickerel, Chain |
14" |
10/person/day |
CLOSED Mar 15 - Apr 30 |
Pike, Walleyed
(Walleye) |
14" |
Open year round
5/person/day |
By rod, hook and line only |
| Clam, Hard |
Transverse
1" |
Open year round
250/person/day |
|
Crab, Blue
|
All season
3 1/2" Soft Crab
No Min. size for Mature Females
4/1-7/14
5" Male Hard
3¼" Peeler
7/15 - 12/15
5¼" Male Hard
3½" Peeler
|
Apr 1 - Dec 15
Closed Wednesdays Except handlines, dip nets and pots at private piers
Apr, Oct, Nov and Dec
1/2 hour after sunrise-5:00 PM main Bay
1/2 hour after sunrise - sunset in tributaries
May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep 1/2 hour before sunrise-5:00 PM main Bay
1/2 hour before sunrise -sunset in tributaries |
Click here to get a more detailed description of the 2004 crab regulations
Click here to get a more detailed description of the 2004crab regulations for the Potomac River
Click here to get a more detailed description of the Crab Regulations in Ocean City and seaside Bays. |
| Croaker |
9" |
Open year round
25/person/day |
|
| Drum, Black |
16" |
1/person/day & not more than 6/boat/day |
|
| Drum, Red |
18" - 27"
|
Open year round 1/person/day |
|
| Eel, American |
6" |
If pot mesh less than 1/2" x 1/2" escape panel required |
With a non-commercial crab license-10 pots for bait.
(License is required to set pots) |
| Flounder, Summer |
16" |
3 fish/person/day
Open Year Round |
|
| Herring |
NONE |
CLOSED Jun 6 - Dec 31 |
|
| Lobster |
3¼" carapace |
Open year round |
Proposed 3 3/8" and Max 5 1/2" Female |
| Mackerel, Spanish |
14" |
Open year round 15/fish/person/day |
|
| Oysters |
3" |
Oct 1-Mar 31-1 Bushel/day
Mon-Fri sunrise-3 PM
Sat sunrise to noon |
CLOSED AREAS
shaft tongs, rakes, hand and diving |
| Perch, White |
None for hook and line
8" Dipnet |
|
|
| Perch, Yellow |
9" |
Single, barbless hooks required Feb 1 - Mar 15
5/person/day |
CLOSED Watersheds: Magothy, Nanticoke, Patapsco, Severn, South and West Rivers |
| Scup |
8"
|
50/person/day
Jan 1-Feb 28
and Jul 1-Oct 31 |
Closed Mar 1 - Jun 30
and Nov 1 - Dec 31in EEZ |
| Sea Trout, Spotted |
14" |
Open year round
10 fish/person/day |
|
| Shad, American & Hickory |
|
CLOSED |
CLOSED |
| Snapping Turtles |
NONE |
OPEN YEAR ROUND |
May not use hook and line, trotline, bow and arrow, spear, gig or gig iron or any device that would pierce any part of a turtle. May not catch or attempt to catch in tributary waters of Charles Co. from 4/15 - 5/31 |
| Sturgeon, Atlantic & Shortnose |
|
CLOSED |
CLOSED |
| Tautog |
14" |
Jan 1 thru Nov 30
5 fish/person/day |
Closed month of December |
Terrapin
|
6" |
Aug 1 thru April 30 |
Measured along bottom shell. May not possess, destroy or disturb diamond-back terrapin eggs. Provisions relating to size do not apply to anyone who owns not more than 3 diamond-back terrapins kept as pets. |
| Weakfish |
13"
|
Open year round
8 fish/person/day |
|
