Maryland Fishing License & Regulations
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Maryland — License & Regulations
Agency: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
| Resident annual fee | data pending verification |
|---|---|
| Non-resident annual fee | data pending verification |
| Source | verify locally — see Maryland Department of Natural Resources current license fees and regulations. |
Size & bag limits (representative)
| Species | Min size | Bag limit | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| All species | — | verify locally | see Maryland Department of Natural Resources current fishing regulations. |
License fees and size/bag limits for Maryland are pending verification. Each state sets its own resident and nonresident fees and per-species limits — always confirm with Maryland Department of Natural Resources before fishing.
How the Maryland rules fit together
A Maryland fishing trip is governed by four separate layers, and they are set by different parts of the same agency. The license establishes that you may fish at all. The statewide size, bag, and possession limits set the default for any water not given special treatment. Waterbody-specific regulations override those defaults on named lakes, rivers, and zones. And season and gear restrictions can close a fishery entirely for part of the year or limit it to artificial lures or catch-and-release.
The order matters. Where a specific water has its own rule, the specific rule wins over the statewide default — so a legal statewide limit does not make a fish legal on a special-regulation lake, and a statewide season does not override a closed section of river. Whatever a summary page tells you, the enforceable answer for the water in front of you comes from the current Maryland regulation booklet or the agency’s own site.
Two further layers are easy to miss. A stamp, validation, or report card may be required on top of the license for specific species or waters — you can hold a valid license and still be non-compliant. And aquatic invasive species rules apply to your boat and trailer rather than your catch, which means they can stop the trip at the ramp before a line is ever wet.
Because fees, limits, and seasons are revised annually and often mid-season, treat every number on this page as a starting point dated to the last verification and confirm the current figure with Maryland Department of Natural Resources before you buy a license or keep a fish.
Maryland license, limits and reporting
Drawn from FishFig's verified Maryland data layer. Every figure names the agency source it came from, and anything unverified is shown as "verify locally" rather than estimated.
What a Maryland fishing license costs
A resident annual license for Maryland is $32.00, and the non-resident annual license is $55.00 — a difference of $23.00. The non-resident rate is roughly 1.7 times the resident rate — meaning the license is usually the smallest expense in the trip budget.
Short-term options as published: Nontidal 7-day resident $16.00 / nonresident $45.00; 3-day nonresident $35.00; Bay & Coastal 7-day resident $6.00 / nonresident $12.00.
At the published short-term prices, a resident annual license breaks even at about 1 three-day passes, 2 seven-day passes. Below that trip count the short-term pass is cheaper; above it the annual license is. (Break-even arithmetic from the published fees — confirm current products with Maryland Department of Natural Resources.)
Saltwater: Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fish License: resident annual $15.00, nonresident $22.50; 7-day resident $6.00 / nonresident $12.00. Free Saltwater Angler Registration for license-exempt tidal anglers..
Senior and reduced-rate options: Resident Senior Consolidated License (age 65+) $12.00 (tidal + nontidal; trout stamp extra)..
Reciprocal border waters to check before travelling: Potomac River (tidal).
Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources — Sport Fishing & Crabbing Licenses (dnr.maryland.gov, 2026).
Size and bag limits tracked for Maryland
Maryland has 15 statewide limits resolved in this tool — Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Common Carp, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Flathead Catfish and Largemouth Bass, among 15 in the tracked set. Each entry below carries the agency citation it came from.
Bluegill: bag 15 (sunfish aggregate); season Year-round; No minimum size; includes bluegills, pumpkinseed, redbreast and rock bass.. Citation: Maryland DNR — COMAR 08.02.11.04 Statewide General Regulations (2026).
Brook Trout: bag 2 (all trout species combined); season Year-round; No statewide minimum; Put-and-Take areas 5, Special Trout Management Areas differ; trout stamp required.. Citation: Maryland DNR — COMAR 08.02.11.04 Statewide General Regulations (2026).
Brown Trout: bag 2 (all trout species combined); season Year-round; No statewide minimum; Put-and-Take areas 5, Special Trout Management Areas differ; trout stamp required.. Citation: Maryland DNR — COMAR 08.02.11.04 Statewide General Regulations (2026).
Common Carp: bag 15; season Year-round; No minimum size.. Citation: Maryland DNR — COMAR 08.02.11.04 Statewide General Regulations (2026).
Channel Catfish: bag 5; season Year-round; No statewide minimum; tidal waters no possession limit.. Citation: Maryland DNR — COMAR 08.02.11.04 Statewide General Regulations (2026).
Crappie: bag 15 (black and white crappie combined); season Year-round; No statewide minimum.. Citation: Maryland DNR — COMAR 08.02.11.04 Statewide General Regulations (2026).
These are statewide general rules only. Slot limits, special-regulation waters, catch-and-release stretches, and zone-by-zone seasons override them — and a general rule that is absent from this list is not the same as no restriction. Confirm the rule for the exact water you are fishing with Maryland Department of Natural Resources before keeping a fish.
Mandatory harvest reporting in Maryland
Maryland requires mandatory harvest reporting or registration for specific species. The tracked rule set covers Trout and All tidal/marine species.
Reporting window: Year-round where trout harvest is open.. How to report: A Trout Stamp ($20 resident / $30 non-resident) is required for anglers 16+ catching, attempting to catch or possessing nontidal trout. Purchase Trout Stamp with fishing license.. Citation: Maryland DNR — Trout Stamp: https://dnr.maryland.gov
Reporting window: Annual.. How to report: Free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration is required for anglers who fish tidal waters without an individual Bay & Coastal license (e.g., passengers on licensed boats). Free registration via MD Outdoors.. Citation: Maryland DNR — Saltwater Angler Registration: https://dnr.maryland.gov
A reporting requirement usually attaches to the fish, not the license: you can be fully licensed and still be out of compliance for failing to register a tagged or sensitive species within the stated window. Record the tag number and the date before you leave the water.
Free fishing days in Maryland
Reported license-free dates for 2026: June 6, June 13 & July 4, 2026. Most states waive the license only, not the rules — size and bag limits, gear restrictions, seasons, and any required report card still apply, and some states still require a free or zero-cost license to be issued before you fish.
Reported for 2026 by public aggregators and may not match the official state schedule. Always confirm the current year’s dates and any species/stamp exceptions with the agency before planning.
Source: Compiled from 2026 public Free-Fishing-Day roundups (modefreefinds.com, heyitsfree.net, fishkillflea.com). Not an official source — verify with the state agency. (compiled 2026-08-29).
Boat inspection and invasive species rules in Maryland
No statewide AIS stamp or universal inspection mandate for Maryland is tracked here, so this section states the baseline rule that applies everywhere rather than a state-specific one.
Verify current AIS rules with MD DNR before launching.
The baseline is not optional in practice. Water, mud, and plant fragments carried on a trailer or in a livewell are the main transport path for zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, and spiny water flea, and an inspection station can turn you around at the ramp. Clean, drain, and dry the hull, trailer, anchors, waders, and any livewell before you leave the water, and again before you launch somewhere new.
Citation: Maryland DNR — Aquatic Invasive Species: https://dnr.maryland.gov
State agency & contact
Licenses, regulations, and stocking are set by the agency below. When FishFig can’t verify a figure, contact them directly.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
FishFig is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Verify every figure with the agency before purchasing a license, keeping fish, or relying on stocking data.