Maryland
saltwater rules

Q: Do I need a license to fish saltwater in Maryland?

A Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing License is required for anyone 16 and older fishing the Bay, its tidal tributaries, or Maryland's Atlantic and coastal bays, unless exempt.

Q: How far out do Maryland state waters go?

3 nautical miles from shore. Inside that line the Maryland Department of Natural Resources sets the rules on this page. Beyond it, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council sets the federal rules, and where Maryland has no rule of its own this page shows the federal one, labelled.

Q: What if a fish is not listed for Maryland?

Maryland sets no specific rule for it. Size: No size limit. Bag: No bag limit. Season: Open year-round. Tidal-water species without a listed Maryland regulation have no state size, season, or creel limits; MD DNR notes its summaries do not include all regulated species - confirm in COMAR.

Q: Which federal catches must be reported to NOAA?

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish. HMS Angling and Charter/Headboat permit holders must report every bluefin tuna landing or dead discard, and every swordfish, marlin, or sailfish landing, within 24 hours of returning — online at hmspermits.noaa.gov, in the Catch Reporting app, or by phone.

Q: How current are these Maryland rules?

Every row shows its source and the day it was last checked; the latest is Sep 16, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency pages nightly and the date advances when they are unchanged. Rules change mid-season by proclamation, so the official rulebook is the final word.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources sets the rules inside Maryland’s state waters, out to 3 nautical miles from shore. Beyond that, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council writes the federal rules.

Nearby waters: Delaware · Virginia

98 species with a rule on file, checked Sep 16, 2026. 12 of them carry a federal-waters rule because Maryland lists none of its own; those rows say so. Every row names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

Albacore

Longfin, Longfin tuna Thunnus alalunga

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

No recreational limits, unlike yellowfin's 3-fish/27-inch rule — but the boat still needs an HMS Angling permit.
NOAA HMS 2025 · checked 2026-09-16
Alewife

River herring, Buckie Alosa pseudoharengus

Size
Catch and release only

Bag
0

Season
Closed - moratorium

Put it back

River herring harvest closed statewide.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
American Eel

Yellow eel, Silver eel Anguilla rostrata

Size
9 in min

Bag
25

Season
Jan 1-Aug 31 (hook and line); year-round for spears/traps

Closed

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
American Shad

Alosa sapidissima

Size
Catch and release only

Bag
0

Season
Closed - moratorium

Put it back

Harvest closed statewide under moratorium.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

Thunnus thynnus

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
27" curved FL min; keepable slot 27–<73"

Bag
Private vessels: 2 per vessel per day (only 1 of 47–<73"); trophy 73"+ closed for 2026

Season
Open under in-season limits

Open

HMS Angling permit required. Retention limits are adjusted in-season by NOAA — verify the current limit before keeping a fish.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Butterfish

Dollarfish Peprilus triacanthus

Federal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open all year

Open

Federally managed but no recreational size or possession limits.
NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Croaker

Hardhead Micropogonias undulatus

Size
9 in min

Bag
25

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Mackerel

Boston mackerel, Tinker (small) Scomber scombrus

Federal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
No size limit

Bag
25 per person per trip (private); 50 per person per trip (for-hire)

Season
All year

Open

Mode-specific limits raised from 20 fish in 2026 under MSB Framework Adjustment 17 (NOAA species page updated Aug 2026).
NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Menhaden

Bunker, Pogy, Fatback Brevoortia tyrannus

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

Listed with no recreational size or creel limits.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark

Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 per angler per day (in addition to the 1-shark aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required; fins must stay naturally attached.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Sturgeon

Acipenser oxyrinchus

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Federally endangered; all harvest prohibited.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Black Drum

Drum Pogonias cromis

Size
16 in min

Bag
1 per person; 6 per boat

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Black Grouper

Mycteroperca bonaci

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Black Sea Bass

Sea bass Centropristis striata

Size
12.5 in min

Bag
15

Season
May 1-Dec 31

Open

Measured excluding the tail filament.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Blackfin Snapper

Lutjanus buccanella

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Blacknose Shark

Carcharhinus acronotus

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Blacktip Shark

Carcharhinus limbatus

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Blue Marlin

Makaira nigricans

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
99" LJFL min

Bag
No federal bag limit; annual US 250-marlin landings cap (blue + white combined)

Season
Year-round

Open

HMS permit required.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Blue Shark

Blue dog Prionace glauca

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Blueback Herring

River herring Alosa aestivalis

Size
Catch and release only

Bag
0

Season
Closed - moratorium

Put it back

River herring harvest closed statewide.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Bluefish

Chopper, Snapper blue Pomatomus saltatrix

Size
8 in min

Bag
5 (shore/private boat); 7 (charter/for-hire)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Blueline Tilefish

Caulolatilus microps

Size
Federal rules apply

Bag
Federal rules apply

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD guide defers tilefish to federal limits with permit/reporting requirements; no state-specific numbers published.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Bluntnose Sixgill Shark

Sixgill shark, Cow shark Hexanchus griseus

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Federally prohibited shark (bluntnose sixgill) — release in the water with minimal injury.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Bonnethead

Sphyrna tiburo

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 per angler per day (in addition to the 1-shark aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required; fins must stay naturally attached.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Bull Shark

Carcharhinus leucas

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Caribbean Reef Shark

Carcharhinus perezii

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Not on Maryland's authorized shark list - must be released immediately.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Clearnose Skate

Brier skate Rostroraja eglanteria

Federal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open all year

Open

Clearnose, little, rosette, and winter skates open with no limits; barndoor, smooth, and thorny skates are prohibited.
NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Cobia

Ling, Lemonfish Rachycentron canadum

Size
43 in min

Bag
1 per person; 2 per vessel

Season
Jun 15-Sep 20; catch-and-release only Sep 21-Jun 14

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Common Thresher

Thresher, Whiptail Alopias vulpinus

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Coney

Cephalopholis fulva

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Cubera Snapper

Lutjanus cyanopterus

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Dog Snapper

Dogtooth snapper Lutjanus jocu

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Dusky Shark

Carcharhinus obscurus

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Not on Maryland's authorized shark list - must be released immediately.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Finetooth Shark

Carcharhinus isodon

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Gag Grouper

Gray grouper Mycteroperca microlepis

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Galapagos Shark

Carcharhinus galapagensis

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Federally prohibited shark (Galapagos) — release in the water with minimal injury.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Golden Tilefish

Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps

Size
Federal rules apply

Bag
Federal rules apply

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD guide defers tilefish to federal limits with permit/reporting requirements; no state-specific numbers published.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Goliath Grouper

Epinephelus itajara

Size
No take

Bag
No harvest or possession

Season
Closed

Put it back

Maryland's generic grouper row notwithstanding, harvest is prohibited under federal Atlantic rules coastwide — release immediately.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Graysby

Cephalopholis cruentata

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Great Hammerhead

Sphyrna mokarran

Size
78 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Great White Shark

White shark Carcharodon carcharias

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Not on Maryland's authorized shark list - must be released immediately.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Hickory Shad

Alosa mediocris

Size
Catch and release only

Bag
0

Season
Closed - moratorium

Put it back

Harvest closed statewide under moratorium.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Lane Snapper

Lutjanus synagris

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Lemon Shark

Negaprion brevirostris

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Mahi-Mahi

Dolphin, Dorado Coryphaena hippurus

Size
No size limit

Bag
10 per person; 54 per boat

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD guide notes this applies in federal waters.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Mahogany Snapper

Ojanco Lutjanus mahogoni

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Mangrove Snapper

Gray snapper, Mango Lutjanus griseus

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Monkfish

Goosefish, Anglerfish Lophius americanus

Federal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
17 in whole (11 in tail)

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open all year

Open

Minimum size 17 inches whole or 11 inches for tails; skin must remain attached for sizing.
NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Mutton Snapper

Lutjanus analis

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Nassau Grouper

Epinephelus striatus

Size
No take

Bag
No harvest or possession

Season
Closed

Put it back

Maryland's generic grouper row notwithstanding, harvest is prohibited under federal Atlantic rules coastwide — release immediately.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Nurse Shark

Ginglymostoma cirratum

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Federally prohibited shark (oceanic whitetip) — release in the water with minimal injury. Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Porbeagle

Lamna nasus

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Queen Snapper

Etelis oculatus

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Red Drum

Redfish, Puppy drum, Channel bass, Spottail bass Sciaenops ocellatus

Size
18-26 in TL slot

Bag
3

Season
Open year-round

Open

2026 change per ASMFC: slot max lowered 27 to 26 in and bag raised 1 to 3, aligning with Virginia and PRFC.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Red Grouper

Epinephelus morio

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Red Hind

Epinephelus guttatus

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Red Snapper

Genuine red, American red Lutjanus campechanus

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Rock Hind

Epinephelus adscensionis

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Sailfish

Istiophorus platypterus

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
63" LJFL min

Bag
No federal bag limit

Season
Year-round

Open

HMS permit required.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Sand Tiger

Carcharias taurus

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Not on Maryland's authorized shark list - must be released immediately.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Sandbar Shark

Carcharhinus plumbeus

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Not on Maryland's authorized shark list - must be released immediately.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Scalloped Hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini

Size
78 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Scamp Grouper

Broomtail Mycteroperca phenax

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Schoolmaster Snapper

Lutjanus apodus

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Scup

Stenotomus chrysops

Size
9 in min

Bag
30

Season
Open year-round

Open

Listed in Maryland's Atlantic Ocean and coastal bays table.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Sheepshead

Convict fish Archosargus probatocephalus

Size
12 in min

Bag
4

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Shortfin Mako

Isurus oxyrinchus

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Retention prohibited in Maryland and federal Atlantic waters.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Silk Snapper

Lutjanus vivanus

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland's snapper-grouper 'other species' rule — 20 combined per day (snappers, porgies, grunts and similar reef species), max 10 of any one species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Silky Shark

Ridgeback shark Carcharhinus falciformis

Size
No take

Bag
0

Season
Closed

Put it back

Federally prohibited shark (silky) — release in the water with minimal injury.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Skipjack Tuna

Skippy, Oceanic bonito Katsuwonus pelamis

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

The boat needs an HMS Angling permit to fish for Atlantic tunas.
NOAA HMS 2025 · checked 2026-09-16
Smooth Dogfish

Mustelus canis

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

Smoothhound sharks have no catch limit under the MD shark regulation.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Smooth Hammerhead

Sphyrna zygaena

Size
78 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Snowy Grouper

Hyporthodus niveatus

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Spanish Mackerel

Spanish Scomberomorus maculatus

Size
14 in min

Bag
15

Season
Open year-round

Open

Head and fins must remain naturally attached through landing.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Speckled Hind

Hyporthodus drummondhayi

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; retention prohibited in Atlantic federal waters.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Spinner Shark

Carcharhinus brevipinna

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Spiny Dogfish

Squalus acanthias

Size
No size limit

Bag
No limit specified

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD guide lists it as an approved shark with no minimum size; the COMAR recreational shark rule sets no specific creel limit for it.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Spot

Leiostomus xanthurus

Size
No size limit

Bag
50

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Spotted Seatrout

Speck, Spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus

Size
14 in min

Bag
4

Season
Open year-round

Open

May not be used as bait.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Striped Bass

Striper, Rockfish Morone saxatilis

Size
19-24 in TL slot (Chesapeake); Atlantic Ocean: 28-31 in slot

Bag
1

Season
Chesapeake harvest May 1-Jul 31 and Sep 1-Dec 5; catch-and-release Jan-Apr and Dec 6-31; ALL targeting closed Aug 1-31

Open

Chesapeake Bay rules shown (dominant); Atlantic fishery differs: 28-31 in slot, 1/day, open year-round; spawning rivers closed to targeting Mar 1-May 31.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Summer Flounder

Fluke Paralichthys dentatus

Size
16 in TL Jan 1-May 31; 17.5 in TL Jun 1-Dec 31

Bag
4

Season
Open year-round

Open

Minimum size steps up to 17.5 in from Jun 1 through Dec 31.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Swordfish

Xiphias gladius

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
47" LJFL min

Bag
1 per person, up to 4 per vessel per trip (private); higher for-hire vessel caps

Season
Year-round

Open

May not be retained if a hammerhead or oceanic whitetip shark is aboard.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Tautog

Tautoga onitis

Size
16 in min

Bag
4 (Jan 1-May 15 and Nov 1-Dec 31); 2 (Jul 1-Oct 31)

Season
Jul 1-May 15; catch-and-release only May 16-Jun 30

Open

Bag is currently 2 fish through Oct 31.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Tiger Grouper

Mycteroperca tigris

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Tiger Shark

Galeocerdo cuvier

Size
54 in FL

Bag
1 shark per vessel per trip (aggregate); shore 1 per day

Season
Open year-round except May 15-Jul 15

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Vermilion Snapper

Beeliner, B-liner Rhomboplites aurorubens

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Wahoo

Ono Acanthocybium solandri

Size
No size limit

Bag
2

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD guide notes federal waters and permit requirements apply.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Warsaw Grouper

Hyporthodus nigritus

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Weakfish

Gray trout, Squeteague Cynoscion regalis

Size
13 in min

Bag
1

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
White Marlin

Kajikia albida

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
66" LJFL min

Bag
No federal bag limit; annual US 250-marlin landings cap (blue + white combined)

Season
Year-round

Open

HMS permit required.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
White Perch

Perch Morone americana

Size
None by hook and line (8" min by other gear)

Bag
No daily limit

Season
Year-round

Open

Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Winter Skate

Leucoraja ocellata

Federal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters). Maryland lists none of its own.

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open all year

Open

Open with no limits; barndoor, smooth, and thorny skates are prohibited.
NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Yellow Perch

Perch, Ringed perch, Lake perch Perca flavescens

Size
9" min

Bag
5 per person per day

Season
Year-round

Open

Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries (MD DNR Chesapeake rules).
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Yellowedge Grouper

Hyporthodus flavolimbatus

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Yellowfin Grouper

Fireback, Princess rockfish Mycteroperca venenosa

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Yellowmouth Grouper

Mycteroperca interstitialis

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 (all groupers combined)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MD Atlantic table lists 'grouper species' without enumerating; guide says see detailed regulations.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16 · likely
Yellowtail Snapper

Ocyurus chrysurus

Size
No size limit

Bag
20 aggregate; max 10 of any one species

Season
Open year-round

Open

Maryland umbrella rule covering all snapper species.
MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16

Every other species

Tidal-water species without a listed Maryland regulation have no state size, season, or creel limits; MD DNR notes its summaries do not include all regulated species - confirm in COMAR.

Size: No size limit
Bag: No bag limit
Season: Open year-round

MD DNR 2026 · checked 2026-09-16

Report to NOAA within 24 hours

HMS Angling and Charter/Headboat permit holders must report every bluefin tuna landing or dead discard, and every swordfish, marlin, or sailfish landing, within 24 hours of returning — online at hmspermits.noaa.gov, in the Catch Reporting app, or by phone.

Species: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish.

How to report · NOAA HMS · checked 2026-09-04

Licences and the fine print

A Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing License is required for anyone 16 and older fishing the Bay, its tidal tributaries, or Maryland's Atlantic and coastal bays, unless exempt.
Exempt saltwater anglers — guests on a boat with a Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Decal, waterfront owners and their families, holders of a Virginia saltwater license, anglers in free fishing areas or on Free Fishing Days — must obtain Maryland's free Saltwater Angler Registration, which also satisfies the federal registry.

Get a Maryland license

Nearby waters: Delaware · Virginia · all 19 rulebooks

Questions anglers ask about Maryland

Do I need a license to fish saltwater in Maryland?