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Welcome to 2026 Maryland Fishing

Cover of the 2026 Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing featuring an adult and child smiling while holding a fish on a pier, promoting fishing licenses, regulations, and tidal waters information.
The 2026 Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing highlights family-friendly fishing opportunities and provides essential information on licenses, regulations, tidal waters, and Maryland fishing locations.

What's New for 2026

  • Effective December 22, 2025, anglers and charter captains in Maryland possessing Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permits from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will be required to report recreationally landed bluefin tuna and dead discards, plus non-tournament landings of billfishes and swordfish electronically, using either the HMS Catch Reporting smartphone app, HMS permits website, or through alternate reporting programs specified below. HMS catch reports must be submitted to NMFS within 24 hours of completing the fishing trip. See Highly Migratory Species for more details.
  • Recreational shark reporting was eliminated.
  • The yellow perch catch limit in all tidal waters and nontidal rivers and streams has been decreased to 5 per person per day.
  • Hook rules when livelining have changed — see Saltwater Fishing Regulations for more details

License Free Fishing Days!

In Maryland, anyone may fish without a recreational fishing license on June 6, June 13 and July 4, 2026.

All other fishing regulations apply.

Learn more about Maryland’s Free Fishing Days on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website.

2025 State Records

Invasive
Blue circular icon with the number one, used to indicate step one or the first item in a sequence.

Northern Snakehead

21.8 lbs.

Matt Foreman

Susquehanna River

6/7/2025

Atlantic Coast
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False Albacore

26.0 lbs.

Jack Dorman

Jackspot and 20 Fathom Line

7/20/2025
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Blueline Tilefish

21.3 lbs.

Dominic Vuotto

Washington Canyon

7/26/2025
Blue circular icon with the number four, representing step four or the fourth item in a sequence.

Longfin Albacore Tuna

78.0 lbs.

Marc Spagnola

Hudson Canyon

9/21/2025
Blue circular icon with the number five, indicating step five or the fifth item in a sequence.

Pompano Dolphinfish

7.1 lbs.

Jim Frazetti

Near Offshore Canyons

10/3/2025

Chesapeake
Blue circular icon with the number six, indicating step six or the sixth item in a sequence. Image Caption:

Yellow Perch

2.3 lbs.

Thomas Dembeck, Jr.

Lower Susquehanna River

2/7/2025
Blue circular icon with the number seven, indicating step seven or the seventh item in a sequence.

Longnose Gar

20.5 lbs.

David Confair

Marshyhope Creek

2/08/2025
Collage of seven anglers holding Maryland state record fish, including freshwater and saltwater species, each image numbered to represent different record catches.
Maryland state record fish catches showcasing anglers with record-setting freshwater and saltwater species, highlighting notable achievements in Maryland fishing. Photo by Lee Haile.


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