FishMaryland
Recreational fishing offers opportunities for families and friends to spend quality time together, enjoying the abundant natural resources Maryland has to offer. FishMaryland is Maryland’s recreational fishing award program and is a fun way to explore year-round recreational fishing and enjoy Maryland’s affordable, accessible, diverse and high quality fishing opportunities.
Components:
- Species Award (includes catch and release)—Any angler fishing legally in Maryland may catch and report a trophy sized fish by landing any of more than 60 eligible species in three categories at or above a certain minimum size. If you catch a fish that meets or exceeds the official award size, simply lay the fish on a tape measure and photograph so that the species and size can be verified (HMS species cannot be removed from the water unless being kept. A photograph in the water is acceptable as long as the species can be identified). Submit your catch through our online registration process. Once your catch is verified, you will receive your award certificate within 45 days.
- Invasive Species Award—Recognizes anglers for reporting their harvest of certain eligible invasive fish species. “Invasive” describes a species that, when introduced into an ecosystem, aggressively establishes itself and has the potential to negatively impact native plants, animals, or habitat. Currently there are three invasive fish species which naturally reproduce or migrate into Maryland waters and are eligible for the Invasive Species Award: blue catfish, northern snakehead and flathead catfish. Fish must be kept to qualify.
- Milestone Award—Milestone awards recognize those skillful anglers who catch multiple species, each milestone is marked with a certificate and a corresponding sticker. To qualify, anglers can only submit eligible catches caught from 2019 to present.
For information on FishMaryland, including rules and registration go to—dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pages/challenge/rules.aspx.
FishMaryland Minimum Sizes |
|
Catch and Release Division* |
|
American Shad* |
24 inches |
Blue Marlin* |
any size |
Blue Shark* |
any size |
Hammerhead Shark* |
any size |
Hickory Shad* |
18 inches |
Red Drum* |
36 inches |
Sailfish* |
any size |
Striped Bass* |
40 inches |
Swordfish* |
any size |
Thresher Shark* |
any size |
Tiger Shark* |
any size |
White Marlin* |
any size |
Nontidal Division |
|
Bluegill |
11 inches |
Brook Trout |
12 inches |
Brown Trout |
21 inches |
Bullhead Catfish |
15 inches |
Carp |
36 inches |
Chain Pickerel |
24 inches |
Channel Catfish |
30 inches |
Crappie, Black |
15 inches |
Cutthroat Trout |
20 inches |
Largemouth Bass |
21 inches |
Muskellunge |
40 inches |
Northern Pike |
38 inches |
Pumpkinseed |
10 inches |
Rainbow Trout |
20 inches |
Redbreast Sunfish |
8 inches |
Redear Sunfish |
11 inches |
Rock Bass |
10 inches |
Smallmouth Bass |
20 inches |
Tiger Muskie |
40 inches |
Walleye |
26 inches |
White Catfish |
20 inches |
White Perch |
13 inches |
Yellow Perch |
14 inches |
Chesapeake Bay Division |
|
Black Drum |
48 inches |
Blue Crab |
8 inches |
Bluefish |
34 inches |
Carp |
30 inches |
Chain Pickerel |
24 inches |
Channel Catfish |
30 inches |
Cobia |
44 inches |
Crappie, Black |
15 inches |
Croaker (Hardhead) |
18 inches |
Florida Pompano |
17 inches |
Longnose Gar |
36 inches |
Largemouth Bass |
21 inches |
Northern Whiting (Kingfish) |
14 inches |
Pumpkinseed |
10 inches |
Rock Bass |
10 inches |
Sheepshead |
24 inches |
Smallmouth Bass |
20 inches |
Spanish Mackerel |
22 inches |
Spot |
12 inches |
Spotted Seatrout |
24 inches |
Summer Flounder |
24 inches |
Tautog |
24 inches |
Walleye |
26 inches |
Weakfish |
24 inches |
White Catfish |
20 inches |
White Perch |
13 inches |
Yellow Perch |
14 inches |
Invasive Species Division |
|
Blue Catfish** |
40 inches |
Flathead Catfish** |
34 inches |
Northern Snakehead** |
30 inches |
Atlantic Coast Division |
|
Amberjack1 |
45 inches |
Atlantic Cod |
36 inches |
Atlantic Spadefish |
24 inches |
Black Drum |
48 inches |
Black Sea Bass |
20 inches |
Bluefish |
34 inches |
Blueline Tilefish |
25 inches |
Cobia1 |
44 inches |
Croaker (Hardhead) |
18 inches |
Dolphin Fish (Mahi-Mahi)1 |
45 inches |
False Albacore1 |
24 inches |
Florida Pompano1 |
17 inches |
Golden Tilefish |
35 inches |
Grey Triggerfish |
18 inches |
King Mackerel1 |
40 inches |
Northern Whiting (Kingfish) |
14 inches |
Sheepshead |
20 inches |
Snowy Grouper |
31 inches |
Spanish Mackerel |
22 inches |
Spot |
12 inches |
Spotted Seatrout |
24 inches |
Summer Flounder |
24 inches |
Swordfish2 |
47 inches |
Tautog |
24 inches |
Tuna, Albacore (Longfin)3 |
36 inches |
Tuna, Bigeye3 |
60 inches |
Tuna, Blackfin3 |
30 inches |
Tuna, Bluefin3 |
55 inches |
Tuna, Yellowfin3 |
50 inches |
Wahoo1 |
60 inches |
Weakfish |
24 inches |
Winter Flounder |
17 inches |
- * - Only released fish - ** - Invasive species division—only harvested fish are eligible - 1 - Use fork length measurement. - 2 - Use lower jaw fork length measurement. - 3 - Use curved fork length measurement. |
|
State Records |
|||
Atlantic Coast Division |
|||
Albacore (longfin) |
77.0 lbs. |
Thomas "Tad" Bodmer |
9/23/2022 |
Atlantic Cod |
24.0 lbs. |
Fred Brungart |
5/31/2013 |
Atlantic Spadefish |
11.4 lbs. |
Noel Lohr |
9/2/2004 |
Atlantic Tripletail |
11.0 lbs. |
Don Whittington |
10/19/2019 |
Black Seabass |
8.0 lbs. |
Hayward Madison |
6/1/1978 |
Bluefish |
23.5 lbs. |
Lillian Morris |
10/30/1974 |
Cobia |
94.6 lbs. |
Emma Zajdel |
6/30/2016 |
Dolphinfish |
74.5 lbs. |
Kristy Frashure |
8/16/2019 |
Drum, Black |
79.0 lbs. |
Stanley Ilyes |
9/7/1985 |
Drum, Red* |
70.0 lbs. |
Robert Light |
9/24/1977 |
False Albacore |
22.5 lbs. |
Kevin Sheckells |
6/25/1995 |
Florida Pompano |
3.0 lbs. |
Vacant |
|
Flounder, Summer |
17.0 lbs. |
Anthony Vacari |
10/3/1974 |
Flounder, Winter |
5.1 lbs. |
Kevin Twilley |
6/23/2015 |
Gray Triggerfish |
6.0 lbs. |
Logan Liddick |
9/25/2020 |
Great Barracuda |
13.0 lbs. |
Stephen Humphrey |
10/06/2023 |
King Mackerel |
47.0 lbs. |
Gerald Kauffman |
10/18/1985 |
Kingfish |
2.5 lbs. |
Grace Walker |
10/1/1975 |
Marlin, Blue |
1,135.0 lbs. |
Billy Gerlach |
8/24/2021 |
Marlin, White |
135.0 lbs. |
George Pierson |
8/29/1980 |
Pompano Dolphinfish |
2.0 lbs. |
Chris Stafford |
9/20/2023 |
Scup (Porgy) |
6.2 lbs. |
Pearl Hopple |
7/4/1966 |
Shark, Black Tip |
193.0 lbs. |
Brian Zysk |
8/4/1991 |
Shark, Blue |
280.0 lbs. |
Martin Waltman |
9/13/1997 |
Shark, Dogfish, Smooth |
18.0 lbs. |
Fay Ganster |
10/26/2022 |
Shark, Dogfish, Spiny |
11.5 lbs. |
Meyels Sampson |
5/17/1993 |
Shark, Dusky* |
469.0 lbs. |
Jim Liberto |
7/1/1982 |
Shark, Great White* |
467.0 lbs. |
Jack Holmes |
6/11/1992 |
Shark, Hammerhead, Scalloped |
266.5 lbs. |
Scott Cusick |
8/8/2012 |
Shark, Hammerhead, Smooth |
375.0 lbs. |
George Wilson Ford V |
6/17/2004 |
Shark, Shortfin Mako* |
876.0 lbs. |
Jim Hughes |
6/20/2009 |
Shark, Sand Tiger* |
334.0 lbs. |
Billy Leidner |
9/8/1983 |
Shark, Sandbar* |
235.0 lbs. |
Mark Sampson |
7/8/1983 |
Shark, Thresher |
642.0 lbs. |
Brent Applegit |
6/19/2009 |
Shark, Tiger |
1,210.0 lbs. |
Grace Czerniak |
7/9/1983 |
Sheepshead |
18.0 lbs. |
Robert Martin |
9/22/2017 |
Snowy Grouper |
66.0 lbs. |
Gregory Benn |
7/30/2012 |
Spotted Seatrout |
13.0 lbs. |
Jack Miller |
8/21/1973 |
Striped Bass |
57.2 lbs. |
Gary Smith |
5/6/2006 |
Swordfish |
393 lbs. |
Jeff Jacobs |
9/23/2022 |
Tautog |
28.8 lbs. |
Kenneth Westerfeld |
1/2/2015 |
Tilefish, Blueline |
20.0 lbs. |
Robert Purcell |
9/12/2012 |
Tilefish, Golden |
62.0 lbs. |
Steve Doctor |
10/22/2009 |
Tuna, Bigeye |
375.5 lbs. |
Cecil Browne |
8/26/1977 |
Tuna, Blackfin |
32.0 lbs. |
Bob Zang |
9/20/1998 |
Tuna, Bluefin |
625.0 lbs. |
James Daniels, IV |
8/3/1975 |
Tuna, Yellowfin |
236.5 lbs. |
Mark Bennett |
9/22/2002 |
Wahoo |
131.0 lbs. |
John Schaar |
6/30/2014 |
Weakfish |
16.0 lbs. |
Donald Cannon |
9/11/1976 |
White Hake |
16.7 lbs. |
Brian Gay |
5/16/2019 |
White Perch |
1.85 lbs. |
Robert "Bob" Hudson |
4/28/2022 |
Chesapeake Bay Division |
|||
Atlantic Spadefish |
10.0 lbs. |
Charlie Barron |
7/15/2007 |
Bluefish |
22.0 lbs. |
Thomas R. Talbott |
5/8/1991 |
Bluefish |
22.0 lbs. |
Ronald Raffo |
5/31/1986 |
Bluefish |
22.0 lbs. |
John Davidson |
10/18/1979 |
Carp |
49.0 lbs. |
Logan Kuhrman |
6/4/2022 |
Catfish, Channel |
29.6 lbs. |
Kevin Kern |
4/26/1997 |
Catfish, White |
9.6 lbs. |
Brian Dvorak |
6/3/2018 |
Chain Pickerel |
6.5 lbs. |
James Grant |
5/19/1965 |
Cobia |
97.8 lbs. |
John Scheifele |
9/12/1969 |
Crappie |
4.0 lbs. |
Sid Stollings |
3/30/2007 |
Croaker |
6.5 lbs. |
Russell Knapp |
9/4/2006 |
Drum, Black |
103.5 lbs. |
Robert Messik Jr. |
9/23/1973 |
Drum, Red* |
74.4 lbs. |
Earnest Hutchinson |
5/15/1977 |
Florida Pompano |
6.44 lbs. |
Bobby Graves |
9/17/2023 |
Flounder, Summer |
15.0 lbs. |
Kenneth Grimes |
10/14/1978 |
Hickory Shad* |
4.0 lbs. |
John Schaeffer Jr. |
7/23/1971 |
Largemouth Bass |
11.2 lbs. |
Justin Riley |
1/26/2008 |
Longnose Gar |
18.3 lbs. |
Samson Matthews |
3/2/2020 |
Norfolk Spot |
2.0 lbs. |
Parlett Moore |
9/5/1978 |
Rock Bass |
1.0 lb. |
Timothy A. Adams |
5/4/1997 |
Sheepshead |
16.6 lbs. |
Brian Summerlin |
9/17/2023 |
Smallmouth Bass |
6.0 lbs. |
Charles Janes |
7/23/1979 |
Spanish Mackerel |
12.4 lbs. |
Dean Mitchell |
10/6/2007 |
Spotted Seatrout |
16.4 lbs. |
John Phillips |
5/15/1977 |
Striped Bass |
67.5 lbs. |
Devin Nolan |
5/13/1995 |
Tautog |
9.0 lbs. |
Gary Halbeisen |
10/29/2005 |
Weakfish |
16.5 lbs. |
Wayne Lappe |
5/8/1979 |
White (American) Shad* |
8.1 lbs. |
Vance Carter |
5/3/1975 |
White Perch |
2.6 lbs. |
Sid Stollings |
5/18/1979 |
Yellow Perch |
2.2 lbs. |
Niles Pethel |
11/21/1979 |
Nontidal Division |
|||
Bluegill |
3.4 lbs. |
Sarah Brenneman |
8/9/1998 |
Carp |
47.5 lbs. |
Wayne Longenecker |
6/11/1997 |
Catfish, Bullhead |
4.9 lbs. |
Nick Palese |
5/18/2019 |
Catfish, Channel |
27.9 lbs. |
Steven Trent Abell |
7/5/2004 |
Catfish, White |
7.0 lbs. |
Vacant |
|
Chain Pickerel |
8.0 lbs. |
Lee Haile III |
1/2/2015 |
Crappie, Black |
4.4 lbs. |
Jason D. Morrison |
5/30/2004 |
Fallfish |
3.01 lbs. |
Bryson Meyers |
6/16/2023 |
Largemouth Bass |
11.4 lbs. |
Colton Lambert |
7/31/2013 |
Muskellunge |
33.0 lbs. |
Kyle Mullenix |
3/2/2022 |
Northern Pike |
24.8 lbs. |
Shawn Jacobson |
10/16/1999 |
Redbreast Sunfish |
0.8 lbs. |
Vacant |
|
Redear Sunfish |
2.3 lbs. |
Vittie Alkocius |
6/4/1985 |
Rock Bass |
1.5 lbs. |
Earl Jenkins IV |
3/22/2010 |
Smallmouth Bass |
8.3 lbs. |
Gary Peters |
10/4/1974 |
Striped Bass |
47.1 lbs. |
Robert Bruce |
9/14/2000 |
Tiger Muskellunge |
29.3 lbs. |
Kevin Conner |
2/14/1997 |
Trout, Brook |
6.1 lbs. |
Mike Fiorita, Jr. |
4/10/1999 |
Trout, Brown |
18.2 lbs. |
Gary Kuhn |
8/3/2001 |
Trout, Cutthroat |
7.6 lbs. |
David G. Martin |
5/20/2000 |
Trout, Rainbow |
14.2 lbs. |
Dave Schroyer |
10/21/1987 |
Walleye |
14.3 lbs. |
John McCarley |
5/16/1998 |
Warmouth |
0.7 lbs. |
Dezi Collins |
6/11/2018 |
White Perch |
1.9 lbs. |
George Venker |
4/7/2017 |
Yellow Perch |
3.3 lbs. |
Philip Deere IV |
3/12/2006 |
