Freshwater Seasons, Sizes & Limits

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Nontidal
Species	Minimum Size Limits		Season	Creel Limit	Remarks
American Eel	9 inches		Open Year Round	Daily—25 Possession—25
Baitfish (Including Madtoms)	None		Open Year Round	Daily—35 in aggregate Possession—35 in aggregate
Bass (Largemouth and Smallmouth)	12 inches or as provided for by special regulations.		CLOSED March 1–June 15	Daily—5 in aggregate Possession—10 in aggregate	Catch and Release is permitted at all times.
Carp	None		Open Year Round	Daily—15 Possession—30
Chain Pickerel	14 inches		Open Year Round	Daily—5 Possession—10
Channel Catfish	None		Open Year Round	Daily—5 Possession—10
Crappie	None		Open Year Round	Daily—15 Possession—30
Herring (Alewife and Blueback)			CLOSED		Catch and Release is permitted at all times.
Muskellunge and Tiger Muskie	36 inches		Open Year Round	Daily—1 Possession—2
Northern pike	30 inches		Open Year Round	Daily—2 Possession—4
Shad (American/White and Hickory)			CLOSED		Catch and Release is permitted at all times.
Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass (lakes and ponds)	18 inches		Open Year Round	2 striped bass/hybrid striped bass per day, only one of which may be over 30 inches. Possession—4, only one of which may be over 30 inches	It is illegal to keep striped bass and hybrid striped bass caught in nontidal streams and rivers.
Suckers	None		Open Year Round	Daily—30 Possession—60
Sunfish, including Bluegills and Rock Bass (commonly known as Red Eye or Goggle-Eye)	None		Open Year Round	Daily—15 in aggregate Possession—30 in aggregate
Trout—statewide (all species of trout)	None		Open Year Round	Daily—2 in aggregate Possession—4 in aggregate	Different rules apply for Put-and-Take Areas and Special Trout Management Areas. See Put-and-Take Trout Fishing Areas.
Walleye	Minimum Size: 15 inches year round, and during January 1–April 15 the minimum size is 15 inches with a maximum size of 20 inches, in the Potomac River mainstem approximately 0.5 miles upriver from Chain Bridge to the spillway in Cumberland.		Open year round—Except on Deep Creek Lake and the Youghiogheny River downstream of Route 42 bridge where it is closed from March 1 through April 15.	Daily—5 Possession—10
White Perch	None		Open Year Round	None
Yellow Perch	Nontidal rivers and streams	9 inches	Open Year Round	Daily—10 Possession—20	The possession of yellow perch eggs requires prior authorization from the department.
Yellow Perch	Nontidal lakes and ponds	None	Open Year Round	Daily—10 Possession—20
Atlantic Sturgeon, Shortnose Sturgeon, and Bivalves/Shellfish	CLOSED
Special Closures: 1. Magothy River from the base of Lake Waterford Dam downstream for 3,300 feet is closed to all fishing during February, March and April. 2. Severn River and Severn Run from the Route 3 Bridge downstream for 2,400 feet during February, March and April.
Contact Information for Restricted Areas: Baltimore City Reservoirs—for Prettyboy and Liberty (boat permits required) information, rules, and regulations, call 410-795-6150. For Loch Raven call 410-887-7692. Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Lakes—Triadelphia and Rocky Gorge fishing by permit only. For permits, rules and regulations call the information center at Brighton Dam 301-774-9124.