Oysters & Clams

Name: eRegulations
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Property Owner Registration

Maryland residents may harvest oysters and clams for recreational purposes.

A license is now required to harvest oysters. The $10 recreational oyster license can be purchased under the Sport Fishing menu on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources COMPASS portal.

You may also call the Maryland Department of the Environment hotline 800-541-1210 to obtain information on conditional closures due to water quality or other environmental issues.

Recreational shellfish regulations for the Potomac River are available on the Potomac River Fisheries Commission website.

It is Illegal

To take oysters or clams for recreational purposes while aboard a vessel where any person is engaged in commercial oystering or clamming.
To recreationally harvest oysters or clams within a leased area, harvest reserve area, sanctuary or any other area closed by the state.
To harvest oysters or clams if you are not a resident of Maryland.*

* However, a nonresident may harvest clams in Worcester County.

Oysters

Season, Creel Limit, Times and Days

Season: October 1, 2024–March 31, 2025

Catch Limit: 100 oysters/person/day

Days Allowed: Monday through Saturday

Catch Times: Sunrise–Noon

Gear Restrictions

A person may catch oysters ONLY by:

Rakes
Diving (includes SCUBA)
Hand
Shaft tongs

Minimum Size Limits

Three inches measured from hinge to bill along the longest part of the shell. You must determine the size of the oysters prior to leaving the location from which they were caught. Any shell and undersized oysters must be returned to the water before you leave the area.

Maryland oyster measurement guide showing the proper way to measure an oyster to ensure it meets the minimum legal size of 3 inches. — Guide on how to measure oysters in Maryland to ensure they meet the legal minimum size of 3 inches. Proper oyster measurement supports sustainable harvesting and helps protect oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay.

Resident Oyster License - $10

Valid 365 days from date of purchase
Required of all Maryland residents prior to harvesting oysters recreationally, unless otherwise registered or exempt

Waterfront Property Landowner Oyster Registration - Free

Available to all waterfront property landowners, allows registrants to recreationally harvest oysters in all open State waters

Exemptions:

Under age 16
Former prisoner of war*
American veteran who is determined to be unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs*
100% service-connected disabled American veteran*
Blind*

* For assistance with these exemptions, please email [email protected] to complete the required paperwork.

Recycle Oyster Shells

Please recycle your oyster shells. For more information on recycling, visit the Oyster Recovery Partnership website.

Hard Clams

Daily Harvest Restrictions

250 clams/person/day

Gear Restrictions

Limited to hand-operated gear only, including hand rakes. Mechanical harvesting is not allowed.

Minimum Size Limits

One inch transverse measurement.

Maryland clam measurement guide showing the proper way to measure a clam to ensure it meets the legal minimum size of 1 inch. — Guide on how to measure clams in Maryland to ensure they meet the legal minimum size of 1 inch. Proper clam measurement helps support sustainable harvesting and protect clam populations in the Chesapeake Bay.

No license required for recreational clam harvest.

Rangia Clams

The Rangia clam is often found in Maryland in low salinity water. Many of these areas, especially those within 200 feet of shore, have not been tested or approved by the Maryland Department of the Environment for shellfish harvest, and the consumption of these clams is not recommended.

Rangia clams should not be confused with the better-known hard clam found primarily in the coastal bays.