Striped Bass

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

It is Illegal:

To possess any cut up or filleted striped bass at any time aboard any boat on the tidal waters of Maryland. Striped bass must be landed whole.
To use more than two hooks or two sets of hooks for each rod or line. Artificial lures or plugs with multiple hooks are considered 1 set of hooks.
To use eels as bait while fishing for striped bass with hook and line from Dec. 11–May 15, inclusive, in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries.
To cull striped bass.
To possess striped bass while fishing in the Chesapeake Bay or its tidal tributaries from midnight to 5 a.m.
To remove a striped bass from the water with a gaff or a cast net.
To take or shoot striped bass with a spear gun and spear in the tidal waters of the state.
To fish for striped bass by any means or practice catch-and-release of striped bass in designated spawning areas from March 1–May 31.
To intentionally snag a striped bass.

Striped bass may not be caught, harassed or possessed in the Exclusive Economic Zone, which stretches from 3–200 miles off the coast.

Chesapeake Bay and Tidal tributaries (excluding the Susquehanna Flats, Lower Susquehanna River and Northeast River)
Season	Fishing Locations Allowed	Creel and Size Limits	Regulations	Restrictions and Remark
Jan. 1–Feb. 28	All Maryland Chesapeake Bay waters and the Potomac River are open to catch and release fishing only	No harvest	Catch and release only	Directed catch and release of striped bass in the Potomac requires barbless hooks. Eels may not be used as bait.
Mar. 1–Mar. 31	Chesapeake Bay downstream from a line between Abbey Point and Worton Point to the Virginia line including Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds.	No harvest	Stinger (trailing) hooks are prohibited. Barbless hooks are required when trolling. Non-offset circle hooks or J hooks with a gap of less than ½ inch are required when using natural bait. No more than 6 lines may be employed while trolling regardless of the number of anglers on board.	Spawning rivers and the Upper Bay spawning area are off limits until June 1 to striped bass fishing. Eels may not be used as bait. See Striped Bass Regulations Maps
Apr. 1–May 15	All areas closed to striped bass fishing.	CLOSED	No catch and release fishing. Attempting to catch striped bass is illegal during this time period.
May 16–May 31	Chesapeake Bay downstream from a line drawn from the south corner of Hart-Miller Island Dike to the end of MD Route 21 at Tolchester and south to the MD/VA line, excluding all bays, sounds, tributaries, creeks and rivers. EXCEPT: Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sound; Chester River and its tributaries downstream of a line drawn from Hail Point to Long Point to Ferry Point; Patuxent River and its tributaries downstream of a line drawn from Point Patience to the west point of land at the entrance of Little Kingston Creek; and Choptank River and its tributaries downstream of a line drawn from Holland Point to a point of land at the west entrance of Chapel Creek are open.	1 fish per person per day. Must be at least 19" and cannot exceed 24".	Eels may not be used as bait. See Striped Bass Regulations Maps Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when live-lining or chumming; Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when using fish, crabs or worms as bait and targeting striped bass, or when using processed baits and targeting striped bass.
June 1–July 15	All areas open	1 fish per person per day. Must be at least 19" and cannot exceed 24".	See Striped Bass Regulations Maps Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when live-lining or chumming; Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when using fish, crabs or worms as bait and targeting striped bass, or when using processed baits and targeting striped bass.
July 16–July 31	All areas closed to striped bass fishing.	No possession allowed	No catch and release fishing for striped bass allowed. Attempting to catch striped bass is illegal during this time period.
August 1–December 10	All areas open	1 fish per person per day. Must be at least 19" and cannot exceed 24".	See Striped Bass Regulations Maps Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when live-lining or chumming; Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when using fish, crabs or worms as bait and targeting striped bass, or when using processed baits and targeting striped bass.
Dec. 11–Dec. 31	All areas are open to catch and release fishing only.	No harvest allowed	Catch and release only	Eels may not be used as bait.

Susquehanna Flats, Lower Susquehanna River and Northeast River
Season	Fishing Locations Allowed	Creel and Size Limits	Regulations	Restrictions and Remarks
Jan. 1– Feb. 28	All waters are open to catch and release fishing only	No harvest	Catch and release only	Eels may not be used as bait.
Mar. 1–Mar. 31	Susquehanna Flats, upstream of a line from Sandy Point to Turkey Point and the Susquehanna River downstream from a line connecting the Susquehanna State Park boat ramp at Lapidum (defined by Lat. 39°35.86' N and Long. 76°07.67' W) to Twin Rocks (defined by Lat. 39°36.17' N and Long. 76°07.56' W) to Tomes Wharf in Port Deposit (defined by Lat. 39°36.23' N and Long. 76°06.99' W); and the Northeast River. Note: The "Tomes Wharf" coordinate is closest to Lee's Landing Dock Bar.	Catch and Release only	Stinger hooks are prohibited. Barbless hooks are required when trolling. Non-offset circle or J hooks with less than ½ inch gap are required when using bait. No more than six lines per boat are allowed when trolling. Eels may not be used as bait.
Apr. 1–May 31	All waters upstream of a line from Abbey Point to Worton Point closed to striped bass fishing.	No possession allowed	No catch and release fishing for striped bass allowed. Attempting to catch striped bass is illegal during this time period.
June 1–July 15	All areas open	1 fish per person per day. Must be at least 19" and cannot exceed 24".	See Striped Bass Regulations Maps Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when live-lining or chumming; Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when using fish, crabs or worms as bait and targeting striped bass, or when using processed baits and targeting striped bass.
July 16–July 31	All areas closed to striped bass fishing.	No possession allowed	No catch and release fishing for striped bass allowed. Attempting to catch striped bass is illegal during this time period.
August 1–December 10	All areas open	1 fish per person per day. Must be at least 19" and cannot exceed 24".	See Striped Bass Regulations Maps Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when live-lining or chumming; Anglers must use non-offset circle hooks when using fish, crabs or worms as bait and targeting striped bass, or when using processed baits and targeting striped bass.
Dec. 11–Dec. 31	All areas are open to catch and release fishing only.	No harvest allowed	Catch and release only	Eels may not be used as bait.

Atlantic Ocean, Coastal Bays and their tributaries
Season	Fishing Locations Allowed	Creel and Size Limits	Regulations	Restrictions and Remarks
Jan. 1–Dec. 31	No area restrictions in state waters	1 fish per person per day, 28–31 inches	Striped bass may not be caught, harassed or possessed in the Exclusive Economic Zone, which stretches from 3–200 miles off the coast.	Must always use non-offset circle hooks when using fish, crabs or worms as bait or processed baits (treble hooks are prohibited) when targeting striped bass.

Nontidal
Season	Fishing Locations Allowed	Creel and Size Limits	Regulations	Restrictions and Remarks
Reservoirs	All nontidal reservoirs, lakes, and ponds.	18 inch minimum size; 2 fish per person per day—only one of those fish may be larger than 30 inches		Open Year Round
Nontidal Rivers and Streams	Closed at all times