Commercial Chesapeake Bay Regulations

The following table summarizes rules governing the harvest and possession of fish species that harvesters commonly catch in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. This is an abridged summary and does not include all regulated species. Consult the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR)​ and Natural Resources Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland for full legal text.

Rules are subject to change. It is the harvester's responsibility to know and abide by all current fishing rules.

  
Size
Season, Limits and Other Conditions
Links
American Eel
9"
2024

You may use all gear from 1/1 through 8/31

Only Spear, Baited Trap and Eel Pot may be used from 9/1 through 12/31

Wire mesh may not be less than ½" when unstretched

Atlantic Menhaden
None
Open Year Round

Unlimited fishery is open until the State-wide quota is met
After the quota is met the fishery will switch to the permitted fishery
Black Sea Bass
11"
Open Year Round

Quotas by permit

Without permit - 50 lbs/vessel/day
Blue Crabs

HARD from April 1 through July 14 - 5"

HARD from July 15 through December 15 - 5 1/4"

PEELERS from April 1 through July 14 - 3 1/4"

PEELERS from July 15 through December 15 - 3 1/2"

SOFT - 3 1/2"FEMALES - No size limit

2024

4/1 through 12/15

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

Must take Sunday or Monday off

Catch Times:
Trotlines and Scrapes: May - Sept: 1 hour before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise
Trotlines: Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec: half an hour before sunrise to 9 1/2 hours after sunrise

Scrapes: Apr. & Oct.: sunrise to 10 hours after sunrise Pots, Bank Traps, Channel Pounds, Collapsible Traps, Net Rings, Handlines, Dip Nets, and Pound Nets: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 7 1/2 hours after sunrise
Trotline floats must be three dimentional and the same size, shape and color

Scrapes prohibited Oct 31 - Apr 14

Female bushel limits and importation dates are established by public notice

Catch Times for 5/29, 5/30, 7/3, 7/4, 9/3, 9/4:
Trotlines and Scrapes: 2 hours before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise
Pots, Bank Traps, Channel Pounds, Collapsible Traps, Net Rings, Handlines, Dip Nets, and Pound Nets: 1-1/2 hours before sunrise to 7-1/2 hours after sunrise
Bluefish
8"
Open Year Round

Coastwide quota and daily catch limit set by National Marine Fisheries Service and ASMFC
Catfish: Blue, Channel Flathead or White
None

Open Year Round


Permit required to use finfish trotlines.

Clam, Hard
Transverse 1"
2024

1/1 through 5/31 and 9/15 through 12/31

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

May not catch or land on Sunday

Hydraulic Dredge: Sunrise to 4pm

Other Gear - Sunrise to Sunset

Harvest permitted only in Pocomoke Sound and Tangier Sound
Clam, Soft
2"
Open Year Round

May not catch or land on Sunday

2024

1/1 through 4/14 and 11/1 through 12/31
Harvest permitted sunrise to sunset
Must be landed by 1 hour after sunset

4/15 through 10/31
Harvest permitted ½ hr before sunrise to 1pm
Must be landed by 3pm

1/1 through 5/14 and 11/1 through 12/31
8 bushels/boat/day

5/15 through 10/31
15 bushels/boat/day
Cobia
33" fork length
Open Year Round

2/person/day - not to exceed 6/vessel/day

May not catch, possess, or land cobia when federal waters are CLOSED
Croaker
9"
2024

3/16 through 12/31

Season CLOSED All Other Dates
Diamondback Terrapin
___
CLOSED
Harvest Prohibited
Drum, Black
28" minimum
Open Year Round

10/vessel/day - regardless of the number of licenses on board
Drum, Red

18" minimum

25" maximum

5/person/day

Open Year Round
Herring
___
CLOSED
Harvest Prohibited
Horseshoe Crab
None
2024

7/11 through 11/30

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

May not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday

Female harvest prohibited

Catch limits specified on permit

25/person/day without permit
Oysters
3"
Rules for Power Dredge

2023 - 2024

11/1 - 3/31

Catch Limits, Times, and Days are available on the Public Notice page in the "Shellfish (Oysters & Clams" category
Oysters
3"
Rules for Sail Dredge

2023 - 2024

10/1 - 3/31

Catch Limits, Times, and Days are available on the Public Notice page in the "Shellfish (Oysters & Clams" category
Oysters
3"
Rules for Shaft Tong, Patent Tong, Dive

2023 - 2024

10/1 - 3/31

Catch Limits, Times, and Days are available on the Public Notice page in the "Shellfish (Oysters & Clams" category
Scup
9"
Open Year Round

Federal permit required

Limits set by ASMFC

Gear restrictions in COMAR 08.02.05.22
Shad, American or Hickory
___
CLOSED
Harvest Prohibited
Shark, Aggregated Large Coastal Group
None
Open Year Round

Silky, Tiger, Blacktip, Spinner, Bull, Lemon, Nurse, Scalloped hammerhead, Great hammerhead, Smooth hammerhead

See public notice for limits

See Regulation (COMAR 08.02.22.03) for gear and harvest requirements

May not harvest, possess, or land sharks when federal waters are CLOSED.
Shark, Non-Blacknose Small Coastal Group
None
Open Year Round

Atlantic sharpnose, Finetooth, Bonnethead

See Regulation (COMAR 08.02.22.03) for gear and harvest requirements

May not harvest, possess, or land sharks when federal waters are closed.
Snakehead
None

Open Year Round

A special commercial northern snakehead bowfishing license is available. Needed if you want to harvest snakehead with archery equipment and do not have a FIN or an Unlimited TFL.

Snapping Turtles
11"
Charles County CLOSED Apr 15 thru May 31

Open Year Round in all other areas

Permit required

May not pierce a turtle to capture

Nets must have airspace
Spanish Mackerel
14"
Open Year Round
3,500 lbs/vessel/day or trip, whichever is longer
Spotted Sea Trout
14"
Open Year Round

150 lbs/day or trip, whichever is longer

Trawl mesh min. 3-3/8" square or 3-3/4" diamond stretched

Gill net mesh min. 3" stretched
Striped Bass
18'' minimum
36" maximum
Rules for Drift Gill Net - Common Pool

Open dates and limits during the season are established by public notice

2024

1/9 through 1/11

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

3:00 am until 6:00 pm


Permit required

Fish must be checked in within 3 hours of completing trip and not later than 9:00 pm the day of harvest

Stretched mesh 5" min, 7" max

No more than 3500 yards of net on a vessel in no more than 10 boxes
Striped Bass
18" minimum
36" maximum
Rules for Drift Gill Net - ITQ

2024

1/1 through 2/29
and
12/1 through 12/31

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

3:00 am until 6:00 pm

Permit required

Fish must be checked in no later than 9 am the day immediately following harvest

Stretched mesh 5" min, 7" max

No more than 3500 yards of net on a vessel in no more than 10 boxes
Striped Bass
18" minimum
36" maximum
Rules for Haul Seine

2024

1/1 through 2/29
and
6/1 through 12/31

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

May not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday

Permit required

Fish must be checked in no later than 9 am the day immediately following harvest
Striped Bass
18" minimum
36" maximum
Rules for Hook and Line - Common Pool

Open dates and limits during the season are established by public notice

Season may be opened between June 1 and November 30. No announced openings at this time.

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

Times: 1 hour before sunrise through 1 hour before sunset

May not catch or land on Friday, Saturday or Sunday

Permit and flag required

Fish must be checked in no later than 9 pm on the day of harvest or 9 am the day immediately following harvest

A maximum of 4 individuals, including crew members may be present on a vessel engaged in the Chesapeake Bay common pool hook-and-line fishery
Striped Bass
18" minimum
36" maximum
Rules for Hook and Line - ITQ

2024

6/1 through 12/31

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset

May not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday

Permit and flag required

Fish must be checked in no later than 9 am the day immediately following harvest
Striped Bass
18'' minimum
36" maximum
Rules for Pound Net

2024

6/1 through 12/31

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

12 am to 6 pm

May not catch or land on Sunday

Permit required

Fish must be checked in no later than 9 am the day immediately following harvest
Sturgeon, Atlantic and Shortnose
___
CLOSED
Harvest Prohibited
Summer Flounder
16" - Hook and Line
14" - All Other Gear
Open Year Round

Quotas by permit

Without a Permit: 50 lbs/person/day
Tautog
16"
2024

1/1 through 5/15 - 4/person/day

SEASON CLOSED 5/16 through 6/30

7/1 - 10/31 - 2/person/day

11/1 - 12/31 - 4/person/day

A pot and trap shall have hinges on one panel/door made of untreated hemp or jute string 3/16" diameter or smaller, magnesium alloy timed float releases (pop-up devices) or similar magnesium alloy fasteners or ungalvinized/uncoated iron wire of 0.094" diameter
Walleye
15"
2024

3/15 through 11/30

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

5/person/day

May only use Hook & Line
Weakfish
12"
Rules for Hook and Line

8/1/2023 through 9/30/2023

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

50 lbs/day or trip, whichever is longer
Weakfish
12"
Rules for Gear Other than Hook and Line

Open Year Round

May not catch or land on Saturday or Sunday

50 lbs/day or trip, whichever is longer

The weight of the weakfish may not exceed the weight of the catch of the other species on board the vessel

Trawl mesh minimum 3-3/8" square or 3-3/4" diamond stretched mesh

Gill net mesh minimum 3" stretched
White Perch
Hook and Line - No minimum size
All other gear - 8"
Open Year Round
Yellow Perch
8½" minimum
11" maximum
2024

1/1 through 3/31

Season CLOSED All Other Dates

Fyke nets are prohibited in certain areas of tributaries in February and March (see regulation)

See Regulation for Fishing Areas (Upper Bay; Chester River; Patuxent River)

Must have permit and tags

Daily reporting required

Hook and Line - 10/person/day

All Other Gear - Patuxent River Area - 150 lbs/person/day
No limits in other 2 areas

Areas will be CLOSED by public notice when quota has been caught