Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Recreational and commercial fisheries news and general information. Fishing reports, notable catches

Maryland is home to a broad diversity of aquatic species, habitats and fishing opportunities including freshwater streams and lakes, the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, and offshore coastal waters. The Department of Natural Resources Fishing and Boating Services is charged with managing all fishing in Maryland in the interests of conservation and the equitable use of our fishery resources. To that end, the Fishing and Boating Services works with stakeholders, scientists, and the public to develop management plans in balance with the ecosystem for the benefit of present and future generations. The Fishing & Boating Services works to enhance fishing with public access, education, outreach and the development of sustainable economic opportunities.

How does land use (development, agriculture, forest, and wetlands) impact fish habitat?Fisheries Ecosystem Assessment Di...
09/06/2026

How does land use (development, agriculture, forest, and wetlands) impact fish habitat?

Fisheries Ecosystem Assessment Division biologists conduct a summer Estuarine Fish Community Sampling Study to investigate that question by evaluating nursery and adult habitat of recreationally important finfish in subestuaries of the Chesapeake Bay

Check out some scenes from this summer’s survey.

Fishing Report Highlight: Anglers in the lower Bay are enjoying an exciting run of Spanish mackerel. The numbers and siz...
09/05/2026

Fishing Report Highlight: Anglers in the lower Bay are enjoying an exciting run of Spanish mackerel. The numbers and size of the fish are about as good as anyone could hope for, so don’t miss it! Trolling a mix of small Clark spoons and various colored Drone spoons behind planers is the most popular way to fish for them.
Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4qZe0LK

Photo by Travis Long

The striped bass season has reopened, and if you’re fishing for rockfish, your data can contribute to the management of ...
09/04/2026

The striped bass season has reopened, and if you’re fishing for rockfish, your data can contribute to the management of this important species.

Submit the lengths of both harvested and released striped bass, along with basic trip information, to the volunteer angler survey.

Save this link to report on each fishing trip: https://mddnr.info/stripedbassangler

Photo courtesy of Craig Roberts

DNR and partners have been working to bring blackbanded sunfish, Maryland’s rarest freshwater fish species, back to its ...
09/03/2026

DNR and partners have been working to bring blackbanded sunfish, Maryland’s rarest freshwater fish species, back to its native habitat. This summer, we documented something exciting!

Thanks to funders, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and partners Maryland Department of Natural Resources- Wildlife & Heritage Service, Maryland DNR Resource Assessment Service, National Aquarium, The Nature Conservancy MD/DC, Maryland Conservation Corps, Frostburg State University, New Jersey Fish & Wildlife

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which cooperatively manages fisheries on the East Coast, is acc...
09/02/2026

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which cooperatively manages fisheries on the East Coast, is accepting public comments on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Addendum II.

You can comment by:

🙋Attending a public hearing

📩Submitting a comment directly to ASMFC

The Draft Addendum considers options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap (Bay Cap) by up to 50% and distribute the cap more evenly throughout the fishing season. The options aim to alleviate a concentration of effort that may be affecting other fisheries within the Bay and other potential ecological impacts.

Find information on Maryland’s September 15, in-person hearing, webinar hearing options, and how to submit comments on the ASMFC website: https://asmfc.org/actions/atlantic-menhaden-draft-addendum-ii/

Color and claw variations are two of the rare genetic differences sometimes observed in blue crabs. Have you ever seen a...
09/02/2026

Color and claw variations are two of the rare genetic differences sometimes observed in blue crabs.

Have you ever seen a crab like one of these?
🦀 A partially white crab caught by Steve Smith on Bear Creek
🦀 A crab with an unusual claw caught by Allie Scott on Mill Creek
🦀 A polka-dotted crab and one with a baby oyster (spat) growing on its shell seen by DNR biologists

Striped Bass Season Reminder: All areas of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are open to recreational striped bass ...
09/01/2026

Striped Bass Season Reminder: All areas of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are open to recreational striped bass fishing from September 1 to December 5. Anglers may keep 1 fish per person, per day, with a minimum length of 19 inches and a maximum length of 24 inches.

Reel in the Blues Bonanza winner Richard Pizzaia and family caught a blue catfish so big on their free charter trip that...
08/31/2026

Reel in the Blues Bonanza winner Richard Pizzaia and family caught a blue catfish so big on their free charter trip that it nearly qualified for a FishMaryland award!

The 38.5-inch and 40+ pound fish was pulled from the Wicomico River. The young angler who reeled in the big blue catfish was 9-year-old Maverick Pizzaia.

Photos by Todd Bellamy of FishPit Charters

If you don’t follow on Instagram, you missed: 🎣Kevin Tobin caught a nice Speckled Trout on the Chesapeake Bay with Capt...
08/30/2026

If you don’t follow on Instagram, you missed:

🎣Kevin Tobin caught a nice Speckled Trout on the Chesapeake Bay with Captain Tom Weaver

🎣Steven Cordova caught a Largemouth Bass at White Marsh Park in Queen Anne’s County. (Photo by Jillian Cordova)

🎣Maria Santina and David Hoff IV (age 4) caught blue crabs in Stoney Creek. (Photo by Dave Hoff)

🎣Eric Packard caught a 28.75-inch Chesapeake Channa (Northern Snakehead) on the Patuxent River

Follow to see what other Maryland anglers are catching and submit your latest catches to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.

Address

580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD
21401

Telephone

+14102608300

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