Summary of Maryland Commercial Fisheries Regulations FISH HEALTH HOTLINE: 1-888-584-3110 This is an abridged version of the regulations and does not include all regulated species. May not include Emergency Amendments, Quota Closures/Modifications or Proposed Amendments. Consult the Maryland Register, Code of Maryland Regulations, Public Notices and Natural Resources Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland for full legal text. Under State Govt. Article, Section 7-217, Annotated Code of Maryland, the printed version of COMAR is the official and enforceable text. Only the official text may be judicially noticed under Courts and Judicial Proceedings, Section 10-203, Annotated Code of Maryland. Some species have direct links to their full text regulations. To access this information just click on the species name when underlined. Maryland regulates the following finfish and shellfish species as listed below. This is not a comprehensive list of all the finfish or shellfish in Maryland, only the finfish and shellfish species regulated by Maryland. For additional information call Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Service, at 410-260-8260 or 1-800- 688-FINS or e-mail Dianne Samuels at dsamuels@dnr.state.md.us. The EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone)- All waters from the seaward boundary of coastal states (3 miles from shore) out to 200 nautical miles. Maryland waters are from the shore to 3 miles. Species Minimum Size Commercial Season, Days, Times and Area Restrictions Special Conditions/Comments Black Sea 11" Landing Permit required Individual fishing quotas established and limits are assigned on black sea bass permit card. Vessel may not land more than the allocation assigned on the black sea bass permit card. Individuals who do not possess a Maryland black sea bass permit may not land more than 50 lbs. of black sea bass per day. Bay Pound June 1 - November 30 (including Saturdays) Maximum 4 nets/licensee Permit required 200 lbs/licensee/net/day Bay Haul Seine June 7 - November 30 Permit required. Participants must have a Dept. sealed haul seine. 1250 lbs/licensee/season 750 lbs/licensee/day Bay Hook & Line Jun 14 - Nov 30 between one hour before sunrise and one hour before sunset (Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs) No more than 4 persons/boat 2 crew/licensee. Check in by 9:00 pm day of harvest OR by 9:00 am the following day Permit and flag required-800 lbs/licensee/week Call 1-800-999-2800 for season updates Permit required-4permits/boat max.
- Bay - Drift Gill Ocean Trawl Drift Gill 24" Jan 3 - Feb 28 and Dec 1 - Dec 30 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Jan 3 - Apr 29 and Nov 1 - Dec 30 Bluefish 8" Open year round Catfish: Blue, Channel, White Clam, Hard 10" Open year round Worcester Co. Transverse 1" All others Transverse 7/8" Clam, Soft 2" Sept 15 - May 31 Sunrise to 4 pm 15 bu/day/boat May 15-Oct 31 8 bu/day/boat - Nov 1-May 14 Conch 6" Open year round Harvest must be checked in no later than 9 pm the day of harvest. Harvest must be check in within three hours of completing fishing trip or not later than 9:00 am the day following harvest. Effective 2/9/06: Weekly catch limit of 2,500 lbs. Permit Required-2,300 lbs/licensee/season Patent tong season same as for oysters. Hydraulic Dredge: 4pm daily closure. 9/15-10/15 and 4/15-5/31 prohibited between OC airport and Rt. 90 bridge. Saturdays prohibited north of South Point. Cooling required April 15 - October 31 Oct 1 - Apr 14 Sunrise - Sunset Apr 15 - Sept 30-1/2 hour before sunrise - 1 pm Crab, Blue All season 3½" Soft Crab No Min. size for Mature Females 4/1-7/14 5" Male Hard 3¼" Peeler 7/15-12/15 5¼" Male Hard Apr 1 - Dec 15 Pots/Traps/Rings/Handlines or Dip nets: 1/2 hour before sunrise - 7-1/2 hour after sunrise May set pots aboard boat until 8-1/2 hour after sunrise Trotlines/Scrapes: Apr, Oct, Nov and Dec Sunrise - 10 hours after sunrise May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep 1 hour before sunrise - 9 hours after sunrise Sun or Mon Off Crabbing will not be permitted the second and third Thursday in November Trotline floats same size, shape and color Special provisions for Worcester Co: Season Apr 1 - Oct 31 Cull ring closed Apr 23 - May 31 Catch Limit - 25 bushels/boat/day 5:30 am to 2:00 pm No scrapes/dredges 5" Hard entire season Potomac River Fisheries Regulations
3½" Peeler Crab, Horseshoe CLOSED Effective 8/12/05 Croaker 9" CLOSED Jan 1 - Mar 15 Drum, Black 16" BAY-No commercial harvest Atlantic Ocean Quota 1,500 lbs. Drum, Red 25" Max. Open year round 5 fish/person/day Eel, American Flounder, Summer (Bay) Flounder, Summer (Ocean) Herring Lobster Mackerel, Spanish 6" Open year round 15" Hook & Line 14" Other gear 15½" Hook & Line 14" Other gear NONE 3-3/8" carapace Max. 5½" Female Annual Quota Annual Quota CLOSED June 6 - December 31 Open year round 14" Open year round 25/person/day < 6" if pot mesh < ½" x ½", escape panel required 50 lbs/day No Permit: 100 lbs/day No egg bearing, scraped or scrubbed Lobsters Contact National Marine Fisheries Service (978) 281-9278 for updated regulations Oyster 3" Tonging & Diving: Oct 3-31 and Jan 2-Mar 31 Mon-Fri Sunrise til 3PM 15 Bushels/Licensee 30 Bushels/Boat (Tong, Dive and Dredge Boat Nov 1- Dec 30 ONLY Hours: Sunrise til Sunset) Skipjacks: Nov 1 - Mar 31 Mon-Fri Sunrise til Sunset on Preregistered Push Days Sunrise til 3PM on Non Push Days Several Areas CLOSED - Consult Public Notices Power Dredge Oct 18 thru Mar 31 in designated areas of Calvert, Dorchester, Somerset and St. Mary's counties. Permit required for Power Dredge. Sunrise til 3 PM Mon-Fri 12 bushel/licensee not to exceed 24 bushel/boat
Perch, White Perch, Yellow Limit: 150 bushel/boat 8" Open year round Hook & Line = 9" All other gear = 8½" - 11" See Comments Hook & Line 5/person/day FEBRUARY CLOSED FOR ALL GEAR Scup 9" Reopen Jan-Apr 2003 Sea Trout, Spotted Shad, American & Hickory Sturgeon (Atlantic & Shortnose) Snapping Turtles 12" Open year round Closed Watersheds: Choptank, Magothy, Miles, Nanticoke, Patapsco, Severn, South, West and Wye Rivers Summer and Winter Quotas Mesh Size Restrictions/Trap Escape Panel Trawl and Gill Restrictions, revised mesh size. CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED NONE Tautog 14" OPEN YEAR ROUND Open year round 5/person/day Terrapin 6" Aug 1 thru April 30 May not use hook and line, trotline, bow and arrow, spear, gig or gig iron or any device that would pierce any part of a turtle. May not catch or attempt to catch in tributary waters of Charles Co. from 4/15-5/31 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 fasteners or ungalvinized/uncoated iron wire of 0.094" diameter Measured along bottom shell. May not possess, destroy or disturb diamondback terrapin eggs. Provisions relating to size do not apply to anyone who owns not more than 3 diamond-back terrapins kept as pets. Weakfish 12" Ocean: All gear except Trawl, : Mar 25, 2006 - Apr 26, 2006 and Sept 2, 2006 thru Nov 14, 2006. Sun Closed Trawl: Oct 18, 2006- Dec 25, 2006 Sat & Sun Closed Chesapeake Bay: All gears Aug 5, 2006- Sep 30, 2006 Chesapeake Bay Hook and Line season closed Oct 1. Trawl and Gill Restrictions, revised mesh size During a Closed Weakfish Season 150/lbs/day of By-Catch is permitted for any gear other than Hook and Line provided that at least equal poundage of other species is landed.
Sat & Sun Closed Note: Shark and Tuna are Federally Managed Species. Call National Marine Fisheries Service for more information. Shark - (301)713-2347 Tuna - (888)872-8862 http://www.nmfspermits.com/ Last Updated: 3/14/2006