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FISHING CALENDAR · MARYLAND
Maryland Fishing Calendar
Maryland fishing runs from freshwater lakes and rivers through the Chesapeake Bay to the Ocean City inlet and the offshore canyons. Every month below comes from Maryland DNR's 2026 rules, its fish fact sheets, or its own weekly fishing reports.
Government fish & wildlife updates
- MD DNR News — Rule changes, stocking, surveys
- MD DNR Trout Stocking — Daily stocking table
- MD DNR Striped Bass Advisory Forecast — Summer heat rockfish advisory
Month by month
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater | |||||||||||||
| Largemouth bass | Nontidal waters: no keeping Mar 1–Jun 15 (catch and release OK); keep Jun 16–end of Feb, 12 in., 5/day. Spawns March–June.[4][1][7][24] | ||||||||||||
| Smallmouth bass | Nontidal: no keeping Mar 1–Jun 15 (catch and release OK); 12 in., 5/day combined. Spawns April–June.[4][7][25] | ||||||||||||
| Trout, stocked (rainbow, golden, brown) | Spring stocking from February (central, southern, eastern) and March–May (Allegany, Garrett). Fall stocking starts the first full week of October. Brook trout catch and release only in put-and-take areas and east of I-81.[10][11][4][29] | ||||||||||||
| Black crappie | DNR: spring is thought to be the best time of year for crappie. Open all year, 15/day.[9][7][23][4] | ||||||||||||
| Blue catfish | Invasive. Open all year, no size or creel limit.[7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Yellow perch | Spawning run from late February; DNR says most fish are caught during the run. 9 in., 5/day tidal and nontidal rivers.[22][7][1][4] | ||||||||||||
| Northern snakehead | Open all year, no limit. Illegal to possess one alive.[7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Inshore saltwater (Chesapeake & coastal bays) | |||||||||||||
| Striped bass (rockfish) – Chesapeake Bay | 2026: Jan–Feb catch and release only; Mar–Apr catch and release in lower Bay, spawning rivers closed. Keep 1 fish 19–24 in. May 1–Jul 31 (areas phase in). August closed to all targeting. Sep 1–Dec 5 open, 1 fish 19–24 in. Dec 6–31 catch and release only.[3][7][12][30] | ||||||||||||
| Striped bass – Atlantic & coastal bays | Open all year: 1 fish 28–31 in. in state waters. No fishing in federal waters.[3][7] | ||||||||||||
| White perch | DNR: catches greatest in the spring spawning season and September–November. No hook-and-line limit.[21][7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Bluefish | DNR: most sought-after May–October in the Bay; Ocean City surf in fall. 5/day private, 7/day for-hire.[13][7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Summer flounder (fluke) | Open all year, 4/day: 16 in. Jan–May, 17.5 in. Jun–Dec.[1][2][14][7] | ||||||||||||
| Spot | Enters the Bay in spring, leaves late summer or fall. 50/day.[17][7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Atlantic croaker (hardhead) | Spawns offshore, peak August–October. 9 in., 25/day.[18][7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Spotted seatrout (speckled trout) | Moves into the Bay April–May, leaves in November. 14 in., 4/day.[19][7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Red drum (puppy drum) | Open all year, 18–26 in. slot, 3/day.[7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Black drum | DNR: an intense 4–6 week fishery from late April to early June. 16 in., 1/day.[20][7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Cobia | Keep Jun 15–Sep 20 only: 43 in., 1/person, 2 per vessel. Catch and release the rest of the year.[1][2][7][31] | ||||||||||||
| Spanish mackerel | Open all year, 14 in., 15/day.[7][1] | ||||||||||||
| Tautog (tog) | Open Jul 1–May 15, 16 in. Catch and release only May 16–Jun 30.[1][2][7][16] | ||||||||||||
| Offshore (Ocean City) | |||||||||||||
| Black sea bass | Open May 1–Dec 31, 12.5 in., 15/day. Offshore wrecks and reefs.[2][7][15] | ||||||||||||
| Mahi-mahi (dolphinfish) | DNR: the best time to catch dolphin off Maryland is June to September.[27][7][2] | ||||||||||||
| Yellowfin tuna | Canyon fishery. Federal HMS permit required.[7][32] | ||||||||||||
| White marlin | DNR: September often is one of the best times for white marlin. The White Marlin Open runs in early August. HMS permit required.[8][7][28] | ||||||||||||
| Sharks | Blacktip, bull, spinner, tiger, hammerhead and others: closed May 15–Jul 15, 54 in. fork length. Circle hooks required.[6][7] | ||||||||||||
| Crabs | |||||||||||||
| Blue crab | Recreational season Apr 1–Dec 15 (Chesapeake). Males only: 5 in. to Jul 14, 5.25 in. after. No recreational crabbing on Wednesdays except from private pots, handlines and dip nets.[5][7][26] | ||||||||||||
Never keep: Never keep: Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, American and hickory shad, alewife and blueback herring, and prohibited sharks (sandbar, dusky, sand tiger, shortfin mako and others).[1][2][6]
Bait & rig for each fish
Largemouth bass
Bait: Live wild shiners.
Lures: Plastic worms, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater frogs and crankbaits.
Rig: Float rig, Carolina/bottom rig, jig head or simple lure setup depending on depth and species.
Leader: Often 6–15 lb mono/fluoro; heavier leader is useful around abrasive cover or toothy fish.
Smallmouth bass
Bait: Live crayfish, leeches and minnows.
Lures: Tubes, drop-shot plastics, ned rigs, jerkbaits, crankbaits and small topwaters.
Leader: 6–10 lb fluorocarbon.
Trout, stocked (rainbow, golden, brown)
Bait: Salmon roe and nightcrawlers where bait is legal.
Lures: Beads that look like salmon eggs, flesh flies, sculpin and leech streamers, small spinners and spoons.
Leader: 3X–5X tippet (4–8 lb), 7½–9 ft.
Black crappie
Bait: Live minnows (shiners).
Lures: Small 1/32–1/16 oz jigs with curly or minnow tails.
Leader: None needed.
Blue catfish
Bait: Fresh cut shad, skipjack herring or other oily fish.
Lures: —
Leader: 25–50 lb mono, 18–24 in.
Yellow perch
Bait: Live emerald shiners or fathead minnows, worms, and perch eyes or minnow heads in winter.
Lures: Small jigs and tubes, tiny spoons, and two-hook 'perch spreaders.'
Leader: 6–10 lb fluorocarbon.
Striped bass (rockfish) – Chesapeake Bay
Bait: Live shad and shiners.
Lures: Bucktail jigs, swimbaits and topwater plugs.
Leader: Usually none; add a short fluorocarbon leader with braid.
Bluefish
Bait: Cut mullet and live finger mullet.
Lures: Metal spoons, Gotcha plugs and topwater poppers.
Leader: 30–40 lb fluorocarbon (add light wire for mackerel and bluefish).
Summer flounder (fluke)
Bait: Live minnows (killies), squid strips, fresh fluke-belly or sea-robin strips, and live spot or snapper blues for big fish.
Lures: White or pink bucktails tipped with a soft-plastic grub or squid strip, and a teaser hook above the bucktail.
Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 2–3 ft.
Spot
Bait: Bloodworms, shrimp and squid bits.
Lures: Bloodworm-flavored Fishbites.
Leader: 15–20 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Atlantic croaker (hardhead)
Bait: Shrimp, squid, bloodworms, clam and sand fleas.
Lures: Fishbites strips or a small jig tipped with shrimp.
Leader: 15–20 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Spotted seatrout (speckled trout)
Bait: Live shrimp under a popping cork, live pilchards or pinfish.
Lures: Soft-plastic jerkbaits and paddle tails, suspending twitchbaits, and topwater walking baits at dawn.
Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 2–3 ft.
Red drum (puppy drum)
Bait: Live or cut mullet, pinfish, blue crab pieces, and live or fresh dead shrimp.
Lures: Gold spoons, paddle-tail soft plastics on a 1/8–1/4 oz jig head, topwater walking baits, and shrimp imitations.
Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 2–3 ft.
Black drum
Bait: Texas Parks & Wildlife documents cut fish, squid and shrimp, with peeled shrimp tails especially common.
Lures: Rarely; a slow jig tipped with shrimp.
Rig: A conventional bottom rig with a sinker and one or more single-hook drops is documented; a single drop with little or no weight is also described.
Leader: 10–30 lb fluorocarbon/mono is a common flats/inshore start; move to 40–80 lb around abrasive mouths, structure or large tarpon/snook.
Cobia
Bait: Live eels, pinfish, croakers, crabs and menhaden.
Lures: Big bucktail jigs (1–3 oz) with a long soft-plastic tail, and large soft eels.
Leader: 30–40 lb fluorocarbon (add light wire for mackerel and bluefish).
Spanish mackerel
Bait: Live shiners, pilchards and glass minnows.
Lures: Gotcha plugs, small silver spoons, Clarkspoons trolled and small jigs.
Leader: 30–40 lb fluorocarbon (add light wire for mackerel and bluefish).
Tautog (tog)
Bait: Green crabs, Asian crabs, fiddler crabs and clams; cut crabs in half for big fish.
Lures: Tautog jigs (1–2 oz) tipped with a piece of crab.
Leader: 30–50 lb fluorocarbon, short.
Black sea bass
Bait: Squid, cut fish and shrimp.
Lures: Small vertical jigs and bucktails.
Leader: 50–80 lb fluorocarbon.
Mahi-mahi (dolphinfish)
Bait: Ballyhoo, flying fish, squid and cut bait to keep a school near the boat.
Lures: Skirted trolling lures, small feathers and bucktail jigs.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 30–60 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common mahi start; increase for abrasion or mixed wahoo water.
Yellowfin tuna
Bait: Live baits (blue runners, bonito) and chunks.
Lures: Spreader bars, skirted lures, poppers and stick baits.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
White marlin
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and small squid.
Lures: Small skirted trolling lures.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Sharks
Bait: Fish or squid baits attract sharks, but baiting should only be used where legal and where the exact shark fishery rules are understood.
Lures: Large plugs, jigs or trolled lures can produce incidental shark strikes; use tackle heavy enough to shorten the fight.
Rig: Simple heavy rig with minimal hardware and immediate-access dehooking/cutting tools.
Leader: Use a heavy abrasion/bite leader and a setup that can be cut quickly near the hook if removal is unsafe.
Blue crab
Bait: Freshly dead fish is documented as blue-crab trap bait by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
Lures: Not applicable.
Rig: Crab traps are a documented blue-crab capture method. Use only locally legal gear.
Leader: Not applicable.
Local fishing reports — what’s biting now
- MD DNR Maryland Fishing Report (weekly, official) — Every Wednesday: Bay, freshwater, Ocean City, offshore
- Fish in OC — Ocean City inshore, offshore and back-bay reports
- FishTalk Magazine – Fishing Reports — Monthly Chesapeake and coastal reports
- Anglers Sport Center – Chesapeake Bay report — Annapolis tackle shop
- White Marlin Open – leaderboard — Ocean City tournament results
Sources
- MD DNR – Chesapeake Bay Seasons, Sizes & Limits 2026
- MD DNR – Atlantic Seasons, Sizes & Limits 2026
- MD DNR – Striped Bass 2026 seasons
- MD DNR – Freshwater Seasons, Sizes & Limits 2026
- MD DNR – Blue Crabs, Chesapeake Bay
- MD DNR – Sharks
- MD DNR – Weekly Maryland Fishing Report archive
- MD DNR Fishing Report – Sept 9, 2026
- MD DNR Fishing Report – Mar 26, 2025
- MD DNR – Trout Stocking Program 2026
- MD DNR – Fall Trout Stocking 2026
- MD Fish Facts – Striped Bass
- MD Fish Facts – Bluefish
- MD Fish Facts – Summer Flounder
- MD Fish Facts – Black Sea Bass
- MD Fish Facts – Tautog
- MD Fish Facts – Spot
- MD Fish Facts – Atlantic Croaker
- MD Fish Facts – Spotted Seatrout
- MD Fish Facts – Black Drum
- MD Fish Facts – White Perch
- MD Fish Facts – Yellow Perch
- MD Fish Facts – Black Crappie
- MD Fish Facts – Largemouth Bass
- MD Fish Facts – Smallmouth Bass
- MD Fish Facts – Blue Crab
- MD Fish Facts – Dolphinfish
- MD Fish Facts – White Marlin
- Maryland DNR - Trout Frequently Asked Questions
- Fish & Hunt Maryland (Maryland DNR) - Spring Fishing Forecast
- FishTalk Magazine - Fishing for Beginners: Cobia Fishing
- Ocean City, MD (official tourism, ococean.com) - Ocean City MD Is an Angler's Paradise
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every month on this calendar comes from the sources above. Empty boxes mean no official source gives those months. Rules change — check the agency page before you keep a fish.
On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock — for those few hours it’s just you, the water and peace.