Striped Bass

Maryland Fishing

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. 16–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 use a gaff to land striped bass.
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.

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 from the Brewerton Channel 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 maps at: dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pages/sb_2020_regs.aspx
Apr. 1–Apr. 30	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 1–May 15	Chesapeake Bay from Brewerton Channel to the MD-VA Line, excluding all bays, sounds, tributaries, creeks and rivers, except Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sound	1 fish per person per day Minimum size 35 inches		Eels may not be used as bait. See maps at: dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pages/sb_2020_regs.aspx
May 16–Dec. 10	Subject to change. Refer to online regulations for updates eregulations.com/maryland/fishing/
Dec. 11–Dec. 31	Catch and Release only

Susquehanna Flats, Lower Susquehanna River and Northeast River
Season	Fishing Locations Allowed	Creel and Size Limits	Regulations	Restrictions and Remarks
Jan. 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 to Twin Rocks to Tomes Wharf in Port Deposit; and the Northeast River	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 15	Susquehanna Flats closed to striped bass fishing	Closed	No catch and release fishing. Attempting to catch striped bass is illegal during this time period.
May 16–Dec. 10	Subject to change. Refer to online regulations for updates eregulations.com/maryland/fishing/
Dec. 11–Dec. 31	Catch and Release only

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	Anglers may keep one striped bass per person per day. The striped bass must be at least 28 inches and less than 35 inches in length.	Striped bass may not be caught, harassed or possessed in the Exclusive Economic Zone, which stretches from 3–200 miles off the coast.	Please see online guide for additional restrictions.

Reservoirs
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 1 of those fish may be larger than 30 inches		Open Year Round

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

Striped Bass Regulations Maps

Visit https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pages/sb_2020_regs.aspx to view maps of striped bass regulations.

Be on the Lookout for Tagged Fish!

The success of tagging studies relies on anglers like you. If you catch a tagged fish, please follow the instructions printed on the tag, or call Fishing and Boating Services at 800-688-3467. Please record the tag number, capture date, fishing location, and total length.