Basic Fishing— home

Seasons · MD

What's biting in Maryland

The best months for the state's top fish at a glance. Tap a fish for its full guide.
  • Peak
  • Good
  • Off-peak
  • Can't keep fish (closed or catch and release)
How good the fishing is for each species, month by month
SpeciesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Saltwater
Striped bassRockfish
Striped bass, January: Off-peak. In the Bay: catch and release only Jan–Apr and from Dec 6, no fishing in August; the ocean coast stays open all year
Striped bass, February: Off-peak. In the Bay: catch and release only Jan–Apr and from Dec 6, no fishing in August; the ocean coast stays open all year
Striped bass, March: Good. In the Bay: catch and release only Jan–Apr and from Dec 6, no fishing in August; the ocean coast stays open all year
Striped bass, April: Good. In the Bay: catch and release only Jan–Apr and from Dec 6, no fishing in August; the ocean coast stays open all year
Striped bass, May: Good
Striped bass, June: Good
Striped bass, July: Good
Striped bass, August: Off-peak. In the Bay: catch and release only Jan–Apr and from Dec 6, no fishing in August; the ocean coast stays open all year
Striped bass, September: Peak
Striped bass, October: Peak
Striped bass, November: Peak
Striped bass, December: Good. In the Bay: catch and release only Jan–Apr and from Dec 6, no fishing in August; the ocean coast stays open all year
White perch
White perch, January: Good
White perch, February: Good
White perch, March: Peak
White perch, April: Peak
White perch, May: Good
White perch, June: Good
White perch, July: Good
White perch, August: Good
White perch, September: Good
White perch, October: Good
White perch, November: Peak
White perch, December: Good
Spot
Spot, January: Off-peak
Spot, February: Off-peak
Spot, March: Off-peak
Spot, April: Off-peak
Spot, May: Good
Spot, June: Peak
Spot, July: Peak
Spot, August: Peak
Spot, September: Good
Spot, October: Good
Spot, November: Off-peak
Spot, December: Off-peak
Croaker
Croaker, January: Off-peak
Croaker, February: Off-peak
Croaker, March: Off-peak
Croaker, April: Off-peak
Croaker, May: Off-peak
Croaker, June: Good
Croaker, July: Peak
Croaker, August: Peak
Croaker, September: Peak
Croaker, October: Good
Croaker, November: Off-peak
Croaker, December: Off-peak
Bluefish
Bluefish, January: Off-peak
Bluefish, February: Off-peak
Bluefish, March: Off-peak
Bluefish, April: Good
Bluefish, May: Good
Bluefish, June: Good
Bluefish, July: Good
Bluefish, August: Peak
Bluefish, September: Good
Bluefish, October: Good
Bluefish, November: Off-peak
Bluefish, December: Off-peak
Speckled trout
Speckled trout, January: Off-peak
Speckled trout, February: Off-peak
Speckled trout, March: Off-peak
Speckled trout, April: Off-peak
Speckled trout, May: Good
Speckled trout, June: Good
Speckled trout, July: Good
Speckled trout, August: Good
Speckled trout, September: Peak
Speckled trout, October: Peak
Speckled trout, November: Good
Speckled trout, December: Off-peak
Red drum
Red drum, January: Off-peak
Red drum, February: Off-peak
Red drum, March: Off-peak
Red drum, April: Off-peak
Red drum, May: Good
Red drum, June: Good
Red drum, July: Good
Red drum, August: Good
Red drum, September: Peak
Red drum, October: Peak
Red drum, November: Off-peak
Red drum, December: Off-peak
Black drum
Black drum, January: Off-peak
Black drum, February: Off-peak
Black drum, March: Off-peak
Black drum, April: Good
Black drum, May: Peak
Black drum, June: Good
Black drum, July: Off-peak
Black drum, August: Off-peak
Black drum, September: Off-peak
Black drum, October: Off-peak
Black drum, November: Off-peak
Black drum, December: Off-peak
Summer flounder
Summer flounder, January: Off-peak
Summer flounder, February: Off-peak
Summer flounder, March: Off-peak
Summer flounder, April: Good
Summer flounder, May: Good
Summer flounder, June: Good
Summer flounder, July: Peak
Summer flounder, August: Peak
Summer flounder, September: Peak
Summer flounder, October: Good
Summer flounder, November: Off-peak
Summer flounder, December: Off-peak
Black sea bassOcean
Black sea bass, January: Off-peak. Season opens May 1
Black sea bass, February: Off-peak. Season opens May 1
Black sea bass, March: Off-peak. Season opens May 1
Black sea bass, April: Off-peak. Season opens May 1
Black sea bass, May: Peak
Black sea bass, June: Peak
Black sea bass, July: Good
Black sea bass, August: Good
Black sea bass, September: Good
Black sea bass, October: Good
Black sea bass, November: Good
Black sea bass, December: Good
TautogOcean
Tautog, January: Good
Tautog, February: Good
Tautog, March: Good
Tautog, April: Good
Tautog, May: Good
Tautog, June: Off-peak. Catch and release only May 16–Jun 30
Tautog, July: Good
Tautog, August: Good
Tautog, September: Good
Tautog, October: Good
Tautog, November: Peak
Tautog, December: Peak
Freshwater
Yellow perch
Yellow perch, January: Good
Yellow perch, February: Peak
Yellow perch, March: Peak
Yellow perch, April: Good
Yellow perch, May: Good
Yellow perch, June: Off-peak
Yellow perch, July: Off-peak
Yellow perch, August: Off-peak
Yellow perch, September: Off-peak
Yellow perch, October: Good
Yellow perch, November: Good
Yellow perch, December: Good
Trout
Trout, January: Good
Trout, February: Good
Trout, March: Good
Trout, April: Peak
Trout, May: Peak
Trout, June: Good
Trout, July: Off-peak
Trout, August: Off-peak
Trout, September: Off-peak
Trout, October: Good
Trout, November: Good
Trout, December: Good
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass, January: Off-peak
Largemouth bass, February: Off-peak
Largemouth bass, March: Good
Largemouth bass, April: Peak
Largemouth bass, May: Peak
Largemouth bass, June: Good
Largemouth bass, July: Good
Largemouth bass, August: Good
Largemouth bass, September: Good
Largemouth bass, October: Peak
Largemouth bass, November: Good
Largemouth bass, December: Off-peak
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass, January: Off-peak
Smallmouth bass, February: Off-peak
Smallmouth bass, March: Good
Smallmouth bass, April: Good
Smallmouth bass, May: Peak
Smallmouth bass, June: Good
Smallmouth bass, July: Good
Smallmouth bass, August: Good
Smallmouth bass, September: Peak
Smallmouth bass, October: Peak
Smallmouth bass, November: Good
Smallmouth bass, December: Off-peak
Walleye
Walleye, January: Good
Walleye, February: Good
Walleye, March: Good
Walleye, April: Good
Walleye, May: Good
Walleye, June: Off-peak
Walleye, July: Off-peak
Walleye, August: Off-peak
Walleye, September: Good
Walleye, October: Peak
Walleye, November: Peak
Walleye, December: Good
Chain pickerel
Chain pickerel, January: Peak
Chain pickerel, February: Peak
Chain pickerel, March: Peak
Chain pickerel, April: Good
Chain pickerel, May: Good
Chain pickerel, June: Off-peak
Chain pickerel, July: Off-peak
Chain pickerel, August: Off-peak
Chain pickerel, September: Good
Chain pickerel, October: Good
Chain pickerel, November: Peak
Chain pickerel, December: Peak
Crappie
Crappie, January: Good
Crappie, February: Good
Crappie, March: Peak
Crappie, April: Peak
Crappie, May: Good
Crappie, June: Good
Crappie, July: Off-peak
Crappie, August: Off-peak
Crappie, September: Good
Crappie, October: Good
Crappie, November: Good
Crappie, December: Good
CatfishBlue and channel
Catfish, January: Good
Catfish, February: Good
Catfish, March: Good
Catfish, April: Peak
Catfish, May: Peak
Catfish, June: Good
Catfish, July: Good
Catfish, August: Good
Catfish, September: Good
Catfish, October: Peak
Catfish, November: Peak
Catfish, December: Good
Northern snakehead
Northern snakehead, January: Off-peak
Northern snakehead, February: Off-peak
Northern snakehead, March: Off-peak
Northern snakehead, April: Peak
Northern snakehead, May: Peak
Northern snakehead, June: Good
Northern snakehead, July: Good
Northern snakehead, August: Good
Northern snakehead, September: Good
Northern snakehead, October: Good
Northern snakehead, November: Off-peak
Northern snakehead, December: Off-peak

Closed seasons and notes

  • Striped bass: In the Bay: catch and release only Jan–Apr and from Dec 6, no fishing in August; the ocean coast stays open all year.
  • Black sea bass: Season opens May 1.
  • Tautog: Catch and release only May 16–Jun 30.
  • Trout: Put-and-take areas close for a few weeks in March for stocking; cold tailwaters such as the Gunpowder and Savage fish all year.
  • Largemouth bass: Nontidal waters are catch and release only Mar 1–Jun 15; tidal waters have a 15 in. minimum then.
  • Smallmouth bass: Nontidal waters are catch and release only Mar 1–Jun 15.
  • Walleye: Deep Creek Lake and the Youghiogheny below Route 42 are closed Mar 1–Apr 15.
  • Chain pickerel: Tidal waters are closed to keeping pickerel Mar 15–Apr 30.
  • Northern snakehead: It's illegal to possess a live snakehead.

Ratings show how good the fishing usually is, not whether you can keep fish. Fish follow the water temperature, not the calendar, so timing shifts from year to year. Check the official regulations before keeping anything.

Sources (16) · checked October 6, 2026Show