Maryland Free Fishing Days: Dates, Rules, and Free Access Spots

Maryland’s free fishing days in 2026 are Saturday, June 6; Saturday, June 13; and Saturday, July 4. On those three dates, you can fish any freshwater or saltwater in the state without a license, a trout stamp, or the saltwater angler registration.1Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Free Fishing2Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Maryland’s License-Free Fishing Days Provide Access to Angling for All Every other rule, though, still applies: creel limits, size minimums, seasonal closures, and gear restrictions are all enforceable, and the fines can run into the thousands.

The 2026 Dates

  • Saturday, June 6
  • Saturday, June 13
  • Saturday, July 4 (Independence Day)

Each waiver runs the full calendar day.1Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Free Fishing The Department of Natural Resources has held to this same pattern year after year: the first two Saturdays in June, plus the Fourth of July.

What the Waiver Covers

On these three days, both of Maryland’s recreational fishing licenses are suspended. That means the nontidal angler’s license for freshwater streams, rivers, and lakes,3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Natural Resources 4-604 and the Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License for the Bay, its tidal tributaries, and the Atlantic coastal bays.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Natural Resources 4-745 – Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License The trout stamp and the free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration are also waived.2Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Maryland’s License-Free Fishing Days Provide Access to Angling for All You can walk up to any legal fishing spot in the state and cast without paperwork.

One boundary worth knowing: the waiver applies to finfish only. Recreational crabbing still requires the appropriate crabbing license on June 6, June 13, and July 4.

Rules That Still Apply

The license is the only thing that goes away. Natural Resources Police enforce every other regulation as normal.

Creel and Size Limits

Each species carries its own daily catch limit and minimum or slot size under COMAR Title 08. Scup on tidal waters is capped at 50 per day, for example.5Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 08.02.05.22 – Scup Freshwater trout follow a different framework: the statewide default is two per day with a possession limit of four, put-and-take areas allow five per day, and catch-and-return areas allow zero.6Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 08.02.11.01 – Trout Fishing and Management Areas None of these numbers change on a free fishing day.

Striped Bass

Rockfish rules are strict and the penalties are the harshest in Maryland fishing law, so check them before you go. For the 2025 season, the Bay recreational limit was one fish per day within a 19-to-24-inch slot, and targeting was prohibited entirely from April 1 through May 15 and from July 16 through July 31.7Maryland Department of Natural Resources. What Marylanders Should Know About Striped Bass in 2025 The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission votes on updated measures each fall, so confirm the 2026 rules on the DNR website. If July 4 falls inside a targeting closure, the license waiver doesn’t help; you still can’t fish for rockfish that day.

Gear Restrictions

Catch-and-return trout areas prohibit barbed hooks and natural bait. Fly-fishing-only areas restrict you to artificial flies with conventional fly tackle, meaning no spinning reels, no plugs, no scented lures.6Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 08.02.11.01 – Trout Fishing and Management Areas These rules are area-specific, and signs are posted, but knowing them before you arrive is safer than reading them at the water.

Penalties for Breaking the Rules

Maryland’s fine schedule, published by the state courts, sets prepayable fines and maximum penalties. The ones most relevant on a free fishing day:

  • Violating creel limits, size limits, or seasonal closures: $125 prepayable, with a maximum of $1,000 for a first offense and $2,000 or up to one year of imprisonment for a second.8Maryland Courts. DNR Fine Schedule
  • Striped bass violations: the standard penalty plus $1,500 per fish for a first offense. A second offense within two years adds $2,500 per fish plus license revocation for one to two years.8Maryland Courts. DNR Fine Schedule

Officers can also seize your catch, and courts can suspend or revoke a fishing license for repeat Title 4 offenses. The free fishing day removes the licensing requirement and nothing else.

You May Already Fish Free Year-Round

Free fishing days matter most to adults who don’t already qualify for an exemption. Several groups can fish without a license every day of the year:

Permanent License-Free Fishing Spots

If you miss the three free days, Maryland maintains roughly two dozen locations where no license is ever required.11Maryland Department of Natural Resources. License Free Fishing Areas These are mostly public piers and waterfront parks: the Canton Recreational Pier in Baltimore, Tydings Memorial Park pier in Havre de Grace, the Northside Park pier at 125th Street in Ocean City, Long Wharf in Cambridge, North East Community Park in Cecil County, and Gambrill State Park pond in Frederick County, among others. Stay within the posted boundaries; waters just outside a designated area still require a standard license.

One difference from the statewide free days: at year-round license-free areas in tidal waters, you must still complete the free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration online.9Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Maryland Sport Fishing and Crabbing Licenses Nontidal spots like Gambrill require nothing at all.