Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries

09/22/2026

A total of 3,000 advanced fingerling brown trout were recently stocked in Antietam Creek in Washington County. Raised at the Cushwa Fish Hatchery, these trout measure 6-7 inches and were released at multiple locations from the Pennsylvania border downstream to Hagerstown.

Sections of Antietam Creek are managed as a Put-and-Grow trout fishery. Stocked fingerling trout quickly grow to a catchable size in one to two years due to abundant forage and coldwater conditions in the creek.

09/21/2026

More than 60 fish species are eligible for FishMaryland Species Awards.

Reel in a false albacore measuring at least 24 inches to qualify for an official award. False albacore are frequent summer visitors to the Ocean City area. They are more closely related to mackerel than tuna, and are sometimes called “little tunny.”

Submit your catch and view full program details at mddnr.info/fishmaryland.

Photo credit: Ryan Case

09/20/2026

Cobia Season Reminder: Cobia fishing is closed in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, as well as the Atlantic Ocean, Coastal Bays, and their tributaries, starting September 21. Catch-and-release is permitted.

View all fishing seasons, sizes, and limits: https://www.eregulations.com/maryland/fishing

Photo: Cobia caught by Brett Weatherby

09/19/2026

Fishing Report Highlight: It is still a great time for recreational crabbers to catch a mess of large heavy crabs this week. Many of the commercial crabbers have stopped crabbing due to a poor market so there is more room out there for recreational crabbers. This will be a crab season that will be remembered and let us hope that it leads us into another outstanding season next year.

Teagen Schuster recently caught this huge crab. You know it is a really large crab when the crab can’t hold its claws up. A real whopper!

Read the full report: https://mddnr.info/4755npu

Photo by Erin Schuster

09/18/2026

Never miss a day of fishing! Auto-renewal is now available for your fishing licenses.

Sign in to MD Outdoors to turn on auto-renewal: https://mdoutdoors.maryland.gov/

09/17/2026

The cooler nighttime temperatures will begin to lower water temperatures in the Chesapeake Bay and freshwater areas and stimulate fish to be more active.
Read the full Maryland Fishing Report
https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2026/09/16/maryland-fishing-report-september-16-2/

09/16/2026

More winners of the Reel in the Blues Bonanza have been out on the water enjoying free Chesapeake Bay blue catfish charter trips this month.
Here’s Gerren Walters on a trip with Bay Raider Outfitters.

09/15/2026

Photos from the field: During a beach seine survey today in Sinepuxent Bay, the Coastal Bays Program sampled a 28-inch striped bass and a summer flounder. Their data was recorded, and the fish were released back into the water.

09/15/2026

09/14/2026

Do you remember the first fish you caught? 🎣

Sahmir Brooks caught his first fish on September 1 at Centennial Lake. He hooked this green sunfish while fishing with Elijah Walker.

Photo by Eli Aker