Maryland · Fishing license · Free days
Free fishing days in Maryland
June 6, June 13, and July 4, 2026
On these days you can fish Maryland waters without a license. Nothing else changes: limits, sizes, seasons and closed waters all still apply.
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June 6, June 13, and July 4, 2026
Maryland law exempts "a person who fishes in nontidal waters of the State on free fishing days designated by the Secretary". In practice the Secretary's designation reaches further than the statute's own nontidal wording: DNR's own announcement states anglers may fish without a licence in tidal and nontidal Maryland waters alike on these days. Every other rule, size and catch limits included, stays in force.
Confirmed on the agency's own page.
What a free day does not cover
- Bag limits, size limits and closed seasons are unchanged.
- Waters that are closed stay closed.
- A free day waives the license, not the rules the license comes with.
