Fall Rockfish on the Bay: The 2026 Rules, Plainly

Fall is when a lot of people around here get serious about rockfish again. Maryland changed the Chesapeake Bay striped bass rules this year, so it’s worth a quick look before you head out.

The 2026 Bay season

• January 1 to April 30: catch and release only
• May 1 to July 31: open to harvest
• August: closed to targeting striped bass
• September 1 to December 5: open to harvest
• December 6 to 31: catch and release only

Spawning rivers are also closed to targeting from March 1 through May 31. DNR keeps maps of those areas on its striped bass page.

What you can keep

One fish per person per day, between 19 and 24 inches. Anything shorter or longer goes back. The ocean side runs on different rules: one fish, 28 to 31 inches.

Letting them go the right way

• Use non-offset circle hooks when you’re chumming or live-lining. It’s required, and it keeps hooks out of the gut.
• Keep the fish in the water as much as you can, and wet your hands before you touch it.
• Go easy on hot days. Warm water is hard on released fish, which is a big part of why August is closed now.
• Keep pliers or a dehooker within reach so the fish isn’t out of the water while you look for them.

For the boat

Quick add

Bone Rope Hat

Ivory · Embroidered flag

$34

Quick add

Flag Patch Trucker

Charcoal/Black · Embroidered patch

$38

Quick add

Bay Watch Cap

Petrol Blue · Wide-rib knit

$30

Some anglers swear the bite follows the moon as much as the tide. If you’re one of them, here’s how solunar tables work, and the Solunar Almanac Tee we drew from an old almanac page.

Before you go

Rules change, and this is a summary, not the regulation. Check the Maryland DNR striped bass page before every trip, and make sure your license or registration is current.