Maryland's Recreational Crabbing Season Open April 1-Dec. 15

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The temperatures will soon be warm enough for early mornings on the water, so it's time to stock up on Old Bay and check your gear. The recreational crabbing season in Maryland officially opened April 1 for the Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries, as well as in the Atlantic Ocean, coastal bays and their tributaries.

Recreational crabbing in Maryland is allowed with or without a license depending on the equipment and location, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Licenses are required for anyone who uses a trotline, collapsible crab traps, net rings, seines or eel pots.
A license is not required for anyone using handlines or dip nets.

In addition, waterfront property owners, lessees or tenants of private shoreline property can register to crab license-free using up to two crab pots.

A recreational crabbing license is not required in the Atlantic Ocean, coastal bays and their tributaries. Additionally, any passenger of a boat with a valid crabbing license doesn’t need an individual license to crab.

The season runs from April 1 to Dec. 15.

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Time of Day Restrictions

Recreational crabbing is allowed in rivers, creeks and tributaries:

• April and October through Dec. 15—one half hour after sunrise to sunset.
• May through September—one half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Chesapeake Bay Mainstem:

• April and October through Dec. 15—one half hour after sunrise to 5 p.m.
• May through September—one half hour before sunrise to 5 p.m.

Using properly registered crab pots on private property, dip nets or handlines is permitted 24 hours a day.

Day Of Week Restrictions

No recreational crabbing is allowed on Wednesdays except:

• When using crab pots from private property;
• When using handlines or dip nets;
• During a week when a state or federal holiday falls on a Wednesday or Thursday.

To protect other aquatic species, all crab pots used by waterfront property owners in Maryland must be fitted with a bycatch reduction or turtle excluder device in every entry funnel. Pots must also be marked with the owner’s name and address or DNR identification number.

All recreational crabbers are prohibited from selling crabs or possessing an egg-bearing (sponge) crab or any female hard or peeler crab.

More information on crabbing licenses, restrictions, possession limits and size limits is available in the 2019 Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing.