Sheepshead rules in Maryland
Size, bag and season for recreational sheepshead in Maryland waters, as published by Maryland DNR Fishing and Boating Services.
- Size
- 12" minimum
- Bag
- 4 fish per angler per day
- Season
- Open year-round
Also on the agency page: Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic/Coastal Bays tables list identical rules (Bay table: https://www.eregulations.com/maryland/fishing/chesapeake-bay-seasons-sizes-limits).
Stale: this row was last checked Oct 12, 2026, past our 30-day limit. Treat it as history and go to the agency page.
Rules change in season, sometimes by emergency notice. This page summarizes the agency page on the date shown. If this summary and the agency page disagree, the agency page controls.
What to know before you keep one
Sheepshead are managed state by state, so the numbers change at every line: no minimum in Virginia, 10 inches fork length in Georgia, 12 inches in Maryland and Florida, 14 inches total length in the Carolinas. Check whether your state measures fork length or total length.
State water or federal water
Maryland rules apply in state waters, generally out to 3 nautical miles. Sheepshead have no ASMFC or federal council plan and no federal-water regulations. Florida states that its sheepshead rules also apply in federal waters off Florida. FWC · sheepshead ↗
Across the state line
Rules for the same fish change at the state line. If you run across it or land in the next state, those rules apply.
| State | Size | Bag | Status as of Oct 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 12" minimum | 4 fish per angler per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Virginia | No minimum size | 4 fish per person | Openas of Oct 13 |
| North Carolina | 14" minimum total length | 5 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |