Spanish mackerel rules in Maryland
Size, bag and season for recreational spanish mackerel in Maryland waters, as published by Maryland DNR Fishing and Boating Services.
- Size
- 14" minimum
- Bag
- 15 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). Bay table adds: must be landed with head and fins intact. Federal permits apply to for-hire vessels (NMFS SERO).
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
From North Carolina south, the state rule matches federal waters: 15 fish at 12 inches fork length. North of that, Virginia through New York use a 14-inch minimum, and New Jersey cuts the bag to 10. Fork length and total length are different measurements on the same fish.
State water or federal water
Maryland rules apply in state waters, generally out to 3 nautical miles. Spanish mackerel are managed in federal waters by NOAA Fisheries and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council under the Coastal Migratory Pelagics plan, with ASMFC coordinating state-water rules. The Council lists the federal recreational limit as 15 fish per person per day at 12 inches fork length. SAFMC · Spanish mackerel ↗
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 14" minimum total length | 10 fish per person | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Delaware | 14" minimum | 15 fish per angler per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Maryland | 14" minimum | 15 fish per angler per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Virginia | 14" minimum total length | 15 fish per person | Openas of Oct 13 |
| North Carolina | 12" minimum fork length | 15 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |