March 17, 2026 — New striped bass fishing regulations are now in effect in Maryland, changing how commercial license holders manage quota and transfer permits in the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean fisheries.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced updates designed to provide commercial fishermen with more flexibility while maintaining the overall harvest limits unchanged.
One major change increases the allocation cap in the Chesapeake Bay commercial striped bass fishery from 1.5% to 2%. The cap limits the amount of the total annual quota that any one license holder can temporarily control.