Ice Fishing Laws in Maryland: Licenses, Limits, and Where You Can Fish
October 14, 2026
Ice fishing laws in Maryland are short and specific, and a few of them catch anglers off guard. You can run five tip-ups at once, but you can’t cut a hole wider than 10 inches. Some well-known reservoirs also stay off-limits to ice anglers even when they freeze solid.
Maryland doesn’t have a separate ice fishing rulebook. Instead, ice fishing falls under the state’s nontidal freshwater regulations, with a short section of extra rules in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). This article walks you through each rule so you know what applies before you step onto the ice.
Important Note: Maryland regulations change, and several of the sources used here are dated. Check the current Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) before your trip, and treat ice thickness and local closures as your final authority on the day.
Do You Need a Fishing License to Ice Fish in Maryland
Yes. Maryland’s regulations say you may fish through the ice in nontidal waters during the lawful open season only if you first obtain an angler’s license. A frozen surface doesn’t change your obligation, so you need the same nontidal license you’d carry in July.
A summary of Maryland’s rules from Rental Awareness notes that only people actively fishing or possessing fish need a license. If you’re just standing nearby watching a friend, you’re fine. If you pick up a rod, you’re not.
The same summary says owners, tenants, and their families may fish from their own riparian shoreline without a license, but only if they own the property. That exemption is narrow, so don’t assume it covers a neighbor’s pond or a lake you only rent a cabin beside.
If you’re exploring other states’ rules too, our guides on Wisconsin spearfishing laws and New York bowfishing laws show how licensing differs across the country.
Ice Fishing Seasons and Open Waters in Maryland
Maryland doesn’t set one “ice fishing season.” Under COMAR, you can fish through the ice during the lawful open season for the species you’re targeting. Fish and Hunt Maryland reports that January and February typically offer the best ice fishing, with Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County the state’s most popular location.
Species seasons matter more than the calendar. According to the Maryland regulations, largemouth and smallmouth bass are open June 16 through the last day of February, so bass are off-limits in March. Yellow perch, crappie, sunfish, and pickerel have no closed season, and walleye has no closed season except March 1 through April 15 on Deep Creek Lake and part of the Youghiogheny River.
Some waters are closed regardless of ice. In a January 2025 report, the Maryland DNR said Loch Raven, Liberty, Prettyboy, and Piney Run reservoirs were closed to fishing until March 15. The same report said Triadelphia and Howard Duckett reservoirs open to fishing when the ice recedes, but ice fishing is prohibited there.
| Water Body | Ice Fishing Status (Per DNR, January 2025) |
|---|---|
| Deep Creek Lake | Most popular ice fishing destination in the state |
| Piney Reservoir (Garrett County) | Popular western Maryland option |
| Loch Raven, Liberty, Prettyboy, Piney Run | Closed to fishing until March 15 |
| Triadelphia and Howard Duckett | Ice fishing prohibited |
Closure dates can shift from year to year, so confirm them in the current DNR guide before you drive out.
Line, Tip-Up and Hook Limits for Ice Fishing in Maryland
Maryland gives ice anglers more gear than open-water anglers get. The Maryland freshwater regulations allow up to 3 active lines with no more than 2 hook units per line in general nontidal fishing, but when you ice fish, 5 tip-ups or rods may be used.
COMAR adds a control requirement. All tip-ups and rods must be under your immediate control while you’re ice fishing, which means no leaving a spread of tip-ups and wandering off to another part of the lake.
Pro Tip: The five-device limit counts per person, not per group. If you fish with a partner, each of you can run your own set, but each person has to stay near their own gear.
The regulations the sources quote don’t give a separate hook cap for ice fishing, so the general rule of 2 hook units per line is the safest number to follow.
Ice Fishing Hole Size Rules in Maryland
The hole rule is the clearest in the book. COMAR 08.02.11.04 says you may not cut a hole through the ice for ice fishing that measures more than 10 inches across in any direction.
“In any direction” means a long oval or slot also counts. A hole that’s 9 inches wide but 14 inches long breaks the rule. Most standard augers cut 6 to 8 inches, so you’ll rarely run into trouble unless you’re using a chainsaw or widening a hole to land a big fish.
Keep your holes tidy for safety, too. Large openings are a hazard for other anglers and for pets, and ice conditions can change fast. Mark any hole you leave behind so someone walking over snow doesn’t step into it.
Ice Shelter and Shanty Rules in Maryland
The sources I reviewed didn’t turn up a Maryland rule that licenses, registers, or sets removal dates for ice shanties on public waters. That’s a real difference from states like Minnesota, where the Minnesota DNR requires licensing for nonportable shelters.
That doesn’t mean you can set up anywhere. COMAR defines camping as erecting tents or other shelters to reside temporarily on a property overnight, and that regulation applies to land managed by the state. If you plan to stay out overnight, ask the managing agency first.
Maryland’s ice season is also short and unreliable, so most anglers here use small portable pop-up shelters or a windbreak rather than permanent shanties. If you use a heater inside a closed shelter, ventilate it. Wikipedia’s ice fishing overview lists carbon monoxide poisoning among the known risks of the sport.
Important Note: Deep Creek Lake and other waters have their own managers, and local rules can add to the statewide regulations. Call the property manager or DNR before leaving a shelter on the ice.
Bag, Size and Species Limits for Ice Fishing in Maryland
Ice fishing doesn’t get its own creel limits. The same daily limits, size minimums, and seasons that apply to open-water fishing apply to fish you pull through the ice. Legal Awareness lists trout at 2 fish per day, with other species having their own limits.
Size rules matter for the fish you’re most likely to catch. Under the COMAR size table, there’s no minimum size for crappie, sunfish, white perch, or yellow perch in nontidal lakes and ponds. Yellow perch from nontidal streams and rivers must be at least 9 inches, and walleye on Deep Creek Lake need a 15-inch minimum, with fish between 18 and 21 inches released.
| Species | Ice Season Note | Size Note (Nontidal) |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | No closed season | No minimum in lakes and ponds; 9 inches in streams and rivers |
| Crappie | No closed season | No minimum |
| Bluegill and sunfish | No closed season | No minimum |
| Walleye | Closed March 1 to April 15 on Deep Creek Lake | 15-inch minimum on Deep Creek Lake |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | Open June 16 through end of February | Varies by water; check DNR guide |
Fish caught during a closed season must go back in the water immediately, per COMAR. Daily creel numbers for walleye, pike, pickerel, and bass change by water body, so check the current DNR guide rather than relying on a summary.
Bag limit rules vary a lot between states. Our Missouri spearfishing guide is a useful comparison if you fish across state lines.
Vehicle, ATV and Snowmobile Rules on the Ice in Maryland
The sources I found don’t include a Maryland rule that specifically allows or bans vehicles, ATVs, or snowmobiles on frozen lakes. The closest rule is a general one: the Maryland freshwater regulations make it illegal to operate any vehicle on lands owned or controlled by the DNR without written permission, with limited exceptions.
In practice, that means you shouldn’t drive onto the ice from DNR-controlled shoreline or parking areas without permission. Maryland’s thin and variable ice is a bigger limit than the law. Fish and Hunt Maryland advises staying off ice less than 4 inches thick, and a vehicle needs far more than a person on foot.
Wikipedia notes that many cars, trucks, snowmobiles, and fish houses fall through the ice each year, and that environmental rules require quick recovery of the vehicle. That means a mistake can bring salvage costs and possible penalties on top of the danger. Walk out, and leave the truck on shore.
Pro Tip: Wear a life vest on the ice and carry ice picks, nails, or wooden-handled screwdrivers that float, plus rope. If you break through, the same guide says to turn back toward the solid ice you came from.
To report someone who has fallen through the ice, call 911 or the Natural Resources Police dispatch at 410-260-8888.
Live Bait Rules for Ice Fishing in Maryland
Live bait is legal for ice fishing in nontidal waters, with a few limits. The Maryland regulations make it illegal to take bait fish from Put-and-Take Fishing Areas or Special Trout Fisheries Management Areas, so you’ll need to buy minnows or collect them elsewhere.
COMAR also protects the state’s fish from invasive species. You may not introduce into nontidal waters, or import or possess for introduction, any live fish not native to those waters. Don’t dump leftover minnows down a hole at the end of the day.
Seines used to collect bait have rules of their own. According to the state regulations, they must have mesh no greater than one-quarter inch and must only be used to catch minnows and bait fish. They also can’t be used within 50 feet of a dam or the mouth of a river or tributary. Bait traps must be checked daily, and each person may use only one.
Because northern snakeheads are invasive, Maryland doesn’t apply seasons or limits to them. If you hook one, COMAR requires it to be killed, and the rules list steps such as removing the head, gutting the body, or filleting it. Never release a snakehead alive.
Planning other Maryland outdoor activities? Our guides to Maryland dog bite laws and pet vaccination laws cover the rules for bringing a dog along.