Bowfishing is legal in Maryland, and the state’s mix of tidal rivers, Chesapeake Bay tributaries, freshwater lakes, and coastal marshes gives archers plenty of water to work with. Before you string up a reel and head out, though, you need to understand exactly which species are fair game, what license goes in your pocket, and which waters are off-limits.
Maryland draws a firm line between game fish and non-game fish, and that line defines almost everything about how bowfishing works in the state. Get the species list wrong and you could be facing a citation — or worse, a license suspension that follows you across state lines under the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
This guide walks through every layer of Maryland’s bowfishing regulations, from species rules and equipment standards to night fishing and saltwater restrictions, so you can shoot confidently and legally.
Pro Tip: Always verify the current rules directly with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources before heading out, as regulations can change between seasons.
Is Bowfishing Legal in Maryland?
Yes, bowfishing is legal in Maryland. Maryland allows you to bowfish for non-game and invasive fish species, but you cannot bowfish for game fish. That single rule is the foundation of the entire sport in the state — your target list is built around species that fall outside the game fish category.
It is a busy season for bowfishing and similar activities. Before you head out with bows, gigs, spears, or spear guns, make sure you know the rules. Maryland’s regulations are enforced under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) and the Natural Resources Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, and the published summaries are abridged and do not include all regulated species, so you should consult COMAR and the Natural Resources Article for the full legal text.
Neighboring states handle bowfishing differently, so if you shoot water on both sides of a state line, it pays to read up on the rules for each jurisdiction. You can compare Maryland’s approach with bowfishing laws in Virginia, bowfishing laws in Pennsylvania, and bowfishing laws in North Carolina to see how they differ.
What Fish Can You Bowfish for in Maryland?
Maryland allows bowfishing for non-game and invasive fish species. In practice, that means the most popular targets are common carp, suckers, gar, catfish (including blue catfish and flathead catfish), and northern snakehead. The invasive species on this list are actively encouraged as targets by the state.
There are three invasive fish species which naturally reproduce or migrate into Maryland waters and are eligible for the state’s Invasive Species Award: blue catfish, northern snakehead, and flathead catfish. The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is another non-native species that has spread widely through Maryland’s rivers and lakes and is one of the most targeted bowfishing species in the state. Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) rounds out the list of species commonly pursued by Maryland bowfishers in tidal and non-tidal waters alike.
What you cannot shoot is equally important. Game fish — including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, walleye, northern pike, pickerel, and trout — are off-limits for bowfishing. It is illegal to use largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass (or hybrids), muskellunge, tiger muskellunge, walleye, northern pike, pickerel, brown trout, or brook trout as bait, and the same protected status that prevents them from being used as bait effectively removes them from the bowfishing target list entirely.
Important Note: Northern snakehead must be killed immediately after harvest. It is against Maryland, Virginia, and federal laws to possess, import, or transport live northern snakehead. If you catch one, you are required to kill it by removing its head, gutting it, or removing its gill arches to prevent accidental introduction to other water bodies.
| Species | Bowfishing Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common Carp | Legal | No size or creel limit |
| Northern Snakehead | Legal | Must be killed immediately; no possession of live fish |
| Blue Catfish | Legal | Invasive species; encouraged harvest |
| Flathead Catfish | Legal | Invasive species; encouraged harvest |
| Longnose Gar | Legal | Non-game species |
| Suckers | Legal | Non-game species |
| Largemouth Bass | Prohibited | Game fish — protected |
| Striped Bass | Prohibited | Game fish — protected |
| Walleye / Pike / Pickerel | Prohibited | Game fish — protected |
| Trout (all species) | Prohibited | Game fish — protected |
Bowfishing License Requirements in Maryland
Maryland does not issue a separate bowfishing license. Instead, you need the same recreational fishing license that covers the type of water you plan to shoot — tidal or non-tidal. The license requirement applies regardless of whether you are using a rod and reel or a bow.
In Maryland, everyone 16 or older must have a license to sportfish or crab unless they qualify for an exemption. For tidal waters — which include the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries — anglers aged 16 and older must possess a Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License. Additionally, individuals aged 15 and older must have a freshwater fishing license to bowfish in non-tidal waters.
As of the information available from the Take Me Fishing resource (sourced from Maryland DNR data), license fees are as follows:
- Annual Non-Tidal/Freshwater License: Residents pay $20.50 and non-residents pay $30.50 or the reciprocal fee for their state of residence, whichever is greater.
- Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fish License: Both residents and non-residents can get a license to fish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and state waters of the Atlantic and coastal bays. For residents, the cost is $15 a year, and for non-residents, it is $22.50.
- Senior Consolidated License: Maryland residents who are 65 or older can get a license to fish in the state’s freshwaters and tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries for just $5.00.
Complimentary fishing and oystering licenses are available to Maryland residents who are 100 percent service-connected disabled veterans, former prisoners of war, and veterans determined to be unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Individuals under the age of 16 are not required to obtain a license to go fishing recreationally.
The easiest way to buy your Maryland fishing license is online through the Department of Natural Resources website’s COMPASS portal. You can also purchase a fishing license in person at a local license agent — there are over 250 license agents in the state.
If you fish saltwater and are not individually licensed, you may also need to register. Saltwater anglers who are not required to hold a Maryland Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing license and want to fish the Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac River must obtain a free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration.
In Maryland, anyone may fish without a recreational fishing license on June 6, June 13, and July 4, 2026. All other fishing regulations still apply on those days.
Key Insight: Individuals who are suspended for violating fishing rules in Maryland may also be suspended in other states under the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. A violation in Maryland can affect your fishing privileges across the country.
Legal Bowfishing Equipment in Maryland
Maryland does not publish a separate bowfishing equipment regulation page with highly specific gear rules the way some states do. The state’s framework requires that bowfishing equipment function as a legal fishing method — meaning the bow must be hand-drawn and the arrow must be attached to the bow by a line, which is standard across most U.S. jurisdictions.
Compound bows, recurve bows, and longbows are all acceptable platforms for bowfishing. The arrow must be fitted with a barbed or harpoon-style point to ensure the fish stays on the arrow after impact, and it must be tethered to the bow or a reel by a line so the fish can be retrieved. Crossbows are not standard bowfishing equipment under Maryland’s recreational fishing framework, and you should confirm their status directly with Maryland DNR before using one.
Bowfishing reels — whether hand-wrap, spin-cast, or retriever-style — are standard accessories that attach to the bow and hold the line connected to the arrow. Bright underwater lights and boat-mounted floodlights are commonly used for night bowfishing to illuminate fish near the surface, and their use is not prohibited under Maryland’s general fishing regulations for the non-game species that bowfishers typically target.
- Hand-drawn compound, recurve, or longbow
- Barbed or harpoon-style bowfishing arrow
- Arrow tethered to bow or reel with a retrieval line
- Bowfishing reel (hand-wrap, spin-cast, or retriever)
- Underwater or boat-mounted lights for night fishing (where night bowfishing is permitted)
One firm rule to note: it is illegal for a person to catch snapping turtles from nontidal waters of the state by bow and arrow, net, seine, trap, fish pot, or other fishing rig, spear, gig or iron or any device capable of piercing any part of the turtle. Keep your shots on legal fish species only and never target turtles.
For a broader look at how Maryland regulates archery equipment in other contexts, see this overview of duck hunting laws in Maryland.
Where You Can and Cannot Bowfish in Maryland
Maryland offers a wide range of accessible bowfishing water, from the shallow tidal flats of the Chesapeake Bay system to the rivers and reservoirs of western Maryland. The Potomac River, Susquehanna River, Patuxent River, and countless tidal tributaries are all popular spots for carp, catfish, and snakehead.
Public land access is generally available at Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and state parks with water access, but you must confirm that bowfishing is not restricted at a specific location before you shoot. Montgomery Parks, for example, encourages the harvesting of northern snakehead to aid in population control, but bowfishing is prohibited per Montgomery Park Rules and Regulations (Chapter IV, Section 15). This is a clear example of how local park rules can override general state permissions.
A few other location-specific restrictions worth knowing:
- It is illegal to operate a boat within the area 400 yards below or 400 yards above the Conowingo Dam. This restriction applies to all boaters, including bowfishers working from a vessel.
- Towns such as Ocean City may have special fishing ordinances. Be sure to check local jurisdictions’ websites for restrictions.
- Private land along waterways requires landowner permission before you access the shoreline or wade. Always confirm riparian ownership before fishing from a bank.
- Put-and-Take Trout Fishing Areas and Special Trout Fisheries Management Areas have additional restrictions and are not appropriate bowfishing locations given the game fish protections in place.
The following boundaries are designated as dividing lines for tidal and nontidal waters. These boundary lines identify whether a nontidal fishing license or Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing license is required. If you are fishing upstream of the listed location, non-tidal regulations apply. If you are fishing downstream, tidal regulations apply. Knowing which side of the dividing line you are on determines which license you need.
If you bowfish in other states along the Mid-Atlantic or Southeast, it is worth reviewing the rules for those jurisdictions as well. See our guides on bowfishing laws in Ohio, bowfishing laws in Tennessee, and bowfishing laws in Missouri for comparison.
Night Bowfishing Rules in Maryland
Night bowfishing is a popular technique because many target species — especially carp and snakehead — move into shallow water after dark and are easier to spot with boat-mounted lights. Maryland does not have a blanket prohibition on night bowfishing for non-game species in tidal waters, but there are time restrictions that apply in certain freshwater areas that you need to know before you go out after dark.
In some freshwater areas, night fishing is restricted. It is illegal to fish between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise in certain state-controlled lakes. It is also illegal to fish any streams or nontidal waters that contain trout between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., though this does not apply to nontidal impoundments of five acres or more. Since bowfishers typically avoid trout waters anyway, the trout-stream restriction has limited practical impact on the sport — but it still applies if you are on a qualifying waterway.
For tidal waters, including the Chesapeake Bay tributaries and tidal rivers where most Maryland bowfishing takes place, night fishing restrictions are less sweeping. You should still confirm any local park or county ordinance that may restrict nighttime activity on a specific body of water before launching after dark.
Pro Tip: When night bowfishing from a boat, ensure your vessel displays the required navigation lights under U.S. Coast Guard rules. A boat operating at night without proper lighting is a separate legal issue from your fishing license status.
Saltwater Bowfishing Rules in Maryland
Maryland’s saltwater and tidal waters — including the Chesapeake Bay, its tidal tributaries, the Atlantic coastal bays, and the state waters of the Atlantic Ocean — fall under a separate licensing framework from freshwater, but the same game fish protections apply. You cannot bowfish for striped bass, bluefish, or other protected saltwater game species regardless of where you are fishing.
For tidal water bowfishing, anglers aged 16 and older must possess a Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License. This license allows an individual to fish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and the state waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic coastal bays and tributaries for 365 days from the date of purchase.
The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most productive bowfishing environments on the East Coast for species like blue catfish and northern snakehead, both of which have established large invasive populations in the Bay’s tidal rivers. The Potomac River — a major Chesapeake tributary — is particularly well-known among Maryland bowfishers for blue catfish populations.
A few saltwater-specific rules that affect bowfishers operating from boats:
- It is illegal to have in one’s possession aboard any boat on the tidal waters of Maryland more than 15 pounds of any fish for which a size or weight limit is prescribed by law or regulation in a condition that the size or weight of the fish cannot be determined. For non-game species without size limits, this restriction does not apply, but keep it in mind if you are targeting any species with a size requirement.
- It is illegal to buy, sell, or offer to buy any fish or crab harvested under a recreational license. Everything you shoot under your recreational license must be for personal use only.
- Towns such as Ocean City may have special fishing ordinances. Be sure to check local jurisdictions’ websites for restrictions before bowfishing in coastal areas.
The Maryland saltwater fishing regulations page on eRegulations is a reliable reference for species-specific size and bag limits that apply in tidal waters. Always cross-reference it with the official Maryland DNR Fishing Regulations page for the most current rules before each trip.
Maryland’s animal and wildlife laws extend well beyond fishing. If you are interested in other regulations in the state, you can explore topics like backyard chicken laws in Maryland, beekeeping laws in Maryland, and leash laws in Maryland for a broader picture of how the state manages its animal-related regulations.
Bowfishing in Maryland rewards preparation. Know your species, carry the right license for your water type, respect the location rules at the specific park or waterway you plan to shoot, and you will have a legal and productive time on the water. When in doubt, contact Maryland DNR’s Fishing and Boating Services directly at 410-260-8300 or 800-688-3467 for clarification on any regulation before you head out.