American Shad (Youghiogheny River Lake) regulations in Maryland

· Freshwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? American Shad (Youghiogheny River Lake) has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 3.

American Shad (Youghiogheny River Lake) size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
Youghiogheny River Lake (reservoir)	Open year-round	No size limit	3 per day

Notes

This is the only Maryland water where American shad harvest is printed as open - everywhere else shad are CLOSED.
Youghiogheny River Lake is the reservoir shared with Pennsylvania and has its own table that overrides the statewide nontidal limits.

Exact Maryland DNR Fishing & Boating Services wording

Season: Open Year Round
Size: None
Limit: Daily—3
Youghiogheny River Lake (reservoir) — as printed: “AMERICAN SHAD | None | Open Year Round | Daily—3”

Source: Maryland DNR Fishing & Boating Services, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).

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About the american shad

Marine sanctuary in the Potomac River

The Mallows Bay–Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary is a National Marine Sanctuary in the United States located in the Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland. It is best known for the "Ghost Fleet", 118 historic shipwrecks in Mallows Bay in the sanctuary's northeast corner which is the largest shipwreck fleet in the Western Hemisphere. They are among more than 200 shipwrecks in the sanctuary, some of which date as far back as the American Revolutionary War and others to the American Civil War.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from Maryland DNR Fishing & Boating Services, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for American Shad (Youghiogheny River Lake) in Maryland?

No size limit in Maryland state waters.

How many American Shad (Youghiogheny River Lake) can you keep per day in Maryland?

3 per day.

When is American Shad (Youghiogheny River Lake) season in Maryland?

Open year-round.

Is my American Shad (Youghiogheny River Lake) a keeper today?

American Shad (Youghiogheny River Lake) has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 3.