Yellow Perch regulations in Maryland

· Freshwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? A yellow perch is a keeper today if it measures at least 9 inches, with a daily limit of 5.

Yellow Perch size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
Chesapeake Bay & tidal tributaries	Open year-round	9 inch minimum	5 per person per day

Exact Maryland DNR Fishing & Boating Services wording

Season: Open year-round
Size: 9 inches
Limit: Daily—5
Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries — as printed: “Yellow Perch | 9 inches | Open Year Round | Daily—5 (new 2026, was 10)”

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

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About the yellow perch

Species of freshwater fish

The yellow perch, commonly referred to as perch, striped perch, American perch or preacher is a freshwater ray-finned fish from the perch family Percidae, native to much of central North America, particularly the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River basin and the Upper Mississippi River catchment. It was first described in 1814 by Samuel Latham Mitchill from New York, and is closely related and morphologically similar to the European perch, and is sometimes considered a subspecies of its European counterpart.

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 Yellow Perch in Maryland?

9 inch minimum in Maryland state waters.

How many Yellow Perch can you keep per day in Maryland?

5 per person per day.

When is Yellow Perch season in Maryland?

Open year-round.

Is my Yellow Perch a keeper today?

A yellow perch is a keeper today if it measures at least 9 inches, with a daily limit of 5.