Croaker (Hardhead) regulations
Maryland · Curated reference from cited public sources · listings, not permission to fish or retain a catch · This selected Maryland saltwater reference subset is not a complete rulebook.
SPECIES LINKS
FIELD GUIDE
Micropogonias undulatus
speciesBASICA sciaenid closely related to black drum, spot, and red drum, commonly found in sounds and estuaries from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico.
HABITAT
Sounds and estuaries; young enter the Chesapeake Bay from August and move into low-salinity creeks.
SIZE
full-grown 18–20 in and 4–5 lb
TEXT CONDENSED FROM WIKIPEDIA, AVAILABLE UNDER CC BY-SA 4.0
Croaker (Hardhead) identification is educational; species identification does not establish legal applicability for Maryland.
- LISTED LIMIT
- 25 per day
- LISTED MIN SIZE
- 9 inches
- APPLICABILITY
- Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic/coastal-bays tables list 9 inches, open year-round, daily 25.
- SOURCE AUTHORITY
- Maryland DNR-linked Maryland Fishing, Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Seasons, Sizes & Limits tables (last updated August 4, 2026)
UPDATED August 4, 2026 · CHECKED Sep 28, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC · EFFECTIVE YEAR 2026
MD DNR recreational fishing regulations ↗The Maryland DNR page is an informational summary; the applicable state regulations are authoritative.
LAUNCH SITES
Curated launch sites in Maryland (3)
This reference does not grant permission to fish or retain a catch. Location, method, vessel, species identification, and emergency closures can change what applies. Verify the applicable official rules.