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Two areas have been opened in the town of Ocean City that allow anglers 16 years of age or older to recreationally fish without purchasing a Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sportfishing license. These locations were chosen after obtaining input from Town of Ocean City, the Coastal Fisheries Advisory Committee, the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission, local tackle shops, fishing clubs and the general public. The purpose of establishing these areas is to provide opportunities for families to fish together, fostering the mentorship role of new and existing adult anglers. It is hoped that exposure of adult mentors to the family fishing experience will encourage them to continue their participation in the sport, and ultimately introduce and nurture a new generation of anglers.
The two new free-fishing areas are located at the north and south ends of the Town of Ocean City. While the requirement for a fishing license is waived at each location, anyone 16 years of age or older must register with the State of Maryland for free by calling 855-855-3906 or online at: https://compass.dnr.maryland.gov/dnrcompassportal. This registration enters anglers into a national registry, which is used to help assess recreational fishing activity in tidal waters.
2nd - 4th Street Bulkhead
Located on Sinepuxent Bay between 2nd and 4th streets. A handicapped accessible boardwalk in excellent condition with amenities that include safety rails, fish cleaning stations, benches, trash bins and lighting. A limited number of parking spots can be found along Chicago Avenue, between 2nd and 4th Streets. This location is owned and maintained by the Town of Ocean City. It is located adjacent to the east navigational channel of Isle of Wight Bay, and fishermen can make a short cast and still reach the deeper waters of the channel.
The channel is a popular fishing location for both boat and shore based anglers. A variety of fish species can be found in this location, including summer flounder, black sea bass, sea trout, striped bass, bluefish, Atlantic croaker, Norfolk spot, ling and sharks. The shoreline is lined by granite rip rap and an artificial reef is located on the bottom of the channel. This structure provides habitat for fish, but also can make this area a challenge due to snags that can occur.
Anglers also need to be courteous to boat fishermen that often drift with the tide a short distance off the shoreline. Tidal flows through this area can vary widely and fishermen should check tide charts and come with a variety of different size weights when bottom fishing.
Northside Park at 125th Street
Northside Park is a spacious, popular park located on 125th Street, 1 ½ blocks west of Coastal Highway. The park contains numerous amenities including ball fields, hiking and jogging paths, an indoor gymnasium and a lengthy fishing pier. Parking is best along 125th Street, but parking can also be found on 126th Street, 127th Street and Jamaica Avenue. The extensive pier is located on Assawoman Bay behind the westernmost soccer field. The pier is very long, affording plenty of room for groups of anglers and individuals. The waters beneath the pier are shallow and barring storms and wind, are generally very clear. This provides a safe and friendly environment for adults to take children, especially young children.
Marine life, such as hermit, horseshoe and blue crabs can easily be spotted and identified from the pier. The length of the pier also makes this location an ideal area to teach children the mechanics of casting without concern for congestion. Because of the shallow water in this location, smaller fish tend to be most abundant. Species that can be found here include Norfolk spot, Atlantic croaker, summer flounder, windowpane flounder, sea robins and northern puffers. A variety of juvenile fish and minnows can also be found around the pier.
The Northside Park pier is also an ideal location to take children crabbing. Hand lines, ring and collapsible traps can all be easily deployed here.
If You Enjoyed Your Free Experience
In addition to the two free-fishing areas listed above, there are three privately run fishing piers that do require anglers to have an individual license. The Ocean Pier on the boardwalk, the Oceanic Pier at the Inlet and Frontier Town off Rt. 611, all have a blanket license that covers the anglers that fish from their piers. The three piers do charge admission.
The Ocean City area provides many other possibilities you might enjoy; from the beaches of Assateague and Ocean City to the Rt. 50 Bridge and the back bays. With the exception of the free fishing areas mentioned, in Maryland’s other coastal areas, fishermen 16 years of age and older will need to have a fishing license. For non-residents, a short-term, 7 day license is only $12. An annual non resident license is $22.50. For residents of Maryland, a 7-day license costs $6.00, and an annual resident license costs $15.00. Fishing licenses may be purchased online at: https://compass.dnr.maryland.gov/dnrcompassportal or they can be purchased from area bait and tackle stores. A list of fishing license agents can be found at: http://dnr.maryland.gov/service/agents_eastern.asp#swo.
If you have any questions regarding fishing or fisheries management in Ocean City and Maryland’s Atlantic coast, please email them to Keith Lockwood at [email protected] or call 410-226-0078.
Anglers can keep up with DNR Fisheries news through Twitter (@MDDNRFISH) and on Facebook at facebook.com/MDDNRFisheriesService.
The latest fishing reports are available through the DNR Fisheries Angler’s Log, a family-friendly online meeting place where anglers report and show their catches at dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fishingreport/log.asp.
You may also stay up-to-date with regulatory proposals and other important DNR Fisheries topics by subscribing to the DNR Fisheries email list at dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/emailcontact.asp.
