08-25-2024 Guidebook - Flipbook - Page 10
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Things to do outside in Anne Arundel County
By Brian Jeffries
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the
outdoors around Anne Arundel County.
Whether you want to experience some
of the 533 miles of coastline, check out
one of the dozens of parks or work on
lowering your handicap at any of the golf
courses in and around the county, there is
no lack of activities.
Most of the county’s shoreline is
privately owned, limiting access to the
waterways and the Chesapeake Bay
mostly to landowners of waterfront lots
or residents living in a community with
water access.
The county did not own any public
boat ramps until April 2016, when it
opened one at Fort Smallwood Park in
Pasadena. Before then, the only public
ramps were at Sandy Point State Park
near the Bay Bridge and Truxtun Park in
Annapolis.
There also are dozens of public fishing
spots that dot the county. The fishing
piers at Downs and Fort Smallwood parks
are popular, as are community parks in
Davidsonville, Pasadena and Shady Side.
Many neighborhoods along the shore
have access to a pier or a fishing spot,
but often you have to be a resident of the
community to use them.
FISHING, CRABBING
Those wanting to try their luck catching striped bass or rockfish in county
waters need to keep rules in mind, including state fishing regulations. They fill the
52-page “Maryland Guide to Fishing and
Crabbing.” While many rules pertain to
specific species, some are more general.
Most of the rules pertain to licenses and
the size and types of fish.
Children 16 and under are exempt from
state licensing regulations, as are activeduty military. Maryland disabled veterans
and former prisoners of war can receive
a complimentary license, while Purple
Heart recipients can get 50% off. Go to,
dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/Military-Onestop-Shop.aspx.
For fishing, a nontidal license or a
Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing license is required in most situations.
No license is required if you are part of
a paid party on a charter boat, nor if you
A fisherman at Jonas and Anne Catharine Green Park on the Severn River. PAUL W. GILLESPIE/STAFF
fish from a designated license-free fishing
spot like the old drawbridge pier at Jonas
Green Park on the Severn River.
You can also fish without a license on
the first two Saturdays in June and July 4.
If you live on waterfront property, you
can fish or crab without a license but
must register with the Department of
Natural Resources fisheries office.
There are fees for licenses, tidal or
nontidal, resident or nonresident.
For crabbing, Maryland residents need
a $5 license if using seines, a trotline, net
rings or collapsible traps. Residents don’t
need a license if they are using a dip net
or hand line and may not keep more than
two dozen male hard crabs or one dozen
soft crabs and male peelers.
The best way to make sure you are
complying with the rules is to check
the Department of Natural Resources
website, dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries.
For the full state fishing guide, visit
eregulations.com/maryland/fishing or
get a hard copy available at most tackle
shops and sporting goods stores, where
you can also pick up a license. Guides are
also available at state parks.
The state Department of Natural Resources sells licenses online at
compass.dnr.maryland.gov/DnrCompassPortal. This is also where waterfront
residents and people wanting to fish at
license-free spots must register.
Plenty of parks and piers in Annapolis
and around Anne Arundel County can be
used for free or at a relatively low cost.
Turn to Outdoors, Page 14
