April 29th, 2025 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is implementing changes to nontidal fishing license and trout stamp fees effective June 1, 2025. This represents the first adjustment to nontidal–or freshwater fishing–fees in almost 20 years, addressing the rising costs of maintaining conservation efforts and angler programs in the face of inflation.

Maryland’s freshwater fishing licenses follow DNR’s user-pay, public-benefit model, in which license revenue directly and specifically supports the programs and resources that support nontidal fishing such as trout stocking and fish population assessments. 

The price of a Maryland nontidal fishing license has not changed for 18 years, while the expenses associated with maintaining fish populations and resources have risen 56% for nontidal fishing. The cost of a trout stamp has remained the same for 33 years. In that time, the cost of providing trout-related programs has increased by 129%.