Page

Welcome to the official Fishbrain page for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fishing and Boating Services!

Our mission is to:
- Develop a management framework for the conservation and equitable use of fishery resources
- Manage fisheries in balance with the ecosystem for present and future generations
- Monitor and assess the status and trends of fisheries resources
- Provide high-quality, diverse, accessible fishing opportunities

Happy Father's Day! Reel in the heartwarming journey of a father and daughter whose shared love for fishing drifts apart—only to be rekindled years later when the daughter’s passion brings them back on the water.
Discover more on the @Take Me Fishing website: bit.ly/3KD1TiQ

Watch DNR biologists conducting a brook trout survey in a Frederick County headwater stream. Using a backpack electrofishing unit, fish are temporarily stunned so they can be safely netted, measured, and weighed before being returned to the water unharmed. These types of surveys are used to monitor naturally reproducing trout populations and look for new locations where wild trout may be present.

To see watersheds that support wild trout populations and coldwater benthic macroinvertebrates in Maryland, check out the Coldwater Mapping Tool: https://mddnr.info/3Hx9MYV 🗺️



Boat electrofishing surveys are used to collect data on gamefish species in lakes and reservoirs across the state. This clip shows largemouth bass being collected during a nighttime survey on Greenbrier Lake in Washington County. A new impoundment mapping tool, which provides anglers with summary data from this type of monitoring work, is available online.
Try it now: https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/hotspots/lakes_ponds.aspx

On the map, you can:
-Select which popular gamefish species you are interested in targeting
-Click on an individual access point to bring up a thumbnail summary sheet for that species in that impoundment.
-Open summary data from DNR boat electrofishing surveys and see trends in catch rates, the most recent population size distribution, and fish length versus weight relationships.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Catches

Posts