• Effective January 1, 2012, commercial yellow perch fishermen will be required to attach a paper tag issued by the Department to all containers of yellow perch caught for commercial purposes prior to landing. Fishermen are required to complete the requested information on the paper tags. Individual fish do not need to be tagged until January 20, 2012. The paper tags will satisfy the tagging requirement for yellow perch until January 20, 2012, at which time plastic locking tags will be issued for individual tagging of each commercially caught yellow perch. Yellow perch fishermen are still required to call in their daily harvest and must include the fish dealer they are selling the fish to with the harvest data.
• Effective January 26, 2009 the new recreational yellow perch regulation states a 9 inch minimum and 10 fish creel limit statewide.



• Reminder - Though the regulations effective in January, 2009, opened up the previously closed Magothy and Severn Rivers, there are still sections closed within each watershed. In the Magothy, from the base of Lake Waterford downstream for 3300 feet, a person cannot fish for any kind of fish in February, March and April. During February, March and April a person may not fish in the Severn or Severn Run from the Route 3 Bridge downstream for 2400 feet.




• Maps Showing Fyke Net Restrictions - Click on River Names to view map.
  

  Bird & Gunpowder River	Bohemia River	Bush River	Elk River	Northeast River
  Sassafras River	Patuxent River	Allens Fresh	Chester River	Choptank River
  Marshy Hope	Nanjemoy Creek	Tuckahoe Creek

  
  

How To Participate in the 2013 Commercial Yellow Perch Fishery?

In order to be eligible to commercially harvest yellow perch in 2013, you must complete an application form and submit it between October 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012. Failure to return the form by October 31, 2012 will result in you being ineligible for the 2013 yellow perch fishery, DNR service centers will not be accepting the form. Applications must be mailed to:

Attn: Allison Luettel
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Avenue - B2
Annapolis, MD 21401

Declaration of intent form can be found here.

Assessment and Fisheries Management Development

• Commercial Yellow Perch Fishing Seasons to Accomplish Allowable Catch Targets - Presented October 1, 2008
• Commercial Yellow Perch Target Harvest Levels for Chester River - Presented October 1, 2008
• Yellow Perch Management Options Under Consideration - Presented October 1, 2008
• Upper Chesapeake Bay yellow perch assessment activities - Presented October 1, 2008
• Yellow Perch Recreational Fisheries Objectives - Presented October 1, 2008
• Map Showing Upper Bay Closures - Presented October 1, 2008
• Map Showing Lower Bay Closures - Presented October 1, 2008
• Recreational Yellow Perch Management Options:  Opening Currently Closed Systems - Edited and Posted October 2, 2008



• Biology/Life History/General Yellow Perch Information
• Summary of Maryland Fisheries Regulations (Commercial & Recreational)
• 2002 Yellow Perch Management Plan and Legislative Updates to Plan
• 2006 Yellow Perch Stakeholder Document
• Link to Senate Bill 702
• Yellow Perch Work Plan (Timeline) - updated September 22, 2008



• Summary of Recreational Stakeholder meeting 9-9-08
• Recreational Objectives and Options Presented During September 9, 2008 Meeeting
• Commercial Objectives and Options Presented During September 10, 2008 Meeeting
• Fisheries Service Yellow Perch Volunteer Angler Survey Summary Added September 8, 2008
• NRP/Fisheries Service Cooperative Yellow Perch Survey Summary Added September 8, 2008
• Summary of Fisheries Service Pilot 2008 Yellow Perch Tagging Study Added September 8, 2008



• Summary of Yellow Perch Commercial Stakeholder 7-07-08 Meeting
• Summary of Yellow Perch Recreational Stakeholder 7-28-08 Meeting
• Dr. M. Wilberg's Presentation, Creel Survey Preliminary Results- updated September 4, 2008
• Progress Report on A Creel Survey for Early Spring Fisheries of Maryland- updated August 1, 2008