Maryland’s public crabbing options include state-park piers, Chesapeake tributary landings and Eastern Shore bulkheads. Access rules vary by site; a county boat landing is not automatically a walk-on crabbing pier.
Annapolis and Sandy Point
Sandy Point State Park provides a documented crabbing pier beside its ramps, designated shoreline and several rock jetties.
Kent Island and Wye River
Kent Island gives access to Eastern Bay and nearby creeks. Wye Island has shoreline and soft-launch access around Granary Creek, subject to state-land rules.
Cambridge and Choptank
Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park explicitly permits crabbing, but the Talbot County segment is indefinitely closed; the Dorchester segment is day-use only. Check status before travel.
Crisfield and Janes Island
Janes Island State Park documents handline crabbing from the Daugherty Creek bulkhead and offers access toward Tangier Sound.
License and gear rules
Requirements depend on gear and catch quantity. Handline and dip-net users can be exempt in some circumstances, while pots, trotlines and larger catches trigger licensing or registration rules. Size, sex and daily limits change seasonally.
Current Maryland recreational crabbing rules · Choptank pier status · Janes Island access
Sources checked August 13, 2026. See the Maryland report.