Catch it while you can! The Shore has carved a distinct culinary niche over the last few centuries, mixing the influence of English, African American, Native Indian, and other European ethnic groups.
These have all contributed to not only cooking techniques, but also recipes for locally caught seafood. And there is plenty of seafood variety in this region to choose from, year round.
Traditional Eastern Shore seafood products include striped bass, blue crab, flounder and oysters. But there is an assortment of other great eating species that are locally popular in flavor and favor. These include black drum, weakfish, spot, croaker, sea bass, kingfish, tautog, king mackerel, triggerfish and cobia for example.
Most fish products are available seasonally in nature and/or by harvest regulation. This is important to know since only certain fish will be available at specific times of the year, allowing you to buy them at their freshest and usually best prices.
Below is a list of common fish and shellfish available to consumers around the Eastern Shore.
A Fish For All Seasons
- BLACK DRUMFISH – April – June
- BLUEFISH – May – November
- BLUE CRAB – April – October
- BLUE CRAB MEAT – May – November
- CATFISH – November – May
- CLAMS – October – May
- CROAKER – March – December
- DOLPHIN – May – October
- FLUKE (flounder) – October – May
- LOBSTER – March – December
- MONKFISH – February – May
- OYSTERS – October – March
- PERCH – February – April
- SEA BASS – April – June
- SHARKS – May – November
- SPOT – May – October
- STRIPED BASS (rockfish) – June – November
- TUNAS – May- October
- WEAKFISH – March – December