Rules & Regulations
Cast net laws in Maine
No cast net-specific regulation foundInformational only — this is not legal advice
Fishing regulations change, sometimes with little notice, and can vary further by county, water body, or season within a state. This page is a starting point for research, not a substitute for the law. Always verify current rules directly with your state's fish & wildlife agency or TakeMeFishing.org before you fish. BasicGear is not responsible for citations, fines, or gear seizures resulting from reliance on this page.
Last verified: 2026-07-08 — regulations are re-checked periodically; see the date above before assuming this is current.
Summary
Cast nets aren't named in Maine's inland-waters prohibited- or permitted-gear lists, and inland baitfish collection must legally use a defined "baitfish trap," which a cast net doesn't meet. Marine (DMR) rules don't address cast nets either.
Size, mesh & licensing
- Max size
- Not specified
- Mesh
- Not specified
- Water type
- Not specified
- License
- Likely yes in practice, but no cast-net-specific permit was found
Recommended BasicGear net
No recommendation — We found no rule authorizing cast nets in Maine, inland or marine — treat this as unresolved and contact Maine DMR/IFW directly before using one.
Official source
Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife↗
Low confidenceA genuine "not found" result, not a guess — but not every DMR chapter subsection was exhaustively reviewed.
Last verified: 2026-07-08
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