Distance From Pier

[Gas Man]

Does anyone know if there is a written law as to how far away from a private pier a boat must be if you are fishing around and under such pier?  I've looked everywhere and can't find anything about this topic.  Thanks in advance.

[crabbydad]

I was crabbing the severn last year and a guy came out and said he had a pot off his pier and I was supposed to be 100' away, so I pickup my 1 trap that was within 100' and moved it. so I guess if they have pots in the water,  the 100' rule applies? I wasn't sure, but wasn't going to argue the point, it made sense to me

[Gas Man]

Thanks for the reply Crabbydad.  I can understand about crabbing because they are allowed to put crab pots out off their pier and the rule is you can't lay another crab trap, pot within 100' of another trap or pot.  But I'm talking about fishing.  Throwing a line under and around the pier?

Why I'm asking is because a friend of mine was fishing around a private pier from his boat and the owner of the pier told him he couldn't fish around his pier.  My friend didn't argue and just moved but it brought up the question does the pier owner own the area of water around the pier and does he have the right to tell people not to fish around his pier?  I can't find any law or rule that says you can't fish around a private pier.

My friend said he was catching a releasing a lot of fish and was disappointed that he had to move away from the hot spot.

[shedking]

I'm no law expert but I would say as long as your not in contact with the pier and not hitting anything with weights etc that is public water. I'd ask to see that in writing

[double E]

It is my under standing in Maryland if you have a pier, the bottom directly under the pier and I believe 2ft(maybe 5ft) around the pier, the pier owner has the rights to. Not the water but the bottom only.

[rdbeard]

the way i understand it is if it's repairen rights the owner of the pier has rights in the water that are un-navigule due to the pier in other words the water around the pier where you could not navagate a boat or craft.

[MoreOldBay]

As crazy as this sounds, the owner of the property owns the pier above the waterline.  Below the waterline, the pier and water belong to the state.  This was found to be true because recently a boat was tied to a pier in our neighborhood and DNR, Coast Guard, and Balto. Co. Marine police were powerless to do anything about it because it was tied to the pier UNDER the water. 
So I would say your friend can fish wherever he darn pleases as long as he doesn't touch the pier above the waterline.

[Harford Crabber]

So if the guy that paid for the pilings that the pier sits on doesn't own the pilings below the water line,  and ice heaves the pier up outta the water who has to pay to replace it?  ....   

Never mind, the ice is above the water line too.   So I guess the pier owner owns the ice,  lol.