Fort Smallwood Park This Fall, Between Rockfish Season and the Shoreline Crews

"We are allowing for more access to recreational fishing opportunities without increasing mortality or total fish removed," Kate Charbonneau, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Assistant Secretary of Aquatic Resources, said in March when the state reset its Chesapeake Bay striped bass season.

At the end of Fort Smallwood Road, that change set this fall's calendar. Under the 2026 rules, all of August was closed to targeting rockfish. Harvest reopened September 1 and runs through December 5. The 380-foot Bill Burton Fishing Pier is open for all of it.

Two Calendars Meet at the End of Fort Smallwood Road

The state's harvest season is one of two clocks running at Fort Smallwood Park right now. The other belongs to Anne Arundel County. A shoreline repair project is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2027 and last about six months, and the county says parts of the park will close while the work is underway.

So between now and early December, the park has its newest facilities open, a full fishing season, and a short run of ranger programs, with no construction schedule pressing on any of it yet. The county has not said which areas will close in January. That uncertainty is one more reason this fall is worth using.

The Pier and the Northern Point

Rockfish are the headline, but the county lists striped bass, white perch, channel and blue catfish, spot, Atlantic croaker and bluefish among the species found at the park. Anglers 16 and older need a Maryland tidal-water fishing license and must follow state regulations.

During harvest season, the limit is one striped bass per person per day, between 19 and 24 inches. From December 6 through December 31 the season switches to catch-and-release. A keeper taken home this year has to come out of the water by December 5.

The pier follows normal park hours and closes during storms with lightning or thunder. Shoreline fishing is allowed only at the park's northern point, not on the swimming beaches or in conservation areas. If the pier is busy, the northern point is the only other legal spot to cast from.

What the Park Gained Since 2024

Anyone who last visited a few years ago will find a different beachfront. The county held a ribbon cutting for the new comfort station and concessions building on September 26, 2024. The county's project page, updated October 1, 2026, lists it as "open and operational." The building was planned with public restrooms, a family restroom, a commercial kitchen and outdoor seating, next to a 120-space parking lot that includes eight accessible spaces.

Two other pieces of the plan are still in progress. Construction continues on a new maintenance building near the park entrance. Phase 2B would turn the historic barracks into an accessible visitor center with exhibit space, community rooms, park offices and restrooms. The county still lists that phase in design and permitting.

Food is the one thing to plan around. The county's 2026 call for concession vendors covered stands at the swimming beach and the boat ramp, offering food and recreational supplies. It required them to be stocked and ready by May 1 each year, but it does not say when they close for the season. October and November service isn't confirmed, so bring your own lunch and coffee.

The Fall Calendar, in Order

These are the dates on the county and state calendars between now and the end of the year, plus the start of the repairs:

1. Mid-October. The State Highway Administration plans to start resurfacing MD 173, Fort Smallwood Road, between Duvall Highway and Kenton Road, with dates and hours still to be announced. That stretch is part of the drive to the park.
2. October 15. Last day to send the county comments on the shoreline repair project.
3. Sunday, October 25, 9 to 10 a.m. Unwanted Uproot, a volunteer invasive-plant pull. Gloves, trash bags and water are provided.
4. Monday, November 2, noon to 1 p.m. Family Nature Walk.
5. Friday, November 6, 8 to 9 a.m. Bird Watching with a park ranger, starting from the swimming-beach parking lot. The $8 vehicle entry fee applies.
6. Sunday, November 29, 9 to 10 a.m. The last Unwanted Uproot of the fall.
7. December 5. Last day to keep a rockfish. Catch-and-release starts December 6.
8. January 2027, tentatively. Shoreline construction begins, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hawks Without the Count

Fort Smallwood is better known among birders for spring than for fall. The Maryland Ornithological Society calls the park a nationally significant spring hawkwatch, with the main counting period running from mid-March through mid-May. There is no official fall count. Even so, the society notes that September through November days with northwest winds can bring fall migrants over the point. The November 6 ranger walk falls inside that window.

A walk here also passes the site's military past. The county says Fort Smallwood was a coastal-defense post in use from 1890 to 1927. Battery Hartshorne, built in 1899, and the barracks still stand, while Battery Sykes was demolished in 1927. The historical marker that told that story has since been removed, according to the Historical Marker Database. For now, the barracks are the building the county has planned as a future visitor center.

What the January Work Actually Is

The repairs are smaller than "parts of the park will close" might suggest. The county's schematic design covers about 434 linear feet of shoreline in an area called Reach 3, where the bank is actively eroding and has become steep and undermined. That is a small piece of a 100-acre park with roughly 8,000 linear feet of shoreline.

This is the third round of work on this stretch. Initial shoreline protection went in during 2019. After more erosion in parts of Reach 3, the design was modified and the beach replenished in 2021. Then a severe nor'easter damaged sections of the shoreline in 2025. This time, the county plans to retrofit two breakwater gaps, replace sand, and add reef balls for erosion control and aquatic habitat. The work zone is 0.29 acres, and the project is funded through the county's capital improvement program.

The county's public meeting was held September 30 at the Riviera Beach Community Library on Duvall Highway. The written notice does not say whether the pier, beach or parking areas will stay open during construction. If that matters to you, the October 15 comment deadline is the time to ask.

Before You Head Out

• Hours and entry. The park is open 5:30 a.m. to sunset, seven days a week. Entry is $8 per vehicle.
• Annual pass. The 2026 pass costs $40 for county residents and $50 for nonresidents. It covers one private vehicle and everyone in it. Passes run January 1 through December 31, so one bought this month covers less than three months.
• Dogs. Dogs are allowed only on the southernmost section of the beach, away from the parking area, and must stay leashed.
• The water. There are no lifeguards. The county advises staying out of the water for at least 48 hours after half an inch of rain or more.

A few businesses along Fort Smallwood Road cover what the park may not this time of year. Cobe Marine, at 8936 Fort Smallwood Road, lists year-round bag and block ice, live bait that varies by season, frozen bait, and fishing and crabbing tackle. Geresbeck's Riviera Plaza, at 8489 Fort Smallwood Road, lists daily hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for groceries and picnic supplies. On the way home, Pasadena Seafood at 8111 Fort Smallwood Road is listed on the Maryland Crab and Oyster Trail.

If the park is part of what keeps you in Pasadena, or part of what you'd look for in your next home along Fort Smallwood Road, Jimmy Rupert knows this end of the peninsula street by street. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.