Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
As warmer spring temperatures take hold in Maryland this week, water temperatures have continued to climb and anglers are noticing a clear shift in fishing patterns. Striped bass are starting to run some of the rivers, catfish catches are increasing, white perch fishing is picking up steam, and places like the Potomac River have seen a notable improvement in fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye, and chain pickerel.
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC reported: “We’re still picking away at stripers on the local bridges. The action is slowly improving as water temperatures continue to climb. There’s also been a decent crappie bite down on the Pocomoke River with perch and catfish in the mix as well; there’s not a ton going on outside of the occasional striper and some freshwater opportunities. We’re hoping these warmer temps will get the stripers fired up—it may be time to try for some inshore tautog soon, too!” Give @alwaysbentfishingoc a follow on Instagram and check out their website for detailed reports, videos, and more.
Captain Jamie Clough of Eastern Shore Light Tackle Charters reported that striped bass have begun to move into shallow water in the Middle Bay. The fish are becoming less bait oriented and instead are staging around hard structures like rock piles and mussel beds. The skipper said light jigheads with extra-large soft plastics in the 6- to 8-inch range have been the key to convincing these bass to bite. He’s got plenty of open dates next week, so head over to the Facebook page for contact info. to secure your spot and get in on the action!
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
It feels like spring is almost here, and the fishing has been picking up around the region, starting with the yellow perch run. Most anglers did well catching yellow perch this week, but it seems like we are at the end of the run, with many reports of post-spawn perch. White perch have started to mixed in with the remaining yellow perch in most of the rivers, so that tells us that they are about to take over the upper parts of the creeks and rivers. The hot baits were grass shrimp under a bobber, and small, 2-inch plastics on a 1/8-ounce jig, bounced along the bottom. The hot areas have been the middle section of the Patuxent River and upper reaches of the Choptank River. Catfishing has also picked up with warmer water temperatures; it seems like they are starting to feed more aggressively! And we can’t forget about the striped bass; they have started to move up the rivers to begin their annual spawn, so anglers have been catching a few in open water but most are still fishing the Calvert Cliffs warm-water discharge.
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Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
With spring a week away, the signs are everywhere – peepers are peeping, trees are budding, and the crocuses are blooming. As the days grow longer and increasingly warmer, Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay waters are also warming for gamefish moving to spawn. Main Bay surface water temperatures are holding in the mid 40s. River temperatures are holding in the upper 40s. However, smaller streams and downwind areas on a sunny day will warm faster and will often hold water temperatures closer to 50 degrees. Such waters in low salinity areas will be prime locations to look for yellow perch as they move up from their wintering areas in the downstream portion of rivers, preparing to spawn in the next couple of weeks in Maryland waters.
Middle Bay
The middle Bay will be open to catch-and-release fishing for striped bass through March 31. Most anglers will be jigging with large soft plastic jigs along channel edges. The Calvert Cliffs Power Plant warm water discharge is always a popular place to fish this time of the year and will often be crowded. Observe the boats in the drift line before moving in and never anchor or hold your spot with a GPS operated trolling motor.
Although trolling with six rods or less and no stinger hooks is allowed, few will find any point in this type of fishing if it is catch-and-release only. Soft plastic jigs of 8-10 inches will be popular and anglers are urged to use heavy spinning or conventional tackle to reduce the fight time. These arriving striped bass are making the difficult transition from ocean waters of high salinity to the relatively low salinity Bay waters. Fortunately, cold water temperatures help with minimizing the stress of catch and release for the fish. If you want to get a picture, make sure someone on the boat is ready with a camera to lessen the time the fish is out of the water, and always cradle the fish since the females are full of eggs and hold the future of your striped bass fishing. Anglers are urged to review the catch-and-release recommendations on the DNR website.
The Choptank River is now off limits to all catch-and-release fishing because it is a spawning river for striped bass. Right now the smaller male fish are moving up the river to be followed by the larger females towards the end of the month. The water temperature in the lower Choptank is about 45 degrees and middle Bay temperatures are about 42 degrees right now.
Yellow perch are moving up the Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek this week and should have arrived at Hillsboro on the Tuckahoe and the upper Choptank. White perch are moving past the Denton area and anglers this past Sunday were catching them at the Greensboro area of the Choptank.
Anglers are finding a mix of white catfish, channel catfish, and blue catfish in the Choptank River this week. The best action for blue catfish tends to be near the Denton area in the deeper channel waters. Cut baits such as gizzard shad, menhaden, white perch, or American eel are good choices and chicken liver can work well also. Brining your chicken livers in salt will help stiffen them up so they stay on the hook better.
Lower Bay
Anglers are enjoying catch and release fishing with the influx of striped bass headed up the Bay towards the spawning rivers. Most anglers are exploring the deep edges of the main channel looking for schools of menhaden and striped bass. Anglers are interested in targeting the largest female striped bass so they’re jigging with large soft plastic jigs of 10 inches or more. Remember to handle the striped bass as carefully as possible. Take any pictures quickly and be sure to cradle the fish horizontally to support their internal organs and egg burden.
The DNR website offers information on responsible catch and release techniques with striped bass.
The Patuxent and Nanticoke rivers are closed to the targeting of striped bass since they are spawning rivers, so no catch and release of striped bass is permitted. The Potomac River mainstem is open to catch and release from January 1 through May 15. However, please note that the tributaries on the Maryland side of the Potomac River are closed.
Blue catfish are ready and willing to entertain anglers this month and it is an excellent idea to target them in the middle to upper sections of the region’s tidal rivers. The Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke currently hold the greatest numbers of blue catfish. The blue catfish are hitting the yellow perch, white perch and river herring hard as these species move up the tidal rivers to spawn. It is not unusual to find several adult fish weighing five pounds or more in the stomach of blue catfish. As blue catfish become larger, they have an exceedingly large appetite for spring spawning fish.
Yellow perch are moving up several of the lower Bay tidal rivers that support spawning areas, and they are moving into creeks and the upper reaches of the tidal rivers. Lip-hooked small minnows and 1-inch to 1.5-inch soft plastic bodied jigs and blade jigs are excellent ways to fish for them. Online you can find a map of traditional yellow perch fishing locations.
White perch are being found this week in the lower Marshyhope Creek, and moving up the Nanticoke, Wicomico, Patuxent,and Pocomoke rivers. Anglers are enjoying good fishing by casting small grubs and crappie lures, shad darts, or fishing with grass shrimp and bloodworms. The only limiting thing about fishing with bait is that it is easy to run out.
DNR has announced the 2025 cobia season will run from June 15 through September 20. The creel limit will be one cobia per angler per day and a two cobia limit per vessel containing two or more anglers. The minimum length for cobia is 43 inches total length.
Freshwater Fishing
The upper Potomac River is providing excellent fishing for smallmouth bass this week and walleye can also be part of the mix. River flows rose last Thursday but quickly became more moderate. Deep river eddies and current breaks are good places to target with small crankbaits, flukes, grubs, and swimbaits fished close to the bottom. Fishing for smallmouth bass is catch-and-release only until June 16. Walleye are subject to a 15-inch minimum and a maximum length of 20 inches from January 1 to April 15.
Fishing for crappie presents good opportunities near deep structure in tidal and nontidal waters. Crappie love to hold close to structure like bridge piers, sunken wood, and marina docks. Fishing with small minnows or small marabou jigs under a slip bobber near structure is a great way to target them.
Early spring is a wonderful time to target chain pickerel in both the tidal and nontidal waters of Maryland. The thick grass beds that they love to hide in during the summer months are absent, and the pickerel often can be found holding near sunken wood. Almost any lure will attract the attention of this ambush predator and spinners, spoons, jerkbaits, and swimbaits are at the top of the list. If one is targeting chain pickerel it is very important to swap out treble hooks for single inline hooks. Chain pickerel are prone to engulf lures, and treble hooks can often become fouled in the gill rakers of the fish, causing great damage.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
While catch-and-release striped bass fishing remains open in the Middle Bay—from Brewerton Channel to the VA state line—through the end of the month, anglers fishing in Bay tributaries for white perch, catfish, and other desirable species are encouraged to observe striped bass regulations.
For those interested in catching larger fish, one of the best opportunities in the Bay system this month is fishing for blue catfish. As white perch, yellow perch, and river herring run the rivers to spawn, encountering large blue cats is not unordinary. Focus on fishing the upper to middle portions of the Bay’s tidal rivers and use white perch, mud shad, or chunked bunker for bait on a bottom rig.
When it comes to light-tackle action, perch, pickerel, and crappie are local favorites. Small jerkbaits, curly-tail grubs, shad darts, 2- to 3-inch soft-plastic paddletails, and inline spinners are all good lures to use and may lead to a mixed bag of the aforementioned species.
Spring fishing patterns are beginning to form, so get out and fish!