Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
Angling options abound this week in the Chesapeake region. Big striped bass are feeding on adult bunker in open water to fatten up before running the spawning rivers. The first reports of hickory and American shad on the Potomac River came in late last week. Some keeper-size tautog are being caught at the offshore wreck sites and, closer to home, along the jetty rocks of Ocean City Inlet, where striped bass have been pouring in over the past week or two.
Meanwhile, blue catfish have been making their presence known for anglers fishing cut bait in the upper Bay, and have even been chasing down lures intended for striped bass on the Susquehanna Flats. Freshwater anglers continue to enjoy good fishing for chain pickerel, crappie, and pre-spawn largemouth bass. And in the tidal rivers, spawning runs of white perch are underway. Whatever your target species may be, it’s a great week to be an angler in the Chesapeake Bay Area.
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC reported: “Water temperatures are steadily rising, with some areas in the back bays as high as 55 degrees, and the striper bite is becoming more and more consistent. We are finding fish schooled up in as little as 2 to 4 feet of moving water over ledges and holes. The bass are also still biting well at the local bridges, where they’re staging behind the pilings to ambush bait. Locating little changes in depth and bottom composition in areas with current has been the key to our jigs getting bit. We also saw some tog fishermen getting back out to the offshore wrecks this week, and a lot of surf fishermen are preparing for the black drum run which should be starting soon. Then, in another 2 to 3 weeks, I’m sure we’ll have weakfish and speckled trout back in the mix!”
Captain Jamie Clough of Eastern Shore Light Tackle Charters reported that they were back on the big bass in open water this week as more bunker arrived, followed by diving gannets, which led the way to the bite. With adult-size bunker around, the skipper said large paddletails on jigs were working the best. These larger bass are going to be heading into spawning rivers soon, but Captain Jamie anticipates some very good fishing in the week ahead before the temporary closure begins on April 1. Head to their Facebook page for contact info. and reach out for available dates this coming week to 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.
Spring is officially here and the white perch run is in full effect in all the rivers in the area. The best action reported has been from the Choptank River and the middle section of the Patuxent River. Grass shrimp seems to be the preferred bait, but small jigs with 2-inch plastics will also work.
A lot of freshwater anglers have been fishing the mill ponds targeting spring crappie and pre-spawn bass, with most using minnows under a bobber and catching a mixed bag of bass, pickerel, and lots of panfish.
Shad fishing should be picking up in the next week. We had reports of a few fish in the Potomac River but not consistent at all; most anglers were catching one or two hickory shad.
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Spring is making its presence known, and the warm sunny days are bringing out anglers. Maryland’s special youth trout fishing day is Saturday, March 22 and the traditional opening day of trout season is March 29. No matter what you fish for, enjoy the peace and serenity of the outdoors and perhaps a beautiful sunset after work.
The Maryland striped bass project is reaching out to anglers to help collect data on anglers catches of our state fish, including catch-and-release fishing or the required release of striped bass below or above the slot sizes. If you have been fishing for striped bass, please consider participating in our Mobile Volunteer Angler Survey found on the DNR website.
Upper Bay
Anglers in the Susquehanna Flats are starting to get serious about catch-and-release fishing for pre-spawn striped bass. Anglers are reporting they are encountering a few medium-sized male striped bass while fishing with soft plastic jigs, jerkbaits, and crankbaits. They are also reporting that when fishing close to the bottom, blue catfish are running down lures and providing some unexpected interference.
The Susquehanna Flats catch and release boundaries are: upstream of a line from Sandy Point to Turkey Point and the Susquehanna River downstream from a line connecting the Susquehanna State Park boat ramp at Lapidum (defined by Lat. 39°35.86′ N and Long. 76°07.67′ W) to Twin Rocks (defined by Lat. 39°36.17′ N and Long. 76°07.56′ W) to Tomes Wharf in Port Deposit (defined by Lat. 39°36.23′ N and Long. 76°06.99′ W); and the Northeast River. Note: The “Tomes Wharf” coordinate is closest to Lee’s Landing Dock Bar.
Blue catfish are spread throughout the entire upper Bay and its tidal rivers and can provide plenty of fishing action for anglers. The Conowingo Dam Pool, the lower Susquehanna River, the mouth of the Elk River, and the Chester River are a few of the top tidal rivers that hold blue catfish. The upper Bay down to the Bay Bridge holds exceptional opportunities for large blue catfish. They seem to prefer the open waters of the Bay this time of the year. Almost any kind of cut bait will work well – gizzard shad, menhaden, and white perch are easy to obtain, but chicken liver and other chicken parts also suffice. Some anglers boast that hot dogs make good bait!
Catch and release of striped bass is currently allowed below a line between Abbey Point to Worton Point, and south to the Virginia state line, including Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. The DNR website contains a map of Maryland’s striped bass fishing areas and seasons.
Middle Bay
Anglers in the middle Bay are exploring channel edges looking for catch-and-release action with pre-spawn striped bass moving through the region. The Choptank River is a major spawning river so many striped bass will be making a right fin turn and moving up the river this week. The striped bass headed to the upper Bay spawning sites will be following the main shipping channel on their way north. Jigging with large soft plastics will be the most popular way to fish since this is a catch-and-release fishery for the excitement of tussling with a striped bass. The current water temperature in the middle Bay is 47 degrees, in the lower Choptank River 50 degrees. The Choptank River is closed to all catch-and-release fishing for striped bass.
Catch and release of striped bass is currently allowed below a line between Abbey Point to Worton Point, and south to the Virginia state line, including Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. The DNR website contains a map of Maryland’s striped bass fishing areas and seasons.
The spawning runs of white perch are underway this week and the Choptank River is front and center for anglers. The white perch are moving up the Choptank and can be found as far north as Red Bridges. The best catches recently have been coming from the Greensboro area.
Lower Bay
Striped bass catch and release anglers are working the steep edges of the main shipping channel by jigging with large soft plastic jigs this week. Most anglers are reporting limited success along the channel edges. The warm water discharge at the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant offers a little better odds, but once a group of boats begin drifting and working the discharge current, success diminishes. Catch and release of striped bass in the Maryland portion of the Bay is allowed through the end of March. 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, including catch and release, since they are spawning rivers. 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.
The first hickory shad and American shad have been reported at the Fletcher’s Landing area on the Potomac River within the boundaries of the District of Columbia. Water temperatures are about 50 to 52 degrees. Anglers must obtain a District of Columbia fishing license to fish these waters.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Anglers are finding some action for striped bass in the Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, with a few exceeding the 28-inch minimum. Casting soft plastic jigs or drifting cut bait is a popular way to fish for them. Tautog are being caught near jetty rocks and bulkheads, with a fair portion measuring over the 16-inch minimum.
The boats headed out to the offshore wreck and reef sites are finding tautog for their anglers. Captains mention that they must move to different wrecks for the best fishing. When they do get on fish, some of the catches are extraordinary.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
There’s a little more than a week remaining to catch and release striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay before the temporary closure from April 1-May 15, and right now, the fishing is good. Smaller male stripers are making their way into spawning rivers and big females are feeding on bunker not far behind. Now is the time to book a charter or get out on the boat and catch a new personal best before the spawning season and spring migration are underway. Find the birds, find the bait, and lean on your electronics to locate schools of bunker or bass lower in the water column when gannets aren’t guiding the way.
The shad run is in its early stages, but by mid-April, the fishing should really take off. Ready your shad darts and spoons! The Potomac River has already seen a few hickory shad.
If you can’t make it out for stripers, freshwater fishing is a great fallback plan, especially until the shad run really kicks off. Chain pickerel, largemouth bass, and crappie are all biting well on a variety of bottom baits and moving baits. And in many bay tributaries, white perch—on a spawning run of their own—and blue catfish are readily available.
Get out and fish while the getting is good!