The 10-day weather forecast looks like March, not May, so improvement looks slow. Fresh-cut fish bait tends to work best for catfish, but chicken liver or breast meat and scented baits also work well. Anglers who have never fished for blue catfish should give it a try. These species tend to seek out deeper water during daylight hours with abundant woody debris. Those fishing with cut spot strips are catching small bluefish and flounder. At the Ocean City Inlet and the Route 50 and Route 90 bridges, anglers are having fun catching striped bass. We will begin our weekly Bay fishing conditions forecasts again in March. Fishing. The preseason trout stocking program started in early December with several large trout stockings. Blues are here good and Spanish Mackerel should be right behind them very soon. www.marlisportfishing.com. It's a great place to booked your fishing trip. Photo courtesy Kristen D'Amore-Benko There is plenty of fishing to entertain anglers during these hot summer days. They will also be found in the deeper channels in the lower sections of the regions tidal rivers. Marina docks are a favorite habitat for them, fallen treetops, bridge piers, and sunken brush are all good places to find them. It gets hot but the fish will be biting. Fishing Report | St. Mary's County MD Tourism Small finesse jigs, shaky head rigs, Ned rigs, and drop shot rigged soft plastics are all good choices for working deep structure. Surf fishing along the Delmarva coast generally begins in April, as migrating striped bass move out of the Chesapeake Bay and travel north to their summer grounds off New England. As a result, Bay gamefish will likely be higher in the water column to find adequate oxygen and their preferred water temperatures. Maryland Fishing Report - August 25 Fishing for channel catfish in the upper Potomac can be a grand day out this time of the year. Warmer air temperatures and plenty of sunshine are quickly warming up waters. All Maryland waters are now open to harvest rockfish (striped bass). Photo by Josh Trenary Maryland anglers are adjusting to some unexpectedly changing fisheries and are targeting invasive species. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Maryland Fishing Report - June 1 I visited an Annapolis impoundment and got my first crappie of the season on 1/16 jigs tipped with stingers. There is a good chance post-spawn striped bass from the Susquehanna Flats area will be traveling along these channel edges. Many of the marginal trout waters will continue being stocked this month but those will slow down in May as community ponds and waters in the central and southern regions become too warm for trout survival. This young man managed to land himself a beautiful weakfish, multiple flounder, kingfish and even some small sea-bass. The Tackle Box was started in 1960 by Howard and Lena Lamb who arrived in St. Mary's County in 1958 when serving in the Navy. Maryland & Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report- April 13, 2023 - On The Water Blue and channel catfish bite well throughout the bay, black drum are caught off Assateague Island and Ocean City beaches, and shad continue to run the rivers. There may be a second major spawn in the next week, but time will tell. Surf anglers are braving the cold at the Assateague Beaches and soaking large cut baits, hoping to intercept striped bass that measure over 28 inches. Small minnows or marabou jigs under a slip bobber are good ways to fish for them. With the current conditions, a subtle approach is necessary. Out of State: 410-260-8DNR (8367), For more information on human trafficking in Maryland click, Many other species are available in waters across our state check the online. We had an absolute blast despite the dirty water. Sign up online . Much like the Upper Bay, catfish are everywhere in the lower part of the bay. All smallmouth bass appeared healthy and in good condition. Channel catfish can be found most anywhere but the Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers are loaded with blue catfish. Generally, catch in the lower Bay has been lagging behind the middle and upper Bay regions with some decent action between Deale and the West and Rhode rivers last week. Ocean City, Maryland Surf Forecast and Surf Report | Swellinfo ADVERTISEMENT ACCURATE SWELLINFO FORECASTS ON THE GO! Click Before You Cast is written by Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Director Tom Parham. David Sturm caught this large snakehead in the Susquehanna River. These young walleye tend to school during winter so if you find one, more typically follow. Maryland & Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report- April 13, 2023 Northern snakeheads, blue catfish, and flathead catfish populations are expanding rapidly in Maryland waters, and anglers are taking up the challenge to reduce their populations. Due to low bottom oxygen levels, avoid fishing below the following depths in these locations: Swan Point, 20 feet; Bay Bridge to Bloody Point, 15 feet to 20 feet; Choptank River to Point No Point, 15 feet to 35 feet. Copyright 2023 FishingBooker, Inc. All rights reserved. Fresh cut baits are tough to come by this time of the year so do the best you can; if youre anchored up, creating a chum slick helps. Follow along with Fish Tournaments Results and more from OCMD. The 40-foot channel edge out in front of Matapeake is another traditional area for white perch to be holding, before that edge drops off into 100 feet of water. Tandem rigged parachutes and bucktails trolled a variety of depths will be the most common way to fish, and planer boards will be popular. March 29, 2023. All can be caught on fresh cut bait, chicken liver, or scented baits. We are in midsummer protective mode for striped bass. But it was the perfect spot; lots of fish biting early. Pieces of green crab and white-legger crabs along with sand fleas are the baits of choice. White-legger crabs are the preferred bait. Catch-and-release fishing for striped bass in the spawning rivers is illegal due to the stress caused by angling, especially in a mostly freshwater environment where these fish expel excess water and cannot recover well. Crappie have started moving from deep water and are staging around wood cover. The Susquehanna Flats areas will not open to striped bass fishing until May 16, with a slot size of 19 inches to 26 inches, and a one fish per person per day limit. Soaking sand fleas on circle hooks tipped with Fishbites has produced well on an incoming tide, which allows the fish to swim over the sandbars to feed in the wash. The meat is white and tasty once the silver skin and red meat is removed. Wait for fish to start running and get an experienced captaintrust the process! Photo courtesy of David Sturm. Most of them do not make the 28-inch minimum length but offer plenty of catch-and-release fun on light tackle. For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the Bay, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bays, Striped bass season will open on May 1 in the waters of the upper Bay below the Brewerton Channel. As flows continue to drop, smallmouth bass become more concentrated in the slightly deeper pockets of water. You can't miss with a charter fishing excursion in St. Mary's waterways. There is a 35-inch minimum and a limit of one fish per person per day. Casting white paddletails is the best way to fish them this time of year, and drifting large minnows under a bobber is a close second. Flounder fishing improves each week as warmer water temperatures bring the summer flounder into the coastal bays. What To Catch & When - Fishing Reports & News Ocean City MD Tournaments Due to low bottom oxygen levels, avoid fishing below the following depths in these locations: Swan Point, 25 feet, Bay Bridge to Bloody Point, 5 feet to 25 feet; Choptank River to Point No Point, 15 feet to 35 feet. The Nanticoke River near Sharpstown and the Patuxent River from Benedict to Jug Bay have large populations. We even were able to catch, tag, and release a shark back into the ocean! Trolling small Drone and Clark spoons behind inline weights and planers at a speed of 6-8 knots is the best method. At the mouth of the Patuxent in about 40 feet of water they can often be found holding close to the bottom. Maryland Fishing Report - April 26 to the town of Denton. Tidal Fish Forum House cleaning - this week the boat only caught 7 snakeheads and that brings the total number of snakeheads caught since June 11 to 68. Northern snakeheads are becoming more active in many of the tidal waters and a few non-tidal areas this week. Lewis. The past week or longer some bull reds have been caught south of us in the surf and back bay areas. Find Maryland fishing reports, how to fishing in Maryland, fishing techniques and fishing talk covering the Maryland Chesapeake Bay & Tidal Waters 790K 134M a moment ago Northern Neck Virginia Angler At the Conowingo Dam pool flathead catfish are providing plenty of action in the wash below the power generation turbines. Surf fishing along the Assateague beaches holds a typical summer mix of fish species. If you do focus on striped bass, the best action is occurring from the mouth of the Wicomico River south to the mouth of the Potomac along the channel edges. There will be above average tidal currents on Monday and Tuesday as a result of the upcoming full moon on May 6. Mahi Haul Hit the vid for the Daily Catch at the Ocean City Fishing Center! Expect average flows for most Maryland rivers and streams. Bay surface temperatures cool by 2 to 3 degrees at night. Your email address will not be published. Coastal Fishing Reports | FishTalk Magazine Daily Angle Ocean City Maryland Fishing Reports | Fish Tournaments Rain is predicted this Friday and these increased flows may help bring shad into Marylands creeks for waiting anglers. Springtime water temperatures herald a great time to fish for crappie. Details and forms for the Catch Card Census are available on the DNR website. Surf Fishing in Ocean City - Town of Ocean City, Maryland The Conowingo Dam pool is often full of fishing surprises Randy Slaysman holds up a big northern snakehead he caught in the dam pool. The perch are available in the tidal rivers and creeks and casting small lures in the early morning and evening hours. Small and medium-sized bluefish are running in and out of the inlet and back bay areas. Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.. Smallmouth bass are holding near floating docks and largemouth bass are in the shallower parts of the lake, often near structure. Bottom rigs baited with grass shrimp and pieces of bloodworm are working well for white perch fishing. A saltwater license is required and state regulations on size, seasons, and limits are enforced. Required fields are marked *. Chumming and drifting live eels back in the chum slick is a proven method to catch one of these great gamefish. There appears to be some fish health issues that are impacting juvenile smallmouth in particular staff are currently collecting samples of these fish to identify the cause. During the closure, anglers are targeting alternate species such as catfish, perch, spotted sea trout, red drum, bluefish, cobia, and Spanish mackerel. Very easy and convenient to get too with adequate parking. Numbers of Spanish mackerel are increasing in the lower Bay and they should continue to move north with the warm, dry weather in August. As we reported last week, both channel and flathead catfish species are found in high abundances and have been providing recreational opportunities throughout the river. White perch will be offering light-tackle action for anglers during and after the striped bass closure. The same can be said for the area below Jug Bay on the Patuxent and the Sharptown area on the Nanticoke. They can be found in moderately deeper waters near structure. Ocean City Boardwalk Surf report & live surf cams - Surfline The warm water discharge at the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant will always get the attention of anglers during the cold winter months. Maryland Fishing Report Walleye season is open April 15 in Deep Creek Lake, and walleye size restrictions ease up on the upper Potomac River that day as well. Sign up for our FREE Fishing Reports Today! There will be average tidal currents all week as a result of the July 25 full moon. . Channel catfish, along with a few blue catfish, continue to provide steady action on cut fish baits and chicken livers. Just have fun, look for smaller charters. Channel catfish will also be a large part of the catch. Fishing for striped bass is now strictly catch and release and if you give it a whirl on a calm and sunny day, the fish are holding in the deepest parts of the shipping channel and to a lesser degree the False Channel. Angler Brady Lovalvo, age 11, caught a 32.5-inch Northern snakehead in Galloway Creek on July 24. Fresh-cut menhaden or gizzard shad make the best baits, but frozen menhaden, sea herring, chicken liver, nightcrawlers ,and clam snouts can work well on a simple one-hook bottom rig. Success comes on tandem rigs with shad darts and small spoons. Expect average clarity for most Maryland portions of the Bay and rivers, however, expect temporarily reduced water clarity from algal blooms on the Gunpowder, Bush, and Back rivers. Its still very early into the crabbing season and we have not heard much so far. Fishing for crappie is very good this time of the year and they can be found holding near structure such as fallen treetops, marina docks, and bridge piers. Live bait (hard crabs) is the best way to target these early arrivals. The bite was great and we supplied somw workers at JM Clayton company with dinner! Anglers have been catching an increasing number of legal-sized striped bass in the Ocean City Inlet and the Route 50 Bridge area by casting soft plastic jigs and working them close to the bottom. As reported from the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures are holding at about 60. degrees. At night, which is the most common time for angling, larger fish move into the shallows to feed. Yes, both species are omnipresent in the Bay, from north to south. The hickory shad can be found in the river and are running up Deer Creek and Octoraro Creek on the warmest days with good flows, where recent rain may offer some hope of a renewed run. Anglers may even find a speckled trout nosed into the warm water there if theyre lucky. The anglers heading out to the offshore wreck and reef sites are not having any trouble catching tautog measuring more than 16 inches. Striped bass season will open on May 1 in the waters of the upper Bay below the Brewerton Channel. Many of the areas are delayed harvest or catch-and-release and provide plenty of trout for those who want to enjoy the catching part and forgo the keeping part of fishing. Fishing on the bottom with standard top and bottom rigs and bloodworms or Sabiki rigs tipped with bloodworms are great choices to target the white perch. Out of State: 410-260-8DNR (8367), For more information on human trafficking in Maryland click, Moderate weather ahead will keep Chesapeake Bay waters temperatures stable for gamefish including striped bass, shad, and herring, which are spawning or finished spawning in Maryland waters. There is allot of variety, get an experienced captain who knows the waters well. The fall electrofishing surveys for the upper Potomac River have been completed. The blue catfish tend to be holding deep in the channels and oily cut bait is a popular choice. Bloody Point, Buoy 83, the Gum Thickets, Stone Rock, and the western shore side of the shipping channel in front of Chesapeake Beach and Breezy Point are also worth some attention. The spring striper run can last through May, with even a late straggler or two well into June. The Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers all offer excellent fishing opportunities for blue catfish. The striped bass have finished spawning in the Choptank River and will be traveling out to the shipping channel to head south. 20650 Hickory and American shad are arriving at traditional locations to the joy of catch-and-release anglers. Blue catfish are also showing up with increasing numbers in the Wicomico and Pocomoke rivers. The warmer water is to their liking, the thick grass mats have not completely formed, and they are in a pre-spawn mode, actively feeding. Perch are being caught in abundance on live bait like lug worms or night crawlers. The tidal rivers are open to fishing for a mix of channel and blue catfish and white perch. Shoreline and trail access is open on the Talbot County side of the park and 270-foot pedestrian access to the Visitor Center boardwalk is open on the Dorchester County side. The Piers are the remains of the old Route 50 Bridge built in 1935, and has served as a fishing pier since the bridge was replaced and closed in the 1980s. Catch-and-release fishing for smallmouth bass is good this week in Deep Creek Lake and the upper Potomac River. Maryland Fishing Report - Early Winter Channel catfish can also be found in the upper Severn, West River, and the Kent Island area. 23115 All Rights Reserved. Rockfish, perch, and speckled trout were eager to bite on the first of June in all of southern Maryland. The deep water just below R16 or Sharkfin Shoal at the mouth of the Nanticoke River is another good place to look for white perch schooled up for the winter. $15 - Resident Annual. Maryland Fishing Report - March 4 March 4, 2020 There are many different signs of spring that we notice for some, it might be the first blooming daffodil or spotting the first osprey. Anglers not wishing to troll may also choose to chum or chunk along steep edges and points. Remember that striped bass fishing of any kind is prohibited during this spawning season. Soaking chunks of baitfish or even chicken breast on fish finder rigs (heavy gear a la surf) should entice bites. jwplayer("jwp-outstream-unit").setup({}); Much of the fishing in the upper Bay is focused on catfish and white perch. So for detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the bay, continue to check out. To see the latest water clarity conditions, check, For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the Bay, check the Maryland DNR website for, . The Natural Resources Police are monitoring the spawning rivers and anglers can face fines and license suspensions for targeting striped bass during this time. Surf fishing is truly for those who love to be outdoors in all conditions. Water temperatures rose to 60 degrees and the striped bass did what they came to do. Expect average clarity for Maryland portions of the Bay and rivers, with very poor water clarity due to algal blooms in the Northeast, upper Bush, Back, and middle Patuxent rivers. Small minnows or marabou jigs under a bobber are a popular way to fish, but casting and slowly retrieving small lures work well also. Water clarity will steadily improve later on this week, and warm air temperatures will help raise water temperatures. This run tends to be several weeks behind their brothers and sisters on the Potomac, so shad could start running there any day this week. Some speckled trout have been found as far north as Eastern Bay. The wonderful spring weather is inviting Marylanders to come outside and enjoy all the wonders nature has to offer like walks through state parks, or fishing along an inviting shoreline or fishing pier. Fallen treetops, sunken wood, marina docks, and bridge piers all offer places to find crappie holding. Maryland Sport Fishing & Crabbing Licenses Upper Chesapeake Bay John Horgan shows off two blue catfish he caught near Port Deposit that are destined for the dinner table. Largemouth bass can be found holding along the edges of grass beds, sunken wood, and similar structure. Captain Mark Hoos. Talk to your captain so you know what fish you are targeting at certain times of the year. Croaker have been rare with only a few small ones reported, mainly in Virginia waters. Snakeheads can be fun on top water baits like your weedless frogs, or by using Mepps spinners, chatterbaits or a weedless fluke. Now is a great time to visit freshwater millponds throughout the region for lunker bass! Surf Fishing - U.S. National Park Service The blue catfish can be found in the Choptank River and the best fishing this week is in the area from Martinak State Park to the town of Denton. Around Assateague Island, anglers will find large black drum and skates chewing well in the surf. Bring your own forked sticks from home, as cutting up nearby bushes is frowned upon by the park service. By Sunday, cockpits of charter and private boats will be festooned with dangling chartreuse and white parachutes and bucktails dressed with large sassy shads, all ready to go for Monday morning. Great experience with excellent captain and son. Daily Angle Ocean City Maryland Fishing Reports | Fish Tournaments Archive: Daily Angle Fishing in Ocean City MD Daily Angle Follow the Daily Angle Ocean City Maryland Fishing Blog and Reports. Photo by Badesh Latchman. If you find structure in the form of sunken wood, bridge piers, or rocks, cast to the sunny side of the structure. Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Reduced water clarity from localized high flows may be present in some areas from possible thunderstorms on Wednesday and Thursday. To see the latest water clarity conditions, check Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps. Surf Fishing - Fishing Reports & News Ocean City MD Tournaments The delayed harvest areas of Town Creek and the Youghiogheny also received substantial stockings, and the Daniels area on the Patapsco River was stocked with 2,000 rainbow and brown trout. However, for those hearty cold water anglers, all water conditions maps, plots and satellite pics will be continuously updated and posted. White perch can also be found in the middle to lower sections of the regions tidal rivers. Yellow perch will be staging in some of the deeper holes in the middle river sections. Along the coast, striped bass measuring less than 28 inches or greater than 35 inches must be returned to the water unharmed. on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website for more information. The other areas to consider are near the water discharges of your local power plants. Fishing for trout in the many put-and-take waters continues to be very popular with many freshwater anglers. Kingfish and spot are being caught on bloodworms, bluefish on cut bait, flounder can be caught on squid, and inshore sharks on large cut bait. The Cedar Point rocks, bulkhead areas, the cuts through Hoopers Island, and the Marsh edges of the lower Eastern Shore are all good places to fish for spotted sea trout. Small flat-sided crankbaits and Colorado blade spinnerbaits worked in the transition zones between deep and shallower waters during the afternoon hours can also be a good choice. From the beaches of Chincoteague to Assateague. Recent reports from the Atlantic coast indicated continued improvement of water clarity in the surf. Chesapeake Bay Fishing Reports - Maryland and Virginia - BayDreaming.com Small jig heads tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworm work well also and perch will be found holding close to dock piers and pilings and under the docks.