As 2023 draws to a close, Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issues its final weekly fishing report, highlighting the chain pickerel for its sheer excitement and the impending closure of the striped bass season in the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries on December 10. With the season’s end in sight, DNR plans to announce the 2024 limits and seasons during the winter, following concerns about the striped bass’s spawning success over the past five years.
The report forecasts cool temperatures throughout the week, with potential rain and windy conditions. Bay surface water temperatures are now in the mid to upper 40s, with suitable oxygen conditions and slightly higher salinity levels. Anglers are advised to focus on deeper channels where fish settle for winter, especially near structures such as channel edges and underwater points. Warm water discharges from power plants also offer promising spots for gamefish.
Inland, average flows in Maryland rivers and streams are expected, with above-average tidal currents from December 10-13 due to the new moon. The clarity in most waters remains average. DNR recommends using their “Eyes on the Bay” satellite maps for more precise fishing locations.
The upper Chesapeake Bay region reports good smallmouth bass and walleye catches, particularly in the lower Susquehanna River. Blue and channel catfish are also active in the area, with fresh-cut bait proving effective. Striped bass and white perch are moving to deeper waters for warmer temperatures, making trolling with umbrella rigs and tandem rigger swimshads a viable option.
In the middle Bay, water temperatures are slightly warmer, but striped bass are still seeking deeper channels. Jigging with soft plastic jigs and trolling remain popular methods. White perch are holding in deeper waters near the mouths of tidal rivers, and channel catfish fishing remains strong in the region.
The lower Bay focuses on the lower Potomac River, where steep channel edges attract striped bass. Jigging and trolling are the preferred methods here. The lower Patuxent River and other channel edges also offer good opportunities for striped bass fishing. With Bay water temperatures dropping, the warm water discharge areas near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant are becoming hotspots for speckled trout and striped bass.
Freshwater fishing is thriving, with smallmouth bass and walleye particularly active in areas like Deep Creek Lake and the Susquehanna River. Largemouth bass, feeling the cooler water, are moving deeper, with slow-moving lures proving the most effective. Crappie fishing is also good, with schools found near deep structures.
As for the Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays, large striped bass are migrating southward, with many exceeding the legal length limit for catching. The Ocean City Inlet remains a hotspot for striped bass and tautog, while offshore wreck and reef sites produce impressive black sea bass and tautog catches.
For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions, anglers are encouraged to check out the DNR’s “Click Before You Cast” feature on the Eyes on the Bay website. As the year concludes, the DNR extends its wishes for a joyful holiday season and a healthy and happy 2024 to all anglers.
