There is much excitement in the Chesapeake Bay fishing community this week, as many areas will be open to striped bass anglers to keep a fish within the slot size. Starting Friday, May 1, anglers can keep one striped bass per day measuring 19-24 inches in the Chesapeake Bay from the Brewerton Channel to the Virginia line, excluding all bays, sounds, tributaries, creeks and rivers, except Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds and all Potomac River tributaries downstream of the Nice Memorial Bridge (U.S. 301). The spawning rivers will still be off limits to all fishing for striped bass. Anglers trolling will still be limited to six lines, barbless hooks and no stinger hooks.
Freshwater anglers are enjoying trout fishing, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fishing is good, and our younger anglers are enjoying fishing with family members.
Forecast Summary: April 29 – May 5:
As reported from the buoys, main Bay surface and river mouth water temperatures are holding around 60 degrees. Smaller rivers and streams temperatures are also holding in the 60s. However, smaller streams and downwind areas on a sunny day will warm faster and will often hold water temperatures in the upper 60s. Such areas in low salinity areas will continue to be prime areas to look for hickory shad (about 55-65 degrees) as they continue to spawn in Maryland waters the next couple of weeks.
Expect below average flows for most Maryland rivers and streams. Expect average clarity for most Maryland portions of the Bay and rivers. To see the latest water clarity conditions on NOAA satellite maps, check Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps. There will be above average tidal currents all week as a result of the full moon on May 1.
For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the Bay, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay’s Click Before You Cast.
Upper Chesapeake Bay
The striped bass spawn at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and surrounding areas is ending and the post-spawn striped bass are headed down the Bay, eventually bound for New England’s ocean waters. Once they cross they cross south of the boundary line between Abbey and Worton points, anglers can practice catch-and-release. Beginning May 1, anglers below the Brewerton Channel may keep one striped bass per day within the 19- to 24-inch slot.
Anglers are trolling and jigging along the main channel in the upper Bay this week. Light tackle anglers are also finding striped bass along the shallower Bay shore waters by casting paddletails, jerkbaits and glide or twitch baits.
There are still some hickory shad to provide catch-and-release action in the lower Susquehanna River, Octoraro Creek, and near the mouth of Deer Creek. There is no question that the hickory shad spawning runs are a fraction of what they used to be in the area. The question remains as to why. Once they head out to the Continental Shelf to live their lives, what happens is unknown to us. A variety of colorful flies, shad darts, of various colors, as well as small gold and silver spoons all work well under certain conditions.
Anglers are enjoying catch-and-release fishing for largemouth bass at the Susquehanna Flats grass beds as well as the region’s tidal rivers. Chesapeake Channa (northern snakehead) are also part of the mix.
White perch are moving into the lower Susquehanna River, and anglers are reporting the larger females have arrived. Casting small jig heads tipped with grass shrimp or a piece of minnow works well. A bottom rig baited with grass shrimp or pieces of bloodworm will also get the job done.
Fishing for blue catfish is excellent this week in the upper Bay tidal rivers; anglers are seeing some of the largest blue catfish coming from the Conowingo Dam pool and out in the Bay. The Chester River holds some of the greatest numbers of blue catfish. Cut bait and scented baits are all desirable for blue catfish whether fishing from a boat or from shore.
Middle Bay
Post-spawn striped bass are coming down from the upper Bay spawning sites, and striped bass have been leaving the Choptank River for weeks. Water temperatures in the middle Bay are holding at 60 degrees or slightly above.
Light-tackle anglers have been enjoying good catch-and-release fishing in the shallows of the Bay’s shores and soon they will be able to keep a slot-sized striped bass. The waters of the Bay are extraordinarily clear this month due to the lack of rain, so sight fishing in the shallows is a fun option. Topwater lures offer the most fun, and paddletails are another excellent choice.
Trolling the channel edges is another popular option once the harvest season begins, but anglers need to be aware that only six lines can be trolled. Lures must be barbless and no stinger hooks. If fishing with bait, non-offset circle hooks are mandatory and eels are prohibited as bait.
White perch are being found in the lower portions of the tidal rivers and moving into their typical summer habitat. When fishing deeper waters, small jigs tipped with grass shrimp or small minnows or bottom rigs baited with pieces of bloodworms work well. As they move into areas around structure in the form of docks, prominent points, jetties, and oyster bars, a simple bottom rig baited with grass shrimp or pieces of bloodworm is very popular.
Blue catfish can be found in the Choptank River in good numbers. There are blue catfish in all the region’s tidal rivers and creeks to a lesser extent. The area from the town of Choptank to Denton tends to hold the greatest numbers of blue catfish due to high salinity values.
Lower Bay
Many of the larger post-spawn striped bass from the Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers have moved through the region but many the smaller male striped bass will be found lingering about. Light-tackle anglers can enjoy casting topwater and paddletail lures along the shallower waters along the bay shores or jigging in the deeper channel waters. Trolling and jigging will be popular along channel edges.
The steep channel edge on the east side of the Bay from Buoy 76R to 72B, Cove Point, Cedar Point, Point Lookout, and Smith Point on the west side are traditional haunts for striped bass. In the Potomac, the steep edge from St. Georges Island to Piney Point is always worth a look, as is the Route 4 Bridge area on the Patuxent River.
White perch can be found in the lower portions of the region’s tidal rivers, and they are steadily moving towards their summer season areas. Black drum are being caught in the Tangier Sound area on peeler or soft crab baits.
The hickory shad and American shad spawn runs in the Potomac River in Washington D.C. has been hindered due to extremely low flows this month. Anglers have been moving up close to the Chain Bridge for the best catch-and-release fishing. The pool waters at Fletchers Landing have been unproductive. The predicted rain later this week may transform this fishery to a more active status.
Blue catfish are providing a lot of fishing action in the Potomac River from the Route 301 Bridge to the Wilson Bridge, with some of the better fishing farther up the river due to higher salinities. The Patuxent River above Benedict to Jug Bay and the Sharpstown area on the Nanticoke are good places to fish for blue catfish.
Freshwater Fishing
Trout anglers continue to enjoy weekly stockings of trout in the state’s put-and-take and special regulation management waters. Trout anglers are going to witness fewer stockings, and they will gravitate towards the western region where water temperatures are cooler. Many streams and rivers are experiencing low flows due to the lack of rainfall this month, making difficult conditions for trout.
Largemouth bass are beginning to spawn in many regions of the state; due to chilly conditions the western region is usually a little later. The catch-and-release season for largemouth bass will continue till June 16, after which the harvest season opens for tidal and nontidal waters with a minimum length of 12 inches and a daily creel limit of five fish. The transition waters outside of the shallower spawning areas is a good place to target the larger female bass, while the males tend to hold close to the spawning beds before and after the females are present.
Chesapeake Channa are active in many of the same areas where tidal largemouth bass can be found. They can be caught on a variety of lures but the white paddletail stands out when fishing near grass or structure. Grass beds are forming up and will form cover during the summer months. Fishing large minnows under a bobber or popping cork in open water is another good spring tactic.
Smallmouth bass have been spawning in the upper Potomac River and Deep Creek Lake for a couple of weeks. The upper Potomac River continues to experience low flows with clear waters. Anglers are relying on long casts with light lines towards emerging grass beds, current breaks, and deep pools. A mix of tubes, swimbaits, crankbaits and craw jigs can all be good choices.
Crappie finished spawning in late March/early April and can be found holding near structure. Marina docks, fallen treetops, bridge piers, sunken wood, and sunken brush are all to the liking of crappie in tidal and nontidal waters. Small minnows under a slip bobber are one of the most popular ways to fish for crappie, but marabou jigs also work well.
The fishing rodeo season for youngsters is continuing. These events provide a wonderful environment for youngsters to find success while fishing in a safe family environment. Please check the DNR website for information on Maryland’s fishing rodeo program and schedule by county.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers are enjoying a run of black drum along the beaches of Assateague and Ocean City this week. Sand fleas and clams are popular baits. Large striped bass and bluefish are also moving along the beaches on their northward migration. Most anglers are using cut bait in the form of menhaden and report that the head tends to resist being chewed up by clearnose skates and dogfish.
At the Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 Bridge areas, anglers are catching and releasing large striped bass by drifting cut bait during the evening and nighttime hours. During the early morning and evening, smaller striped bass are being caught and released by anglers casting paddletails and soft plastic jigs. Tautog are also in the mix near jetty rocks, bulkheads and bridge piers and are being caught on sand fleas. Flounder continue to move through the inlet towards the back bay waters.
The channels leading from the inlet are the place to be when fishing for flounder this week. Striped bass continue to provide plenty of fun catch and release action during the morning and evening hours near the Verrazzano and Route 90 Bridge piers. Casting paddletails or soft plastic jigs is the popular way to target them.
Charter and private boats headed out to the inshore and offshore wreck and reef sites are finding good numbers of tautog and flounder. Pieces of crab have been the most popular bait.
“Nothing is more trying to the patience of fishermen than the remark so often made to them by the profane: ‘I had not patience enough for fishing!’ ” – Arthur Ransome, 1929
Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Forecast Summary is written by Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Director Tom Parham.
A reminder to all Maryland anglers, please participate in DNR’s Volunteer Angler Surveys. This allows citizen scientists to contribute valuable data to the monitoring and management of several important fish species.