Maryland anglers have a wide range of fishing opportunities this week from the freshwater areas to the brackish Chesapeake Bay and the salty Atlantic Ocean. In the Bay, recreational crabbing is very good and anglers are enjoying a wide variety of fishing.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds Maryland recreational anglers that targeting striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries is prohibited through August 31 as a conservation measure to protect this species.
Forecast Summary: August 19 – August 25
Main Bay surface and river mouth water temperatures are holding in the low 80s and will likely continue to remain stable all week. Temperatures in smaller rivers and streams are holding in the upper 70s. Currently there is adequate oxygen in most Bay bottom waters except near Indian Head to the Colonial Beach (Potomac River) and in the Upper Bay, from the Sassafras River down to the mouth of the Chester River area. Due to the continued dry conditions, Bay salinities are running higher than normal throughout Maryland waters. These higher than normal salinities and warm summer waters are perfect conditions for sea nettles, which are currently concentrated between the Bay Bridge and the mouth of the Potomac (and upstream to near the 301 bridge.)
Expect 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 beginning next Tuesday because of the full moon on August 28.
As always, the best fishing areas could be further refined by intersecting them with underwater points, hard bottom, drop-offs, and large schools of baitfish.
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
Fishing for a mix of blue catfish and flathead catfish in the Conowingo Dam pool continues to be a favorite with anglers. The catfish are drawn to the pool by the cool fast-moving water and the constant buffet of pieces of fish coming through the turbines. As one moves down the lower Susquehanna River a mix of blue catfish and channel catfish dominate the fishing scene. Blue catfish and channel catfish can also be found in all the upper Bay tidal rivers, with the Chester holding some of the greatest blue catfish populations.
In many of the region’s tidal rivers the blue catfish can be found in the middle to upper sections of the rivers. In the Chester River, the Crumpton area is a good place to fish. Various cut bait can be used, with menhaden and gizzard shad the most available. Scented chicken meat and other scented baits also work well. A J- style hook on a bottom rig or a circle hook on a sliding sinker rig are the two most popular types of terminal tackle.
Chesapeake Channa (northern snakeheads) are providing plenty of fishing action in the tidal rivers of the upper Bay. Many of the region’s tidal rivers have extensive grass beds, which are excellent habitat for these fish. The tidal rivers on the western side of the Bay are providing a rich food base for them, and they are growing to large sizes. Casting chatterbaits with large soft plastic creature baits hooked in tend to be one of the best lures for catching these larger fish. Colors can vary depending on the angler’s preference, but white soft plastics tend to be the best color during the day and black in the evenings. White paddletails are an excellent choice for fishing in open water along the edges of the grass beds and soft frogs and buzzbaits also work well when fishing over the grass.
White perch offer some fun fishing for anglers this week. Most anglers will agree that the best fishing opportunities occur during the morning and evening hours on a moving tide. Many anglers feel the high flood tide is the best time to fish along shoreline structure. Fishing with small minnows or grass shrimp under a slip bobber is a good tactic, and grass shrimp on a bottom rig tight to structure is popular. The white perch are often holding tight to structure in the form of old piling fields, bulkheads, submerged rocks and piers. Casting small spinnerbaits, and various small lures is also a fun way to fish with light tackle. White perch can also be found at times on oyster bars; a good depth finder will help find them.
Middle Bay
Anglers in the middle Bay are enjoying the influx of Spanish mackerel into the region along with the bluefish that have been in residence for the past month. Trolling has been the most popular and successful way to fish for the Spanish mackerel. Small Drone spoons and gold Clark spoons pulled behind long fluorocarbon leaders and planers are a good setup. The trolling speed is a little faster than what one would employ for striped bass or bluefish.
Bluefish are spread throughout the middle Bay. The larger ones tend to be found along the main channel edges and the smaller ones along the shores in shallower waters. Chumming along channel edges from Bloody Point past Sharps Island Light and down to the CP Buoy is a popular area to chum and drift cut spot for bait. At times anglers have been surprised to catch and release red drum when drifting cut baits in their chum slicks.
Trolling is perhaps the best way to stay away from encountering striped bass when chumming. Trolling surge tube lures behind planers and inline weights is effective. At times anglers may see breaking fish marked by diving sea gulls. This can be a mix of Spanish mackerel and bluefish working over a school of bay anchovies. Carefully moving in upwind and drifting closer while casting metal jigs is a good way to get in on the action.
White perch can provide some summertime action in the region’s tidal rivers and creeks. They usually can be found near structure in the form of docks, shoreline rocks, prominent points, and oyster reefs. The largest white perch tend to be found during the evening and early morning hours near shoreline structure. Fishing small minnows, grass shrimp under a slip bobber or on a simple bottom rig can be effective. Casting small spinnerbaits, spin-jigs and a variety of small lures is a fun way to catch them also. A moving tide is always important for fishing success.
Blue catfish can be found in the upper Choptank River this week and to a lesser extent in other tidal rivers in the middle Bay. Channel catfish can be found in all tidal rivers in the middle bay region.
Lower Bay
Lower Bay anglers are enjoying an exciting mix of fish this week and beginning August 21 they will be able to legally fish for striped bass in the main stem of the Potomac River. In Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake, they will have bluefish, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, cobia, spot, croaker, white perch, and exciting catch-and-release action with large red drum.
The influx of Spanish mackerel has delighted anglers in the lower Bay, and these tasty fish help fill in the gap due to the striped bass closure. Trolling small Drone spoons and gold Clark spoons in the main channels has been the ticket to good catches. Long fluorocarbon leaders and planers are needed to get to the fish, and inline weights help cover the upper water column. Bluefish can be in the mix and can be an indicator that you might be trolling too slow, but if you’re catching Spanish mackerel at that speed, all is good.
When targeting bluefish, trolling at slower speeds with surge tube lures behind planers and inline weights is popular. Anglers who are chumming for cobia will pick up bluefish in their chum slicks when drifting baits back in the slick. Anglers are reminded that they must not use live eels during the striped bass closure. At times anglers might be lucky enough to spot diving sea gulls, which often mark surface action where a combination of bluefish and Spanish mackerel have driven bay anchovies to the surface. Drift in from upwind and cast metal jigs into the melee.
The catch-and-release fishing for large red drum has been spectacular for the past week. Anglers are finding schools of these large fish and jigging with large soft plastics. Shore anglers have also been getting into the action by fishing cut bait. These large fish will really put a bend in your fishing rod. Be sure to use tackle heavy enough that it does not cause undue stress on the fish.
Anglers fishing along the shores of the Bay and sounds with paddletails and similar lures are catching a mix of speckled trout and bluefish. Fishing for white perch along the shores of the region’s tidal river and creeks is a fun diversion, Casting small lures along promising looking shorelines during the early morning and evenings is always fun. Casting grass shrimp and small minnows under a slip bobber along deeper shorelines with structure is a great way to catch larger white perch. Fishing grass shrimp tight to dock pilings is also a good way to catch white perch.
Blue Crabs
Recreational crabbers are approaching the zenith of the 2026 crabbing season. Catches are very good and the larger crabs are heavy. Crabbers are reporting that the largest crabs tend to be coming from waters close to 20 feet deep. A mix of sizes are found at depths of 12-15 feet and shallower depths tend to produce a lot of smaller crabs and light crabs. Trot lining at deeper depths does have a few problems though. Crabbers report that when a strong tide is running, crabs may have a hard time hanging on and can drop off or be found hanging on by one claw.
Freshwater Fishing
The smaller streams and rivers in the western region received a bump in water levels this week, which will help cool water temperatures and good flows are always important to fish species. Summer water temperatures are still elevated in many catch-and-return and fly-fishing-only trout management waters, so anglers should be aware of not tiring trout too much before releasing them.
Largemouth bass provide plenty of fun fishing for anglers in the freshwater and tidal waters of Maryland. Right now they are in a summertime mode of behavior as they adjust to elevated water temperatures and bright overhead sun. They tend to venture close to the shallow grass beds and shoreline structure during the evening hours and will feed through the night. They will retreat as the sun rises high in the sky during the morning hours and look for cool shade during the heat of the day. A dinner buffet presents itself in the shallow grass and shorelines of baitfish, frogs and anything else that looks like food. On overcast days they tend to linger longer in the transition areas outside the shallows before returning to their cool and shady resting places.
Soft frogs, chatterbaits, buzzbaits, and weedless soft plastics are good baits to fish the shallow grassy areas during the early morning and evening hours. Paddletails, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, poppers and jerkbaits are all good choices for the transition waters. Wacky rigged soft plastics and the new urchin baits are excellent baits to dunk close to deep structure or to punch through floating grass mats to entice loafing bass to pick up a bait.
Crappie offer plenty of fun fishing in tidal and nontidal waters this week. They usually can be found holding near structure in moderately deep water. Marina docks, bridge piers, sunken wood, and rock structure all attract crappie, which like to school near such things. A small minnow or marabou jig under a slip bobber are two of the most popular ways to fish for them.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers at Assateague are catching a mix of kingfish, spot and croakers with the occasional flounder. Anglers fishing large baits are catching a mix of blacktip, sandbar, sand tiger sharks, and stingrays. The catch-and-release fishing for large red drum seems to have slacked off.
At the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, large sheepshead and tautog are being caught on live sand fleas and peeler crab. Striped bass are being caught during the early morning and late evening hours but most all fail to meet the 28-inch minimum.
Flounder fishing has been tough due to water clarity issues, so a flood tide often offers the best fishing. Anglers are enjoying good catches of croakers in the channels close to the inlet. Passing rainstorms and wind have caused the back bay waters to be cloudy. Flounder are ambush predators; they can’t go after what they can’t see.
Flounder fishing outside the inlet has been extremely good on shoals, reef sites, and wreck sites. Anglers are catching large flounder and often coming back with limits. Fishing for black sea bass is slow, but anglers are enjoying catching small dolphin and a few triggerfish. Spanish mackerel are being caught by trolling Chrome Clark spoons behind planers. The boats heading out to the canyons are focusing on white and blue marlin. Some yellowfin tuna are being caught and deep drop fishing is producing a mix of blueline and golden tilefish.
“Take my friends and my home—as an outcast I’ll roam: Take the money I have in the bank: It is just what I wish, but deprive me of fish, and my life would indeed be a blank!” – Lewis Carroll, 1832-1895.
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.