Maryland Fishing Report – March 19

Forecast Summary: March 19 – March 25:

Spring is arriving and signs are everywhere – peepers are peeping, trees are budding, and the crocuses are blooming. As the days grow longer and increasingly warmer, Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay waters are also warming for gamefish moving to spawn. Main Bay surface water temperatures have risen to the upper 40s. River temperatures have also risen to  the upper 40s/low 50s. However, smaller streams and downwind areas on a sunny day will warm faster and will often hold water temperatures closer to the mid 50s. Such waters in low salinity areas will be prime locations to look for yellow perch.

Expect average flows for most Maryland rivers and streams. However, recent flows to Maryland waters are running below normal, so salinity is slightly above normal for this time of year. Except for reduced water clarity near Tolchester from an algal bloom, 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 on Wednesday as a result of the previous full moon on March 14.

For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay’s Click Before You Cast.

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. 

Anglers are catching post spawn yellow perch in the North East, upper Bush, and Chester rivers this week, and enjoying the push of white perch that are moving into the spawning areas. Anglers often must cull through a lot of small white perch when fishing the spawning runs, so using shad darts and small soft plastic jigs will keep you in the action until some larger fish move through your location. Placing scented Gulp tiny baits on your shad dart or a piece of minnow will help entice white perch to strike your shad dart. White perch love grass shrimp, but with large numbers of small perch it doesn’t take long to run out of bait.

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. A smaller number of white perch are being encountered in the Hillsboro area of the Tuckahoe. Casting shad darts with an enticement of Gulp bait or a piece of minnow or grass shrimp is very popular. A few hickory shad have been caught in the Greensboro area by anglers casting shad darts for white perch. 

A mix of channel catfish and blue catfish can be found in all the region’s tidal rivers this week. The blue catfish can be found in all of the region’s tidal rivers, but the Choptank River holds the greatest number of blue catfish. The section of the Choptank from the Dover Bridge area to Denton presents the greatest promise. Cut bait of gizzard shad, menhaden or white perch tend to be the most popular baits.

Frank Holden caught this large blue catfish in the Blackwater River of Dorchester County. Photo courtesy of Frank Holden

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. 

The yellow perch spawning runs in the region’s spawning rivers are about over and white perch are quickly filling in. There are still opportunities to catch post-spawn yellow perch in the rivers below the spawning reaches. Small lip-hooked minnows are the most popular bait. The white perch can be caught on shad darts and small soft plastic jigs. The tributaries to the Potomac River, the Patuxent River, Wicomico, and Nanticoke rivers all have good white perch spawning runs. 

Blue catfish are an excellent target species this month, they are becoming more active and can be found in some of the deeper holes in the tidal rivers. Cut bait of gizzard shad, menhaden or white perch make excellent baits. The Potomac, Patuxent, Nanticoke and Wicomico rivers offer excellent fishing opportunities. Even small tidal rivers can offer good fishing for blue catfish.

Tom O’Connell caught this walleye that fell between the 15-inch and 20-inch slot. Photo by Tom O’Connell

This will be a big weekend for our aspiring young trout anglers who are under the age of 16. On March 22 trout anglers under the age of 16 will be able to fish all Closure 1 areas from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. The creel limit will be two trout per child younger than 16 years of age. Good luck to our young anglers and parents who will enjoy watching and taking plenty of pictures. 

Hatchery crews and fisheries biologists have been busy stocking trout for the traditional opening day of trout season on Saturday, March 29. Start time is 6:30 a.m. for all Closure 1 trout management waters. The trout stocking website can offer information on areas stocked and maps showing where trout were stocked. 

Due to low water levels in the Lower Gunpowder River, this area will not be stocked for youth day or for the opening day of put-and-take trout season. These fish have been re-allocated to Little Falls, Little Gunpowder, Patapsco Avalon, and Deer Creek. Staff will monitor flow and if water levels permit, the Lower Gunpowder River will be stocked in April. 

The upper Potomac River is offering good fishing this week for smallmouth bass and walleye. Anglers are casting a mix of flukes, grubs, small crankbaits for the walleye and smallmouth bass. Current breaks, deep eddies and submerged ledges are excellent places to target.

Fishing for chain pickerel continues to be very good this week in both tidal and nontidal waters. The smaller chain pickerel can be found along shorelines, usually holding near sunken wood. The larger chain pickerel, which are often females and full of eggs this time of the year, can often be found in more open and deeper waters. Large suspended jerkbaits or inline spinners rigged with soft plastics are a good way to target the larger chain pickerel. Swimbaits, spinners and spoons are good lures to target the smaller chain pickerel. 

Crappie are offering good fishing this month and can be found near structure. Marina docks, fallen treetops, sunken wood, and bridge piers are good places to target. A small minnow or marabou jig under a slip bobber is a good way to target them. Sunfish are also very active now and provide plenty of fun on light spinning tackle or lightweight fly rods. 

Photo by Kane Bounds, courtesy of Scott Lenox

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.