Maryland Fishing Report – July 9

---

Forecast Summary: July 9 – July 15:

Expect slightly warmer fishing weather and unstable conditions for Maryland Bay waters this week. There is a chance of thunderstorms all week. As reported by the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures are holding in the mid 80s with river temperatures slightly cooler in the upper 70s. 

With the continued recent rains, Maryland’s drought is over and salinities are normal for most Maryland waters this time of year.  However, some upper Bay areas are fresher than normal. There will be adequate oxygen down to less than 20 feet for the Potomac River from Colonial Beach down to the mouth of the river. However, with the warm Bay surface waters and low oxygen conditions in most of the deeper main Bay waters, this is a stressful time for cool-water game fish such as the striped bass. In the shallower waters, this is the time of the year when oysters are spawning and peak spat set occurs throughout the Bay. 

Expect average water clarity for Maryland’s streams, rivers, and main Bay waters. However, expect reduced water clarity in the west side of the main Bay from the mouth of the Magothy River down to the West River from algal blooms. 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 conditions all week as a result of the full moon on July 11.

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

Anglers are reporting good fishing for striped bass at the Conowingo Dam pool this week. The dam releases are on a typical summer afternoon release schedule. Usually during this time, the best fishing can be limited to the early morning and late evening hours, but the action seems to be extending to midday hours. Most anglers are using 9-foot surf rods loaded with braid to make the long casts to the turbine wash area, it helps to be able to get wet feet also, but wading is far too dangerous due to the steep drop-off. Casting a mix of paddletails, soft plastic jigs, jerkbaits, and crankbaits are popular.

Striped bass are being caught along the edges of the Susquehanna Flats during the early morning hours. The upper Bay waters are warming up and the shallows become even warmer causing striped bass to seek deeper and cooler water as the sun rises in the sky. Casting paddletails and topwater lures has been a very popular tactic with anglers. At times a largemouth bass, Chesapeake Channa, or blue catfish can be part of the mix.

Blue catfish can always be found near the mouth of the Susquehanna and Elk rivers and often found in all the region’s tidal rivers. The Chester River has one of the largest blue catfish populations in the upper Bay. Most cut bait, chicken parts, shrimp, or scented baits will attract blue catfish near the channel edges or in the channels and deeper parts of the tidal rivers. 

Fishing for striped bass in the upper Bay has been a bit of a challenge for anglers lately but there is success to be had. Live-lining spot has been popular near the channel edges at the mouth of the Patapsco River. Anglers should note that demolition of the remaining Key Bridge is beginning this week on the Anne Arundel side, so anglers and boaters will not be able to access that area.

The Love Point rocks and drop-offs along the main channels are always worth checking out. The Triple Buoy area and Podickory Point are two other traditional locations worth a look. Trolling a mix of tandem rigged bucktails or swimshads or umbrella rigs behind inline weights is often a good way to cover water when striped bass are spread out. These same locations can also provide opportunities for live-lining spot or jigging with soft plastics. 

Chesapeake Channa, aka northern snakehead, are holding in the middle to upper sections of the region’s tidal rivers as they stand by the fry balls of their young. Presenting a threat to the fry can cause the parents to attack a topwater lure. Soft-bodied frogs and buzzbaits tend to do a good job of annoying parent fish.

Middle Bay

Bay water temperatures in the middle Bay are holding around 82 degrees this week, but anglers can expect water temperatures in the shallows to reach as high as 89 degrees. Shallow-water fishing during the early morning and late evening is one of the most popular ways to target striped bass right now. To experience the best action, anglers are out before sunrise casting topwater lures and paddletails. Promising-looking shorelines of the mainstem Bay, Eastern Bay, and the mouth of the Choptank River are all good places to give casting a try. Unfortunately, the action does not last very long once the sun is up. 

Live-lining spot along steep channel edges is a good tactic when fish can be spotted on depth finders. Hacketts Point, the edges near Kent Island, Buoy 83 south to the Clay Banks and Sharps Island Light and Breezy Point are always worth a look. Jigging soft plastic jigs at these same sights can also be productive when suspended striped bass are located. Bluefish are in the middle Bay and will be part of the mix whether one is live-lining, jigging, or trolling. If trolling, the bluefish are partial to red or green surgical tube lures. 

White perch are always a summer mainstay in the region’s tidal rivers and creeks, but good white perch fishing has not been easy to find this summer. Grass shrimp is the best bait to use when exploring old docks and wharfs for white perch holding there, bloodworms and peeler crabs can also work. A good running tide is very important when fishing for white perch near structure. A slack tide is not worth the effort and often brings oyster toadfish out to feed. 

Spot and small croaker seem to be everywhere in the middle Bay this summer, most of the spot tend to be small and the croaker although growing tend to measure under the 9-inch minimum. Anyone with a memory of the 1990s hopes that the croakers will continue to grow and bring us the excellent croaker fishing we enjoyed back then.

Some of the best fishing for striped bass in the lower Bay continues to be reported in the lower Potomac and Patuxent rivers. Anglers are catching them by live-lining spot along the steep channel edges of the Potomac from Piney Point to St. Georges Island and anywhere striped bass can be spotted suspended close to the bottom on depth finders. Jigging with soft plastics is also very popular for light tackle anglers. Bluefish will be a part of the mix. 

Trolling is a good way to fish for the bluefish, and red and green surgical tubes lures pulled behind inline weights will get the job done. The mouth of the Potomac, artificial reefs, and the main channels of the Bay are good places to troll. The eastern side of the Bay near the Target Ship can offer up a possible bonus of a cobia. The large red drum are moving out of the shallower areas and can be spotted near the Middle Grounds and the Target Ship area. Trolling large chrome spoons in a trolling spread is a great way to get in on some exciting catch and release action. 

There are recent reports of anglers encountering breaking fish, which are usually bluefish in the 2-4 pound range. Casting into breaking fish is always fun with metal jigs. Anglers might keep a watch on their depth finders for heavy marks underneath and hugging the bottom – they may be large red drum. Jigging with a large soft plastic jigs may hook you up with some exciting catch-and-release action.

Cobia are being found in the lower Bay and most of the action is occurring on the eastern side near the target Ship, but there have also been reports of cobia catches off Smith Point. Sight fishing is always fun and when the waters are calm, spotting cobia and casting a soft plastic jigs or live eel is exciting. A substantial portion of the cobia are short of the 43-inch minimum and must be released. Chumming and placing a live eel at the back and bottom of the chum slick is a traditional way to fish for cobia, cownose rays and the occasional small shark will be part of the mix attracted to your chum slick.

The shallow water fishery in the lower Bay is mostly an early morning and late evening endeavor this week due to rising water temperatures in the shallows. Casting topwater lures or popping corks trailing soft plastic shrimp or peeler crab is a great way to fish over grass beds. A mix of striped bass and speckled trout will be waiting. In some of the deeper waters, casting paddletails is a great way to fish around docks and shoreline structure. 

Spot and croaker can be found throughout the lower bay region this month from the mouth of the Potomac to Tangier and Pocomoke sounds and north to the middle Bay. Most of the spot and croakers are small, but they are getting larger. There have been a few reports of croaker measuring over the required 9-inch minimum. Bloodworms are the bait of choice for spot and artificial baits can work well, croaker love peeler crab. 

Blue Crabs

Recreational crabbers are reporting good catches this week, with the largest crabs coming from depths of 10-15 feet’. Surface waters and shallower waters are getting very warm, and the larger crabs tend to be deep. A portion of the larger crabs have yet to completely fill out from their last shed and may show white bottoms and be light. Reports of large numbers of small crabs and females are more common in the shallower waters. There have been recent reports of algae blooms and dead water episodes in the Maryland shores of the lower Potomac and St. Marys rivers recently.

Freshwater Fishing

The western region of Maryland is offering a wide variety of fishing opportunities this week. Deep Creek Lake is a popular vacation destination, and the reservoir offers plenty of good fishing. Smallmouth bass and largemouth bass can be found holding under or near floating docks and moored boats. Flipping wacky rigged worms or casting a variety of tubes, crankbaits and spinnerbaits is a good way to target them. Drifting along deep grass lines with live minnows sent down deep can entice yellow perch, crappie, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel and possibly a walleye to pick up a bait. Slow trolling a nightcrawler in a worm harness down deep along the dam face is a good way to target trout. 

The trout management waters of western Maryland that cater to fly fishing and catch and release offer plenty of action. The streams and river branches are exhibiting good flow conditions this week. A variety of flies including emergers, dry flies, and terrestrials can work well. The upper Potomac River offers good fishing for smallmouth bass in the morning and evening hours. Casting topwater lures, root beer-colored tubes and small crankbaits can be good lure choices, when cast near current breaks and grass edges. 

The central region reservoirs offer great fishing opportunities for a wide variety of fish. Liberty, Loch Raven, Prettyboy, and Triadelphia all have something to offer to anglers. The DNR website offers a list by county of some exciting places to fish across Maryland and what type of fish you can expect to find. 

Largemouth bass are adjusting to the summer heat like the rest of us. The bass tend to feed during the cooler nights and loaf under some cool shade during the heat of the day. Fishing the transition areas just outside the shallows during the morning and evening hours is a good way to target bass staging. Casting spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits and paddletails are all good choices for lures. If you’re early enough or fishing close to dark, casting soft bodied frogs, chatterbaits, and buzzbaits in the shallow grass can get an explosive topwater strike. When fishing in tidal waters, a Chesapeake Channa may be part of the mix. 

Once the sun is up and largemouth bass have retreated to their shaded refuge, they can be targeted with wacky rigged worms. If they happen to be under a floating mat of grass a weighted wacky rigged stick worm will possibly get them to pick up a bait. Flipping wacky rigged worms under docks and overhanging brush can get the same type of response, which will be a subtle pickup.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Surf anglers had to deal with some choppy surf over the weekend, but conditions have calmed down. Bluefish and flounder are being caught in the surf this week. Anglers fishing larger baits are catching cownose rays and inshore sharks. 

At the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area striped bass and bluefish are center stage for anglers casting a variety of jigs and paddletails. In the evenings when boat traffic has settled down, drifting cut bait is a good way to catch bluefish. Flounder are always in play at the inlet and drifting Gulp baits on the bottom and across the current is a good way to target them. Sheepshead are showing up at the South Jetty and can be caught on sand fleas.

The back bay waters became cloudy over the weekend due to storm activity but are finally settling down. We are now in the height of the summer season and anglers fishing for flounder in the channels need to be extra cautious of boat traffic. Gulp baits and live spot are catching the largest flounder. The minimum size for flounder is currently 17.5 inches.

Fishing for a mix of black sea bass, flounder, and triggerfish is very good this week for anglers fishing on the wreck and reef sites. Farther offshore at the canyons anglers are experiencing excellent catches of yellowfin tuna and a mix of bigeye tuna, dolphin, and white marlin releases. The deep drop fishing for blueline and golden tilefish is very good currently.