Cayla Beam is happy to land her first Chesapeake Channa. Photo by Justin Wilson
The summer fun continues across Maryland, as the White Marlin Open in Ocean City has begun and is attracting anglers from many distant ports. Many anglers are also seeking out more local and satisfying fishing such as Chesapeake Channa, AKA northern snakehead, in the Bay’s tidal rivers this week.
Forecast Summary: August 6 – August 12:
Expect warming fishing weather but stable conditions for Maryland Bay waters this week. There is a low chance of thunderstorms this week. As reported by the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures have temporarily cooled to the lower 80s with river temperatures slightly cooler in the upper 70s.
Maryland’s bay salinities are below normal for most Maryland waters this time of year. Along the Eastern Shore from the Sassafras River down to Bloody Point, there is adequate oxygen down only to about 15 feet. In the Potomac River, there will be adequate oxygen down to less than 15 feet from Colonial Beach down to Breton Bay. With the very warm Bay surface waters and low oxygen conditions relatively shallow in the main Bay waters, this is a stressful time for cool-water game fish such as striped bass.
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 upcoming full moon on August 9.
Pancho Villa caught this huge 27-pound flathead catfish at the mouth of the Susquehanna River while fishing with live bait. Photo courtesy of Pancho Villa
Anglers at the Conowingo Dam pool and lower Susquehanna River continue to see a late afternoon and evening power generation schedule this week. Anglers are catching striped bass in the dam pool by casting a mix of paddletails and soft plastic jigs. Anglers report that they are catching striped bass along the edges of the Susquehanna Flats at dawn and to a lesser degree at dusk.
Blue catfish are being caught in the dam pool, the mouth of the Susquehanna and Elk rivers, the Chester River, and to a lesser degree in all the tidal rivers within the upper Bay. Most cut baits, chicken parts, and scented baits work well when paired with a bottom rig.
Striped bass are once more in play and anglers report finding fish suspended along the channel edges leading to the Patapsco River. Other locations where anglers are finding striped bass are near Pooles Island, Bodkin Point shoal, and the Love Point rocks. Most anglers are live-lining spot, but some are having success jigging and trolling.
Fishing for spot continues to be very good in the Chester River opposite Hail Point, the mouth of the Magothy River, and in front of Sandy Point State Park and the shallow west end of the Bay Bridge. Small croakers can be part of the mix at times.
Anglers are enjoying good fishing for white perch on various lumps and shoals in the upper Bay. Jigging with dropper rigs with small soft plastic jigs and shad darts tends to be the most successful way to fish these areas. In the tidal rivers casting spin jigs has been a preferred way to fish for white perch during the morning and evening hours.
Fishing for Chesapeake Channa in the upper grassy sections of the region’s tidal rivers continues to improve as the fish feed more aggressively. The adults are abandoning their parental duties of protecting fry balls and are returning to feeding.
Dave Taylor caught this slot striped bass while casting a topwater lure at Poplar Island early in the morning. Photo courtesy of Dave Taylor
Fishing for striped bass in the middle Bay tends to see the best success during the early morning and late evening hours. Anglers are always drawn to the Bay Bridge when scouting for striped bass and they are finding some success. Drifting with live spot or soft crab baits down current to the bases of the piers at the 30-foot edge on the eastern side of the bridge is reported to give the best results. Casting soft plastic jigs at the pier bases during the early morning hours is always a fun way to fish the bridge piers.
A mix of striped bass and bluefish can be found along some of the steeper channel edges near the Brick House Bar, the Gum Thickets, Stone Rock, and Breezy Point. The Sharps Island Light and up the Choptank River near Cambridge have been an especially good areas to live-line for striped bass this week. Live-lining spot is a very popular way to fish and when bluefish show up, many anglers are using cut spot with good success for the bluefish and striped bass. The Department of Natural Resources website includes a map to help familiarize anglers with some of the traditional fishing locations in the middle Bay, along with additional maps on the webpage.
Trolling is another option to target striped bass. The striped bass are suspended along channel edges so inline weights or planers are being used to get lures down to where the fish are holding. Red and green surgical tube lures are working well for bluefish and Drone spoons and bucktails for striped bass. The False Channel and the channel edge below Buoy 83 have been good places to troll.
Fishing the shallower waters in the lower sections of the tidal rivers, the Poplar Island rocks, and Bay shorelines during the very early morning hours is always a fun light-tackle way to fish. Water temperatures have dropped slightly but the shallower waters are warmer, and fishing for striped bass tends to shut down once the sun clears the horizon. The evening hours offer another option for casting poppers and paddletails; a few speckled trout have been part of the mix lately.
Fishing for a mix of spot and small croakers continues to be good in many areas of the middle Bay. The key to good fishing is finding hard bottom. Some of the traditional locations include the waters off Chesapeake Beach, Tolly’s Point, Eastern Bay, and Black Walnut Point. White perch are being found in the lower sections of the region’s tidal rivers near docks, piers, submerged rocks, and similar structure. Grass shrimp and peeler crab make good bait. Casting small spinnerbaits and spin jigs during the morning and evening hours along promising shorelines is a fun option.
Lower Bay
Eric Packard has a little fun with a northern puffer that are becoming more common. Photo courtesy of Eric Packard.
Fishing for bluefish is very good this week throughout the lower Bay but there are some standout locations. The area around the Point No Point reef, the Target Ship, and the HS Buoy are providing excellent fishing. Trolling a mix of Drone spoons, surgical tube lures in red and green behind planers and inline weights is very popular. At times anglers encounter breaking bluefish chasing bait and casting metal jigs to them provides a lot of fun fishing. A few Spanish mackerel are beginning to show up in the melee. Cobia and large red drum may be found lurking underneath the surface action and holding close to the bottom.
Cobia are being found near the Target Ship, Smith Point, and Point Lookout; they tend to be scarce but a few are being caught by sight fishing and chumming. Large red drum are being caught and released out in the main portion of the bay near the Target Ship, Mud Leads, and the Middle Grounds.
The best striped bass fishing is being reported in the lower Potomac River along the steep channel edge between St. Georges Island and Piney Point. Jigging and live-lining spot are two of the most popular ways to fish there. The lower Patuxent, Cedar Point, Cove Point, and Point No Point are other locations where striped bass are being found. Bay waters are still in the low to mid-80s so any striped bass to be released must be done quickly and in the water to prevent stress mortalities.
A mix of spot, croakers, blowfish, small sea bass, and kingfish are being caught by anglers targeting spot and croakers. The lower Potomac near Point Lookout and up to Cobb Island, the lower Patuxent, Tangier Sound, and Pocomoke Sound are all good places to fish. White perch may overlap in some areas and can be found in the tidal rivers and creeks.
During the 1960s and early 1970s northern puffers or blowfish dominated the inshore fishing scene along the east coast. Anglers would stock up their freezers with these good-eating fish and often called them “chicken of the sea”.
Blue Crabs
Recreational crabbing has been good for the past couple of weeks. Crabs are being caught in all regions of the Bay, with a full bushel of crabs per outing being common in the lower and middle regions and a half to full bushel in the upper Bay. The largest crabs tend to be deeper, and small crabs tend to populate the shallower waters. Blue crabs have moved far up some tidal rivers, for instance in the Choptank they can be found deep as far upriver as Denton.
Young August Beverly caught his very first fish, a bluegill sunfish while fishing on Loch Raven Reservoir with his dad and has started what promises to be a long fishing career. Photo by Rich Beverly
Anglers are enjoying good fishing for a variety of species in the western region this week. There is good fishing in the catch-and-release trout management waters and fly anglers get to enjoy enticing trout with a variety of terrestrials, dry flies, and streamers. There is always plenty of elbow room on these streams during the summer months and the mountain streams are always a great way to get away from the heat of summer. The reservoirs offer plenty for largemouth bass and many anglers just wish to enjoy catching various sunfish species.
The central, southern, and eastern reservoirs, tidal waters, and ponds offer plenty of local fishing fun for anglers no matter what they’re fishing for. Just getting out on a peaceful body of water is a reward in itself.
Largemouth bass always tend to take center stage during the summer months, and they remain active, which creates plenty of fishing fun. The largemouth bass tend to feed during the late evening hours and through the night in shallower waters but can be found during the day holding close to shade in the form of docks, overhanging brush, sunken wood, and thick grass mats.
These same areas of shade and refuge also attract Chesapeake Channa in the tidal rivers throughout the Chesapeake Bay system. Casting soft frogs, chatterbaits, and paddletails are excellent ways to lure them into striking a bait.
Thomas Zurowski Jr. holds up a big sheepshead that he caught at the inlet recently. Photo courtesy of Thomas Zurowski, Jr.
Surf anglers continue to enjoy a variety of fishing in the surf of Assateague Island this week. Those fishing small baits of bloodworms, artificial bloodworm baits, peeler crab, sand fleas, and squid are catching kingfish, spot, croakers, blowfish, flounder, and a few pompano. Fishing larger cut bait will attract bluefish, large red drum, inshore sharks, and sting rays.
Fishing at the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area is best done very early in the morning and evening or at night. The White Marlin Open is in progress this week and traffic of large sportfishing boats will be heavy. Anglers have been doing well at night drifting cut bait and catching striped bass and bluefish. Sheepshead are being caught near the jetties and bridge piers on sand fleas and fiddler crabs.
A mix of flounder, croakers, and small black sea bass are being caught in the back bay waters. The channels leading from the inlet are going to be a busy area, so be careful of large sportfishing boats. Sinepuxent Bay might be a safer place to fish.
Outside the inlet and out to approximately the 20-fathom line, anglers who are trolling are catching a mix of bluefish, Spanish mackerel, false albacore, and small dolphin. The inshore wreck sites are holding large flounder and even a few cobia this week. The wreck and reef sites a little farther offshore are providing good fishing for a mix of black sea bass, triggerfish, flounder, and small dolphin.
At the canyons this week the White Marlin Open fleet is plying the waters in search of that elusive winning white marlin. A significant number of white marlin have been released that did not meet the qualifying weight and a huge 929.5-pound blue marlin has been brought to the scales. Deep drop fishing for blueline tilefish continues to be a good way for anglers to take some fish home when trolling is not productive.
“I get all the truth I need in the newspaper every morning, and every chance I get I go fishing, or swap stories with fishermen, to get the taste of it out of my mouth.” – Ed Zern, 1977
Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Click Before You Cast 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.
