Rustin Moore is all smiles with this beautiful red drum that he caught and released in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Photo courtesy of Rustin Moore
We will experience some wet weather for a few days, but the forecast looks good for the weekend. Anglers are enjoying good fishing in all areas of Maryland.
Forecast Summary: September 17 – September 23:
Expect warm and sunny fishing weather and relatively stable conditions for Maryland Bay waters all week. Rain is expected on Wednesday. As reported by the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures are currently in the mid 70s but continue to slowly cool. River temperatures are slightly cooler in the mid 60s.
Salinities are below normal for most Maryland waters this time of year. Oxygen conditions throughout the main Bay are much improved and suitable to at least 35 feet.
Expect average water clarity for Maryland’s streams, rivers, and main Bay waters. 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 through Friday as a result of the new moon on September 22.
Richard Gray caught this large blue catfish at the mouth of the Susquehanna River. Photo by Richard Gray
Power generation water releases from the Conowingo Dam turbines have been barely anything since September 10. Although not ideal for anglers looking for striped bass at the turbine wash chow line, it does open up other fishing opportunities. Fishing for large blue catfish and flathead catfish is often better when flows are diminished, which makes it easier to get a bait to these large catfish and land them. Stout medium-sized surf fishing tackle helps make the task easier.
Fishing for blue catfish continues to be good at the mouth of the Susquehanna River. Fishing for striped bass during the morning and evening along the edges of the Susquehanna Flats has been slow. The striped bass action for anglers who are casting a mix of paddletails, poppers, and soft plastic jigs has been worth the effort inside Baltimore Harbor near bulkheads, large piers, and piling fields during the morning and evening hours.
There are still some spot for live-lining to be found in the upper Bay on hard bottom sites. The Patapsco River and Love Point have been good places to give live-lining a try and the Baltimore Light is always worth checking out.
White perch can be found on some of the knolls and reefs in the upper bay and in the region’s tidal rivers. Bottom rigs baited with grass shrimp or peeler crab works well as do two-hook Sabiki rigs. Chesapeake Channa are providing a lot of action in the upper sections of the tidal rivers on the western side of the Bay.
The Bay Bridge is always worth checking for striped bass holding near the pier bases. A strong tide is needed to drift live spot, live eels, or soft crab baits to the pier bases. The shallower ends of the bridge have been attracting anglers fishing for white perch and spot.
Striped bass anglers are enjoying good shallow water fishing for striped bass in the region’s bay shorelines and tidal rivers. Eastern Bay, Poplar Island, Thomas Point, and the lower Choptank and Little Choptank stand out as some of the best places to fish. Casting a mix of poppers, jerkbaits, soft plastic jigs, and paddletails have been popular lures for striped bass. Speckled trout can be part of the mix for those fishing the lower Choptank and Little Choptank.
Live-lining spot and eels is a popular way to fish this week for striped bass and the Bay Bridge Piers, Thomas Point, Sharps Island Light, and anywhere suspended striped bass can be spotted on depth finders is worth exploring. These same locations also offer jigging opportunities.
Fishing for white perch is fair to good in the region’s tidal rivers near deep water docks and oyster bars. Using dropper rigs outfitted with soft plastic jigs and tipped with grass shrimp or pieces of peeler crab or bloodworm works well. Casting small spinnerbaits, spinners, and paddletails is a fun way to fish for larger white perch along promising shorelines during the morning and evening hours.
Lower Bay
Bluefish continue to be caught this week in the general area of the Target Ship and the main channel south of there down to Cedar Point. Trolling surgical tube lures and spoons is the most consistent way to catch them. The Spanish mackerel catches have declined from last week.
Striped bass are being caught by live-lining spot and jigging in the Potomac River from the Route 301 Bridge to Fort Washington. They are also being caught in the Patuxent River near the Route 4 Bridge by jigging and live-lining spot. Anglers who are jigging and casting paddletails are also catching speckled trout and red drum that are within the 18-27 inch slot size.
Casting paddletails over the grass flats on the eastern side of the bay has been a good way to catch speckled trout and slot size red drum. Fishing for a mix of spot, croakers. and flounder has been good in the Tangier Sound area. The lower Patuxent River is also a great place to catch spot. Sheepshead continue to be caught at the Target Ship on fiddler crabs and peeler crab. Cobia season ends on September 20 and only catch and release will be allowed from September 21 to June 14, 2026.
Blue Crabs
Recreational crabbers are enjoying good crabbing in all regions of the Bay this week. The crabs are still in the middle and upper sections of the tidal rivers and many of the crabs being caught are extra-large and heavy. Water depths of 8-15 feet offer some of the largest crabs. As the tidal river waters cool, crabbers can expect crabs to begin moving down the rivers.
A variety of catfish can also be found in the bay’s tidal rivers and Craig Schuelke pulled this flathead catfish out of the Gunpowder River. Photo courtesy of Craig Schuelke
The trout streams and rivers of the western and central regions continue to experience low flows, predicted rain this week may help elevate those flows. Put and take trout anglers should start thinking about getting their fishing tackle together for the traditional fall trout stocking to take place. The DNR trout stocking website will list the areas stocked as they occur.
The upper Potomac River has been offering good fishing for smallmouth bass this week and the opportunity for shore-based anglers to carefully wade into sections of the river to cast to smallmouth bass. A variety of tubes, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits are popular lures to use. Deep Creek Lake and other reservoirs within the western and central regions provide good fishing for a variety of freshwater fish.
Largemouth bass and Chesapeake Channa are entertaining anglers in the grassy areas of the tidal rivers. Casting frogs, paddletails, spinnerbaits, and wacky rigged plastics works well for the largemouth bass. Frogs, paddletails, and chatterbaits will get the attention of the Channa.
Surf anglers will see some stirred up surf this week due to strong winds and surf. Before the blow anglers were catching bluefish and flounder on strip baits of spot. Pompano were being caught on sand fleas and spot, croakers and kingfish on a mix of peeler crab, small cut bait, pieces of bloodworms and artificial bloodworm baits. This storm may change the fishing scene into the beginning of a fall pattern.
The inlet waters and back bay waters will be churned up this week, the incoming tide may offer the clearest waters for flounder and striped bass fishing. The sheepshead that have been providing excellent fishing along the jetties will most likely sit out the blow and be ready for baits of crab and sand fleas later this week.
It is very doubtful that any boats will be heading out the Ocean City Inlet for the next few days and the offshore waters will be bumpy for a while. Often a blow like this creates better fishing for a variety of offshore species, it will be a new frontier out there towards the weekend, good luck to all.
“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.
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.
