Summer is here in Maryland, and with school out for the season, families are heading outdoors to take advantage of some great fishing opportunities across the state. Here is a look at what anglers can expect for the week of June 24 through June 30.
Forecast Summary: June 24 – June 30
Water temperatures in the main Bay and at river mouths have climbed into the upper 70s and are expected to keep rising throughout the week. Smaller rivers and streams are also sitting in the upper 70s. As the water warms, oxygen levels near the bottom are dropping. Most Bay bottom waters still have adequate oxygen, though areas near Quantico to the Wicomico River on the Potomac River, and from Swan Point down to the Bay Bridge area, are exceptions.
River and stream flows are expected to run below average across most of Maryland. Water clarity throughout most of the Bay and its rivers should be near average. Anglers should be aware that tidal currents will be stronger than usual from Friday through Tuesday due to the full moon on Monday, June 29.
Upper Chesapeake Bay
The Conowingo Dam Pool and lower Susquehanna River remain a popular destination for upper bay anglers. Striped bass, flathead catfish, and blue catfish are being caught by casting and drifting cut bait near the turbine wash area. Other anglers are using topwater lures, crankbaits, and paddletails in the dam pool and river, picking up striped bass and Chesapeake Channa. The same mix of fish is being found along the edges of flats during the early morning and late evening hours.
Striped bass are being caught throughout the upper bay using several different methods. Live lining spot or drifting cut bait is popular along channel edges near Turkey Point, Pooles Island, Swan Point, and Love Point. Anglers are reminded that only non-offset circle hooks may be used when targeting striped bass with live or cut bait.
Those same areas are also productive for jigging with soft plastics or trolling with umbrella rigs. Anglers fishing in the Patapsco should note that access near what remains of the Key Bridge is limited to areas outside of the exclusion zones.
Blue catfish are widespread throughout the upper bay. Larger female blue catfish are still in their spawning phase but are being caught alongside smaller males. Channel catfish are also present in most areas, though they often get overlooked compared to blue catfish.
White perch fishing remains a challenge, but persistent anglers can find them. The knolls and reefs in the upper bay are worth checking using depth finders, then fishing bottom rigs baited with grass shrimp or bloodworm pieces. Creeks and tidal rivers are holding white perch near shoreline structure such as steep banks, rocks, old pier pilings, and points. Spin-jigs, spinners, small spinnerbaits, and soft plastic jigs work well during the early morning and late evening hours.
Middle Bay
Striped bass fishing at the Bay Bridge piers has been good this week. The most popular approach is live lining or drifting bait back toward the pier bases when the tide is moving. The 30-foot drop-off on the east side of the bridge is a favorite spot. Casting soft plastic jigs at pier bases, concrete abutments, and rock piles has also been productive. The shallower waters on the west side of the bridge are a good spot to catch spot and white perch.
The Kent Narrows continues to produce striped bass for anglers live lining spot or jigging. White perch fishing there has also been solid. One angler, Dave Haber, got a pleasant surprise when he landed a nice sheepshead while fishing the Kent Narrows. High salinity levels in the bay — a result of the ongoing drought — are drawing species farther up the bay than usual.
Channel edges from Kent Island down to Bloody Point are worth exploring for striped bass with depth finders. Once fish are located suspended off the bottom, live lining or jigging can be effective. Trolling is another solid option for covering channel edges. The channel edge from Buoy 84A down to Stone Rock, as well as the False Channel and Thomas Point, are also productive areas. The 30- to 35-foot depth range tends to be a sweet spot for suspended striped bass.
With water temperatures now in the upper 70s, anglers are encouraged to release striped bass quickly, particularly those that fall outside the legal slot size. Guidelines for safe catch-and-release practices are available through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Shallow water fishing for striped bass during morning and evening hours continues to be very productive. Poppers, Zara Spooks, and paddletails are popular lure choices. Anglers should also watch for roving schools of cownose rays, which have been stirring up the shallows.
Blue catfish are being caught in the Choptank River from the Dover Bridge to Denton this week, with most catches consisting of smaller fish and a mix of channel catfish. Anglers fishing bottom rigs for white perch report being overwhelmed with small 12-inch blue catfish.
White perch fishing has been better in the lower sections of tidal rivers and creeks. Casting small spinnerbaits, spinners, and soft plastic jigs along shorelines during morning and evening hours is both fun and effective. Grass shrimp or bloodworm pieces fished near deep-water docks and oyster beds have also been producing results.
Lower Bay
The lower bay region offers a wide variety of fishing action this week. Large schools of red drum have moved in and anglers have experienced blitz-style fishing near the Target Ship, the Middle Grounds, Smith Point, and the Point Lookout area. Casting large soft plastic jigs and heavy chrome spoons into these schools has made for exciting catch-and-release fishing. These red drum are expected to stick around, so the action should continue throughout the week.
Cobia are also moving into the lower bay. Anglers have been attracting them into chum slicks off Smith Point and the Middle Grounds, and the areas around the Target Ship and Point Lookout are expected to be productive as well. Live eels are producing the best results. Anglers report that a fair number of the cobia being caught are coming in slightly under the 43-inch minimum total length. Cownose rays, bluefish, striped bass, and possibly inshore sharks may also show up in those chum slicks.
Striped bass opportunities are plentiful in the lower bay as well. The steep channel edges in the lower Potomac River between St. Georges Island and Piney Point are good for live lining spot or jigging. The lower Patuxent River, Cedar Point, and Cove Point are productive areas for finding striped bass suspended near the bottom. The 30-foot depth range has been consistently productive for those live lining, jigging, or trolling. Bluefish are also a significant part of the catch in these areas. Shore anglers at Point Lookout are reporting bluefish catches as well.
Shallow water fishing along shorelines and river mouths with light tackle is entertaining anglers casting topwater lures and paddletails during morning and evening hours. Good locations include marsh edges and grass beds on the eastern side of the bay, the St. Marys River, the Cedar Point Rocks, and the Hooper Island cuts.
Spot, croaker, and white perch fishing is excellent in the lower Potomac and Patuxent rivers, Tangier Sound, Pocomoke Sound, and the Hooper Island area. Larger spot are found in deeper water, while smaller ones suitable for live lining are in the shallows.
White perch in the lower bay can be found in tidal rivers and creeks. Oyster lumps are good spots to fish dropper rigs or bottom rigs baited with grass shrimp or bloodworm pieces. Small spinnerbaits, spin-jigs, and spinners are good choices for targeting larger white perch along structured shorelines during morning and evening hours.
Blue Crabs
Recreational crabbing has been challenging in some areas this week. Upper bay crabbers are having a particularly tough time. The lower bay, especially on the eastern side, has been the most productive. Middle and lower bay crabbers are finding the best catches in relatively shallow water, between 4 and 7 feet deep. Crabs dropping off trotlines has been a recurring problem. Most crabs being caught are around 6 inches or larger and reported to be full.
Freshwater Fishing
Vacationing anglers at Deep Creek Lake will find a variety of fishing options this summer. Younger anglers can enjoy catching bluegills off floating docks. Boat anglers can fish deep grass lines with live minnows to target yellow perch, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, and possibly walleye. Smallmouth and largemouth bass can be found off rocky points in the early morning and in the shade of floating docks and fallen shoreline timber during the day.
The upper Potomac River received a small boost in water levels from recent rainfall, but flows are generally typical for summer. Low, clear water calls for careful, stealthy approaches, lighter line, and longer casts. Wading is popular in the summer heat, but anglers should watch their footing. Tubes, topwater lures, small crankbaits, and soft plastics are all effective options.
Recent fish survey work at Piney Reservoir found that some saugeye stocked as fingerlings a few years ago have now grown to 24 inches or more. Liberty and Triadelphia reservoirs hold true-strain walleye and a wide variety of other sought-after species. Prettyboy, Piney Run, and Loch Raven are also popular and productive reservoirs in the central region.
Largemouth bass have settled into their typical summer routine — seeking shade during the heat of the day and feeding in shallower waters near grass and structure at night. Wacky-rigged plastics are a great choice when fish are in a less active mood. During the morning and evening hours, topwater lures, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and paddletails worked near shallow grass can draw strikes.
Chesapeake Channa will also be part of the mix when fishing grass beds. Soft frogs, chatterbaits, and buzzbaits are productive choices. Anglers are catching some impressive Chesapeake Channa lately, which may indicate they are moving away from their fry balls and feeding actively to recover after spawning.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Beach fishing at Assateague Island and Ocean City has settled into a summer rhythm. The large migrating striped bass are long gone, but anglers fishing with large baits are finding red drum, bluefish, sandbar sharks, blacktip sharks, and stingrays. Kingfish can be caught on bloodworm or artificial bloodworm baits. Casting jigs with a strip of squid may produce a flounder or two.
At the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, sheepshead are being caught on sand fleas. Bluefish and striped bass are being landed on jigs during early morning and evening hours. Drifting cut bait in the evening is a productive method for targeting striped bass and bluefish.
Flounder fishing is good throughout the back bays, with fish spreading out through the system. Anglers should be aware of heavy boat traffic in the back bay channels and inlet during peak summer hours. The area in front of the Ocean City Airport is often a reliable spot to drift for flounder.
During the early morning and evening hours, striped bass are being caught near the bridge piers of the Verrazzano and Route 90 bridges. Most are slightly under the 28-inch minimum size, but they offer fun catch-and-release action. Soft plastic jigs and paddletails are the most popular baits.
Outside the inlet, Spanish mackerel and bluefish are being caught by trolling a combination of Drone spoons and Clark spoons. Flounder are being caught on inshore lumps and shoals. Black sea bass fishing has been good at wreck and reef sites — limits are rare, but most anglers can put together a solid catch. Triggerfish have also arrived and are adding to the mix.
At the canyons, boats trolling are bringing in a mix of yellowfin and bluefin tuna. While catches could be better, most boats are managing to bring a few tuna back to the dock. Many captains are also incorporating deep drop fishing into their charter trips to bring back golden and blueline tilefish.
The Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, a fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The Forecast Summary is written by Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Director Tom Parham. Maryland anglers are encouraged to participate in DNR’s Volunteer Angler Surveys, which allow citizen scientists to contribute valuable data to the monitoring and management of important fish species.
