Angler Jerome Ries caught and released this 45.5″ Red Drum in the Chesapeake Bay.
Opportunity is often described as a favorable or promising combination of circumstances. This certainly describes what is available for anglers in Maryland this time of the year. Hot days and the cooling effects of water with the bonus of catching fish, it’s hard to get better than that.
Forecast Summary: August 7-August 13
Cooler weather with substantial rains through Friday will make for uncomfortable fishing conditions for the early part of this week in Maryland’s waters. As reported from the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures are very warm at 87⁰F at Annapolis and near 85⁰F for the Patapsco and Goose’s areas. Potomac and Susquehanna River temperatures are holding in the upper 80’s but will likely cool in the next few days with the heavy rains. Maryland’s part of the Bay continues to run fresher than average. Areas with suitable amounts of oxygen (>3mg/l) are holding at typical summer conditions, however, when combined with high water temperatures, current conditions continue to be stressful for many Bay gamefish. On the Potomac River, continue avoid the low oxygen areas below 15’ between the Wicomico River and St. George’s Island. On the main Bay, from Tolchester to Bloody Point, avoid areas deeper than 25’ while from Bloody Point south to the State line, avoid areas deeper than 35’.
Expect average water clarity for the Maryland portion of the Bay. However, expect declining water clarity in rivers and streams as a result of the upcoming heavy rains. To see the latest water clarity conditions on NOAA satellite maps, check “Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps.” As a result of recent rains and rains predicted from tropical storm Debby, expect increased flows for many of Maryland rivers and streams. There will be above average tidal currents conditions through Saturday as a result of the new moon on Sunday, August 4th.
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 detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area, check the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Click Before You Cast website.
Upper Chesapeake Bay
Photo courtesy of Theodore Florian
Power generation at the Conowingo Dam continues to be an evening into late night schedule this week, so the dam pool is very calm during the early morning hours and water releases are more active in the evening. Anglers are catching a mix of blue and flathead catfish in the dam pool as well as striped bass, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. A little farther down the Susquehanna, fishing for blue catfish and striped bass tends to be the most popular venture. The striped bass fishing is limited to the early morning hours along the edges of the river channel and surrounding shorelines, once the sun clears the horizon, the fishing shuts down.
Reports are coming in from the mouth of the Patapsco River and the Pooles Island area that striped bass fishing picked up right where it left off before the closure. Most anglers are live lining spot along the channel edges, and the best fishing success occurs during the early morning hours.
Water temperatures near the Patapsco River are holding around 84 degrees which is tough on striped bass when practicing catch and release, so anglers are urged to release fish quickly and to use stout tackle to reduce fight time. The following website link can help reinforce the best catch and release procedures for anglers fishing for striped bass. https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pages/catch-and-release.aspx
Fishing for blue catfish is very good this week in most areas of the upper bay. The mouth of the Susquehanna, the Elk River, Chester River and near Pooles Island tend to be hotspots for blue catfish. Most any kind of cut bait or alternatives in the form of chicken liver or chicken parts will work well. Blue catfish will also go after live spot and lures meant for striped bass. Chesapeake Channa are also being caught in the tidal rivers of the upper bay this week. Theodore Florian caught this big one in the Gunpowder recently.
White perch can be found in the bay holding on shoals and knolls and can be caught using a bottom rig baited with pieces of peeler crab or bloodworms. In the early morning and evening hours casting small spinnerbaits, Beetle-Spins and Roadrunner type lures near promising shoreline structure is a great way to target the larger white perch.
Middle Bay
Photo courtesy of Herb Floyd
Anglers are enjoying good fishing for white perch and a mix of spot and small croakers on the west side of the Bay Bridge this week in the shallower waters. Peeler crab and pieces of bloodworm are popular baits. There is a limited amount of striped bass fishing during the early morning and late evening hours near the bridge piers. Drifting live spot, eels, soft crab or cut spot towards the pier bases is a popular tactic. Casting soft plastic jigs close to the piers is another method of fishing for striped bass at dawn.
Recently, anglers are finding good shallow water fishing for striped bass, white perch and a mix of red drum and speckled trout during the early morning and late evening hours. The striped bass are being caught on paddletails, poppers, soft plastic jigs and jerkbaits. The white perch are being caught by casting a mix of small spinnerbaits in white or chartreuse, Beetle-Spins and Roadrunner lures along promising looking shorelines. Red drum measuring around 12” or so are being caught by anglers casting for white perch. Slightly larger red drum, slot size red drum and speckled trout are being caught by anglers fishing for striped bass.
The rocks and shorelines of Poplar Island, Thomas Point, Eastern Bay and the mouth of the Choptank have all been good locations to give casting a try. Anglers fishing in the Poplar Island area may notice fish that are tagged with telemetry tags from an ongoing NOAA study.
Anglers who keep their eyes on the horizon are encountering schools of breaking striped bass out in the main part of the bay on both sides of the bay. Many of these breaking fish tend to be striped bass in the 16” to 18” size range with some measuring over 19”.
Small croakers seem to be everywhere this summer and those of us who remember the wonderful croaker fishery in the late 90’s, with plentiful catches of 14” and longer croakers hold great anticipation. It is hoped that these small croakers will provide a future fishery equal or greater. Memories of bottom fishing with peeler crab baits close to port on a quiet summer evening is not easily forgotten.
Lower Bay
Photo by Eric Packard
The lower bay region offers a wide variety of fishing this week. Perhaps on the top of the list is the arrival of the Spanish mackerel. Schools of Spanish mackerel can be found at the mouth of the Potomac River, along the edges of the main channels in the bay and Tangier Sound. Trolling small Drone, Clark spoons and similar spoons behind #1 planers at about 7 knots is a very popular way to fish for Spanish mackerel. At times anglers may be lucky enough to encounter schools of Spanish mackerel and bluefish chasing schools of bay anchovies. Speed reeling a metal jig through the breaking fish is a good way to catch the Spanish, slower retrieves will often allow bluefish to chase down a jig.
Trolling at slower speeds with spoons and surgical tube lures behind planers and inline weights is a great way to target bluefish and there is always a possibility that a cobia will chase down a surgical tube lure or a large red rum attack a large spoon. For this reason, many anglers are placing a variety of lures and sizes in their trolling spreads. The main channels in the bay and especially near Point Lookout, the east side channel edge below Buoy 76, the Target Ship area and Tangier Sound are popular places to troll or look for breaking fish.
Slot size red drum are being caught along with a mix of speckled trout, striped bass and bluefish along the shallow waters of the bay shores this week. Casting a mix of topwater lures, paddletails, soft plastic jigs, spinnerbaits and small crankbaits are popular lures to use. The lower Potomac near Point Lookout, Hoopers Island, Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sound are excellent places to fish.
Large red drum are being found near Point Lookout, the Target Ship area, the Middle Grounds and Hoopers Island. At times they can be spotted on the surface chasing bait, other times slicks will reveal their presence, or they can be spotted on side scan depth finders. Jigging with large soft plastics is popular or dropping soft crab baits to the drum also works well for some fun catch and release action.
Cobia have been a bit sparse in Maryland’s portion of the bay but anglers who are patient and drift live eels of cut bait to the back of their chum slicks are catching a few. Smith Point and the Target Ship area are popular places to set up a chum slick. Some anglers will be lucky enough to spot cobia swimming close to the surface when waters are calm, cast to them with large soft plastic jigs or live eels.
Fishing for white perch remains a fun endeavor throughout the lower bay region’s tidal rivers and creeks. Many anglers are having fun casting a mix of small spinnerbaits, Beetle-Spins and spinner jig type lures with good success for larger white perch along promising shoreline structure, small red drum will be part of the mix. Others are fishing deeper waters with peeler crab baits at locations near the mouths of the region’s tidal rivers. Small croakers and the occasional kingfish are part of the mix and if pieces of bloodworms are used for bait spot will tend to dominate catches.
Those that fish for them are catching flounder near Point Lookout and Tangier and Pocomoke sounds along channel edges with hard bottom shelves. White or Pink Gulp baits have been popular baits. Sheepshead are being caught at the Target Ship on peeler crab baits.
Recreational Crabbing
Recreational crabbers are experiencing better crabbing this week as compared to several weeks ago. The extra-large crabs are filled out and readily available in most areas. The catches in the upper bay region have greatly improved, the middle bay region is good, and the lower Eastern Shore region offers the crabbers the ability to catch a bushel of heavy crabs. Razor clams continue to be a favored bait and the price is down enough this season to make them more affordable.
Freshwater Fishing
Photo by Rebecca Krampf
Anglers at Deep Creek Lake continue to enjoy a typical summer pattern of fishing for most species in the lake. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are a very early morning or late evening adventure with boat traffic playing a major role in fishing success. Quiet coves and isolated shorelines usually offer the best opportunity for fishing grass beds and sunken wood. Fishing under floating docks and moored pontoon boats is the place to look for bass during the day and will often take putting a wacky rigged worm or a tube right in there where they live. Some anglers have really developed a knack for skipping their baits like one skips a flat stone right under the docks. Rocky Gap State Park Reservoir is also a great place to fish and Asher Krampf holds up a large redear sunfish to prove it.
The upper Potomac is running low this week and many anglers are enjoying the relief of wading while others are carefully fishing from small boats. The early morning and evening hours offer the best fishing opportunities for smallmouth bass. Casting poppers and small white buzzbaits are popular offerings when casting to riffles and current breaks.
The lower Potomac River water temperatures are still holding in the high 80’s so the largemouth bass tend to be a bit sluggish. The same can be said for most other tidal rivers. Most fishermen are reporting that the last of the ebb tide and the first two hours of flood offer the best fishing. Small 4” soft stickbaits or small crankbaits have been working well near small streams or marsh guts emptying into the river. Spinnerbaits retrieved slowly along grass bed edges can also work, as well as poppers in the grass early in the morning or late in the evening. In most tidal waters Chesapeake Channa will be an exciting part of the mix when fishing topwater lures.
Fishing for largemouth bass is always a summertime favorite at the many small ponds and larger reservoirs across the Maryland landscape, this week is not different. In the early morning and evening hours casting a variety of topwater lures in the shallower areas is always a fun and exciting way to fish for largemouth bass. Casting spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and soft plastics near the edges of grass and cover in the form of sunken wood and fallen treetops is always a good bet.
Summer is a great time to fish for smaller panfish such as bluegills in lakes and ponds. Small rubber legged poppers on a fly rod can offer some exciting fishing or simply casting small lures with an ultra-light spinning outfit. Bobbers, worms and small children are another opportunity that should also not be missed. Lazy summer evenings are a great time to enjoy some company with a friend or a family member, a few beverages and maybe a sandwich, while watching a fishing rod propped in a forked stick on the river or lakeshore.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Photo by Monty Hawkins
The big news in the Ocean City area this week is of course the White Marlin Open and there have been some notable catches including two large blue marlin, a qualifying white marlin and some large bigeye tuna. Some weather is forecast towards the end of the week so many boats are getting in their allotted days of fishing as soon as possible.
Surf anglers continue to enjoy a nice summer mix of kingfish, spot and croaker in the surf. Those fishing finger mullet or cut mullet are catching bluefish and a red drum now and then. At the inlet when boat traffic is down anglers are catching bluefish and striped bass by casting soft plastic jigs and Got-Cha lures. At night drifting cut bait is a good way to fish for bluefish. Sheepshead are being caught at the South Jetty and inlet bulkheads on sand fleas.
Flounder fishing has been good in the back bay channels this week, but anglers are warned to be careful in the East Channel and Thorofare due to large sportfishing boats here for the White Marlin Open. Channels farther away from the inlet and Sinepuxent Bay can offer calmer conditions. Larger baits of spot, finger mullet and Gulp baits offer better opportunities for larger flounder.
Fishing for black sea bass remains very good this week and it is not uncommon for anglers to catch limits of sea bass. At times small mahi mahi (chicken dolphin) and flounder to round out the mix.
The boats headed out to the canyons this week have done well, with two large blue marlin, some notable bigeye tuna and large dolphin being caught. The large fleet of sportfishing boats fishing in the tournament is always a great way to show us what is out there.
“I love fishing. I can think of no greater pleasure than to sit alone toward the evening by the water and watch a float.” – Anton Cherhov 1896
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.
This report is now available on your Amazon Echo device — just ask Alexa to “open Maryland Fishing Report.”