Maryland Fishing Report – September 10

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Forecast Summary: September 10 – September 16:

Expect warm and sunny fishing weather and relatively stable conditions for Maryland Bay waters all week. There is a chance of rain 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.  In the Potomac River, there will be adequate oxygen down to about 25 feet in the Colonial Beach area but improving downstream towards Point Lookout. Recent breezy conditions, cooler nights, and shortened days have cooled Bay surface waters and improved low oxygen conditions in the main Bay waters. 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has developed a striped bass habitat conditions mapping tool that uses our newly developed water temperature and dissolved oxygen-based thresholds for Maryland’s resident striped bass. This tool can help you identify your local fishing hotspot (Swan Point Bar, Summer Gooses, etc.) and the current conditions so you can find the best locations to fish.

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 full moon on September 8.

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Upper Chesapeake Bay

Anglers fishing for striped bass at the Conowingo Dam pool continue to line up close to the fence and make the long casts towards the turbine wash with soft plastic jigs and paddletails. The dam has been on a pattern of afternoon and evening power generation, but has skipped a few days recently. During these calm conditions fishing for large blue catfish has been a bonus in the dam pool and in the lower Susquehanna River. 

Anglers report that fishing for striped bass has been very slow along the edges of the Susquehanna Flats and nearby channel edges recently. What little action that does occur is happening during low light conditions. Paddletails and poppers have been two of the more popular lures being used for casting. 

Blue catfish are very active in the lower Susquehanna and nearby waters. The deep hole below the railroad bridge on the Susquehanna is a very popular location to target large blue catfish. The area around Pooles Island and the Chester River are two other hotspots but anglers should note that blue catfish can be found in every tidal river in the upper Bay. 

Anglers looking for striped bass in the Patapsco River are finding a few along channel edges and near structure by live-lining spot. There have been a lot of ups and downs in water quality as low dissolved oxygen waters move through the system, so anglers need to be patient. Everyone is waiting for the traditional fall pattern to occur, and it will eventually begin to develop. Anglers are also finding striped bass within the Inner Harbor near piers during the morning and evening while casting paddletails. 

There has not been much striped bass action reported out in the main part of the Bay this week. White perch are being found on some of the knolls and lumps in the upper Bay. Dropper rigs with small soft plastic jigs are popular and tipping them with Fishbites or grass shrimp helps to entice white perch to strike. Spot are still being found in the Chester River and in front of Sandy Point State Park and some of the knolls and shoals in the Bay. Anglers report a fair percentage are eating size but there are still plenty small enough for live lining. A few more chilly nights and lower water temperatures will encourage them to head south. 

Chesapeake Channa can be found in most of the region’s tidal rivers and the grass beds of the western shore’s waters tend to provide some of the best fishing opportunities. Casting paddletails, soft frogs, and fishing large minnows are good ways to target them.

Middle Bay

Fishing for striped bass in the middle Bay can be a little frustrating for some anglers this week, but those that persist are getting into some action. Structure in depths less than 20 feet tends to be a key factor in many areas. The Bay Bridge piers on the east side of the bridge, near the 30-foot contour and shallower, are producing catches on a good running tide. Live lining spot or fishing soft crab or fresh cut spot have been working when drifted up near the pier bases. Casting soft plastic jigs at the pier bases also is worth the effort. The morning and evening hours on a running tide tends to be the best time to fish.

Thomas Point, Sharps Island Light, the Poplar Island rocks, and promising looking shorelines of the Bay, Eastern Bay, and the lower Choptank are reported as good places to fish during the morning and evening hours. Overcast days extend those hours. Jigging with soft plastic jigs in the deeper waters and casting paddletails and poppers in the shallower waters have been working well.

Bluefish of various sizes can be found in the middle Bay, mostly on the eastern side. The area around the Sharps Island Light and the False Channel area are reported to be good places to troll a mix of surgical tube lures and small spoons behind inline weights and planers. 

Fishing for blue catfish is good in the Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek; many anglers have been fishing the upper sections of both waterways with good success. The blue crabs are beginning to descend the Choptank and will not be fussing with baits. Fishing for Chesapeake Channa is very good this month and fishing in the grassy areas of Dorchester County tidal waters is always fun. 

White perch can be found in the tidal rivers near docks, piers, and oyster reefs. In the deeper waters dropper rigs using small soft plastics or Sabiki rigs tipped with grass shrimp or peeler crab are working well. A simple one hook bottom rig baited with grass shrimp is a great way to fish for white perch holding close to dock pilings. 

The lower Bay region offers a variety of exciting fishing options this week. An influx of Spanish mackerel in the past week has livened up the trolling community who have been catching mostly bluefish for the past month. Most anglers who are targeting the Spanish mackerel are trolling small Drone spoons of various color schemes and gold Clark spoons behind planers. Mixing in surgical tube lures will attract the bluefish. The channel areas near the Target Ship, Cedar Point, and Point No Point are a few of the better places to target these two fish. 

Striped bass are being found in the tidal Potomac this week. Jigging along channel edges or live lining spot are two very popular ways to target them. The steep channel edge from St. Georges Island to Piney Point has been a good place to live line and jigging near the Route 301 Bridge has been popular.

The cobia season will end on September 20, and it seems to be going out with a fizzle. Cobia are being caught but many fail to make the required 43-inch minimum. Chumming and drifting live eels to the back of the chum slick has been a popular way to fish. Large red drum have been elusive, but some are being caught near the Target Ship, the Middle Grounds, and Tangier Sound. Often, they are spotted by slicks or by depth finders and jigging with large soft plastics or dropping soft crab baits are popular ways to fish. Sheepshead are being caught near the Target Ship on fiddler crab or peeler crab baits. 

Fishing for a mix of spot and croakers is very good this week at the mouth of the Patuxent, Tangier Sound, Pocomoke Sound, Point Lookout, and near Hoopers Island. Many of the croakers are now measuring over the 9-inch minimum and the spot are now pan size. Anglers may also see a mix of kingfish, small black sea bass, and northern blowfish in the mix. 

Blue Crabs

Recreational crabbers are enjoying good to excellent crabbing in all three regions of the bay this week. Extra large crabs are making up a large portion of the catches and many show signs of getting ready to shed. Crabbers report the largest crabs are coming from deeper waters of 12 feet to 15 feet.

Freshwater Fishing

Summer vacation crowds are thinning out at Deep Creek Lake and cooler waters mean better fishing for a variety of species. During the day targeting floating docks and moored boats with wacky-rigged stick worms or similar soft plastics is a good tactic for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass seeking shade. Drifting along deep grass edges with minnows will entice large yellow perch, crappie, and smallmouth bass.

Flows in the western and central region creeks and streams are low so stealthy approaches will be necessary when fishing for trout in the gear-restricted catch and release trout management waters. The upper Potomac water levels are also low, long casts with light lines will help with smallmouth bass fishing success. Tubes, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and small crankbaits are all good lures to choose from.

The many reservoirs that dot the Maryland landscape from the far western borders to the central region all offer excellent fishing opportunities this week. A list of these areas and what type of fishing can be expected can be found at the following website link.

This is an excellent time to fish for largemouth bass due to cooler water temperatures. The largemouth bass are aggressively feeding on a variety of prey, working the edges of grass looking for crayfish and baitfish. Small crankbaits, paddletails, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits are all good lure choices. Targeting sunken wood with wacky rigged plastics or anywhere largemouth bass may be holding during the day is a good tactic. 

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Surf anglers are enjoying fishing for pompano along the beaches of Assateague, along with a mix of kingfish, croakers, spot, flounder, and bluefish. At the inlet area, sheepshead and tautog are being caught along the jetty rocks on sand fleas and fiddler crab baits. Flounder fishing in the inlet has been good and striped bass and bluefish are being caught by casting soft plastic jigs or drifting cut bait.

The back bay waters are slowly clearing up after being stained by Hurricane Erin. The incoming tide has proven to offer some of the better flounder fishing due to the influx of cleaner water. Gulp baits have been catching some of the larger flounder and anglers fishing with squid are enjoying catching croakers. 

The anglers fishing at the offshore wreck and reef sites are enjoying good catches of black sea bass and a mix of triggerfish and flounder. Anglers targeting flounder at the inshore wreck and reef sites are catching limits of large ones. 

Anglers fishing at the canyons have been enjoying exceptional catch-and-release fishing for white marlin and returning to port with many release flags flying. Gaffer size dolphin and a few yellowfin tuna are also being caught while trolling. Small dolphin are being found near the lobster buoys and caught by casting lures with spinning gear. Blueline tilefish are rounding out catches for anglers fishing at the canyons.