Maryland Fishing Report – April 22

As reported from the buoys, main Bay surface and river mouth water temperatures are holding around 60 degrees. Smaller rivers and streams temperatures are also holding in the 60s.However, smaller streams and downwind areas on a sunny day will warm faster and will often hold water temperatures in the upper 60s. Such areas in low salinity areas will continue to be prime areas to look for hickory shad (about 55-65 degrees) as they continue to spawn in Maryland waters the next couple of weeks.

Expect below average flows for most Maryland rivers and streams. Expect average clarity for most Maryland portions of the Bay and rivers. However, expect reduced water clarity from algal blooms on western shore from the Bush down to Patapsco River and on the Eastern Shore near the mouth of the Chester River. 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 on Tuesday as a result of the full moon on May 1.

For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the Bay, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay’s Click Before You Cast.

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Upper Chesapeake Bay

The Susquehanna River is experiencing low flows this week, which is not a bad thing. The waters are a bit clearer and warmer due to the lack of influx from the dam releases. The area above a line from Abby Point to Worton Point is still closed to catch-and-release fishing for striped bass, but there are plenty of other fishing opportunities. The hickory shad are being caught in the Susquehanna River up to the Conowingo Dam, at the mouth of Deer Creek, and in Octoraro Creek. Small flashy spoons in gold and silver, shad darts of various colors and brightly colored sinking flies are all good choices for lures.

There are a few reports of small male white perch nosing into the Susquehanna and those numbers will increase in the next week or so, followed by the larger female white perch. The Susquehanna Flats grass beds are developing, and largemouth bass and Chesapeake Channa may be found near the edges of the grass. Many of the tidal rivers in the upper Bay also hold good populations of tidal largemouth bass and Chesapeake Channa.

Fishing for blue catfish and flathead catfish is good near the dam, and blue catfish can be found near the mouths of most of the region’s tidal rivers, particularly  the Susquehanna, Elk, Chester, and Gunpowder rivers. Salinity values in the upper bay are elevated due to the lack of rain so the mouths of the tidal rivers may hold the most promise of finding large blue catfish. Cut bait of gizzard shad, menhaden, or white perch make good baits as does chicken liver and a variety of scented baits. Anglers are urged to use circle hooks since there may be some hungry striped bass where you’re fishing. 

Anglers fishing Sandy Point State Park beach for blue catfish are urged to be prepared if you hook a striped bass by accident. Anglers should be wearing knee boots at shoreside areas, so fish are released in the water and not dragged up on the shore and have their slim layer compromised. Stout tackle is in order, and the use of circle hooks help prevent deep hooking and promote an ethical release of a striped bass. The DNR website includes some catch-and-release tips. 

Anglers in the upper Bay are finding catch-and-release fishing opportunities in a variety of locations. If trolling the main channel edges are a good place to troll large bucktail, sassy shad lures or to jig when fish can be spotted on depth finders. The mouths of the major tidal rivers in the region are also worth checking out. The Love Point rocks and the Bay Bridge piers are locations to cast paddletails and soft plastic jigs.

Middle Bay

Anglers are seeing increasing numbers of large post-spawn striped bass leaving the Choptank River this week. Water temperatures in the upper Choptank hit 68 degrees last week and have dropped slightly due to cooler weather. Bay water temperatures are around 60 degrees. There was spawning activity last week that ended last Saturday, and those fish will be found in the middle and lower Bay regions this week. 

Trolling along the edges of the main channels is always a popular tactic, but the shallower waters should not be overlooked. Trolling bucktails with sassy shads in chartreuse is very popular, and jigging with 6-inch soft plastic jigs is also popular when fish can be spotted on depth finders. Anglers are urged to keep watch for schools of menhaden that can lead to finding striped bass nearby. 

May 1 will be here sooner than we think, at which time anglers will be able to keep a striped bass measuring between 19 inches and 24 inches in the area below the Brewerton Channel south to the Virginia line, with exception to the tidal rivers. To be informed on where to fish, check the striped bass regulation map site.

White perch are making their way down the spawning rivers and will soon spread out to their summer habitat locations around the bay’s tidal rivers and creeks. They tend to be in deeper waters as they move downriver so a bottom rig baited with either grass shrimp, minnows or pieces of bloodworm. Unfortunately, the Choptank River also has small 10-inch to 14-inch blue catfish; anglers are advised not to release them back into the river but to dispose of them properly. 

April is a great time to fish for blue catfish in the Choptank River. Water temperatures are ideal for them to be moving out of the deeper channels to feed at nearby shelves and shallower channel areas. The section of the river from the Dover Bridge to Denton, and up the Tuckahoe past the Route 328 Bridge are excellent places to fish for them. Most cut bait will work well, and some anglers count on live bait in the form of small white perch, bluegill sunfish, or large minnows as well as scented baits.

Anglers looking for striped bass catch and release action this week will see post spawn striped bass moving out of the Choptank, Nanticoke, Patuxent, and Potomac rivers. The fish will not stick around long as they head south towards the ocean. The only thing that will cause them to pause are the schools of menhaden that have moved into the lower bay region. Find the schools of menhaden and you will find striped bass. 

Often the schools of menhaden get swept along in the swift current along channel edges, but they can be found in shallower waters as well. Trolling and jigging along the channel edges is a very popular way to fish this week for striped bass. The shallower waters along the Bay shores will be a good place for light tackle anglers to cast a variety of lures for striped bass passing through those areas. 

Catch-and-release fishing for hickory shad continues to be very good this week in the Potomac River within the District of Columbia and the Mason Branch of Mattawoman Creek. American shad are also starting to show up in the Potomac River for anglers fishing larger shad darts in the deeper waters.

White perch are moving down the spawning rivers on both sides of the Bay and providing fun fishing for anglers intercepting them as the perch head for their summer season habitats. The white perch will most likely be in deeper waters as they move down the rivers so fishing small jig heads and bottom rigs baited with grass shrimp or bloodworms will be favored choices. 

This month is a great time to fish for blue catfish, the water temperatures are just right, and the catfish are very active. The Potomac from the Route 301 Bridge to the Wilson Bridge, the Patuxent from Benedict to Jug Bay and the Sharptown/Marshyhope area of the Nanticoke are excellent places to fish for them. Anglers are reporting increasing numbers of blue catfish in the Wicomico and Pocomoke rivers.

Freshwater Fishing

Trout anglers continue to enjoy good fishing in the put-and-take trout management waters this week as stockings occur each week. For trout anglers who enjoy catching but not keeping fish, there are delayed harvest and catch-and-release management waters in the central and western regions. For information about the management zones and recent stocking head to the DNR trout stocking website. 

Deep Creek Lake water temperatures are about 51 degrees this week. Anglers are finding good fishing for a variety of species. Fishermen at Deep Creek Lake are now finding fish such as bluegills, pickerel, and largemouth bass moving into the warmer and shallower waters of the lake, particularly in coves. This can make for some good fishing opportunities for bank or wading anglers. Largemouth bass are moving towards structure, such as fallen treetops. Walleye season opened on April 15 with a minimum size of 15 inches and creel of five per day, with a protected slot of 18-21 inches. The upper Potomac River flows are very low this week, and smallmouth bass are spawning.

Largemouth bass are transitioning from a pre-spawn mode of behavior to beginning to enter the shallow spawning areas where male largemouth bass have carved out nest sites. Look for the female largemouth bass in transition areas outside of the shallow spawning sites. A wide variety of lures will work. Spinnerbaits, paddletails, jerkbaits, stick worms, crankbaits and soft plastics can all be good choices. 

Chesapeake Channa (northern snakeheads) are becoming more active as water temperatures warm. Often the sunny afternoons offer some of the best opportunities on shallow and sun-exposed shores. Casting white paddletails is one of the most popular ways to fish currently. Dead sticking a large minnow under a bobber is always a good idea for a little extra action, just give that bobber a glance now and then. 

Crappie have finished spawning in most areas and can be found holding near shoreline structure, marina docks and bridge piers. Various species of sunfish are moving into shallower waters and can provide a lot of fun fishing with light spinning and fly-casting tackle.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Surf anglers are enjoying excellent fishing for black drum this week along the beaches of Assateague. Sand fleas, peeler crab and clams make good baits. Anglers report there are plenty of dogfish and clearnose skates in the mix. If the dogfish are large enough to fillet the meat makes a wonderful treat when placed in a smoker or used as fried fish nuggets. If they have pups, ammonia levels can be high and sometimes soaking the fillets in milk will help. Anglers are also catching striped bass that are moving up the coast, the creel limit is one per day, measuring 28-31 inches. 

Flounder continue to move through the Ocean City Inlet and are providing good fishing in the inlet and the channels leading from the inlet. Tautog are being caught in the inlet and Route 50 Bridge areas, near rocks, bulkheads and dock and bridge piers. Sand fleas have been the most popular bait.

Fishing for striped bass is providing a lot of fun fishing in the inlet area, and the Route 90 and Verrazzano Bridge piers. Casting paddletails and soft plastic jigs have been the most popular way to fish for them. The action is mostly catch and release since striped bass fall short of the 28-inch minimum. 

Local charter and private boats have been venturing out to the inshore and offshore wreck and reef sites in search of tautog. Results have been good lately and anglers are finding flounder as well. 

Public notices have been sent for the 2026 black sea bass season and summer flounder season – check DNR’s public notices webpage for all updates.