Okay, maybe striped bass don’t really go on vacation and even if they did, they aren’t exactly visiting the National Aquarium. But considering that there’s a major metropolitan area perched on its periphery, the number of rockfish that chooses to hang out in the Patapsco is utterly shocking. As is the number of white perch. And there’s also a healthy population of catfish and carp, and in upriver areas and creeks there are snakehead to be found. What gives? None of the fish we’ve polled have been willing to comment. But there’s gobs of structure to be found in this river, and while the water quality may not be the best it’s certainly not as bad as it used to be. So the next time someone says “let’s go to Baltimore,” whip out this article and show them the five places you’d like to go.

patapsco river fishing hotspot map
Check out these five fishing hotspots on the Patapsco River.
  1. The Big City. Sort of. You can see it from here, anyway, but what we’re interested in are the docks and riprap slightly downriver of the skyscrapers. Spots like Harbor Point, Hull Street Park, the north side of Lazaretto Point, and Fort McHenry have riprapped shorelines that can all be productive for rock and perch. Some of the piers can be quite productive, too, not the recreational marinas but the big old commercial piers. Look for the ones that are ancient and falling apart (or just pilings are left) and remember that it’s very deep around them, so probing 10’ to 20’ down can prove productive during midday hours when fish are looking for a cooler climate and the bite gets tricky.
  2. Ferry Bar Park and Channel. This zone of the Patapsco also has gobs of structure including both riprap and piers. Plus it has the Hanover Street Bridge, which creates a fish-attracting light-line for those bold enough to try night fishing in the area. A relatively strong influx of freshwater here makes it a carp hotspot at times. Kayak trollers are known to do well trolling east-west along the channel edges from the underwater point east of Ferry Bar Point to the shallows on the other side of the bridge. One word of caution for boat anglers: it’s very shallow and easy to run aground on the big mud flat south of Ferry Bar Channel.
  3. Curtis Creek. Although thoroughly industrial in most areas, Curtis Creek has surprisingly good fishing (and crabbing, too). The points to either side at the creek’s mouth and the riprap on the second set in are a good starting point for perch and rockfish, and the drop-offs between them are a solid bet for catfish. As you go up the creek there are several ship “graveyards” which offer excellent structure for casting to rock and perch, and once you get up beyond the Furnace/Marley split you’re in snakehead territory.
  4. The Key Bridge and Fort Carroll. Well… the structure around the bridge used to be THE spot, but as it stands you’ll have to take note of the safety zones and restricted areas. Fort Carroll, on the other hand, remains approachable 360-degrees. This tends to be an all-or-nothing kind of spot for rockfish. Sometimes there are lots around, other times there are none. Perch anglers have more consistent results here, especially if they cast Perch Hounders up to the edges or bottom rigs baited with bloodworms when the fish are deeper. And in the late fall it isn’t at all uncommon to encounter schools of rockfish breaking water under birds in this area.
  5. Sparrows Point. Though it certainly doesn’t look very fishy, the slag-covered shorelines of Sparrows Point does sometimes hold fish and is worth checking out; casting jigs on half-ounce heads up to the shoreline and bouncing them back will fool the rockfish. An even better bet is often the big pier at the mouth of the little harbor on the south side. It has a zillion pilings in deep water, and when the sun’s high in the sky live spot cast right up to the edges of the pilings or slinging jigs into their shadows often produces rockfish.

While many of these areas aren’t exactly picturesque, they do hold fish. And there’s a certain charm to getting a bent rod in an urban landscape. If that sounds intriguing, it might be time to start planning your Baltimore vacation.

angler with rockfish in the patapsco river
Adam and the kids caught ‘em up in the shadow of Baltimore.

Red Alert: Fee Free Fishing

Baltimore has several spots which are license-free fishing areas, so you can try wetting a line in the Patapsco even if you’re not exactly a dedicated angler and you don’t have a boat or kayak. Canton Pier, Broening Park, and Canton Waterfront Park are all exempt from the usual requirements. Learn more at the DNR’s License-Free Fishing Area webpage.