Freshwater Fishing Report, July 2020

Freshwater Fishing Report, July 31 Update:

Snakehead. Snakehead snakehead snakehead.... Snakeheads are dominating the freshwater fisheries right now. Although the bite isn’t as strong as it was earlier this year, with their high tolerance to heat, delicious meat, and eagerness to bite, they're a top choice for freshwater anglers looking for a catch they can feel good about eating. They're pretty easy to find right now, but some hotspots mentioned to us this week were the Gunpowder, Middle River, upper Pax, tribs of the Potomac, Rappahannock, Blackwater, and Wicomico. Chatter baits and plastic frogs are great baits. Tochterman's and Angler's both mentioned that just about any topwater bait will do for them right now. Time of day you're fishing hasn't mattered too much, unlike other species.

largemouth bass caught form shore
Lewis did well, catching several largemouth on spinnerbaits mid-week. Photo courtesy of Eric Packard

Largemouth have been pretty finicky in the heat. They're in the normal summer mode, and can be found around structure. Early in the morning and during dusk are the best times to fish for them. Contributor Eric Packard reports that wacky worms continue to be a good option for them, and also mentioned that he found the area where a feeder creek entered the pond he was fishing a few days ago held the most fish; looking for similar spots will be a smart move no matter where you fish, as these high temps mean fish will be seeking out areas with cooler water and higher oxygen content.

We only heard from one trout angler this week, and he reported that low water levels had the fish in full-on spooky mode. Stealth is a priority, until the water levels come back up. He did mention that terrestrials scored a few bites. Note: the recent rains and those about to hit can change that a bit in some areas, so expect localized difference in water quality for the immediate future. We also has a report from a reader who fished the upper Patapsco for smallmouth, and said the Rebel Wee Craw got consistent hits and although the fish were mostly small, he “lost count at 10 and caught more than that.”


Freshwater Fishing Report, July 24 Update:

Water temperatures in lakes and streams are still super-high, and during the heat of the day you should expect the fish to get lethargic and retreat into deeper water and/or shade. This has been affecting bass fishing at all the area reservoirs, including the larger lakes such as Lake Anna and Deep Creek, which both seemed to take a hit during the day. Deep Creek outfitters suggested planning your excursions for the early morning when the heat hasn’t driven fish out of the shallows and mentioned that the bite at the break of dawn and dusk have been solid. Crappie and bluegill have stayed active for the most part, however, their location also changes throughout the day depending on where the sun is. This remains true at St. Mary’s Lake, too, where the Tackle Box reported crappie were active in the deep water by the spillway.

letting a bass go
Bass are still munching on Wacky Worms, though the mid-day heat can put a damper on things. Photo courtesy of Eric Packard

Contributor Eric Packard hit several local ponds and small lakes this week and reported that Wacky Worms continue tempting the largemouth into biting. Thanks to the weather, hitting shaded areas and structure that casts shade is an important factor. He also mentioned that several days it became difficult to fish in the afternoons, and he's been focusing his efforts early in the day.

Snakeheads present the only fishery seemingly unaffected by the crazy heat we’re having. You can still drag them up throughout the tidal rivers and on the eastern shore. Targeting them with chatterbaits, plastic frogs, and buzzbaits gets the job done.

River anglers looking for trout and smallmouth had been stymied earlier this week by low water and spooky fish. The rainfall the past couple of days is likely to change this, though the localized nature of the thunderstorms means there will be a lot of variation from one area to the next. Encountering low water in one spot, muddy water in another, and good conditions in another is likely so savvy anglers should be prepared to scout it out and stay on the move until finding a spot that will produce good action.


Freshwater Fishing Report, July 17 Update:

With oppressive heat bearing down on the region, depth has become the name of the game. There’s been a bit of a slow-down in the area reservoirs for anglers who aren’t shifting away from the shallows once the sun has cracked the horizon, however, there is still a dawn bite on topwater, for early risers. Whether you’re targeting bass, crappie, or perch, all the fish are looking for cooler pockets where there’s structure in the depths. Species that enjoy cool but shallow water, like pickerel, are getting tougher to catch. But The Tackle Box notes that anglers trekking to St. Mary’s Lake are still getting into some as they catch bass, crappie, and bluegill. Underwater points, standing or submerged timber in deep water, and deep bridge pilings are all go-to spots to try no matter which reservoir you're fishing. Contributor Eric Packard reported that Wacky Worms are still doing the trick on largemouth bass in ponds and lakes. Packard reported that fish were totally willing to hit in shady areas and the weeds this week.

wacky worm rig
The wacky worm rig continues to be a good producer, for bass. Photo courtesy of Eric Packard

There’s one species of fish swimming in DelMarVa’s freshwaters that doesn’t mind the heat one bit: snakeheads. Multiple areas across the Eastern Shore are reporting solid catches even on the hottest days. We had good reader reports from guys fishing for snakehead with weedless topwater in the weeds, scum, and lily pads. Like last week, the trend we’re hearing about is not huge numbers of fish but very large ones – multiple reader reports of three to five snakes with two or three in the catch stretching the tape over 30 inches.

Despite the recent rains many river and streams through the region are still running low, and we didn’t hear anything good from trout sharpies this week.


Freshwater Fishing Report, July 10 Update:

FishTalk Contributor Eric Packard was back at it again this week – does this guy ever take a day off from fishing?! – and found that the heavy rains had elevated water levels and lowered water temps a bit in some southern Maryland lakes and ponds. As a result, the bass were in rare form slurping up wacky worm rigs with abandon in flooded timber and grassy areas. Contributor Jim Gronaw also verified the recent willingness of bass to come out and play up in the Mason-Dixon area lakes, which he’s been probing via kayak as of late.

freshwater fishing report snakehead
Julian got into the snakes at Blackwater this week. Photo courtesy of Eric Packard

Snakeheads? They clearly don’t care if it rains… or gets baking hot. Reader reports of success this week ranged from one to seven fish on a mix of frogs, swimbaits, and chatterbaits; not huge numbers, but decent catches nonetheless and some reports of very nice fish. Packard also made an eastern shore trip this week (answer to the previous question: nope!), and picked up 27”, 31”, and 33” snakes before lunchtime. White-body swimbaits with lime paddle-tails and chatterbaits did the trick. Now that these fish are protecting their fry balls, it’s prime time to keep a sharp eye out for the babies. But if that’s the plan for a trip to Blackwater, we hope you’re hauling a kayak. Thanks to the new parking restrictions in the area, the places still accessible to land-based fishers are filling up fast and the public areas and boat ramps were by all accounts a madhouse last weekend. And while we didn’t hear a whole lot from snake-hunters on the western side this week, we did get a report from one reader hitting the upper Rappahannock that casting topwater last weekend produced a fish just under 10 pounds, and a second one just over 10 pounds.

One man’s feast is another man’s famine—although the recent rain has improved the bite in lakes and ponds, it’s also caused some localized wash-outs for river anglers. The good news is that when the waters clear up the levels will be higher and trout fishing should improve; prior to the rain we had several reader reports that it was becoming very, very difficult to sneak up on trout in the rivers, thanks to low, gin-clear conditions. Mossy Creek is reporting that their area waterways are mostly at or above normal for the moment, which translates into good trout fishing, but they also cautioned that when water levels drop back down it’ll get tough again. And as the water warms up and drops, their efforts will shift to smallmouth action. District Angling was also reporting falling water levels up the Potomac prior to the late-week rainfall, with stripers, bass, and snakeheads providing action.


Freshwater Fishing Report, July 3 Update:

We had a couple of readers report that trout fishing in the western zone of the region has become tough in some areas where low water levels has made sneaking up on the fish nearly impossible. You’ll see ‘em, but catching them is a different matter. Also from out west, Deep Creek Outfitters says that as usual for the Fourth, high crowds and heavy boat traffic are expected on the water. BUT(!!!) if you get out early, they said there’s great hope for a sweet morning scooping up bass, yellow perch, and walleye. Hitting the grassy edges with minnows or swimbaits gives you a good shot at landing a smallmouth or yellow perch. Both species have been active in grassy areas in the morning, and in shady areas during the heat of the day. Walleye are taking minnows, as well. For largemouth, they suggested popping between piers, fallen trees, and other structures. Largemouth are hitting topwater in the early morning, as well as buzzbaits and plastic frogs. With most fish in their typical summer pattern of behavior, these trends are holding true at most lakes from PA down through VA. A reader visiting Lake Anna reported similarly busy waters as people try to escape going Covid-crazy, so again, over the weekend getting an early start before the non-anglers hit the water will probably be a key to success.

angler with a bass
Contributor Eric Packard found bass were hitting plastic worms, this week.

Contributor Eric Packard reported catching many bass this week with worms rigged wacky style, once the sun was up in the sky. He also made a hike in to St. Mary’s Lake (where the ramp and parking lot are currently closed for repairs) and caught a mix of bass, crappie, and yellow perch.

Snakehead remain active in shallow, grassy water, and can be tempted by plastic frogs and topwater lures. Keep your eyes peeled for the fry balls, which are now commonly being spotted. Have no shame in taking a bundle home; you’re feeding the family and helping reduce the waters of a (delicious) invasive species.