Freshwater Fishing Report, October 27 Update:
It has been a cool start to fall, but this recent warm up is making it seem more like summer. It doesn’t seem like the fish aren’t minding the heat at all. Contributor Eric Packard reports that the bass area ponds are snapping as they try to fatten up for fall, and were willing to chomp on Silver Buddies and jerkbaits this week. He noted that big fish are on the feed, too, and one bass he caught at Indian Creek hit 22-inches — and had another bass in its throat when it ate his lure. The previous drop in water temperatures did cause shallow grass beds to decline somewhat which is making northern snakeheads retreat to deeper water. Brush along shorelines, sunken wood, and channel edges are where these fish will begin to spend most of their time during the colder months. This time of year, white paddletails and chatterbaits are popular to throw to cover open water. Drifting minnows under a bobber is another very effective method for catching snakeheads in colder water. You’ll want to keep a close eye on the forecast though, because a sudden warm up can get the snakeheads very active and aggressive. The warm spell the end of this week and over the weekend will be a great time to get out and fish for them. Often times such a drastic warm up turns on the topwater bite, so don’t put those frogs away just yet.
Trout fishing opportunities are abundant this time of year and state agencies are busy stocking streams, ponds, and lakes. Most regions in Maryland and Virginia have received their first fall stockings and should continue to see stockings over the next few months. Often times, the larger bodies of water hold fish well after their initial stocking. It’s not a bad idea to stop at a few areas to fish even if it’s been a week or more since fish were stocked. Fishing pressure usually starts to die down after the first few days and there are usually plenty of fish to be caught still. If you want to check up to date stocking information, visit the Maryland DNR trout stocking website and the Virginia DWR trout stocking website.
While trout fishermen are heading to lakes to fish, crappie fishermen are doing the same. Fall is an excellent time of year to fish for crappie as they begin to school up tight to deeper structure. Marina docks, old pilings, and fallen trees are some of their favorite hangout spots. Many anglers throw small marabou jigs under a slip bobber. This allows for casting sloe to structure while keeping the bait in the strike zone. Just like most fish, crappie also love live bait, so getting some minnows and floating them under a bobber is super effective as well.
The smallmouth bass bite is still going strong in the Susquehanna River, upper Potomac, and other surrounding rivers. An angler fishing on the Susquehanna near Goldsboro, Pennsylvania reported that a Duo Realis Apex 66 square-bill crankbait has been crushing the smallmouth. Recent trips have produced fish up to five pounds and multiple three pounders. The walleye has been best in the portion of the Susquehanna River above the dam and into Pennsylvania. Cooling water temperatures will continue to get these fish biting and many anglers are catching them in the same area's that they are catching their smallies. One angler fishing the Monocacy was having a great day catching smallmouth bass when they caught their personal best walleye at nearly 27 inches and over five pounds.
Freshwater Fishing Report, October 20 Update:
Freshwater fishing opportunities are plentiful this week throughout the our region. Fall trout stocking programs are in full swing and number plus locations received stockings of fresh fish this week. Many southern Maryland lakes received their first stockings of the year which should provide steady action to trout anglers in the coming weeks. We had one reader write in to say that a Prince George’s County stocked location produced very little action, so they headed to a Calvert County pond and caught a two man limit of trout including a beautiful 15-inch golden trout. Mossy Creek says that now is a good time to stock up on attractor nymphs and streamers if you are fishing stocked areas. On the spring creeks you will still find tricos hatching in the morning hours. Spinner fall is later this time of year and you could see fish taking advantage of these bugs 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Delaware anglers can also take advantage of new trout fishing opportunities as trout were stocked in White Clay Creek in northern New Castle County this week. About 1,000 pounds of 12- to 13-inch rainbow trout were stocked by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife from near the Pennsylvania state line downstream to Newark. If you are looking for up to date stocking information, you can check the Delaware DNREC website, the Maryland DNR website, and the Virginia DWR website.
Contributor Eric Packard says the reservoir bite is in full swing for fall, with largemouth bass, pickerel, crappie, and yellow perch all hitting jerkbaits and red square-bill crankbaits on multiple days this week at St. Mary’s Lake. Largemouth led the charge, and another angler he spoke with also had success targeting the bass. He spent several days fishing sweetwater this week and noted that on a different trip to Lake Collusion, though he cast wacky worms, spinnerbaits, and that red square-bill, it was the square-bill alone that the bass wanted to eat. He also tapped into the trout stocking action at a local pond and had no problem catching plenty fo rainbows. We heard from a reader who wrote in to report that the bass fishing in southern Maryland ponds is also good right now. The bite window has extended throughout much of the day and it seems as though many fish are holding near woody structure or sunken trees. Spinnerbaits and jerkbaits were also noted as top performing lures this week. The crappie bite in many of our areas ponds, lakes, and rivers should start to get more consistent now that cooler weather is setting in. The fish will be schooling near submerged structure and along ledges. Fishing with live minnows can be very productive, but a variety of artificial jigs will get them biting too. Just because it is getting colder doesn’t mean you should put the fishing gear away — there are plenty of opportunities to catch fish year-round in our area.
Freshwater Fishing Report, October 13 Update:
A cool breeze has been in the air most of this week spurring fish to transition into their fall patterns. The cooler weather is great news for trout anglers as the season gets underway. We checked in with Mossy Creek for the latest and greatest out west. They said that rain is still desperately needed as many of the streams are running low. Luckily, this weekend’s forecast is calling for a decent soak. Although many locations local to them are experiencing low flow, if you are willing to travel to other areas in Virginia and West Virginia, you can find better flows. The colder nights will start to slow down the terrestrial fishing, but you can still pick up fish on tricos, hoppers, and crickets. Subsurface fishing will become more productive as fall fishing progresses. Now is a great time to pull out your streamer box and add variation to your patterns. Maryland DNR and Virginia DWR staff have been busy with their fall stocking programs, too. Many of the western Maryland creeks were stocked this week and provide ample opportunities for put-and-take fishing. Updated information can be found on the Maryland DNR trout stocking website and the Virginia DWR trout stocking website.
The colder nights have pushed most of the smallmouth bass in our local rivers to their fall/winter patterns. Water is still running low in clear in many of the rivers like the Potomac and Susquehanna. Fish will move into the deeper holes as water temperatures continue to drop. This time of year, it is usually best to slow down retrieves and focus on deeper areas of the rivers for better success. Grass beds are diminishing, and crayfish are on the move looking for new places to hide. It is hard to beat a crayfish imitation tube jig right now and many anglers are reporting success throwing these style baits. Largemouth bass are also making their transition to fall patterns. As grass dies off, woody structure will be great areas to target during the Fall. Many bass will be cruising along diminishing grass beds, fallen trees, and at the mouths of smaller feeder creeks looking to ambush baitfish. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, topwater lures, and soft plastics can all be effective this time of year. Cooling water temperatures usually means the fish will be feeding throughout the day. If you struggle to find bites, try switching up lures until you find what the fish are liking. Having a diverse assortment of tackle in your box can help you figure out what the fish are hitting during your trip.
Freshwater Fishing Report, October 5 Update:
Cooling water temperatures have been encouraging many of our freshwater species to get more active, feeding for longer periods throughout the day. Shallow water vegetation is starting to die-off, so largemouth bass will begin to move into transition zones along ledges and cove mouths to follow baitfish moving to deeper water. Grass beds that are in deeper water often hold a decent number of fish this time of year. Heavier soft plastic creature baits work great in these areas. Grubs or wacky worms are good options to throw near sunken wood or rocky structures. Other species of fish such as pickerel, pike, and crappie are also enjoying the cooler water temperatures as they begin to provide exciting fishing opportunities. Contributor Eric Packard reports that the reservoir bite is in prime fall form. Early this week a day at St. Mary’s produced 18 largemouth, four pickerel, and three crappie. Jerkbaits, red square-bill plugs, wacky worms—the fish were feeding hard and hitting just about everything.
The smallmouth bite above Conowingo Dam in the Susquehanna River has been great this week. Many anglers reported finding a steady bite as the fall pattern sets in for these tough fighting fish. The smallies will be feeding hard to fatten up before the winter months, so now is the time to get on a big fish. The walleye bite is also improving and anglers are finding both fish in the same areas. The night bite has been better than day fishing at times, so keep that in mind.
Trout anglers should start dusting off their gear now that the season is upon us. Trout stocking operations started up this week in Western Maryland along with various locations in Virginia. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing let us know that trout fishing patterns are still the same with low water persisting in many areas. Tricos are still hatching in the morning and hoppers, ants, beetles, and crickets will remain on the menu until the first few frosts set in. They expect the cooler weather forecasted to roll in this weekend to improve the streamer fishing. Anglers who want to know the most up to date stocking information can find schedules on the Maryland DNR website and the Virginia DWR website. Many other fish are very active in the larger rivers with smallmouth fishing providing some of the best action of the year. Warm weather this week made for good topwater conditions, but the forecasted cool down next week may start to push these fish into their fall/winter pattern. Big largemouth bass are starting to stack up on the deep woody structures. Musky fishing has been solid and anglers should keep an eye out for them while bass fishing, they have become much more active lately.