Mid-Atlantic Region Freshwater Fishing Report, March 28, 2019 Update:
*** We interrupt our regularly scheduled Freshwater Fishing Report to bring you this important Snakehead update ***
While most of us have been told for years and years that snakehead fishing is best in the heat of summer, reports have been pouring in of red-hot spring snake bites recently. The most (hands-down winner by a mile) are coming from the Blackwater complex, though this week we also heard from guys wetting their lines in the Potomac creeks and in the upper Patuxent north of Rt. 214. The biggest, fattest, barrel-chested bull minnow you can find, fished a foot under a bobber in a couple-few feet of water, is by all reports the ticket to snaking success right now. Interestingly, we also heard from an angler who hit some good spots today but didn't connect, so the chill in the air last night may have slowed 'em down a bit - hopefully they'll be back in rare form, this weekend.
An important note: Fishing snakes in the Blackwater complex is usually an on-shore affair, and we anglers need to be at the top of our game when it comes to respecting property rights and cleaning up after ourselves. Some of the better-known hotspots are already getting a bit crapped-up by careless people and it’s not hard to imagine losing access to these spots if they aren’t treated with respect. We’d also suggest checking out snakeheadlife.com and Woolford General Store (there are snakehead tournaments coming!) to learn more about what’s going on in Blackwater.
*** We now return to our regularly scheduled Freshwater Fishing Report ***
FishTalk contributor Jim Gronaw checked in to let us know it’s been up and down in northern areas recently, thanks to the weather. Bluegills and crappie have been biting between the fronts, on small jigs tipped with mealworm or waxworm baits and suspended shallow under floats. Jim notes that the bites have been ginger and often the float tilts instead of going under, but the fish should get more aggressive as the water warms up. He also mentioned that Piney Run should offer good pre-spawn bass action in the near future.
Meanwhile, many anglers are enjoying the PA/MD stocked trout. (Scroll down to the March 1 update, to find links to state stocking schedules). We heard from several readers this week who did well on stocked fish with Berkley Powerbait Trout Bait dough-balls weighted with a split-shot and fished under a bobber.
Loch Raven has also been productive, with Clyde’s Sport Shop reporting that crappie and bass are present and biting. Slightly further south, St. Mary’s Lake has been a killer spot for anglers hoping to bring home dinner – crappie, flyer, and largemouth bass are abundant throughout its waters and have finally shaken off the chill of winter. The Tackle Box reported much the same, with anglers hitting St. Mary’s Lake coming in with crappie, bass, and pickerel. All are reportedly becoming more active as days warm up and become sunnier. Out west the bite’s reacting to warming weather as well, and Deep Creek Outfitters reported that yellow perch and walleye have been hanging out near shore, and are sustaining a vibrant fishery in addition to some largemouth bass and crappie fisheries.
Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow reports that another trip to the mill ponds produced a great catch of dozens of crappie plus some pickerel and perch, however, waiting for the sun to warm the water up a bit was key. Early in the day was exceedingly slow, but he said that at around 2:30 the bobbers (suspending shad darts and marabou jigs tipped with small bull minnow) started shooting underwater and the action was hot and heavy from 3:00 to 5:00.
Down at Lake Anna they had a killer week too, as the waters have mostly recovered from recent deluges and though it’s still a bit off-color in up-lake areas, it’s on the mend. Crappie and largemouth bass were abundant and eager to bite, the crappie on small minnow and the bass hitting swimbaits and crankbaits. The striper bite has improved as well.
Shad update: We've heard of them caught for sure in the Rappahannock (Fredericksburg), Potomac (near Fletchers), and Choptank (Red Bridges) but in all cases, they're just now getting started. No word from Deer Creek or other northern areas, just yet.
Mid-Atlantic Region Freshwater Fishing Report, March 22, 2019 Update:
Well, we had a great freshwater report in store for you anglers right up until yesterday, when our short-lived break from the endless rainfall came to a close. We have to expect some areas to be running muddy and high yet again, though it's too soon for us to say just how severe the impact has been. That said, up until the storm fishing had been good in most if not all areas of the region. In ponds and lakes ranging from the southern PA area down through the Baltimore reservoirs reports indicate that bass have been picking up the activity level near drop-offs and structure just off the shorelines. Crappie have also been a solid bet, with many fish holding in five to 10 foot depths near structure as they prepare to spawn with the rising water temperatures. Reports from Loch Raven in particular were solid this week, with crappie and bluegill caught near the structure on minnow, darts, and small lures. Slightly farther south, The Tackle Box reports that stumps and trees, and other submerged structure have been holding them heavy. Shad darts have worked well, particularly when tipped with minnow. Perch have also been present in the lake, as well as bluegill, which are being found in similar areas and around the spillway. We also had multiple reader reports from St. Mary's Lake indicating water temps have risen above 50-degrees and with the warmth, bass and pickerel have been biting too. That five-foot depth range came up again, as something to keep in mind.
We don't have any reports from reservoirs farther south since the rain, but since cloudy water had already been an issue in Lake Anna, if you're headed there you may want to think about focusing on down-lake areas less likely to be riled up by turbidity. Meanwhile, word from the western zone is of high water in the mountain streams.
On the Eastern Shore, reports from the millponds, which should be off the hook right about now, were of a tougher than expected bite in some spots. Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow hit one last week and said that the fish were a bit sketchy, and it took a lot of hunting and seeking to find the crappie. They weren't in their usual open-water areas and all the bites came from just two spots near trees and pier pilings in four to five feet of water. Once located, however, they readily ate minnow under bobbers, on white marabou jigs. A reader report from one of the northernmost millponds was virtually the opposite, with a strong pickerel bite plus some bass in open water over dead weedbeds. It's often the case that the bite in these ponds differs quite a bit from one to the next even on the very same day, so if you try one and it's blank, don't hesitate to pull the boat or kayak and head for a different pond.
Two very interesting options for freshwater anglers that popped up this week: walleye, and snakeheads. Northern and up-river areas on the Potomac and the Susquehanna both indicated a strong walleye bite for anglers targeting them with crankbaits and swimbaits. We weren't able to find anyone giving away locations, but as a rule of thumb get up-river of Great Falls on the Potomac and find a deep rocky hole, and you have a shot at 'em. Snakehead-wise, the chatter is coming from the Blackwater complex and surrounding waters. Anglers report the best success using the biggest bull minnow possible for bait. Be sure to check out Destination Snakehead: Fishing For Snakeheads in Maryland, to get the scoop on where and how to get these ugly but tasty critters on your line.
Mid-Atlantic Region Freshwater Fishing Report, March 15, 2019 Update:
From north to south, in many areas freshwater fish are beginning to wake up and shake off the cobwebs but high and muddy conditions do persist in some others. Panfish in the ponds and lakes in northern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania are feeding, and contributor Jim Gronaw has been pulling on a mix of stocked trout, fat bluegills, and crappie. We had reports of a similar mix plus a bass here and there from central Maryland, although the better spots were small ponds and creeks where the sun had a chance to warm the water a bit. In larger lakes the water’s still quite cool (reader Eric Packard visited St. Mary’s this week to discover a chilly 42-degrees) and the bites have been much tougher to come by. Stocked trout are also an option in many of the ponds through the region and will bite more or less regardless of temperature; scroll down to the first report from this month for links to the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia stocking schedules.
Again, smaller bodies of water that warm quickly are the best option at the moment. The Eastern Shore millponds are an excellent opportunity at this time of the year and the crappie there are being complemented by pickerel, bass, and in some cases yellow perch. Minnow on shad darts suspended under a bobber, small (under three inch) swimbaits, and tube jigs are all good choices with minnow probably being the all-around most productive offering.
Reports from many of the reservoirs farther south are of slightly more difficult conditions, with the water still remaining off-color in Lake Anna from The Splits up, water temps in the mid-40s, and most of the fish holding near bottom. A few stripers were caught last week in that zone, but overall fishing was slower than areas farther down-lake where bass and crappie provided a better bite. Reports were similar from Kerr, and many upper tributary river areas are also still high and on the muddy side. That won’t stop the catfish from biting and (although we didn’t have any verified reports this week), the Potomac north of the 301 bridge, the upper Rap, and the James from Hopewell up have all had consistent action up until now and that should continue. That said, for most other species it still makes sense to focus on smaller bodies of water if possible in the coming days, where the recent sunshine has had a chance to bring up the temps a bit and the runoff hasn’t been too damaging.
Many area freshwater anglers are also heading for the tributaries, where the perch runs are now underway. See the different Chesapeake Bay area reports for more details on that bite.
Mid-Atlantic Region Freshwater Fishing Report, March 8, 2019 Update:
As fishing the brackish waters of the Bay and the Atlantic off the coast has been somewhat stagnant in recent weeks and the cold weather has kept the perch run from blossoming to date, many anglers have been turning to freshwater fisheries hoping to catch. Trout have been abundant in mountain streams and creeks, with water levels in many areas recently returning to normal after the heavy rainfall that created problematic high water levels. Mossy Creek Fly fishing reported that wooly buggers, nymphs, and crawfish have been the best lures. Flat-land trout anglers have been steadily plucking stocked trout from ponds and lakes throughout the region; scroll down into last week’s reports to see the stocking schedules for DE, MD, and VA.
Many anglers have also found success hitting lakes such as St. Mary’s, the Baltimore reservoirs, and Deep Creek Lake, where thawed shorelines have provided vibrant fisheries. A variety of species are in the mix, from bass to crappie and yellow perch. Deep Creek Outfitters suggested casting a minnow on a bottom rig away from shore to target yellow perch, and shad darts for nearshore crappie. Bass have been taking Beetle Spins. Loch Raven has seen a similar fishery in recent weeks. Farther south, reports from the VA lakes indicate that they’re still off-color due to excessive runoff, especially in Anna from The Splits up. Catfish have continued biting, to keep anglers busy. And in areas throughout the region that aren’t skunked by off-color water, bass are shaking off the winter cobwebs and biting – the biggest we heard of this week is in the picture above.
On the eastern shore, the Mill Ponds have continued to support a lively chain pickerel and crappie fishery. Due to the continued cold this week the fish are still more or less in winter patterns; most pickerel are in relatively deeper water, and can be caught with a minnow suspended by a bobber, while crappie have been closer to shore or suspended over die-off weedbeds. Bass may be encountered in both areas. A brief warming trend should send these fish into a spring frenzy – stay tuned.
Mid-Atlantic Region Freshwater Fishing Report, March 1, 2019 Update:
Trout anglers have not been thrilled lately, as mountain streams are still stirred by high rain and runoff creating dirty water that produces murky conditions, hindering fly fishers. In addition, water levels are high, adding an extra layer of difficulty. If you want to put trout on the menu, the best way to do so is to head for one of the area’s recently stocked ponds; here are your link to the stocking schedules for DE, MD, and VA.
One of the better bets in the region has been the Eastern Shore millponds, which are continuing to produce chain pickerel, crappie, and bass in deeper water. They’re best fished for with a minnow under a bobber on a plain hook or on a dart. Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow reports a great mix recently fishing the Salisbury ponds, with some beautiful crappie up to 14 inches headlining the show, pickerel to 23-inches, and bass to four pounds in the mix. The ticket to success was setting your bobber so the minnow were suspended just a few inches off bottom. However, he also noted that one day to the next is very different and a cloudy sky versus a sunny sky is key right now, with the best bite coming after the sun is well up and has had a chance to warm the relatively shallow waters of these ponds. The upper Eastern Shore tributaries have also been productive for a mix of the same species plus yellow perch (check your local report for each area to see some hotspots in specific).
Some major lakes in the region have been hit hard by the recent precip, along with those swelling streams and rivers, with reports from Lake Anna of muddy waters and a difficult bite. Deep Creek Lake has continuing to experience a productive near-shore fishery, however, with crappie, and bluegill, perch and walleye into the mix for some anglers. Minnows fished at or near bottom have been most productive. Bass have also been present throughout the lake. From the Baltimore area reservoirs, the folks at Tochterman’s say that at Loch Raven fishing for both crappie and perch has been fruitful. Both species have been taking small spinners, as well as little jigs and shad darts. In addition, tin shad darts have been popular among locals. Some fishers are also using wax worms, in large part to target perch.