Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 6 Update:
Water temperatures are still very cold in the Upper Bay waters of the Chesapeake. We should get some help to bring these water temperatures up thanks to a warm front starting this weekend. This should get some of the spring bites going. Yellow perch are starting to move into shallower tributaries in areas south of the Upper Bay, and they are likely moving into the upper reaches of creeks on the Magothy River. They can be found schooling near coves, around docks, and moving through the main stems of these creeks. Most anglers target them by suspending minnows or grass shrimp on a small jighead under a bobber. You can also cast small spinners, bounce tandem rigged shad darts along the bottom, or fish with a traditional bottom rig. Other notable areas to try for pre-spawn yellow perch include the Chester River, Bush River, and the Sassafras River. Look for them staging in deeper holes near tidal creeks.
Spring is also a premier time to target pickerel in the Upper Bay. The Magothy and Baltimore area creeks are the hotspots to target these toothy predators. They mostly hang around fallen trees, docks, and other shoreline cover that are good ambush spots. As water temperatures rise, our resident striped bass will start to get more active in the tidal river. We will also start to see the arrival of migratory striped bass returning to the Chesapeake Bay for their spawning run. The migration usually kicks off sometime in March, but that can vary by a few weeks depending on water temperatures. When they arrive, they will be moving along the main stem channel ledges and moving into the tidal rivers. Anglers should take a look at the Maryland DNR striped bass regulation maps to see where they can target striped bass during the month of March. There are several areas across the bass that have no target closures this month to protect certain spawning areas.