Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 1 Update:
The Way North region is offering a mix of quantity and anticipation this week, with white perch biting well on the lower Susquehanna—mostly smaller males for now, but larger females are expected to arrive soon. Blue catfish remain a reliable target throughout the tidal rivers, especially near deeper holes and around the dam where they’re feeding on baitfish, while bass action on the Susquehanna Flats is heating up as emerging grass fuels a strong chatterbait and swim jig bite. Snakeheads are still more active in surrounding creeks for the moment, but should move onto the Flats as vegetation thickens, and anglers should also keep in mind that striped bass season in this region remains closed until June 1st.
White perch are being caught on the lower Susquehanna River, and anglers fishing near Lapidum reported a good bite this week. The recent reports show that most of the perch being caught are small males, but some bigger females have been in the mix too. The first two weeks of May are usually when the larger class of fish move into the area, so be on the lookout for them to arrive soon. One angler fishing on the Susquehanna reported a great trip, numbers wise, landing close to 50 perch, but only one big fish that measured 12 inches. The rest were all between eight and nine inches.
Blue catfish are a great option for anglers to fish for right now. They can be found in all the Way North tidal rivers, but the section of river on the Susquehanna from Havre De Grace up to Port Deposit is known for producing a lot of fish. The big blue catfish often follow schools of shad, herring, and perch, so fishing closer to the Conowingo Dam is also a good option. Flathead catfish can also be caught just below the dam, but they are less numerous than blue catfish. Whether you are fishing from shore or by boat, setting up on a ledge or deep hole and throwing out fresh cut bait will put you in a good position to catch fish. Gizzard shad is the bait of choice for a lot of catfish anglers.
Milfoil grass is still emerging on the Susquehanna Flats. Right now, most of the grass is still submerged, but in another few weeks, it will get thick enough that mats will form on the surface of the water. Bass fishing has been good recently, with hot bites coming on chatterbaits and swim jigs. As the grass gets thicker, weedless lures and topwater frogs should be productive. Bass anglers on the Flats have also encountered some large post-spawn yellow perch and the occasional catfish. We have not had any reports of snakehead around the Flats, but that should start to change as the grass gets thicker. In the meantime, snakeheads can be found in the surrounding creeks and rivers, often hanging out by nearshore cover. Swimbaits, spinners, and chatterbaits are all excellent spring snakehead lures. Topwater frogs can also be very productive in areas with vegetation on warm sunny days.
While striped bass season is now open in some Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the Way North region is still closed to targeting. Striped bass season in this region will not open until June 1st, but you can travel to areas south of here if you want to fish for them before then. Make sure to take a look at the striped bass regulation maps to see when and where areas open for striped bass fishing.