Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 4 Update:
Striped bass season has reopened throughout Maryland, and cooling water should gradually increase activity in the lower Susquehanna, Flats, and surrounding tributaries. Topwaters and small plastics should shine around shallow structure during low-light periods. Catfish are another strong option, with blue and flathead cats available around the Conowingo Dam and Susquehanna, while white perch and channel cats provide additional opportunities throughout the tidal rivers.
Striped bass season is now open for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. These fish should become increasingly active throughout September as cooling water temperatures trigger more movement and feeding in the lower Susquehanna, Susquehanna Flats, and surrounding tidal rivers. Early in the month, focus on current seams, creek mouths, rocky shorelines, and deeper channels, particularly around areas where baitfish are being pushed by the tide. Topwater plugs, small swimbaits, paddletails, and jerkbaits are good choices for covering the shallow flats during low-light periods and moving tides, while jigging soft plastics along channel edges can produce when fish hold deeper. As the water cools later in the month, expect more striped bass to push farther into the shallows to feed, with dawn and dusk becoming increasingly productive for casting lures around grass edges, points, and rocky structure. Baitfish movement will be a major key, so birds, surface activity, and concentrations of young-of-year bait are good indicators that stripers are nearby. After a cold front or significant temperature drop, don't overlook the mouths of the tributaries and deeper water adjacent to shallow feeding areas, as these can become staging areas for fish transitioning with the changing conditions.
Catfish remain a strong option in the upper Bay region, with blue and flathead catfish active in the Conowingo Dam pool and lower Susquehanna River. There was a report from a kayak angler who caught a big flathead measuring over 30 inches in the rocky section of river south of the Conowingo Dam this week. Blue cats are also spread throughout the upper Bay's tidal rivers, with the lower Susquehanna, North East, and Elk offering some of the better concentrations. Water temperatures are still warm, so blue cats tend to push into the deeper channels of tidal rivers where conditions are cooler and more comfortable. Around Conowingo, the cool water released from the dam can concentrate blue cats, particularly when power-generating turbines are running and discharging baitfish and other food into the river. Anglers should focus on deeper holes, current seams, and areas below the dam, using fresh cut bait such as gizzard shad or white perch on bottom rigs. Flatheads favor similar current breaks but are more structure-oriented, making live bait fished around rocky cover, submerged trees, and deep pools a good tactic. Channel catfish will be mixed in throughout the same waters, though are more abundant around the grass flats of the Susquehanna Flats and in the tidal creeks of the tributaries surrounding the flats.
Largemouth bass on the Susquehanna Flats should begin responding to the first signs of fall as cooler nights gradually bring down water temperatures. Early in the month, continue looking for fish around shallow grass, weed edges, current seams, and rocky cover, particularly where baitfish are concentrated. Topwaters and weightless soft plastics can be productive during low-light periods, while spinnerbaits, swim jigs, and Texas-rigged plastics are good choices for covering water and working through scattered vegetation. As the water cools later in September, expect bass to feed more aggressively and begin shifting toward creek mouths, deeper grass edges, channel drop-offs, and areas where current funnels bait, creating opportunities to intercept fish moving between shallow feeding areas and deeper water. On cloudy or breezy days, covering water with moving baits can be particularly effective, while bright, calm conditions call for slowing down and picking apart isolated grass and structure.