Freshwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Fishing Report, January 8 Update:

The weather was unseasonably mild this week, which made it pleasant to get out and cast a line. Our freshwater fish aren’t as active in the winter, but warming trends like we had this week can get them active. We had a report from a reader who said the crappie and bass were feeding in D.C. this week. Drop-offs and deeper cover seem to be where most of the fish are hanging out. Down on the Pocomoke River, Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that their trips have been productive over the past week. Minnows are the ticket right now and trolling them on small jigs under a bobber or floating them along drop-offs is working well. Pickerel, largemouth bass, yellow perch, and even catfish are common bycatch in the river.

FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg checked in after trout fishing in Montgomery County. Unfortunately, he had a rough go at it. He hiked six miles and was only able to find a few holes to fish because of how low the water was. Runs that usually have three feet of water only had about 10 inches. He didn’t catch any fish, but not for lack of trying. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reports that mild temperatures have helped boost water temperatures and feeding activity this week. Water levels are low and clear at the moment. The higher elevation brook trout streams still have some decent flow, but the fish are spooky. They had some anglers catch brookies last weekend and even caught some on dry flies. Virginia DWR has also been out stocking several areas recently. The Maryland DNR stocking crews should be getting ready for some pre-season trout stockings at the end of this month, so keep an eye out for that. Anglers can find the latest stocking information on the Virginia DWR trout stocking website and Maryland DNR trout stocking website.

Freshwater Fishing Report, January 1 Update:

Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. FishTalk’s kayak sharpie, Zach Ditmars, says he launched at the Smithville millpond in search of pickerel this week, but only lasted for a few hours before turning numb. For the effort, he had three bites, resulting in one pickerel landed. In many areas, ice is likely to become a problem in the coming days, while in others anglers are waiting for it—we had our first report this week of hard water fishing from Deep Creek, where some of the protected coves (but not the larger sections of the lake) have hardened up enough to venture out. A couple of walleye and yellow perch were reportedly caught. In the central Maryland Reservoirs, largemouth bass are spending most of their time along drop-offs and deep-water cover. Bass are less active this time of year, so a slower approach is often required when targeting them. Deep diving crankbaits, football jigs, swimbaits, and glidebaits are all great lure options.

There are likely some hold over stocker trout from the fall trout stockings, especially in the larger lakes or streams. As long as the cold weather doesn’t freeze over the lakes, there should be some trout that can be caught. Fishing with Berkley Powerbait is a popular tactic. Anglers wanting a more interactive experience can opt to cast small spinners or trout magnets. These lures will also give you a good chance at catching largemouth bass and panfish too. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reports that most of the mountain streams are still flowing, which is giving the brook trout some space to move around and feed. The spring creeks are also in good shape and the larger freestones have decent water levels for Virginia DWR to continue their stocking efforts. Anglers can view the latest trout stocking information on the Virginia DWR trout stocking website and the Maryland DNR trout stocking website.