Lower Bay Fishing Reports
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 24 Update:
The Tackle Box checked in and let us know that there are still plenty of big striped bass moving around the Potomac River. They also mentioned that schoolie fish are starting to move into their normal summer locations. Many of the trophy fish have already spawned, and with water temperatures on the rise, these fish should start making their way out of the Bay and up the coast. There has not been much rainfall this spring, so water clarity has been very good throughout the Lower Bay. Anglers have even been able to sight fish schools of stripers moving through the shallows. It can be hard to get these fish to feed, but effective lures seem to be jerkbaits and glidebaits. An angler fishing in Washington D.C. let us know that there has been an influx of schoolie sized fish into that portion of the Potomac this week. While big striped bass were around over the past few weeks, smaller stripers have now replaced them. The arrival of these fish is good news for anglers as the striped bass season is getting ready to open. The lower Bay regulations can be confusing, so make sure to check your jurisdictions rules. Some portions of the Maryland waters of the Lower Bay will open on May 1st, but certain tributaries will remain closed, so anglers should take a look at the striped bass regulation maps on the Maryland DNR website before taking a trip. Virginia, and waters governed by the Potomac Recreational Fisheries Commission, will open on May 16th.
The shad runs are still in various stages throughout the freshwater rivers across the region. We have had very little rainfall this spring, so flows are fairly low in the larger rivers. If things don’t change, the shad runs will likely slow down earlier than they would if it was a year with normal flows. If we do get some rainfall soon, it should bring a fresh wave of hickory and American shad up the tidal tributaries. Recent reports from the Fletcher’s Cove area show that the best action for shad has been in the early mornings and late evenings. The water is very clear, so shad are staying in deeper waters when there is a high sun. There have also been some white perch caught in the area, but most of them are on the smaller side in the six-to-nine-inch range. While these spawning runs take place for a few more weeks, catfishing opportunities will be excellent. Large numbers of invasive flathead catfish can be found in the Susquehanna, Potomac, and James River. These fish are gorging themselves on shad, herring, and perch. Blue catfish are also taking advantage of the abundance of baitfish, and are eager to bite fresh cut bait, especially gizzard shad.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 17 Update:
The tidal river blue catfish bite has been excellent in the Lower Bay tidal rivers this month. These invasive fish are moving into the upper reaches to take advantage of the shad and perch runs. If you know where to catch the shad, then you are in the right zone for catching blue catfish. Several reports have come in from the Fletcher’s Cove area where anglers are finding blue catfish in the 20-to-40-pound range with regularity. Another hot zone has been the James River near Richmond. Flathead catfish are also abundant in these areas, and are being caught just as well. Both species of catfish can be caught using fresh-cut bait, but you can also catch them on artificial lures. Light tackle jigging techniques for striped bass transfer very well for catfish, especially flathead catfish. As water temperatures warm into the 60s on these rivers, we are seeing increasing numbers of schoolie striped bass pushing up the tidal rivers. Lack of rainfall this spring has water levels running low, so spring shad runs may be cut short unless that changes. In years with normal flows, the shad and schoolie striper run usually goes through May and even into early June some years.
The shad runs are still going strong in our region’s tidal rivers. Anglers are reporting success in the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James Rivers. Low river flows from lack of rainfall have made the bite tough at times, but fishing in the mornings and evenings usually produce some bites. Near Fletcher’s Cove on the Potomac, we have reports of some American shad being caught closer to Chain Bridge along with plenty of hickory shad. The American shad have been holding deeper in the water column, so anglers may need to upsize their shad darts or spoon size. An angler kayak fishing above Fletcher’s Cove for shad reported that he caught several dozen hickory shad an around a dozen American shad during a trip this week. He also caught one small blue catfish, a schoolie striper, and a few small white perch while throwing a spoon. We had a report from just downriver on the Potomac, Dennis Fleming checked in after a day fishing several coves for crappie. He says that the crappie have completed their spawn in that area as most of the fish they caught were clearly post-spawn. His crew caught close to 20 crappie up to 14 inches, along with a big largemouth bass, three small blue catfish, and three small white perch. All fish were caught using spider rigs on 12 collapsible crappie rods. Each rod was rigged with two jigs each, with or without plastics, tipped with live minnows or Gulp! Minnows.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
The Tackle Box reports that white perch are coming back to the shallows on warmer days, and they had several anglers report catching them on both bait and lures this week, but they are not in strong numbers yet. They also mentioned that catfishing has been excellent in the tidal Potomac River. They are very active from the Quantico up to Washington, D.C., but are starting to spread downriver. They expect blue catfish to be available to catch near Bushwood and Breton Bay sometime over the next month. Flathead catfish have also presented more angling opportunities as they congregate near the fall lines of the tidal rivers where shad and other anadromous fish get bottle necked during their spawn. Anglers are reporting a good flathead bite on the upper Potomac River in D.C. and on the James River near Richmond. You can catch these fish by using cut bait, but they respond very well to artificial lures. Jigging is a very effective method.
Big migratory striped bass are still in our area and are in various stages of their spawn. The air temperatures have been all over the place this spring with highs in the 80s and lows in the 30s just within the past 10 days. Anglers fishing on the Potomac have already reported catching spawned out females. The spawn isn’t over yet, but warm temperatures in the forecast will surely trigger fish to spawn as water temperatures climb into the low to mid 60s. Once these fish spawn, they will start heading south for the mouth of the Bay. You can still catch them on their way out, but they often move fast and are less focused on feeding. Expect the big fish to offer catch and release opportunities for a couple more weeks. Warming water temperatures are also bringing schoolie sized striped bass up the tidal rivers. We had reports from both the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers of fish in the 20” range willing to hit both cut bait and lures. While the big fish will start to migrate out, the schoolies should be around well into May.
The shad runs are well underway throughout the Lower Bay tidal rivers. Hickory shad are abundant near Fletchers Cove on the Potomac, City Docks on the Rappahannock, and near Richmond on the James. There are several smaller tributaries within these river systems that shad will run up. Areas such as Mattawoman creek off the Potomac are a great example of this. Eric Packard took a few shad trips earlier this week and reports that one day he started fishing at Governors Bridge on the Patuxent in search of American shad, but found no bites. He then drove to Mason Springs on Mattawoman Creek and headed up the creek to fish several holes where he caught 28 hickory shad and four dink largemouth bass. Packard has been catching fish on spin gear, casting chartreuse shad dart (various weights, water depth dependent) above a gold 000 Nungesser shad spoon. He has also used a five weight fly rod with small chartreuse jigs, bead head nymph and orange colored flies in various tandem setup and combinations. His largest shad this week was a Maryland citation-sized fish coming in at 18 and a half inches.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 3 Update:
There is no shortage of fishing opportunities in the Lower Bay as we enter one of the most exciting months for spring fishing. Contributor Eric Packard tried for shad near Fletcher’s on the Potomac and didn’t find the fish, but a friend said he caught a pair of Americans and six hickories there the day before. Reports Editor Dillon Waters took a trip to Fletcher’s Cove last week to fish for flathead catfish on his kayak. The river flow was a bit fast, and the wind made it difficult to keep a vertical presentation while drifting, but he managed to catch five flathead catfish ranging from five to 15 pounds (almost as many fish as jigheads lost). A two and a half ounce jighead with an eight-inch dark green and silver paddletail produced the most bites. He also saw a few anglers catching hickory shad near Gordon’s Rock on the shoreline, but only a few. Another pair of readers spent a day fishing from Fletcher’s Cove down to Three Sisters Island. They caught one blue catfish, three flathead catfish, two schoolie striped bass, and one walleye. This stretch of river is busy with boats this time of year, so try to plan a midweek trip if you want to fish around fewer anglers. The shad bite has also been mediocre in Virginia on the upper Rappahannock and James. Hickory shad and a few American shad are being caught near City Docks on the Rapp and near Richmond on the James. One angler reported that a traditional red and white shad dart worked well this week while another angler had success on a gold spoon. The color and lure preferences of shad can change from day to day, so it is best to bring a variety of options with you in your tackle box. We cover all the basics you need to know in our Spring Shad Fishing article.
A big change to the striped bass fishery this year allows Maryland anglers to catch and release striped bass in certain areas of the Chesapeake Bay. Many of the tidal rivers and other tributaries are closed, so it will be best to check the Maryland DNR striped bass regulation maps to see where fishing is allowed. Catch and release fishing is also open on the Potomac River and in Virginia waters. The striped bass are migrating up the tributaries, and we have reports of trophy fish being caught in all the tidal rivers from the James up to the Potomac. Light tackle anglers are catching them with large soft plastics. Anglers throwing cut bait are also having success for both catfish and striped bass. If you are targeting striped bass with cut bait, make sure you are in compliance with the bait and gear restrictions of the jurisdiction you are fishing in. Maryland, D.C., PRFC, and Virginia jurisdictions do not have reciprocity amongst their regulations, so always double check before your trip.
The big news announced in Virginia this week was that the Virginia Marine Resources Commission closed down recreational speckled trout harvesting from April first through June 30th. This decision is in response to the cold stun event earlier this year that makes two consecutive years in a row with significant speckled trout die-offs in Virginia. Catch and release fishing is still permitted, but if you want to take a fish home for dinner, you will have to target other species. Speckled trout harvest is still allowed in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, but we will have to wait and see how many fish push up the Bay.
