Upper Bay Fishing Reports

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 25 Update:

Striped bass season is still closed in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The season will remain closed until the end of the month and will reopen on August 1st. It has been a scorching hot summer with very little rain, so it is good to give our striped friends a break for a little while. Lucky for them, and us, this week brought us cooler temperatures and a few rounds of rain. Water temperatures are in the mid 80s, still very warm, so handling fish with care is of the utmost importance when planning to catch and release. We have heard of rockfish dying during the closure, which indicates that oxygen levels are low and water quality is bad right now putting a lot of stress on the fish. Shifting focus towards other species will be best until conditions improve.

White perch are a popular target for anglers in the Upper Bay and they are being caught throughout the main stem and the tidal rivers. They can be found schooled up in the shallows near rock jetties, docks, and any submerged structure offering cover. The theme lately has been to fish shaded areas as most fish are seeking cover from the high sun and hot temperatures. Spinners, shad darts, or live minnows have had to be placed precisely under docks to get bites. An angler fishing in the mid-section of the Patapsco caught 15 white perch using bottom rigs in 10 to 14 feet of water. Bottom fishing is a great option in the slightly deeper waters of the Upper Bay for perch, spot, and croaker. The Bay Bridge, Sandy Point, Love Point, and the various shoals are great spots to drop a line baited with bloodworm, Fishbites, or lugworms. Anglers Sport Center says that catfish are another good option during the closure. Channel catfish, blue catfish, and white catfish can be caught throughout the Upper Bay. Ledges along main channels are great places to anchor and toss out any variety of cut bait. Bunker, Peeler Crab, and eel seem to be the more popular baits in this region.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 19 Update:

It has been another hot week across the Bay and some days brought us severe storms. The rainfall was welcomed, but it limited our fishing windows more than we would have liked them to. Just before the striped bass closure (in effect until August 1) kicked in an angler reported an excellent bite in the Patapsco. He and another angler caught close to two dozen fish mostly on topwater and three and a half inch paddletails on half ounce jigheads. Their biggest fish was 26 inches, and all fish were located on shallow structure. They also found big schools of perch up against shallow rocks near deep points. Although the striped bass season is now closed, there have been a lot of reports of dead striped bass floating in numerous locations of the upper Bay. Pooles Island and inside the Patapsco River are two of the more notable locations where dead fish have been reported. Even fish being caught in pound nets are dying. It is best to pivot fishing for other species this time of year as we have seen how fragile the stripers in the Upper Bay become during the summer months.

Now is a great time to target invasive blue catfish while the stripers are off limits. Blue catfish are found throughout the upper Chesapeake Bay and any of the tidal rivers will be good areas to search for them. Channel catfish are also abundant this time of year and are being caught steadily in the Patapsco River. Anglers should also consider signing up for CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count which allows us to help fisheries managers track the location of where invasive species such as blue catfish, flathead catfish, and snakehead are being caught. White perch are another species we recommend targeting right now. They are plentiful in the rivers and can be caught using small spinners, jigs, or live minnows. Bottom fishing at the Bay Bridge and Upper Bay shoals has also brought steady action for perch, spot, and croaker. If you are looking for steady action, this is a great option and a lot of fun.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 12 Update:

It has been very hot lately which has made water temperatures in the upper Bay reach the mid-80s. Since water temperatures are so warm, it is best to limit catch and release fishing for striped bass. The Patapsco is still in a lull for striped bass anglers as the hot bite to start the summer season has cooled off. The combination of boat pressure, poor water quality, and hot water has forced fish to move elsewhere. Fishing deep structure has been productive at times in areas around the old Key Bridge and shipping docks. It is still best to hit the water early and late as the midday bite is all but nonexistent. A kayak angler in the Canton area reported a slower bite on recent trips. A trip early in the week produced around eight channel catfish and a few small rockfish caught on bass assassins and jerkbaits. Anglers Sport Center let us know that a lot of fish have pushed north to Pooles Island and near the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, but the days are limited to target them as the summer closure is fast approaching. Readers have also reported catching stripers in the shallows of the Magothy fishig piers (all dinks) and a few have come from around the Bay Bridge pilings.

White perch fishing is a great option this time of year and they can be caught just about all over. Bottom fishing anglers are doing well at the shallower Bay Bridge pilings, the Upper Bay shoals, and at river mouths. Shore anglers and those fishing with light tackle gear are catching them in the various creeks off the main rivers. A lot of fish are hanging out along shaded shorelines or under docks that offer some cover from the sun. Two readers fishing for perch and spot in the Magothy reported catching some small redfish this week. They’ve been under 10” but it’s still neat to see them showing up this far north.

Catfish will be another good option to fish for while striped bass are off limits. Channel catfish and blue catfish are abundant throughout the upper Bay and will be found at river mouths, along channel edges, and near deep water structure such as bridge pilings. Any form of cut bait will work to get them biting and they can also be caught jigging soft plastic lures. We all could use a break from this heat, the fish included.

Reminder: The striped bass summer closure for the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay will begin on July 16th and go until July 31st. Targeting striped bass during this time will be prohibited.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 5 Update:

It was a pleasant start to the week as temperatures gave us a brief break from the summer heat, but the striped bass fishing was hit or miss as it has been as of late in the Upper Bay. A reader checked in after hitting the Patapsco, saying the bite has become a tougher there recently especially once the sun is high in the sky. He caught three unders and a slot fish on jigs before 8:30 and then the bite went cold. Another angler fishing in the river this week reported a similar bite. He caught five stripers on some of the old pilings of the Key Bridge along with a few big blue catfish. Once the sun got up the bite slowed down significantly. We also heard from an angler who skunked in the same area. A few rockfish are being reported from other scattered locations including Pooles and the Bay Bridge, but no one location seems to have replaced the Patapsco bite we had earlier this season. During the middle part of the day, fishing a moving current and structure has been the key to success. It seems that the old saying “the early bird gets the worm” has been quite accurate as of late.

White perch fishing has been good in the Upper Bay with fish being caught in all the major tidal rivers. An angler fishing out of Canton reported that he caught over 100 while fishing structure with grass shrimp. Fishing around docks and rip rap shorelines in the tribs will be a good start to locating perch. When fishing the shallows, a live minnow under a bobber or bounced along bottom on a jighead works very well. Small spinners are also very effective. Bottom fishing has been good this summer at the Upper Bay hotspots such as the Bay Bridge pilings, Sandy Point, Belvedere Shoals, and Six Foot Knoll. White perch, spot, and small croaker have been common and fairly easy to catch using bottom rigs tipped with bloodworm flavored Fishbites. The bigger spot have been hanging around the Bay Bridge and Sandy Point, so if you want to find eating sized fish, that will be a good area to target.

Important Reminder: Anglers should remember that the striped bass summer closure is quickly approaching and will last from July 16th through July 31st. The season will then reopen on August 1st and remain open until December 10th. Striped bass don’t handle warm water and low oxygen conditions very well and the summertime catch and release mortality can be very high if we don’t use proper handling techniques. If you plan to release a striper, it is best to do so without taking them out of the water. If you want to take them out for a quick picture, minimize their time out of water, handle them with wet hands, and don’t let them flop around on the ground or floor of the boat. We owe it to the fish to handle them with care and ensure they swim off strong.