Upper Bay Fishing Reports

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 25 Update:

We hope that everyone has got some new fishing gear to try out as we head into the new year. Fishing in the upper Bay is relatively slow right now thanks to the colder weather. There are a few fisheries that can provide some fun opportunities in the winter though. This includes pickerel fishing in the upper Bay tidal tributaries on the west side. The Magothy River and Baltimore Area creeks, especially the ones near the mouth of the Patapsco are great places to find pickerel in the tidal creeks. The recent warm up likely has them more active too. When searching for pickerel, historically productive areas are usually defined by sandy bottom in depths of five to 10 feet with nearshore structure. Rip-rap, docks, and fallen trees are all prime ambush spots for pickerel to attack baitfish. Suspending jerkbaits are very effective in the winter along with spinnerbaits and swimbaits. Any lure with flash is usually a reliable bet.

In the Patapsco River, striped bass and white perch have moved into the deeper shipping channels in depths of 30’ to 50’. They can be hard to find in the deeper water, but enough searching with downscan or sidescan usually leads to some marks worth dropping baits on. Metal jigs and bladebaits are highly effective when jigging in the winter. Fish will be tight to bottom, so you will want to make sure you are bouncing your bait right along bottom while intently feeling for a tap. Bites can be very subtle, so you’ll want to be using braid to help detect them. The Patapsco River holds resident striped bass throughout the year, but if you want to find them in other areas of the upper Bay, that will rely on finding bait. The best places to check right now are deep channels on the main stem of larger rivers and the Bay. The rock piles at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge also tend to hold some striped bass and white perch in the winter.  

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 19 Update:

Pickerel fishing is one of the premier winter fishing opportunities in the Upper Bay. Popular locations include the Magothy River, Stoney Creek, Main Creek, and other tributaries in the Baltimore area. The recent cold snap caused many of the smaller creeks and tributaries to freeze up with ice, which makes accessing the pickerel grounds difficult. Luckily, we are getting a warm-up that should help melt away the ice and open up the creeks. Areas where pickerel tend to congregate are the upper reaches of tidal creeks in depths of around five feet or less, where there is a sandy bottom and cover along the shoreline. Docks, fallen trees, and rip-rap are all ambush spots that these fish will hang near.

Striped bass fishing in the Upper Bay has slowed down significantly with the latest cold weather. With the season closed, fewer anglers are getting out now that fishing is strictly catch and release. We did have one report from an angler fishing in the Patapsco who said they had to break ice on the way out to the main stem of the river earlier in the week. They spent some time drifting over the main shipping channels inside the area of the Key Bridge and found a few fish. They caught a handful of stripers and a few white perch while bouncing a bladebait on the bottom in around 40 feet of water. We didn’t have any other reports on striped bass, but the rock piles at the Bay Bridge are a location that historically holds some striped bass during the winter.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 11 Update:

Striped bass season closed for Maryland waters on the Chesapeake Bay after December 10th, so anglers wanting to target them will have to practice catch and release from here on out. The Patapsco River is a reliable Upper Bay river for winter striped bass fishing. There are resident fish that roam the river channels year-round, and right now they can be found along the main shipping channels in 30’ to 50’ of water. Vertical jigging with soft plastics, metal spins, and bladebaits is often the best way to catch them. Bladebaits are also a great option to use if you want to catch white perch during the winter. The rock piles of the Bay Bridge are another area that will hold striped bass in the winter months. Again, vertical jigging is the best way to catch them. Sometimes they will eat, sometimes they have lockjaw, but there are usually fish in the area.

FishTalk’s Zach Ditmars went pickerel fishing up one of the west side tribs last weekend and reported a lack of action, with one missed hit and one follow. Other anglers fishing in the Baltimore metro area have reported a decent pickerel bite, with most willing to hit either minnow or suspending jerkbaits. The forecast is calling for a serious cold front in the coming days, so the tidal creeks, ponds, and lakes may have some ice on them to deal with. Some yellow perch are being caught in the Baltimore area creeks as the weather gets cold. Minnows are the best way to catch them, but small panfish jigs, especially scented ones, can also work well. The Magothy River can offer winter perch fishing opportunities in the upper reaches, though the bite usually gets better the later in winter we get.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 5 Update:

There is still plenty of rockfish action in the Upper Bay for anglers to take advantage of before the season closes on December 10th. A couple of reader reports came in of action near Love Point, at times punctuated by bird play. Most of the fish were just under or in the slot, but a few larger fish were reported as well. Jigs have proven effective, but trollers seem to be consistently getting better numbers of fish, and Spoonbrellas continue to be a hot offering. In the Patapsco, resident striped bass are congregating in deeper water where they can be found throughout the winter. The main channels and deeper ledges are where most of the fish can be found right now. One angler reported a slow but steady bite while dropping metal jigs in the main channel earlier in the week. White perch can also be found in these same zones, where they can be caught on small metal jigs, blade baits, or by dropping down bloodworms on bottom rigs.

Pickerel fishing has been good in the Upper Bay tidal tributaries when the tide allows boats to get into the prime areas, though Contributor Eric Packard reported slow action mid-week during an afternoon with no tide at Stony Creek. The upper Magothy River creeks are a common hotspot, but the Baltimore area creek tribs, off the main stem of the Patapsco also hold good numbers of pickerel. They tend to hang around fallen wood, docks, and other shoreline structures. Flashy lures such as spinners, jerkbaits, and chatterbaits are very effective at getting bites. Unfortunately, we may start to see ice forming on the creeks, which will restrict where anglers can get out to fish. With overnight lows at or around freezing, it will be a good idea to check water conditions, if possible, before fishing. On the bright side, if the cold temperatures persist, we may get some ice fishing opportunities again this year.