Upper Bay Fishing Reports

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 3 Update:

April has arrived, and it is the first year since 2019 that striped bass are open for catch and release fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Most of the Upper Bay is open for catch and release fishing, but some areas, including the Chester River, are closed. Anglers trolling will be limited to six lines; they must use barbless hooks and no stinger hooks. If using cut bait, anglers must use non-offset circle hooks, and using eels for bait is prohibited during the catch-and-release season. If you catch a big striped bass in the next few weeks, it is likely a pre-spawn female, so be sure to handle them with care. You can check out the article Dos and Don’ts of Catch and Release Fishing for best handling practices, which discusses the best way to handle these big trophy fish while catch and release fishing.

Blue catfish are a popular target for Upper Bay anglers in the spring, but the bite last year was fairly lackluster. We have been in drought conditions for a few years now, so salinity in the Bay has been running higher than average. Recent salinity measurements show levels in the Upper Bay ranging from three to 12 practical salinity units (PSU). Blue catfish thrive in salinity that is below 10 PSU, but can tolerate salinity up to 20 PSU for short periods of time. If we get some much-needed spring rains, we can expect more blue catfish to venture into the main stem of the Upper Bay. When this occurs, areas around Sandy Point up to the mouth of the Patapsco are hot spots. Other notable locations are the Chester River and lumps around Pooles Island.

The perch runs are still moving along in the Upper Bay tidal tributaries. The yellow perch spawning runs are pretty much wrapped up, but white perch are now moving up the tributaries for their spawn. The upper reaches of the Magothy, Bush, and Gunpowder River are good places to try. Small jig heads or shad darts tipped with grass shrimp, minnows, or small pieces of bloodworm are popular ways to target them.  By the end of the month, white perch will mostly be wrapped up with their spawning activity and will begin dispersing into the tidal rivers and Upper Bay shoals where they will hangout for the summer months. Last year’s summer perch fishing was abysmal, so let’s hope that the fishing improves this year.