Upper Bay Fishing Reports

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 25 Update:

Spring is moving right along, and anglers are counting down the days until striped bass season opens. In the meantime, there are several other species to target. Now that we are in a more stable warming trend, snakeheads are getting more active and are in a great pre-spawn pattern right now where they are willing to hit a variety of lures. Anglers are catching them on inline spinners, chatterbaits, and topwater frogs. Submerged aquatic vegetation is beginning to emerge, and snakeheads are being found in this thick cover. White is a popular lure color for snakeheads as it is bright and often gets their attention. The Back River, Gunpowder River, and Bush River are all tidal tributaries that have a lot of these invasive fish prowling their waters. They will be more concentrated in the upper reaches and small tribs off the main stem of these rivers, especially in areas with thick vegetation.

The blue catfish bite has been on the slow side this year and there haven’t been many signs of it picking up. We had a reader check in who said they took multiple trips to the Podickory Point area between last weekend and this week without any luck. They tried fresh cut gizzard shad in depths of 10 to 20 feet, but could not locate any blue cats willing to bite. There are definitely catfish out there, but they are being a little finicky this spring. If you move further up the tidal rivers, you will find higher populations of channel catfish and white catfish. All three species can be caught using fresh cut baitfish, or a variety of other meaty baits. Another fish that can be found in the Upper Bay rivers is carp. These are a less popular species for anglers to fish for but are numerous enough that they can be a good springtime option when other bites are slow. The best way to fish for them is to focus on shallow areas with muddy bottom in the upper reaches of tidal rivers and creeks. These areas tend to warm up the fastest and will often congregate the carp. Baits that often work well for carp include corn, dough balls, boilies. If you are interested in carp fishing, consider reading our article Fishing For Carp – Why Not? to learn the ins and outs of this hard fighting fish.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 17 Update:

Water temperatures in the Upper Bay dropped significantly in the past week due to heavy rain last weekend combined with very cold temperatures at times this week. This did not help with fishing, and it seemed to seriously slow down the fishing. A reader wrote in to let us know that the colder waters shut down the catfish bite. They spent nearly a whole day fishing near Podickory Point at the beginning of the week and did not get a single bite while fishing with fresh-cut bait. Another angler fishing near the mouth of the Patapsco reported a similar day of striking out while fishing for blue cats. Once water temperatures climb back into the upper 50’s and low 60’s, the blue cats should get more active and willing to feed. Further in the Patapsco, we had a report that channel catfish are getting more active in the creeks and an angler caught a few while fishing at Southwest area park earlier in the week. The white perch spawn is at the tail end in the upper Bay and many fish are starting to head down river from their spawning grounds. Anglers are reporting decent action on white perch in the Chester River and fishing with bloodworms and grass shrimp seems to be working well. Yellow perch have now spread throughout the tidal creeks and rivers of the Upper Bay and while it will be harder to catch them in numbers, they can still be caught using panfish jigs and live bait in the shallows.

The striped bass closure is still in effect for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. During this time, anglers are prohibited from targeting striped bass. Striped bass season will open for certain areas of the Bay in Maryland waters on May 16th. You can view the Maryland DNR striped bass regulations map to see when and where targeting striped bass is allowed.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 11 Update:

While striped bass are off limits right now, blue catfish are an excellent option to target, and they are abundant in the Upper Bay. The striped bass closure is in effect until May 16th in all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay and anglers are prohibited from targeting striped bass during this time. While fishing for cats was slow to get going this spring, the bite appears to be very good now. The fish have come out of their deep wintering holes and are becoming more widespread at depths of five to 15’. Local photographer turned waterman Jay Fleming has been running catfish trotlines just north of the Bay Bridge with a lot of success this month. Jay has been able to fill trash cans full of blue catfish with some big fish over 30 pounds being hauled in. The best fishing appears to be happening from Hart Miller Island down to Sandy Point State Park with hotspots around Tolchester, Rock Hall, and the mouth of the Magothy. Fresh chunks of gizzard shad on fish finder rigs usually get the catfish biting. John Burrell of Phat Katz Catfish Rigs reports that the fish are active along the bayfront north of the Bay Bridge. If you plan to fish for blue catfish, consider signing up for CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. Anglers can register their invasive catches to help fisheries managers track their spread across our region. You will also be entered for a chance at monthly giveaways. Pickerel will be another great option to target this month in the Upper Bay tributaries. We are in primetime for their spawn, but some fish may be a bit reluctant to bite because they have been beating each other up recently. The upper reaches of the Magothy River, Main Creek, Bodkin Creek, Back Creek, and creeks off the Patapsco are all great locations for pickerel fishing. Top lures will include inline spinners, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, and paddletails.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 4 Update:

The striped bass closure is now in effect for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Anglers are prohibited from targeting striped bass until May 16th when certain areas of the Bay will open for the season. We encourage anglers to view the Maryland DNR striped bass regulations map to see when and where areas are open for striped bass fishing. While striped bass are off the table for now, the blue catfish bite is really ramping up. The catfish have been concentrated in the upper portions of the Upper Bay around Hart Miller and Pooles Island, but we are now seeing a surge southward. Jay Fleming was out this week running catfish trotlines just north of the Bay Bridge and had an impressive haul filling several trash cans full of blue catfish. Last year, April was a great month to fish for blue catfish in the Upper Bay and anglers were catching several fish in the 10-to-20-pound class with some fish over 40 pounds as well. These fish are invasive (and delicious!) and we encourage anglers to remove them from the water if caught. Anglers should also consider signing up for CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. You can log your invasive catches for a chance to win some great prizes.  

Although striped bass are off limits, several other species are available to target this spring. White perch are running up their spawning tributaries and will soon become widely available in the Upper Bay rivers once they are done with their spawn. Post-spawn yellow perch are being caught in the Chester River, Magothy River, and Baltimore area creeks. Both species have been biting on bloodworms, grass shrimp, and minnows. Pickerel action has been red hot and the Upper Bay tributaries from the Patapsco River south have high concentrations of pickerel in their upper reaches. Anglers should focus their casts in creeks with fallen trees, docks, and other shoreline structures that would be a good ambush spot for pickerel. Spinners, jerkbaits, paddletails, and chatterbaits are all excellent lure choices. We have bene gifted some unseasonably warm days to start spring, so take advantage of them and get out on the water.