Freshwater Fishing Report, June 24 Update:
As the cicadas wind down we’re still hearing of some interesting bug-impacts on the fishing, this week from the western rivers and creeks where the trout have decided that it’s time to put on the feed bag. The previous rainfalls rejuvenated water levels throughout the region without causing too much turbidity and one reader reported the best summer trout fishing he’s experienced in years.
The Baltimore reservoirs continue to offer great action for bass, with the bite shallow and up top at daybreak and sunset then transitioning to deeper points and drop-offs when the sun’s high in the sky. Crappie anglers are also having success but mostly in deeper water with structure. We heard much the same from St. Mary’s Lake with largemouth bass, pickerel, and bluegill all snapping away, and crappie suspended in deep areas with standing timber. Still, when reports editor Mollie Rudow and contributor Ryan Gullang hit the Lake this Tuesday in the rain, they came up short with only two largemouths. Reports from Lake Anna are of a lake more or less on fire, especially early and late when fish are shallow. Once the sun’s up, working in 10-plus depths for bass and significantly deeper water for the stripers becomes necessary. Crappie anglers focusing on the bridge pilings with minnow fished deep are also doing well.
Dedicated snakehead hunters seem to be doing about equally well in the Western Shore tribs and the Eastern Shore waterways, with most anglers reporting on-again, off-again bites and catches of up to a half-dozen fish. The Rusty Hook identified Blackwater as a hotspot once again, with solid reports from there. The snakes should be beginning to turn on in earnest again after protecting their broods and can be expected to hit topwater frogs and other surface lures. Contributor Eric Packard found the Little Blackwater active mid-week, with a multitude of nice snakes most interested in topwater offerings; frogs and Whopper Ploppers both did the trick.
Freshwater Fishing Report, June 18 Update:
The freshwater bite for largemouth has been stellar in lakes, ponds, and lochs across DelMarVa. With bass now firmly settled into their typical summer mode, casting topwater for them in the mornings and evenings is proving productive. Midday and in the afternoons, hitting areas with shade-providing structure such as docks with soft plastic worms, crayfish, and other soft plastics is a good move. Deep Creek is having a great largemouth bass bite right now, with plenty of fish hitting around the docks and points especially early in the day before boat traffic and the sun both gather up a head of steam. At Piney Run, crappie were biting on minnow fished around the deeper brushpiles near the boardwalk. In the lakes that have them, docks and piers have been good spots to look for crappie and bass, and in the Baltimore reservoirs, anything that provides shade is worth checking out. The Tackle Box also checked in to let us know that St. Mary’s Lake has an excellent bass bite. One kayak angler who hit it this week reported catching 31 bass in a single outing, as well as crappie, sunfish, and pickerel.
From the Mason-Dixon zone we also heard from contributor Jim Gronaw recently, who mirrored these reports with talk of bass catches of well over a dozen with the fish hitting buzzbaits once the sun is high. He noted that big bluegills have been on the feed recently, too. He's had excellent success using micro-ned rigs so we've asked him to whip up a how-to feature on this tactic, which will appear in an upcoming issue of FishTalk soon.
Trout fishermen continue to benefit from the stockers left in put-and-take management waters, though at this point most have been harvested. Flyfishers and anglers using spinners while looking for native fish are enjoying a healthy bite, although water levels were a little high and conditions cloudy in some areas this week post-rain.
Reports from readers chasing the snakes were on the thin side this week, with the success level of most limited to singles or a handful of fish. They noted that fish are paired and/or on fry balls but tough to get biting, with Mepps and inline spinners sometimes triggering aggression but the fish often ignoring all offerings short of an arrow shaft. Most of the reports of success came from tidal waters as opposed to strictly freshwater bodies of water with the west side leading the way. We received reader reports of sightings of fish unwilling to feed in the Rappahannock, the South (multiple reports), the Magothy (multiple reports), and Curtis Creek, while anglers who visited Blackwater reported a short bite-window at the change of the tide.
Freshwater Fishing Report, June 10 Update:
The epic impact of Brood X cicadas continues to play a strong role in the behavior of many freshwater fish, with the largest impact seen on bass and carp. In the bass world some folks have been complaining that the fish are so gorged in bodies of water near large cicada populations that they aren’t taking the usual offerings; others report success using cicada-like topwater lures or simply picking up one of the bugs, threading it onto a hook, and deploying it where fish are slurping them up. Contributor Eric Packard reports more successful forays to Tridelphia to fly-cast to sighted carp, an extremely unusual opportunity presented as the giant goldfish prowl along the surface looking for the plentiful bug-nuggets. Kayak Angler David Rudow reported that Loch Raven has had a similar carp bite for anglers using topwater cicadas, which they’ve been gorging on.
Regional lakes and reservoirs have been poppin’ with more than enough chunky largemouth bass to go around as they move into full summer patterns. Fishing for them and panfish (crappie, particularly) has been off the hook, with the Tackle Box reporting that anglers’ arms are getting tired before they’ve been out on the water for long. Contributor Packard also noted fast and furious bass action in the lakes this week. Readers hitting various waters including Centennial, Lake Anna, and Lake Meade, also report solid bass action and that the fish are putting on quite a show for anyone willing to cast topwater when the sun is rising or setting. Once the sun is up and becoming oppressive, anglers around the dial report that the action shifts to shaded areas especially where shade hits slightly deeper waters. There's also word of a solid largemouth bite at Lake Gaston on pumpkin and pepper color plastics, rigged Carolina style.
Trout anglers report varying water levels but mostly okay if not great conditions. The incoming rain should perk those levels up a bit in many areas, but thus far the scattered nature of the recent rains has left some streams and rivers better off than others. Mossy Creek is giving a nod to the Shenandoah. We had a reader check in after fishing the Patapsco in the Ellicott City area, and he reported great action on small but feisty smallmouth up to 14 inches on live crayfish dipped right out of the river.
If you’re hoping to fish freshwater from the shoreline, be sure to throw on some bug repellent and make sure pant cuffs are tucked down to prevent ticks from getting on ya. Across DelMarVa, we’re hearing that the ticks are out in full force this season. Just remember, folks — DEET is a proven fish repellent. Getting bug spray on your hands and then handling your tackle is a surefire way to reduce your catch. If you’re going to use it, throw on some gloves and make sure you’re not spraying anywhere close to your gear. According to research done by Berkley, Bass can detect DEET at concentrations of less than one part per million.
Freshwater Fishing Report, June 4 Update:
The freshwater bite has been stellar in lakes and ponds across DelMarVa. With largemouth bass in their typical summer mode, casting topwater for them in the mornings and evenings is proving productive. Midday and in the afternoons, hitting areas with shade-providing structures such as docks with soft plastic worms, crayfish, and other soft plastics is a good move. Deep Creek is having a great largemouth bass bite right now, with plenty of fish hitting around the docks and points especially early in the day before boat traffic and the sun both gather up a head of steam. We also had a reader let us know the bass and some stripers were biting at Bugg’s Island, but water levels are surprisingly high considering the low rainfall amounts recently and incoming rain could make water level an issue.
Cicadas are also having an effect on the fishing in some areas. Contributor Eric Packard noticed carp munching on the cicadas this week at Rocky Gorge, and then he and a friend enjoyed sight-fishing for them with fly casting gear – an unusual and nifty opportunity! We also had a reader check in after hitting Piney Run, to let us know that crappie were biting on minnow fished around the deeper brush piles near the boardwalk. St. Mary’s Lake’s largemouth bass and crappie bites are both on fire as well, and the Tackle Box suggested heading out early to get in on the best bite.
Snakehead anglers had good results this week— one kayak angler hitting the Blackwater checked in to let us know that he did well fishing frogs deep in the weeds, going four for seven. Good reports also came from (undisclosed) west side locations with catches of up to a half-dozen fish, and the snakes continue coming in from the lower Susquehanna area.
Anglers heading to the western rivers and streams in search of trout and smallmouth reported that water levels hadn’t changed much mid-week and remained on the low-but-fishable side, however, the heavy rainfall late this week is likely to have some localized impacts. Smallmouth continue hitting small crayfish-pattern crankbaits.