Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, September 29 Update:
Seasonal changes are bringing some of our first cold fronts to the region and we will see a lot of freshwater patterns changing over the next few weeks. Many of the trout streams are running low but this weekend’s rain will revitalize those waters. Mossy Creek reports that tricos are still thick in the mornings and hoppers, crickets, and ants are still readily available for fish to feed on. They recommend using dry dropper rigs as water temps continue to drop and get cooler. The bug bite for smallies will continue if rivers stay low and clear but with rain forecasted this weekend accompanied by cooler temperatures, the window for good fishing is going to be limited to the warmest parts of the days next week. We will likely see more and more fish migrating to their winter ledge holes as days get shorter and temperatures drop.
D & B Sport Shop reports that fishing at Deep Creek Lake has improved greatly for smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, and panfish. Boat traffic from vacationers is way down and the lake is much calmer this time of year, making it easier for anglers to fish. Rocky points or floating docks are a good place to try for the bass and the lakes deeper ledges should be holding walleye. Coves off the main stem of the lake will be your best areas for catching pike and pickerel. A variety of cranks, spinners, and live bait work well for all these fish.
This time of year is great for chasing after snakeheads before it gets too cold and the bite slows down. The tidal Potomac, Patuxent, Upper Bay, and most Dorchester County tidal waters are hotpots for the snakeheads. Topwater frogs are still in play, but that bite will slow as water temperatures drop. Fishing with large minnows under a bobber has been working great for anglers recently and this method will become more effective as we move further into fall. Minnows casted into open water, near sunken structure, grass edges, or shoreline brush will be tempting for nearby snakes. These fish will be most active during the warmest parts of the day so afternoons will be a good time to hit the water.
Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, September 22 Update:
Fall is finally here and along with it comes a welcomed cold front this weekend. This should get our freshwater fish active and looking to feed. Contributor Eric Packard said some largemouth bass have been biting and on one recent trip he topped a dozen, but on another one of his trips to St. Mary’s Lake mid-week, bluebird conditions made for a tough bite. Wacky worms did the trick on the bass. He also noted that the cyanobacteria algae seems to be dissipating. Freshwater correspondent Jim Gronaw checked in to let us know that his efforts in ponds and small lakes this past week produced some girthy crappie up to 14 inches and a variety of sunfish species caught on Z-Man Micro Finesse Baits. Most of his fishing is taking place from dawn to mid-morning but he says the early morning bite hasn’t been consistent. Many of his fish are being caught once the sun gets up. Largemouth bass fishing in the region, however, has been consistent. Many of the areas public waters are providing anglers with quality bass and some reports have come in of fish up to six pounds. Topwater baits, buzz baits, and Ned Rigs with Z-Man 2.75-inch TRD soft plastics have been working best.
Fishing for largemouth bass is excellent in many tidal areas where grass beds are declining, forcing bass to seek existing beds and other types of structure. Casting spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits around the edges of grass is a good tactic. Lack of rain recently has many of our rivers, creeks, and streams sitting below normal water levels. Gronaw Reports that smallmouth bass, channel cat, and carp fishing has been slow in the Potomac tributaries with low water levels to blame. Most fish are holding in deeper holes and early mornings, cloud cover, or shade seems to be key for catching fish. The best baits recently have been buzz baits, hair jigs, and smaller stick worms. We will be hoping for a few shots of rain over the next week to bring water levels up and improve fishing conditions.
Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, September 16 Update:
Recent shots of rain and some cooler has been welcomed with open arms by freshwater fish and fishermen alike. Trout fishing in the catch-and-release streams is improving with good flows. Hatches of aquatic insects are occurring during the evening hours and some of the best bug fishing of the year should come in the next two weeks. Tricos, hex, ants, beetles, hoppers, and crickets are still in play. The overcast days provided some of the best action this week. Mossy Creek let us know that the sight fishing on blue bird days has been amazing but try to fish early or late on these sunny days. They recommend watching out for feeding carp and to shoot a size 2 or 4 clawdad at the big ones mudding along the banks! The upper Potomac is running clear and anglers are having success targeting smallies. The extended forecast is showing sunny and calm weather for the next week which should make for some excellent bass fishing. Topwater baits have been producing major blow ups. Farther down the Potomac just south of DC, the catfish are so thick Contributor Eric Packard got a bunch on lures (chatterbaits) with no cut bait necessary.
As we approach the middle of September, many species of freshwater fish in our areas lakes and ponds will become more active for the better part of most days. Days are getting shorter, which means that grass beds will start to break up. Working subsurface baits such as cranks and spinners around grass edges and other transition zones is a good tactic for targeting largemouth. Buzzbaits and top water frogs are good choices to throw over the grass beds while they are still around. We do have some unfortunate news from a few of our area's major freshwater bodies. Triadelphia Reservoir, Howard Duckett Reservoir, St. Mary’s Lake, and parts of Lake Anna are all experiencing toxic blue algae blooms. These areas are all still open to fishing but anglers are cautioned to avoid contact with the water.
Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, September 9 Update:
The rain showers this week were welcomed with open arms by anglers who fish the areas rivers and streams. Mossy Creek gave us the latest and greatest for fishing these areas. Many have been flowing low for much of the summer which has isolated fish but made for good topwater bites. The rain has brought the Shenandoah and Susquehanna up around normal flow levels which has spread fish out making subsurface baits such as cranks and soft plastics favorable for fishing. If we don’t get another shot of rain soon, the rivers will return to around normal or below normal flow and the surface bite will pick up again. Topwater plugs are a favorite of smallies. As we move farther into September more bugs such as cicadas, dragonflies, and damselflies will start to die and provide ample food for smallies and largies. Mimicking these baits should produce bites. The spring creeks and freestone streams have been fishing quite well. Bites in the morning have been tougher as fish have been feeding at night on hex bugs. Once the hex bug supply starts to slow down, which should be in the next week or so, the fish will hone back in on tricos and hoppers. The next few weeks will be great fishing for brook trout and brown trout before they spawn in October.
Freshwater Contributor Eric Packard hit St. Mary’s Lake this week for a few hours of fun catching. Packard had success catching many largemouth bass and a few crappie. An orange-colored square billed crankbait did the trick for the largies and the crappie were biting on a small white jig. Over on the Potomac, Captain Mike with Apex Predators has been killing it on the snakehead front. The fish have been in the same pattern for the past few weeks, biting topwater frogs best on low tide along the edges of grass beds and lily pads. On high tides, chatterbaits and soft plastic creature baits have been the ticket. He also recommends keeping eyes out for fry balls as he is still finding new ones with parents guarding close by.
Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, September 2 Update:
The area lakes and reservoirs are producing bites for anglers who are willing to go out and find the fish. Most bites have been coming during the cooler mornings and late evenings, but various species can be caught throughout the day, it may just take some searching. FishTalk’s own Zach Ditmars and Eric Packard helped with a Heroes on the Water kayak fishing event at Rocky Gorge last weekend and reported that with the high temps and crystal-clear water, the fish were holding down deep. Jigging spoons over meter marks produced several white perch and Packard also tied into a 24-inch reservoir striper. Contributor Jim Gronaw has been focusing his effort on smaller public and private freshwater bodies. He says that larger crappie, fish exceeding 12 inches, have shown a liking for various smaller crank baits like the Rapala Countdown Minnows and Rapala UL Shads. The best patterns have been baby bass as young of the year largies are being preyed on by both larger crappies and bass as well. These fish are being found suspended in four feet of water close to shore at daybreak and then out deeper as the sun comes up. Other panfish have been biting on Bobby Garland Mo Glo Baby Shads and the Strike King Lightning Shad. Most water temperatures in lakes and ponds are in the mid to upper 80s so minimizing stress on fish is essential for successful catch and release fishing.
We checked in with Mossy Creek this week for the latest and greatest on the area’s rivers and streams. The south fork of the Shenandoah has touched average flow levels for the first time in a few weeks. The water is clean and making for some excellent surface fishing. They recommend loading up on deer hair patterns and poppers to take advantage of the great topwater bites that will continue into fall. Most of the creeks remain in good shape and most fish have been eating late night hex. Morning fishing has been slow with the action picking up around mid-day. Foam poppers, crickets, and beetles have been the bait of choice for local trout and smallmouth on the fly. Anglers who are struggling to find rising fish can use hopper droppers to prospect for fish. Fishing should continue to be good and if we get a few shots of rain, it should shape up larger drainages for some hot bites.