Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report, 9/28/2018 update:
The high, muddy water is still a problem for many freshwater spots in the Mid-Atlantic, but there are some places you can check out. Reservoirs and lakes that don’t have a large flow remain the best bet. Contributor Jim Gronaw says it's been basically a largemouth bass effort on smaller Mason Dixon area lakes and ponds with most fish running a pound and a half to three pounds with an occasional fish in the four to five pound range, mostly on soft plastics with Yum Dingers and plastic swimbaits like the Reaction Innovation Skinny Dippers taking the bulk of the fish. Kayaking has been a good way to get in on them, as well as the abundant bluegills and crappies that are putting on the feedbag this time of year. Potomac, Monocacy, and Susquehanna tributary streams remain high and muddy as of this writing, so the creek smallmouth gig isn't going to happen until the waters recede and clear. We’re hoping to be able to get in on that action by the first week of October, with hair jigs and in-line spinners. Also, some very nice bluegills are hitting on small spinners and spoons with the high and sometimes dingy water.
Bass and stripers around the Susquehanna flats have been hitting Gulp!, topwater, and spinnerbaits with dark skirts, but stained and high water remains problematic (as is all the flotsam). A better bet for largemouth is to head for one of the Baltimore-area reservoirs or St. Mary’s Lake, where they’re being caught near deadfall adjacent to deep water and early in the day on topwater. Bass are also biting in the Virginia reservoirs, and Lake Anna still has a good striper bite at The Splits with fish near the surface under birds at times, but more often holding 30 to 40 feet deep where they can be jigged up on small spoons or live-baited. Live bait does remain more reliable.
With the recent rainfall the trout fishing seems to have seen a bad decline in the fishing in some areas. The fall stocking program has really been in full force for Maryland freshwater areas, but the weekend rains may put a hiccup in the fishing as the water levels are already a bit high to begin with. In Virginia, the Shenandoah valley rivers and James basin still haven’t completely overcome the flooding.
One other option that does remain strong is catfish fishing in the western shore tributaries. Despite the high and muddy water catfish continue to bite, and thanks to the freshwater influx they’ve extended their range. The Potomac remains a good bet for blue cats from DC down to and around the 301 bridge, and in the James they’re being caught clear down to Hog Island. Chunks of herring or gizzard shad are the ticket.
Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report, 9/21/2018 update:
High flow from Conowingo has been putting a bit of a damper of the creeks around northern DelMarVa, and with the added rainfall there doesn’t seem to be a bright spot on the horizon as more runoff from Florence arrives, but there are still plenty of places you can check out to put a bend in your rod. Bass have been hitting the usual topwater, Gulp! baits and some artificials, such as small spinnerbaits with darker colored skirts, on the Flats. The largemouth in your local ponds are in their usual summertime patterns, being caught around deeper structures and piers during the afternoon, while smashing topwater soft baits in the morning. Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow reported a steady crappie bite from St Mary’s Lake in southern Maryland this week, with two-inch blue/white tubes being the lure of choice and color proving critical; red/whites, greens, and yellows drew a small fraction of the hits prior to IDing the right choice. We also heard from a number of readers throughout the region this week who had their best luck in ponds and small lakes, many of which are flooding or very high but not terribly discolored. Bluegills were the most common thing to tie into recently, and their sizes have generally been great - try the ol’ bobber and worm method to give you plenty of fun for an evening.
The Savage River and upper Potomac have been near flooded at the moment, but the trout fishing seems to be the only sector that has seen a bad decline in the fishing. The fall stocking program has really been in full force for Maryland freshwater areas, with many streams and lakes receiving their fair share. The western trout streams have gotten their stock of trout fingerlings, as staff stocked 10,000 rainbow trout fingerlings and 4,800 brown trout fingerlings into the North Branch Potomac River Zero Creel Limit Trout Fishing Area earlier this summer. An additional 20,000 rainbow trout fingerlings were stocked in the river a few weeks later. The weekend rains may put a hiccup in the fishing as the water levels are already a bit high to begin with. Other reports from our western areas indicate that Deep Creek is cooling off quickly and a strong fall bite should develop at a rapid pace. Bass have already extended their active hours, and the walleye shouldn’t be far behind them as they prepare for winter with more aggressive feeding.
In Virginia, the Shenandoah valley rivers have been putting the hurt on the bass. They’ve been hitting a variety of flies in the 10 to four size range. As for the trout in those waters, expect them to still take nymphs and attractor patterns, but terrestrials have been performing well. Mossy Creek Fly Shop has reported that the brookies in the area are being reported in large sizes (above 10”), so tie on some baitfish patterns or good-sized streamers. The trout fishing is remarkable down there!
In many other parts of Virginia the rising water levels have really put a damper on the freshwater bite. Again, not all is lost. The catfish are plentiful throughout the region and will bite as long as the water isn’t too flooded to fish, and at Lake Anna, there’s been a decent morning bite for stripers on topwater like Whopper Ploppers and Badonk-a-donks. At times recently, the lake-bound stripers have been feeding hard enough to trigger bird action and tip off anglers to their location. Keep a rod rigged with a jigging spoon, too, because as boats race over and the fish sound, if you can spot them on the meter you can jig 'em up. That said, those using live bait have been doing even better, with most fish reported in the low 20s. As the water continues to cool, this bite should pick up.
Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report, 9/14/2018:
Editor’s Note: Due to Hurricane Florence, some areas of our region (particularly to the south) will be unfishable this weekend while others may be fishable but with challenges like unusual tides on top of breezy conditions. Please note that while we’ve done out best to gather quality intel, basically, as this storm causes radically changing conditions, all bets are off.
The water rushing from Conowingo dam has been putting a bit of a damper on the creeks around northern DelMarVa, and with the added rainfall coming, doesn’t seem to be a bright spot on the horizon at this moment. Still, some bass around the Susquehanna flats had been hitting the usual Gulp! baits and some artificials, such as small spinnerbaits with darker colored skirts. We'd strongly suggest checking the conditions before heading up there, however. The largemouths around your local ponds are in their usual summertime patterns, being caught around deeper structures and piers during the afternoon, while smashing topwater soft baits in the morning. The bluegills are the most common thing to tie into recently, and their sizes have generally been great! Try the ol’ bobber and worm method to give you plenty of fun for an evening.
Contributor Jim Gronaw reports that smallmouth and trout fishing is pretty much on hold in the Potomac and Monocacy tributaries, due to high and muddy conditions throughout the region. The Maryland DNR is poised and ready to stock a number of streams and lakes with a fall supplement of rainbow, brown and golden trout and will be making public announcements on where and when on their social media/department websites as conditions settle and implantation allows. He also notes that meanwhile, bass, panfish and channel catfish can still be caught in smaller lakes and ponds throughout the region as water temperatures are slowly dropping and fish are becoming more active. Don't let the muddy water scare you; use vibrating or bladed lures for both bass and panfish and expect some strikes to occur right as the lures are being lifted from the water. Small Mepps, Panther Martin, and Rooster Tail spinners are great for turbid conditions and chatterbaits and Rat-L-Traps will take quality largemouths in the dingy conditions as well.
The weekend rains may put a hiccup in the fishing (to put it mildly) as the water levels are already a bit high to begin with. In Virginia, the Shenandoah valley river bass had been hitting a variety of flies in the 10 to four size range. As for the trout in those waters, in areas that aren't torrents of mud, expect them to still take nymphs and attractor patterns, but terrestrials have been performing well. Mossy Creek Fly Shop has reported that the brookies in the area are being reported in large sizes (above 10”), so tie on some baitfish patterns or good-sized streamers. The trout fishing is remarkable down there – but once more, we have to note that with the storm hitting all bets are off for the time being and much of these waters will likely be unfishable for some time to come.
Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report, 9/7/2018:
Releases at the Conowingo dam have been putting a bit of a damper of the northern rivers and creeks, but there are still plenty of places you can check out to put a bend in your Ugly Stik. Smallmouths around the Susquehanna flats have been hitting Gulp! baits and some artificials such as small spinnerbaits with darker colored skirts. The largemouths around your local ponds are in their usual summertime patterns, being caught around deeper structures and piers during the afternoon, while smashing topwater soft baits in the morning. But bluegills are the most common thing to tie into recently, and their sizes have generally been great. Try the ol’ bobber and worm method to give you plenty of fun for an evening.
Contributor Jim Gronaw let us know that the Potomac, Monocacy and Susquehanna River systems have managed to remain clear enough to fish for a few weeks in between the storms and the smallmouth bass fishing has been good on many of them. Bass are taking small Rebel crankbaits, floating Rapalas, and hair jigs. The recent hot weather has made early and late day fishing optimal as bass, sunfish, fallfish and even a few channel cats are active during cooler, low-light conditions. Most Monocacy tributaries have smallmouth bass and ultralight spinning and four pound test is ideal. Jim recently caught and released his new personal best "creek smallie" at 19 inches from a tributary to a tributary... amazing! Big fallfish are slamming the same lures and some of them are in the 16 to 20-inch range. The overgrown minnows are great fun to catch but can make excellent catfish bait as well.
Jim also mentioned that early morning and late evening largemouth bass action on the 90 Whopper Plopper is taking one to three pound fish with an occasional larger specimen. Surface frogs like the Stanley Ribbit or the Horney Toad will attract blow ups over matted vegetation and algae, but be sure to let the fish take the frog adequately before setting the hook.
Many western trout streams have gotten their stock of trout fingerlings, as staff stocked 10,000 rainbow trout and 4,800 brown trout into the North Branch Potomac River Zero Creel Limit Trout Fishing Area earlier this summer. An additional 20,000 rainbow trout fingerlings were stocked in the river a few weeks later. However, the weekend rains may put a hiccup in the fishing as the water levels are already a bit high to begin with.
In Virginia, the Shenandoah valley rivers have been putting the hurt on the bass. They’ve been hitting a variety of flies in the 10 to four size range. As for the trout in those waters, expect them to still take nymphs and attractor patterns, but terrestrials have been performing well. Mossy Creek Fly Shop has reported that the brookies in the area are being reported in large sizes (above 10 inches), so tie on some baitfish patterns or good-sized streamers. The trout fishing is remarkable down there!
- By Parker Martin