Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, June 28 Update:
Up north along the Mason-Dixon line Contributor Jim Gronaw continues banging on bull bluegill, including one this week which may be a personal best at 11.75-inches and close to two pounds (the fish was released). He says the second spawn is done and now the fish are on the feed. Traditional areas for bass fishing remain hot throughout the region, with the reservoirs on fire. Lake Anna, Deep Creek, St. Mary’s Lake, and the Baltimore area reservoirs have all been great spots for bass. The early morning and dusk bites have been best, with the fish most active then and willing to hit topwater. During the heat of the day fish have been moving to deeper water. They’re still reachable midday, but nothing is like watching a bass smack your topwater lure at sunset. All these locations are seeing healthy numbers of crappie as well – they’ve been hanging around deep structure (read: bridge pilings) and are eager to take minnow, two-inch tubes, and similar small lures.
Western rivers and streams and the upper Western Shore tribs have mostly returned to reasonable levels, thanks to a merciful week with not-so-horrific rainfall in much of the region. Reports from District Angling, Mossy Creek, and others focused on the rivers is of steadily improving conditions. Considering the weather forecast for the next week, trout and smallmouth anglers should be in for prime conditions in the near future.
This return to normalcy in water flow also means the Western Shore tributaries are offering better bass fishing in the upper reaches, and of course catfish fishing remains steady. Snakeheads are once again, however, stealing the spotlight in many areas. Apex Predators has been reporting a steady stream of snakes coming from the Potomac tributaries, and while that remains the river of focus for many people, catches were reported this week from the Rappahannock, the South, the Magothy, and the Susquehanna. Long story short, there now does not exist a single major or even secondary trib from the Bay’s headwaters on down where we’ve had no snakehead reports this season.
Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, June 21 Update:
Freshwater is really on fire these days, people! Contributor Jim Gronaw reports that he’s done very well at small lakes and ponds in the Mason-Dixon area recently, catching largemouth bass with a variety of stick worms and surface baits like the classic Jitterbug. Sunrise has been the best bite. However, Jim lets us know that due to the heavy rainfall the past couple of weeks, smallmouth fishing in the Monocacy and local streams has been difficult with both muddy and high waters. As always, pan-fishing for bluegills can be a fun alternative because of their large numbers and tendency to eat whatever you put in front of them. As some fish now spawn for the second time this year Jim says they have taken many eight- to nine-inch-class fish on hair jigs and a variety of small live baits like worms and mealworms.
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. Contributor Eric Packard also checked in after spending some time on Mattawoman this past week, reporting “immense” pressure from both bass boats and kayak anglers but a good bass bite with some snakeheads mixed in on topwater frogs and Whopper Ploppers back in the shallows. More bass came from in deeper water on plastic worms.
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. The area between the 208 bridge and Sturgeon Creek came up multiple times, as the best zone for stripers. Crappie anglers focusing on the bridge pilings with minnow fished deep are also doing well.
Out west, Deep Creek Outfitters told us there has been a great bass and pickerel bite at Deep Creek Lake. They also reminded us that the lake supports a trophy-quality fishery for bluegill, which are also very tasty and easy to catch with no more than a bobber and some worms. Also in the western zone and a bit farther down south, Mossy Creek reports that the Shenandoah’s South Fork has been pretty good, and said the creeks are running a little lower now and the brown trout and rainbows have been eating well lately. Although fish haven't really started eating off the top yet, in a couple weeks deer-hair flies should start getting eaten.
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. There has certainly been a rapid expansion in their presence, with virtually every Western Shore trib providing a snake pic or two in the past week, though the Potomac creeks remain the most popular place to chase them. Topwater and chatterbaits were the commonly reported lures used with success.
Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, June 14 Update:
Anglers: we apologize for the technical difficulties experienced last week. Unfortunately it caused our website to crash multiple times over multiple days, but the computer wizards assure us that it’s now completely fixed. We sure hope they’re right!
We’re all tired of hearing this, but rain has raised water levels in mountain streams, as well as muddied waters, making fly fishing difficult in many areas. As has been the case for much of the recent past most freshwater anglers are sticking to lakes and ponds, where bass season has been going strong. Despite this trend, we note that Virginia confirmed a new state trout record has been set, by a 5.15-pound brook trout caught this spring in Cub Run. Congrats go out to Thomas Garth.
Larger lakes including the Baltimore reservoirs, Deep Creek Lake, and Lake Anna have been producing largemouth in excellent numbers lately, and bass are settling into their summer patterns of behavior. Early morning and late afternoon have been peak times, with most bass hitting in shallow. Buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits have all been working well. Reports from some of the smaller reservoirs (Piney Run, St. Mary’s Lake) indicate that the fish are thoroughly in summer mode and shifting to deeper waters after the sun comes up. Contributor Eric Packard reported a mix of bass, crappie, bluegill, and pickerel from Southern Maryland lakes and ponds this week, plus one interesting catch in Calvert County, a snakehead – in a marsh off the Bay.
Speaking of snakeheads: the usual hotspots all popped up in reader reports this week, however, the bite in the Blackwater seems more slow and steady than “hot” with many anglers reporting one to three fish. The Potomac creeks and the upper Rappahannock both seem to be slightly better bets lately. Anglers are still using both minnow and lures to get ‘em, but topwater is now a prime method. Another interesting snakehead report came to us by way of our own FishTalk snake-sharpie Zach Ditmars, who tempted one to smack topwater just below the Loch Raven dam - yet another "new" place to find 'em. And in case you missed it, the Maryland DNR reported that 81 snakeheads were caught in the fish lift at Conowingo this spring. That’s slightly more than the one which showed up over the past two years…
Well, you know the story: it’s supposed to rain, rain, and rain for the next few days and fishing rivers and streams is likely to be difficult, with water levels high and clarity low. A freshwater anglers best bet has been sticking to lakes and ponds, where bass, crappie, bluegill, and chain pickerel remain active. Herbs mentioned that fishing at Loch Raven has been stellar and in the heat of the day fish can be found in shaded areas, though they may be a bit more sluggish until returning to shallow water to feed as dusk. Buzzbaits, frogs, and crankbaits have been good choices. Loch Raven has also had a fair share of crappie and bluegill, which are likely to take small minnow suspended from a bobber. The same has been holding true at St. Mary’s Lake, which has also had some killer crappie fishing around the spillway. Shad darts with a minnow have been the best option.
Snakehead fishing remains a top priority for many anglers through the region, with top hotspots showing up in the reports recently spread through a wide range of areas: we saw pics this week of nice snakehead catches in Back River, the upper Rappahannock, the Potomac, and Blackwater this week. We also saw the first documented pair of snakes come from the Severn River (on bow).