Freshwater Fishing Report, November 29, 2019 Update:
The easy pickings for fall trout anglers have mostly been caught up, but there are still some hatchery fish available for those casting spinners and soaking prefab trout baits in low-traffic areas. Low water remains in the rivers and creeks, making for a tougher bite on wild trout. Other species are still in fatten-up mode, though, and we heard of a good bite for panfish and smallmouth in several rivers including the Monocacy and Shenandoah, this week.
As the water chills off, more and more reservoir anglers are reporting encounters with species like smallmouth, walleye, and pickerel, as the largemouth bite slows. Anglers at Deep Creek Lake are enjoying a killer smallmouth bass bite around deep structures and drop offs (lures that resemble crayfish are a good bet) while walleye and yellow perch are biting well this week too, especially for anglers drifting minnows under a bobber or casting small crankbaits. At St Mary’s Lake and the southern Maryland freshwater ponds, the Tackle Box reported that crappie are plentiful and large. They’ve also been prone to taking suspended minnow, so be sure to stock up before your freshwater excursion.
Speaking of crappie: this species is still in high gear for fall, with reports from all around the dial of a solid bite. We’ve heard they were biting in big numbers in the Eastern Shore millponds, in the upper Potomac creeks, and at the Lake Anna bridges and submerged structure this week. In all cases minnow are most effective, but small tubes and twisters will also get ‘em biting.
The couple warm, sunny afternoons we had this week triggered a bit of a snakehead bite recently, too. Numbers are nothing like they were a month ago, but we heard from anglers successfully probing the Blackwater with three or four fish in the cooler, one that popped up in the Magothy, and a couple caught from Middle River. Big minnow suspended three feet under a bobber was the move.
Freshwater Fishing Report, November 22, 2019 Update:
Freshwater anglers have plenty of options right now for where they’d like to go and what they’re looking to catch. There are still lots of put-and-take trout to be had, though in popular areas they’re starting to thin out. Scroll down to the links to see where they were planted, and drive a bit to get away from the crowds if you want to get ‘em. Remember, though, that if wild fish are more your style, most of the streams and rivers remain low and fish are easily spooked.
Snakehead fishing on the shore has definitely hit a cold-weather slump, with some folks reporting skunks, some reporting just one or two fish, and a few doing better. Those fishing late sunny afternoons are enjoying the best action (the biggest catch we heard of this week was six) in the Blackwater. Similar reports have filtered in from the Western Shore. In all cases minnow have become the go-to bait and setting bobbers two feet and deeper, then fishing them along channel edges, has been the ticket.
Will there be an ice fishing season this year? At Deep Creek Lake, we had our first report this week that the coves are began to get slushy in spots overnight, boding well for an early December freeze and (hopefully!!!) a productive ice fishing season. Meanwhile at Deep Creek, walleye are currently accessible from shore and anglers are reporting reeling them in on crankbaits and jerkbaits.
In the eastern and southern reservoirs where it’s still a bit warmer, bass fishing has shifted into more winter-like patterns. The fish are mostly deep, near underwater points and ledges. Using lures resembling crayfish on the drop-offs, and crankbaits, have been good options. The erratic weather has made it tough to get the largemouth to bite at times and we did hear from a few readers boo-hooing about very slow action last week (St. Mary’s, Annapolis Waterworks, and Liberty).
Crappie, on the other hand, are still hitting strong as the temps fall out. A smattering of reports (Lake Anna, Deep Creek, the Eastern Shore millponds, and also Blackwater) were of a nice crappie bite on minnow, mostly fished deep around structure. Same goes for the tribs; Apex Predators checked in from Potomac Creek with plenty of pics of chunky crappie coming out of the river and its feeders. They also noted that three-inch slider grubs were the ticket, there.
Freshwater Fishing Report, November 14, 2019 Update:
Trout anglers throughout the region are still picking away at fall stockers, but coming by native fish is on the tougher side thanks to below average water levels in most areas. Intrepid angler David Rudow reports that action in the Gunpowder was slow last week if you didn’t watch your step, as the fish were easily spooked. In areas ranging from the Potomac creeks to the Baltimore reservoirs to Lake Anna, however, crappie are on a big-time fall fatten-up feeding frenzy right now. We received reports from multiple readers, Apex Predators in Potomac Creek, Deep Creek Outfitters, and The Tackle Box of slabs filling stringer and coolers. The fish were on the deeper side in the reservoirs, mostly hovering around submerged timber, bridge pilings, and underwater points in the 10- to 15-foot range, striking small tubes and darts tipped with minnow. In the rivers and feeder creeks the crappie remain a bit shallower and casting two- to three-inch jigs or fishing minnow under bobbers is producing. We heard that white, a blaze orange/black combo, and red/white combo were all effective.
Bass are also still in the reservoir mix, though the water’s grown a bit chilly for them to hit in prime form. But the gap’s being filled in areas where walleye are present in decent numbers – we’re talking about you, Deep Creek Lake, upper Potomac River, and Susquehanna. We received a couple reader reports of an up-tick in recent action and Deep Creek Outfitters said fishing the transition areas to deep water has been producing for anglers using crankbaits and jerkbaits, especially during dusk hours. Weighted swimbaits also got the nod.
Another option: chasing muskie. We didn’t receive any first-hand reports of ‘em this week, but the VDGIF sent out a press release reminding everyone that this is a good time of year to hunt them, and the James and New Rivers have strong populations right now. Visit their muskellunge page, to get the low-down on which waterways have ’em and at what levels. Maryland anglers can find muskie in the non-tidal Potomac, and a number of reservoirs have stocked tiger muskie populations though their numbers are usually fairly low.
Snakehead anglers are still having a bit of success, but the recent cold has put a damper on the action in a significant way. Reader reports have gone from dozens to handfuls over the past few weeks, with the best recent catches we heard about numbering just three to five fish. It does sound like the Western Shore is produced better than on the Eastern side this week, as the Blackwater's shallow waters allow for very rapid water temperature drops (the Bay tribs are still in the low 50s, but the Blackwater is dipping down into the 40s). Minnow are now the for-sure best bet, and fishing them close to bottom in channels close to their shallower haunts is the move.
PICKEREL ALERT: December is approaching and we’re excited for this year’s CCA Maryland Pickerel Championship. It starts on December 1st and will be running until the end of February. This is the opportune moment for participating anglers (or those who are just looking to catch some toothy pickerel) to scope out where the fish are hitting hardest before the gates open. Right now, we’re getting reports that the pickerel bite is on for ‘em in St Mary’s Lake, but encourage you to check out the multiple reservoirs, ponds, and creeks they'll been holding them. Joining the tournament is inexpensive (just $50 for CCA members and $75 for non-members, which includes your one-year membership at a $10 discount), there’s a slew of great prizes, and it’ll give you a great reason to get out of the house and go fishing all winter long. Added bonus: keep your eyes peeled for the December edition of FishTalk, hitting the streets in a week or so. It has an in-depth how-to feature on catching pickerel, with multiple methods.
Freshwater Fishing Report, November 8, 2019 Update:
Anglers who have been waiting for the fall trout season this year aren’t disappointed - following the trout stocking programs, the regions’ waters are flourishing with fish. Fly fishermen using nymphs in the rivers are doing exceptionally well, enjoying steady water levels and beautiful change of seasons in addition to great fishing. From the stocked ponds and lakes we had reader reports this week of great catches on Berkley trout bait as well as artificials like small spinners. The bulk of these fish will probably get caught over the next few weeks but right at the moment, hot and heavy action is still available. Well… considering the weekend’s weather report, “hot” may not be the best word to use. scroll down to last week’s report for the links of state agency stocking pages, which give the locations for which bodies of water are primed and ready.
Anglers hitting the upper tidal rivers on the Western Shore may want to key in on crappie. This week’s report from Apex Predators in Potomac Creek, VA, was of a seriously slamming crappie bite. They included pics, and the fish were piled high.
In some of the local reservoirs the abrupt temperature drop has caused a bit of an up or down bite, with some folks reporting serious slow-downs in the action the day after one of these chilly fronts moves through. Dittos, for the snake hunters. While we heard of snakes biting in Blackwater, the Gunpowder, Back River, the Potomac, and the Rappahannock this week, most of the reports were of lower numbers with one to six or seven fish being the range. Minnow seem to be the best offering at this point. Remember that all it takes is one bright, sunny day to heat up shallow areas (read: the entire Blackwater complex) and there are still some good fishing trips ahead of us before the chilly temps more or less shut things off.
Freshwater Fishing Report, November 1, 2019 Update:
You say you like fresh fried trout fillets? You’re in luck, as fall put-and-take trout stockings have continued at a rapid pace. In fact, Maryland dropped another 10,500 trout into the drink the past week, while Virginia released trout in over 21 different locations. Don’t forget to check out the Maryland Trout Stocking information page and the Virginia Trout Stocking Schedule, to see all the details. Delaware anglers should still be able to get a bit of action too, though a couple of weeks have passed since the White Clay Creek fall stockings took place. District Angling has noted a stealthy approach is appropriate and a long leader also helps, when targeting the trout.
Inland a bit, the first reports of a walleye bite are trickling in. The Mid-Atlantic zone isn’t exactly well-known for its walleye fishing, but the upper Potomac, the Susquehanna, Deep Creek Lake, and Liberty Reservoir all hold populations strong enough to target the species and Deep Creek Outfitters reported this week that the walleye bite is picking up as the temperature drops, and that they’ve been taking minnow. Crankbaits and jigs commonly do well in the rivers while big shiner tossed out with a split shot and fished with an open bail tend to be best in the reservoirs, and now’s one of the best times of year to start focusing in on this species. Look for rocky areas and if you plan to head for one of the rivers check out Walleye Fishing Tactics: The Hangy-Hangy before hitting the water.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass and crappie are available across the board in lakes and reservoirs. St Mary’s Lake, Deep Creek Lake, Lake Anna, Loch Raven Reservoir, and Piney Run have all been producing reports of excellent fishing. Smallmouth bass are inclined to take crankbaits and tubes, and largemouth are eager for crayfish. Both species, along with crappie, have been hanging around structure. Crappie are likely to take minnow suspended by a bobber.
Snakehead lovers: act fast! We had a number of reader reports of decent action this week, mostly from Blackwater but also from Back River and the Gunpowder. As the water temps drop it’ll only become tougher to get them, though, so time’s running out. Chatterbaits and minnow were the hot offerings the past week, and the topwater bite does seem to be a thing of the past at this point.