Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report 1/26/18 Update:
A brief addendum to the below report: Reader Eric Packard was kind enough to check in and let us know that stocked trout have been biting in some southern Maryland ponds now that the ice is gone, including at Calvert Cliffs and in Owens. There's also a bite at St. Mary's Lake including some largemouth bass, and pickerel. Here's some eye candy, courtesy of Eric.
Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report 1/25/18 Update:
The best fishing in the Mid-Atlantic region seems to have been on frozen lakes and in mountain streams the past few weeks, as many of our more eastern water sources have been frozen over, dangerously cold, and/or void of fish. Deep Creek Outfitters extends an invitation to come out west and get in on some sweet action happening on the lake, where they've been seeing reports of walleye and yellow perch on the daily. It is worth noting, however, that our Angler-in-Chief Lenny Rudow spent this past weekend on the ice, and caught no more than a few measly yellow perch (lack of experience, maybe???) We heard from other readers who had far better catches (four perch and two walleye from one; a big five-pound walleye from another; and a mix of bluegill and perch from a third). Lenny spoke with DNR officers who checked his license, and said it sounded like the better catches were coming from those set up in coves in relatively shallow water. We note, however, that this warm spell may be the demise of ice fishing for the season. In fact, contributor Jim Gronaw checked in and said that he tried a southern PA lake but it had thawed too much, and the ice (which had been eight inches a week ago) was down to just under three inches. On the bright side, in local ponds currently half-iced and half open, he found both bluegill and crappie were willing to bite.
Jake's Bait and Tackle is reporting that the Shenandoah has thawed, opening up not just the water, but opportunity for those looking to get out and catch some nice brown and rainbow trout. Little nymphs have been most effective. Lake Anna is also benefiting from the recent warmer weather, with both largemouth bass (on the warm side) and stripers (near the splits, sometimes under birds) being reported.
We also have heard some reports of crappie and yellow perch from the DelMarVa Eastern Shore millponds. Alltackle mentioned that Wye Mills had produced some fish, and it's a fair bet that any and all of the ponds are worth visiting right about now with small minnow (fish them on shad darts under bobbers) and jigs (try two-inch tubes and twisters).
Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report 1/19/18 Update:
The brief bit of warm weather last week hasn't seemed to have too much of an effect on the ice pack over many of our local lakes and rivers, as temperatures almost immediately dipped back down below freezing. B & B Tackle reported that Sheppard-Meyers has had good crappie and bluegill fishing, and the ice is plenty thick for anglers to venture out (ranging from eight inches and up). The ice at Lake Marburg is about the same in most coves but isn’t as thick on the main lake and may be iffy in some areas. We did hear of decent catches of yellow perch from the area around the second bridge this week.
Deep Creek Outfitters is reporting a strong week, as many anglers walked off the ice with walleye, yellow perch, and pike. Small minnow have been the bait of choice, and minnow definitely seem to be best for catching larger walleye. Yellow perch are preferring little jigs with spinner tails, primarily in orange, pink, and chartreuse. Areas including the State Park, Green Glade, and Marsh Run Cove have all been fingered as productive hotspots.
Reports from the Virginia reservoirs - which of course never became quite as rigid as the lakes to the north - are of (thankfully) warmer weather thawing some of the trouble-spots where launching had become impossible, and there was some recent chatter of a few stripers under birds at Lake Anna as well as a decent bass bite in the hot zone near the power plant (though we also had a reader report of tough, slow fishing in the upper lake last week). The brief freeze at Gaston is history and highs this weekend are predicted to be in the upper 50's, so things should get back to normal. Fishing the rivers has been problematic, however, whether you’re trying to get on the Potomac for blue catfish or the western rivers for trout. Some areas are iced over, others have opened back up, but ice is difficult to deal with wherever you are because even in open areas it’s passing through, making it difficult to keep a line in the water. Smaller streams which don’t have many slow-moving areas are best, with small nymphs proving most effective for the trout.
Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report 1/12/18 Update:
With the deep-freeze, much of the fishing action in our region has focused on freshwater angling the past week. Most areas of still-water which can not be ice-fished are shut down, but virtually everywhere that ever has ice did have ice, this past week - at least until all the rain and warmth hit. Deep Creek Lake had the strongest reported action, including some banner catches like this beautiful mix for Edward Richardson, his father Ed, and their friend Michael Angelo Riley.
Thickness there was reported at between 6.0 and 8.0 inches in the coves and as thin as 4.0 inches in areas that froze later (such as the main lake, which wind kept open longer). Angler in chief Lenny Rudow reports that Marburg and Sheppard-Meyers, both close to Hanover, PA, were locked up solid with 7.5 to 8.5 inches of ice. The fishing was a bit slow, though, with only small perch and bluegills in the mix. B & B Tackle suggested Sheppard-Meyers for yellow perch, crappie, and bluegill. Fishermen are using wax worms and maggots on jigs and some people are using small minnows as their choice bait. Another great lure to use has been a Swedish Pimple.
It's impossible to predict exactly how the recent weather will affect the ice at one lake versus another but after this brief bit of warmth temperatures are expected to plummet again, so don't put away those augers and tip-ups any time soon. In the meantime, check ice carefully before walking out, and remember that waterproof boots will be a must-have as you're likely to be standing in water over the ice, until all the rain that fell freezes up.
Mossy Creek reports that some of the Shenandoah river froze over, so there was very limited fishing, though the expected melt-off may lead to expanded possibilities in the next week or two. Until then, the only fishable water seems to be the spring creeks of Mossy and Beaver. Although conditions in these creeks have been tough with very low water, small nymphs size 16 to 18 and other little crawlers have been effective on browns and rainbows.
Even in the southern reaches of our range, anglers have to contend with ice from the unusual cold-snap. Almost all of the western shore tributaries were locked in prior to the rain, with catfish and crappie anglers from the Potomac to the Rappahannock to the James largely shut down. With the recent warm weather, at least in areas with decent current we expect that to change. Reports from Lake Anna also included frozen boat ramps in several areas, so we'd suggest calling ahead to make sure the one at your favorite marina is open. Once out on the lake the striper bite was pretty slow last week, with most folks taking just a few fish per on large shiners or jigs.
Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report 1/5/18 Update:
Welcome to the first freshwater fishing report for the Mid-Atlantic region of 2018, and if you've checked the Chesapeake Bay and coastal reports, you've seen a lot of boo-hoo-ing about the horrible weather and general lack of fishing opportunities. Well, freshwater is the bright-spot for anglers in our area this week. Because for the first time in a couple of years, its actually been cold enough to make ice fishing a possibility. Deep Creek Outfitters reported that fishing on the lake has been good this week, with plenty of pike, walleye, and yellow perch being caught. They said that most have been in deeper water, and now that the lake is totally frozen it's open for ice fishing. So Ice Team FishTalk (consisting of Lenny Rudow, Bill Houghton, and Jeff Sykes) decided to trek on out there and enjoy this unusual winter fishing opportunity on Wednesday.
We discovered white (unreliable) ice at the access point by the 219 bridge, however, Marsh Run cove was locked up solid with 3.5 to 4 inches of good black ice. The fishing was slow overall, and in seven hours we totaled up with four walleye (2 keepers, 2 throw-backs) plus a nice 30-inch pike. We also broke a fish off, and had two tip-up mystery flags. Most of the action came along a very sharp drop-off from 10' to 40' near the mouth of the cove, with half the walleye caught on large shiner and half on tiny jigs tipped with GULP Micros and minnow eyeballs (we're not kidding - it works, although it is difficult to pop the eyeball out without making it explode). The pike ate a shiner on a tip-up set over a 30' deep plateau.
Deep Creek Outfitters does currently have shiner (that's where we got 'em) but we recommend calling before driving out there because they don't always have the minnow tanks full. The DNR was reporting that there was also good ice (up to 5 inches) at the State Park. However, despite the frigid weather at least as of Wednesday there were still thin spots, especially near bridges, so it's best to stick to the areas we know are solid. We note that Saturday's forecast with highs below zero look un-fishable to us, but Sunday (low winds, highs in the 20's) should be excellent. Check out Cheap and Easy Ice Fishing, to learn the basics on how you can give it a go!
Other than ice fishing, area anglers are mostly locked out of lakes and ponds north of the Mason-Dixon line, as everything is now frozen up. Even areas of moving water are in many cases skimmed and reports from the Potomac are of icy boat ramps, thin ice, and ice floes moving along the surface. Considering the current temperatures, we wouldn't be surprised if even areas of moving water become locked up in the coming days.
Trout anglers, however, still have some options in fast-moving waters. As of last week water levels were still on the low side and most of the stormy weather has remained east of the mountainous areas, so stealth in the approach is a good thing. Midges are usually a good pick at this time of year.
Anglers in the southern reaches of the Mid-Atlantic do still have more open-water options, with Lake Anna and it's warmed waters topping the list. Stripers are still the main target, and live-baiting with large shiners is the top tactic; trolling deep-divers should work well, too. The Splits is reportedly the area to try, and there are also some reports of largemouth being caught in the warm water areas on jigs worked across the bottom. We didn't hear about the crappie, but bridge pilings should still be holding them. We also weren't able to get any reports from Bugg's Island but the water temps were hovering in the mid to low 40's, so striper fishing there should still be happening. Again, large shiners or slowly trolled divers will be the tactics of choice.