Freshwater Fishing Report, February 24 Update:
We had a catch of note this week from an undisclosed Maryland freshwater location: a 28-inch pickerel, which tipped the scales at seven pounds and even ounces. That’s the second at or over 28 inches this month! Contributor Eric Packard reports trying for some early perch at the usual spawning run spots in Allen’s Fresh multiple times this week but says the fish hadn’t yet arrived in numbers, and even with multiple anglers fishing from shore he only heard about a couple of fish being caught. Bass, on the other hand, proved willing to bite in some local ponds on some days but not on others. Four-inch swimbaits were what got them snapping but we also heard a skunk report from a reader who hit Centennial Lake.
Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow said perch were also difficult to find in the upper Patuxent in the Jug-to-Wayson’s zone this week; some anglers caught a handful some days but others they were MIA. Luckily, he found that the catfish, carp, crappie, and bass were all biting during the warmth late this week, with grass shrimp catching all the fish while minnow were strangely ignored.
A reader checked in after fishing a southern Maryland pond for crappie and reported catching around 20 on small minnows and a bobber. The same angler fished St. Mary’s Lake last weekend and had a slow pick at some crappie in the seven-to-10-inch range for about two hours but was blown off the lake due to the wind.
A report came in this week from the Pocomoke River near Snow Hill; the angler said the perch seem to have already headed upriver of the area but the crappie bite was good, and some bass were hitting as well. The Marshyhope is warming up too, and bass provided a strong bite recently when the warm sunny conditions triggered some unusually strong February activity; one reader reported catching five casting spinners during a quick afternoon of fishing.
Mossy Creek brought us the trout report from up in the mountains and said the mountain streams and spring creeks are full of water. Brook trout fishing has been great and should only get better. They said spring creeks have some caddis popping off, but the nymph and streamer fishing will be most productive until other hatches get thicker. Maryland and Virginia trout stockings are still underway and there are plenty of recently stocked locations to target. Maryland stocking information can be found on the Maryland DNR Trout Stocking website and Virginia Information can be found on the Virginia DWR Trout Stocking website.
Freshwater Fishing Report, February 17 Update:
February’s mild temperatures have fared well for freshwater anglers enjoying the spring-like weather. Freshwater Correspondent Jim Gronaw reports good freshwater fishing during the first half of February. He has found that recent water temperatures are in the mid to upper 40s depending on the body of water and central Maryland lakes and ponds are producing lots of crappie and a few bass. The crappie are hitting any one and a half to two-inch plastic from three to five feet below a bobber. The key has been allowing baits to drift with the wind in toward shoreline brush or weeds. He emphasizes that a "thermal bank" occurs when warmer surface water is created by 10 to 15 mph winds that push and stack warmer surface water to any shoreline. Key in on these areas. He noted that they usually tip their jigs with Crappie Nibbles but recently it has not been needed to entice the more aggressive crappie. They have been catching lots of 11-to-12-inch fish and a few 16-inches in recent catches. We also had a reader check in after hitting a small farm pond, and catching a nice bluegill and crappie on a Rapala X Rap 08 in a perch pattern.
Contributor Eric Packard found some bass willing to bite in local ponds this week, bringing four to the kayak including one that went over the 21-inch mark one afternoon. A crappie took one of his baits as well; he notes that jigs and Beetle Spins were both getting the job done.
Mossy Creek gave us the trout report, saying that most of the spring creeks are off colored but in excellent shape for streamer fishing. The recent shots of rain have most of the mountain streams full, but their levels will drop over the coming days. They expect the warm weather to kick off some hatches in these streams in the next couple of weeks. Maryland and Virginia trout stockings are still underway and there are plenty of recently stocked locations to target. Maryland stocking information can be found on the Maryland DNR Trout Stocking website and Virginia Information can be found on the Virginia DWR Trout Stocking website.
Freshwater Fishing Report, February 10 Update:
February can be a tricky month for fishing. There is the possibility of cold weather icing up waterways or early warm fronts giving us tastes of spring. The variation in weather can make consistent bites hard to come by. Contributor Eric Packard reports a tough few days of fishing early this week, drawing a blank while targeting walleye on the Potomac, then drawing another while fishing a local bass pond. Pickerel fishermen are having the most success although the mill ponds have generally been less productive than in years past. The tidal tributaries on the upper Bay, especially the Severn and Magothy, are proving more productive for anglers. Anglers Sport Center reports that they are getting more reports of yellow perch from the Severn and Magothy. As the weather warms up, we expect the perch bite to really pick up as they start their spring spawning run. Areas like the Choptank, Little Choptank, Tuckahoe Creek, and the upper Nanticoke should begin to see the perch run start in the next few weeks. Live minnows are always a great bait to use for catching them.
Angler Herb Floyd caught what we’re thinking is the fish of the winter, while fishing a minnow on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and participating in the 2022/2023 CCA Pickerel Championship. The mega-monster pickerel stretched the tape to 28.25 inches(!) which is believed to be a new tournament record. “After a couple of slow trips and seeing fish hang deeper on my fishfinder I decided to try suspending a live minnow just off bottom,” he said. “Funny thing is, an 11-inch yellow perch ate the biggest minnow I had and the big pickerel actually hit a medium-sized minnow… that’s fishing!”
Mossy Creek Fly Fishing gave us the latest and greatest for the trout report up in the mountains. They said the brook trout fishing was good over the weekend and that most of our creeks have quality water flow right now. Some fish caught on dry flies were eating size 16 caddis, blue wings, and attractor dries. They expect activity to increase as the waters warm up a bit later in the week. Spring creeks are fishing well, and we should see some increased bug activity this week. We also received a reader report this week that the trout were biting in some of the creeks out near Thurmont. Fly fishing with midges did the trick. Trout stockings in both Maryland and Virginia continue, providing plenty of opportunities to get out for some tasty rainbows. Maryland stocking information can be found on the DNR website and Virginia’s stocking information can be found on the DWR website.
Freshwater Fishing Report, February 3 Update:
Fishing is always slower in the winter but some of our more reliable bites have been giving us a hard time. What’s up with the millponds this winter? Overall they’ve been tougher than usual by a mile, and contributor Eric Packard reports that fish had lockjaw in Johnson’s Pond early this week despite the warm weather preceding the latest cold snap. He also noted a slightly better bite at Smithville, but only during a brief window late in the day. We heard from a reader hitting another of the millponds that the pickerel were finicky there, too, and casting swimbaits and inline spinners produced just three bites and no fish over 22-inches.
Another report of surprisingly slow action came from a reader hitting the Potomac near DC for catfish. Only five were brought into the boat during a day of soaking baits last weekend. This weekend’s weather looks cold but next week may bring the return of some milder temperatures. Unseasonably warm days can be a good time to target largemouth bass, especially in the afternoons once the water has warmed up slightly. Mid-winter can produce some very big bass if you have the patience to fish for them. Slowly retrieved crankbaits and spinnerbaits are reliable choices to throw near deeper submerged structure and along ledges.
Perhaps the most reliable bites have been at the stocked trout locations. Anglers who have been targeting the trout in the days following stockings have reported good results. Super dupers, spinners, and various power bait products are all working. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources was very busy throughout January stocking locations around the state. The most recent stockings took place on January 31 for some Eastern Shore areas but plenty of lakes, ponds, and streams in other regions should still have fish. The Virginia DWR has been just as busy with their stockings making sure that there are ample fishing opportunities for anglers. Visit the Maryland trout stocking page and the Virginia trout stocking page to find up to date stockings and locations closest to you. Make sure to check the regulations for the specific area you are fishing since they may vary in different locations.