Fresh Water Fishing Report, October 28 Update:
The cooler temperatures that October has brought is shaping up some really good freshwater bites. Mossy Creek gave us the latest and greatest from the trout waters. They reported that anglers seeking brook trout from the Shenandoah National Park to the Western Maryland trout streams are seeing these fish cutting redds right now. Many trout streams have redds and browns paired up right now and Mossy Creek recommends anglers avoid fishing for actively paired up fish. The rainbow trout will be hungry through this period and are a good option for those still looking to trout fish. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has continued their fall trout stocking and many anglers are enjoying the opportunity to target these fish. Contributor Eric Packard says he hit a few of the recently stocked areas for trout with the grandkids. The bite was excellent, and the kids were “killing it” while armed with orange Berkley Power Bait dough balls. Another reader fished Hutchins Pond in Calvert County this week and reported catching his limit in about 45 minutes using Berkley PowerBait Floating Mice Tails.
Crappie fishing around the region is starting to kick into high gear as water temperatures drop. One reader sent in a pic of a beautiful Chesapeake tributary slab this week. Captain Mike from Apex Predators checked in to let us know the crappie bite in the creeks of the Potomac are really turning on. He sent in some pictures of beautiful 12-to-14-inch crappie. Look for deeper structure like fallen trees, marina docks, or pilings to target the crappie. Live minnows floated under a bobber are a great option but small Gulp! minnows work well too. Largemouth bass are very active this time of year as they look to fatten up body stores for winter. You can find good action for these fish throughout most of the day and any grass or submerged structure are good places to cast.
Despite the chillier temps dcent snakehead reports came in this week from the areas of Blackwater and the Western Shore rivers. Fish are hanging close to shoreline structure and are biting white paddletails and chatterbaits. Lots of fish species are biting right now so get out on the water when you can!
Fresh Water Fishing Report, October 20 Update:
We are well into the fall season and have had quite a few cold fronts push through the region which has steadily dropped water temperatures and made our freshwater fish more active. Contributor Eric Packard hit St. Mary’s Lake a few times in the past week and found that the bite has been good in general but slowed during the midday hours on some of the recent bluebird days. Even so, he had plenty of bass plus some pickerel. Spinners were the winning lure this week. He noted that the water has become very clear recently thanks to the dropping water temps, and he found the fish holding over grass beds in four to eight feet of water. Contributor Jim Gronaw reports that smallmouth fishing in the central Maryland streams is turning on and that the brown trout spawn is in full effect. The brownies are willing to hit small lures or streamers on the fly while smallies are hitting plastics and hair jigs along with some topwaters. The most productive smallmouth rivers have been the Monocacy, Patapsco, and Upper Potomac.
Fall trout stockings are well underway for both Maryland and Virginia. These stockings are done regionally and it is best to check state agency websites for up-to-date information. (Maryland can be found here and Virginia, here). Rainbow, brown, and brook trout will continue to be stocked throughout the fall in many streams and lakes. This is a great opportunity for anglers to try their hand at trout fishing regardless of experience. The cooler weather also has crappie and yellow perch more active and willing to bite for anglers. The crappie will be schooled up on deeper structure around pilings, fallen trees, and marina docks. The perch are moving up the tidal rivers and will be hanging out in some of the deeper holes. Both fish will be willing to hit small jigs and lures but live minnows seems to work best for them. Drop the minnows down with a clamp weight or float them under a bobber in areas where the fish are likely to be. Freshwater fishing is really starting to gear up as fish transition to fall patterns so make sure to get out there and get a line wet.
Fresh Water Fishing Report, October 14 Update:
This time of year provides ample opportunities for anglers targeting our freshwater fishery. Contributor Eric Packard reports a good bite on bass and pickerel at St. Mary’s Lake, with a small spinnerbait doing the trick and three to eight feet the hot zone. He also noted that an angler there throwing a small spinner tipped with a Gulp! minnow was tearing up the crappie. Contributor Jim Gronaw reported excellent smallmouth fishing on the Susquehanna River in Central Pennsylvania last week with Rod Bates of Koinonia Guide Service. Jim and his son Matt caught and released 64 smallmouths(!) of varying sizes between the two of them and had a few in the two-to-three-pound range which really put some bend in their rods. Most fish took 1/8 oz tube jigs and Z Man TicklerZ, but a few took smaller swim baits and spinner baits. Water temperatures were running at 58 to 60 degrees and if we don’t get any dramatic rain or cold events, Jim expects this fishing to hold up through the end of the month. As the water cools, fish low current eddies and Island points with soft plastics and hair jigs for your best shot at the smallies.
The regional lakes and ponds have had good action for bluegill and crappie recently. Jim Gronaw has been catching some nice sized bluegill in the eight-to-10-inch range. They are taking simple float and fly rigs with micro jigs tipped with worms or Crappie Nibbles 3-4 feet below a float. Crappie have been taking the new Z Man Micro Finesse TicklerZ and StingerZ on a 1/20th ounce SchroomZ head as well as Bobby Garland Baby Shads and Crappie Magnets on a 1/32nd ounce head. Most fish have been caught near wood, weed, or riprap structure.
Mossy Creek says the Brown trout are getting more active as they prepare to spawn which can make them more challenging to catch over the next few weeks. Luckily for trout fishermen, state agencies have been hard at work stocking freshwater locations in our region. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources stocked many locations in Central and Western Maryland this week. Information for those stockings can be found here. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources also stocked many locations this week. Information for those stockings can be found here. Make sure to check and follow area regulations for trout fishing in your state as they can vary even from waterway to waterway.
Fresh Water Fishing Report, October 6 Update:
The weather was less than desirable for the better part of last week which made fishing difficult. Luckily, the extended forecast looks favorable with milder temperatures that should get fish feeding for longer parts of the day. Mossy Creek reported that trout are still looking for terrestrials to feed on and that now is a good time to stock up on streamers and nymphs for the fall. Now that October has arrived, state agencies will begin fall trout stockings. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources started stocking areas in Garret, Baltimore, and Carrol counties on October 4. Make sure to check area specific regulations for daily trout bag limits and C&R areas. The link to stocking information can be found here. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources announced that their trout stocking program plans to stock nearly one million brook, rainbow, brown, and tiger trout into nearly 200 waterways for the 2022/20223 season between October 1 and May 31. A link to their stocking schedule can be found here.
The aftermath of the storm left water temperatures dropping steadily with freshwater flows flowing high. Murky water may make fishing tough for the next few days, but our freshwater fish will be transitioning to fall patterns and feeding heavily. Contributor Eric Packard just couldn’t wait for the weather to clear and earlier this week made an attempt at bass fishing in the rain and wind… but reported a very slow bite with just one small fish willing to nibble in a local pond. Bass are feeling the need to build up body mass and targeting them near existing grass or transition zones should yield good results. Experiment with different lures and colors while the water is murky to find out what they are biting on; Eric noted that wacky worm rigs were doing the trick on his recent outings. Snakehead fishing will likely be slow after the heavy rains have made waters muddy in most areas. When fishing muddy water, it is a good idea to throw dark colored black or blue lures. Once the water does eventually clear up, cooler temps can make for some very good snakehead fishing in areas like Blackwater, the Western Shore rivers, and in the Northern Bay. Live minnows floated under a bobber are especially effective when the water is starting to cool off. Eastern Shore snakehead hunters: remember that hunting season is now open, the soft launch at Egypt Road on the Little Blackwater is closed until March 1, and other shared-use areas are affected. Check the local regs before heading out to any shared-use areas.