Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 26 Update:
The saltwater fishing in the Lower Bay rivers and tributaries is starting to pick up with warming water temperatures. The shallows are approaching the 60-degree mark, and some areas are already into the low 60s. This is when a lot more bait and gamefish will move into shallow water areas. We received reports of small puppy drum and a few speckled trout showing up near the mouth of the Rappahannock and in the Corrotoman River. Most fish are being caught on soft plastic paddletails fished on light jigheads. Further up the major tidal rivers, blue catfish are keeping a lot of anglers busy. One boat fishing on the Rapp was out last weekend and caught fish ranging from 18 pounds up to 61 pounds. Another boat fishing just down river from Tappahannock found a steady bite, catching 11 catfish ranging from 10 to 20 pounds. The fish were biting on an incoming tide and the action slowed down with the tide. Checking the tide forecast for the zone you will be fishing is very important to do before heading out for a trip. You usually want to be fishing during a moving tide and the action can be significantly better than on a slow moving or slack tide.
The shad bite in the lower tribs continues to go strong, and intern Adam Greenberg reported good action on the Potomac last weekend. He said the fish were holding close to bottom and wanted tandems tied with white/red darts. While shad fishing is good now, we will soon start to see schools of shad head from their spawning grounds back to the ocean. If you haven’t gone out to fish for them yet and still want to catch some, make sure you do soon. You can find detailed shad reports from the Flethcers Cove area by signing up for the Friends of Fletcher Cove Shad Report.
We also received good snakehead reports form the D.C. area. Anglers fishing in the tidal basin have been catching some very big snakeheads and bass this week. Weedless worms and spinnerbaits produced snakeheads up to nine pounds and a few bass up to three pounds for one angler. Crappie action in the district is also picking up with a lot of fish biting in the Washinton Channel around the marina docks.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 18 Update:
The weather was great for fishing this week as spring has finally set in for good. If you enjoy shad fishing get out there asap because the past week has seen some peak action in tributary rivers and creeks up and down the Western Shore. Reports from Contributor Eric Packard, intern Adam Greenberg, and multiple readers have included numbers of 50-plus fish days with the shad hitting a mix of darts and spoons. Midweek we still had some reports of washout conditions remaining in the Potomac near Fletcher’s and a better bite in some of the creeks but the water’s been clearing day by day. Last weekend we had a reader check in after fishing at Fletchers Cove in one of the rowboats. They anchored up just south of the cove and found steady action for big hickory shad and even some American shad. Their biggest fish of the day was a 22-inch American shad that put up quite the fight in the rolling current of the Potomac. River conditions have dropped below five feet on the upper Potomac and conditions should be good for getting out this weekend. It is helpful to check the USGS flow gauge near Little Falls before heading out so you know what the current river conditions are like.
Snakehead are becoming much more active as water temperatures continue to rise. Anglers are finding success in tributaries off both the Potomac and Rappahannock. Captain Mike from Apex Predators guide service checked in this week and let us know that the snakehead bite is heating up in his neck of the Potomac. He has been catching fish in the emerging grass beds on topwater frogs and weedless creature baits. Warm and sunny days have provided the best bites in the afternoon when water temperatures are at their warmest. Another angler confirmed that the snakehead bite on tribs of the Potomac has picked up significantly this week with the warm weather. Fish are pushing into shallower water and hanging out in areas with thick vegetation. Down on the Rappahannock an angler mentioned getting out for snakeheads for the first time this year and finding more than they have ever seen on the river. They didn’t specify where they were but said they were catching steadily using swimbaits.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 12 Update:
Spring finally feels like it made its arrival this week after temperatures made it into the 70s. Trees and shrubbery all responded with green leaves sprouting which is a sure sign of the season change. It’s good to have the warmer weather back, especially with the big fish that are biting in the Lower Bay tidal rivers. Blue catfish are cruising along channel edges and transition points searching for bait. Anglers targeting them have had no problem finding them or getting them to bite. The Rappahannock River from the Tappahannock Bridge up to Fredericksburg saw good action this week including some fish over 30 pounds. Anglers on the Potomac also saw good action and fish are being caught just about everywhere on the river. D.C. anglers have had great luck using eel and gizzard shad as bait on fish finder rigs. But the catfish aren’t the only big fish cruising around the Lower Bay. There are still big migratory stripers being caught in the upper sections of the Rapp and Potomac. Most of the fish are being caught by catfish anglers, but you can still catch and release fish for them in D.C., the mainstem of the Potomac, and in Viginia. Maryland waters are closed to targeting striped bass until mid-May. The stripers are getting ready to spawn and some are likely spawning right now. If you catch a big one, make sure to handle the fish with care and ensure it swims off strong.
FishTalk’s own Zach Ditmars and Eric Packard, both made it to Mason’s Run at different times last weekend, and both reported good action on hickory shad with dozens being caught in a few hours of fishing. There was no apparent pattern to the lure preferences as different colored darts and spoons both worked, but Ditmars mentioned that small jigs with fuzzy bodies seemed to work particularly well. Packard did well on black darts and noted that moding other darts by coloring them with a black sharpie worked, too. The upper Potomac was running high and turbid last weekend and early this week thanks to heavy spring rains. Make sure to check the USGS flow gauges to know the latest conditions before you head out for a trip. The shad should stick around through April, so if you are looking for action-packed fun on light gear, head to some of the shad fishing hotspots.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 5 Update:
Up in the tributaries the Tackle Box reports that the blue catfish bite has been on fire, and many boats are returning loaded with fish. They mentioned a few in the 30-pound range showed up this week as well. Ebb Tide Charters has been running trips for blue catfish on the Potomac out of Goose Bay and have had no problem filling coolers on recent trips. Catching and removing blue catfish from our waters is always encouraged since these fish are invasive and have a big impact on native species. CCA’s Great Chesapeake Invasive Count just started on April 1st and we encourage anglers to participate. The goal of this initiative is to help fisheries managers understand which invasive species are being caught and where. All you have to do is log your catches and you will be entered for a chance to win great prizes. Get more details on the Coastal Conservation Association website and meanwhile, check out our article on catching these big blue cats from the shoreline and our video on how to catch blue cats in the Potomac:
FishTalk intern Adam Greenberg visited the Potomac for shad as opposed to catfish, and reported a good bite but finicky fish which were hitting weighted spoons and then decided they wanted a lightning-fast retrieve up along the surface. A reader checked in after fishing for shad on a tributary of the Potomac last weekend reporting that they found a red-hot bite in the evening. Big hickory shad consisted of all their catches which totaled around 30 fish. They mentioned that pink shad darts were getting most of the bites compared to chartreuse. The upper Rappahannock River was also reported as productive for shad anglers at the beginning of the week before the rains. Reports of American Shad showing up throughout the Lower Bay tidal rivers and tributaries means that there is an abundance of fish presenting catch and release opportunities. These tributaries may be flooded and muddy at the moment, but when the waters recede, the fishing should be great. Here's our video on how to go after shad:
Big striped bass are still being caught in the upper Rappahannock and Potomac this week as the fish stage for their spawning runs. Catch and release fishing is allowed in D.C, Virginia, and the main stem of the Potomac River (Maryland waters are closed to targeting). Striped bass season in Virginia, D.C., and on the PRFC waters of the Potomac will open May 16th with a slot of 19 to 24 inches.