Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Fishing Report, January 2019

Freshwater Fishing Report, January 25, 2019 Update:

Freshwater fishing experienced a drop-off in the number of anglers catching this week, across the board through virtually all fisheries. This was partly due to rain and runoff (which muddied mountain streams and created high water levels, complicating the trout fishery), and partly because of the sheen of ice over many local lakes and ponds, not yet thick enough for ice fishing, made other forms of fishing impossible. If at all possible, we would be encouraging you to venture out onto the ice and give this fun form of fishing a shot (see Cheap and Easy Ice Fishing, to discover how simple putting together an initial venture can be), but temperatures have not yet been cold enough for a solid layer of ice to form. Even out at Deep Creek, usually the most reliable ice fishing venue in our region, the water was open on the main lake until very recently. We did hear of some anglers finding thick ice in protected coves and catching a few yellow perch on shiners, and people are venturing out at McHenry, but we didn’t receive any reports on the exact thickness. At the southern PA lakes like Sheppard-Meyers, reports put ice thickness at variable levels with some spots at just one inch and others a bit thicker. In other words, it’s been way too sketchy to fish there too, and the recent rains mean a big setback in ice production; we’ll need another deep-freeze for these areas to become a reasonable option. Remember folks, three inches is a bare minimum and most savvy ice anglers consider four inches necessary for a safe and sane ice fishing trip.

pickerel caught on spinnerbait
Julian Tsai found some open water and scored with this 23 inch pickerel. Photo courtesy of Eric Packard.

Reports from the Eastern Shore include a mix of horrible conditions, skim ice, slush, and more recently, muddy water. We did not hear of any verified catches. That said, when conditions improve enough to allow some fishing the pickerel, crappie, and perch in the mill ponds and upper tribs commonly continue biting at this time of year. Bull minnow suspended under a bobber is the preferred tactic.

Farther south, we did get word that Lake Anna has continued to see some action from anglers who were out earlier in the week when the winds allowed during breaks in the horrific weather, catching primarily crappie and bass. A live minnow has been the bait of choice.


Freshwater Fishing Report, January 18, 2019 Update:

Freshwater fisheries have been more active than most for the past week, particularly lakes in the southern parts of our region. That said, fewer anglers than usual have been venturing out and on the whole, reports were way down. Note: many of the lakes and ponds in our northern areas like southern PA and central to northern Maryland have skimmed with ice which is not thick enough to walk on, and were un-fishable as we compiled this report. Even in the southern zone, some coves and areas protected from the wind may be skimmed with iced. Some coves at Deep Creek are also reportedly iced, some allegedly thick enough to fish, but the thickest we heard of was three inches and the main lake remains open – safety-conscious (read: sane) anglers will consider the scene sketchy at best until more water turns hard, and keep waiting.

pond covered in ice
Unfortunately scenes like this, of slush- or ice-covered water, has kept many anglers from catching fish in recent days. Photo courtesy of Eric Packard.

Lake Anna has been seeing fairly steady crappie and bass bites, mostly around structure. The bridges always present a decent target. The mill ponds on the Eastern Shore have been active as well, although at times through the week ice was problematic in sheltered areas, with pickerel present primarily in three to six feet of water and some crappie, perch, and bass biting as well. Most fish have been taking bull minnow suspended by a bobber, small swimbaits, flies, or Mepps.

Mountain streams are running high this week, as the snow dumped upon them is beginning to melt, causing high water levels. In addition to water levels being high, the water has been murky from sediment running into the streams with melting snow, complemented by high winds. In other words, trout fishing may be a bit off for the near-term in many areas.


Freshwater Fishing Report, January 11, 2019 Update:

With both the Bay and the coast relatively slow recently, the freshwater fishery has been providing the majority of action for anglers in our region and is continuing to provide steady action for those willing to travel to lakes and ponds. It’s still not ice fishing time, with a few reports of hard water from out west at Deep Creek and up north in Pennsylvania but most people indicating that the ice is still too thin to rely upon. Many areas are in that in-between phase where thin ice makes fishing impossible and ice fishing premature. That said, the coming week of cold weather should make drilling holes a real possibility soon.

sunfish caught ice fishing
The incoming deep-freeze should make ice fishing a possibility in the region soon; here, FishTalk sharpie Zach Ditmars displays the largest fish he caught through the ice in 2018, a monster sunfish weighing approximately 16 pounds.

Meanwhile, many of the lakes a bit farther south remain ice-free. St. Mary’s Lake has been noteworthy, with water temps remaining in the low 40s up to this cold snap and anglers heading there have been having good results by jigging vertically or crawling baits along drop-offs from 10 or 12 feet into deeper waters, with fish suspending just off the drop. The crappie fishery has been great. That also is true particularly at Lake Anna, where some monster fish are being caught. Most have been in deeper waters, caught on minnow, tubes, and swimbaits. There are also big bass in the mix at Anna. Fish have been even deeper there, and we have one confirmed report of them holding in around 30 feet of water.

The Eastern Shore mill ponds have remained a hotspot as well, and have been full of pickerel, with the occasional crappie in the mix. In the coming week we’re looking for the yellow perch bite to turn on in the tributaries, as the cold snap hits. Meanwhile pickerel and crappie have been hitting bull minnow on a shad dart, suspended by a bobber. Pick big minnow for the pickerel, and smalls for the crappie.

No matter how cold it gets remember that trout will bite all winter long, and lots of off-season stocking has taken place at this point. Even better, thanks to a stretch of reasonable rainfall levels the water’s returned to normal conditions in most areas of the region - nymphing and fishing sculpin patterns should be good options in the coming week.

We didn’t hear much (anything) from the Western Shore tributary catfish hunters this week, probably a result of the windy weather and erratic barometer. The big blue cats will bite through the winter but are a bit more susceptible to the effects of pressure swings than some other species, so it’s a good bet that as the weather stabilizes, that bite will come back on soon – it’s certainly worth grabbing some cut bait, sinking it in a channel or hole, and giving it a shot!


Freshwater Fishing Report, January 4, 2019:

Editor’s Note: We’d like to say a special thank-you to Parker Martin for compiling the fishing reports these past few months. Now he’s getting ready to study abroad, and starting this week the reports are being compiled – once again – by none other than Mollie Rudow. Parker, as we bid you adieu we rest assured in the knowledge that the FishTalk fishing reports will be in good hands moving forward!

fishing for pickerel
Pickerel have been chewing hard, especially in the Eastern Shore millponds - this 27-incher snapped up a live bull minnow.

Freshwater fishing is holding the majority of action at this time of year, with most salt and brackish water fisheries shut down for the season or slowing for the time being. Pickerel fishing has been especially hot, and the fish are coming out of a number of small creeks and ponds, particularly at the Eastern Shore millponds including Unicorn (which was muddy and high from the rain last week but still produced), Tuckahoe State Park, and in the upper reaches of the Choptank, on the Eastern Shore. Most fish have been in three to five feet of water, and placing a minnow on a shad dart suspended by a bobber has been a surefire way to tempt them into biting. Some anglers have also opted for using Mepps and other spinners, however, it’s hard to beat the success of a large bull minnow and a bobber when targeting pickerel. Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow scored a 27-incher, a 24-incher, and several picks in the 20-inch range one day last week. Crappie, bass, and some yellow perch were also in the mix.

Crappie fishing has been stellar recently in western shore lakes as well, with reports of anglers coming home with dinner consistently from St. Mary’s Lake (look off points and drop-offs where vertical jigging is producing) and from Lake Anna, where most fish are being caught in deep waters. A shad dart with minnow should suffice for luring crappie onto your hook, and many anglers are favoring pink shad darts, a common favorite color recently. Reader Eric Packard also caught plenty of bass (up to 16 inches) this week, finding swimbaits and Rat-L-Traps effective.

In addition, the Gunpowder River and Savage River have been doing phenomenal for trout on the fly. Anglers who are nymphing have been doing quite well. The Gunpowder is flowing at 184 cfs, leading to some great streamer fishing alongside the tiny white midge hatch. Reports from the Shenandoah complex indicate that the water has begun to settle from previous weeks’ rain, increasing the areas fishability. The trout fishieries are a go-to for anglers looking to get some winter action, as the lakes and streams the fish occupy stay stocked, and the trout remain active throughout the cold months of the year.

Farther west, anglers at Deep Creek have no ice thanks to the warm weather, but are catching some walleye and perch on large shiners, cast from shore where there are sharp drop-offs and rocky points. As we move into a new year, there isn’t a better way we could think to spend it than on the water – and if you’re looking to catch fish right now, freshwater options are one of the best bets.