Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 30 Update:
Fishing conditions improved this week as warmer weather helped to melt away the ice cover on the Bay. The milder weather also made it more pleasant to hit the water for those looking to get a bite. Contributor Eric Packard took advantage of the milder weather this week and hit the lower Patuxent in search of white perch and stripers on his kayak. He tried vertical jigging metal and trolling one-ounce jigs with 5” plastics. He marked fish in 80 to 100 feet of water but did not get any bites. Water temperatures were a chilly 33 degrees. Captain Steve Griffin of Griffins Guide Service reported that he finally made it back out on the Bay after cold weather and ice kept him off the water for close to two weeks. Steve was chasing after the big migratory stripers and found a few in undisclosed locations of the Middle Bay. Sounds like there is still hope that we have some big fish around. If the weather continues to trend milder, we could see an uptick in action for these fish and our resident schoolies.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 23 Update:
The cold this week has kept just about everyone off the water. Temperatures stayed below freezing for the most part and tidal creeks and rivers have a significant amount of ice on them. Contributor Eric Packard paid a visit to Mill Creek, and said it was devoid of fish in the cold. Fishing during winters like this cold can be very challenging, but there are a few notable areas to try during the colder months including the Western Branch of the Patuxent River. There has been a lot of ice on the upper Pax, but western branch should be open thanks to the warm water influence. Pickerel and bass will offer the best opportunities near fallen trees and at creek mouths. The Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant is another location that can be productive in the winter. Large striped bass are known to stage there in the winter and there are likely schoolies along with a few scattered speckled trout hanging out close to the discharge. Main Bay water temperatures are in the low to mid 30’s, so fish out in deeper depths are probably glued to bottom and very lethargic. The extended forecast is calling for a slight warmup next week. A few days with above freezing weather could trigger the striped bass in the Middle Bay to get more active. It may be wishful thinking, but the current weather has us hoping for a change of pace.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 16 Update:
It has been a while, but we finally have some striped bass reports this week. With the temps climbing slightly and the winds taking a break here and there a few brave anglers ventured. While the action wasn’t reported to be fast and furious there were some beautiful fish biting with 40”-plus fish coming up to the boat. One reader reported a pair of bigs and a couple other misses in the Middle Bay, and another found one in the upper 30s and had a few additional bites down towards the Gas Docks. BKDs and Bust ‘Ems on G-Eye heads were noted as effective… and some ice-chiseling of the scuppers was also mentioned as necessary! Most fish in the Middle Bay have been lethargic since the bitter cold set in. Fish have not been frenzied up like they were in late December. Instead, they are mostly hanging close to bottom and are scattered along ledges. Bouncing jigs with soft plastics along the bottom while drifting in an area where fish have been marked is how most boats are targeting fish. There have also been some trophy sized fish pulled from the warm water discharge at the CCNPP, but those bites have been few and far between. Any way you look at it, fishing is a grind right now.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 9 Update:
Striped bass fishing has been put on hold for the time being. After some relatively mild winters in the past few years, it seems that old man winter has come out of retirement. Most of the areas in the Middle Bay zone got six to 10 inches of snow to start the week, followed by brutally cold temperatures that are causing creeks and rivers to freeze up. Many people were too busy shoveling snow to bother fishing, and the wind made it nearly impossible to get out on the Bay even if you wanted to. The forecast doesn’t show signs of the weather letting up either. When we do eventually get a weather window, there are likely still plenty of striped bass hanging out in deeper depths to target. Water temperatures in the Middle Bay are in the upper 30’s, so fish will likely be holding close to bottom. Another location to keep in mind is the warm water discharge at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. Striped bass and other species congregate around this discharge in the winter to seek relief from cold water. It is not easy fishing by any means but can provide decent angling opportunities when there is not much else going on. If fishing in the cold isn’t your thing, take this time as an opportunity to organize and get gear ready for the spring.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 2 Update:
Happy New Year folks! Let’s make the 2025 fishing season another great one. There are still big rockfish being caught in the Middle Bay but there was a bit of a lull in the action in the past week, with several readers reporting that over the weekend and early this week the bite was on the slow side. Chesapeake Beach was a hot zone with some short-lived bird action and a handful of reports of fish over the 40” mark caught on soft plastics on 1.5-ounce heads. We also got word of a couple in the same size range showing up off the mouth of Eastern Bay, where the bird shows weren’t happening, but pods of fish could be located on the sonar suspending in 40’ to 60’ of water. The AIC reports that early this week the rockfish were absent in all the areas he’d been catching (Deale, Chesapeake Beach, and Eastern Bay), but fish could be found farther east of the Power Plant in 40’ of water. All they caught and saw caught on other boats, however, were 20-somethings.
The wind has really kicked up the latter half of this week and the forecast is calling for an extended period of cold weather. If it holds true, it may be a tough bite for striped bass moving forward. Deeper ledges along the shipping channel will be a good starting point to search for fish in the cold weather. Bloody Point is an area that historically holds fish through the winter in the deeper depths near Eastern Bay. Water temperatures in the Middle Bay have been in the low 40s and they will likely drop even more in the coming weeks. The warm water discharge at the CCNPP will be an area that fish congregate around to get some relief from the cold water. Fishing the powerplant in the winter is often a grind and a good day often consists of just a few bites. If the open water bite doesn’t pick back up, keep it in mind as a place to search out some pullage.