Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 30 Update:
Ice is finally melting this week thanks to milder temperatures returning to the region. Most of the Upper Bay tributaries have been locked up with ice recently which has kept just about everyone off the Bay. Rain and runoff will have the water stained for a few days, but most of our waterways should be free of ice by next week. As creeks and coves in the tidal rivers open, pickerel fishing will once again be on the table. This time of year is historically a great time to target them in the Magothy River, Main Creek, and Stony Creek. The shorelines that get the most sun will typically hold more fish as they search out warmer waters. Lures with flash work well to entice bites, so spinners, chatterbaits, and jerkbaits should all be in play. Live minnows are another bait that are very effective for pickerel and perch. The yellow perch will start to move further into the Upper Bay creeks for their spawning run towards the end of February, so start getting that gear ready for the spring runs.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 23 Update:
Ice has taken over the Upper Bay this week as the polar vortex brought us single digit temperatures and wind chills below zero at times. It is not just the tidal tributaries, the majority of the Bay north of the Bay Bridge was covered in ice and it will take a few days well above freezing to thaw it out. This is keeping boats in their slips and away from boat ramps. Ice may be thick enough in a few areas to ice fish, but anyone wanting to try should be very cautious. Ice should be three to four inches thick before venturing out onto it. Yellow perch and pickerel can be caught in the upper Magothy and Baltimore area creeks. Live minnows will work best when dropping baits through the ice, but small metal jigs or soft plastics can also work. The weight of your jighead will depend on your water depth, but generally 1/32 to 1/8 ounce is best. Fishing opportunities are limited right now. Given the current conditions, it is a good time to gear up and get ready for spring.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 16 Update:
Early this week we had a report from the Magothy that winds have kept most of the river ice-free so far. Upper arms and creeks have been skimmed and lower portions are skimming nightly but opening up during the day, so finding pickerel and/or perch may be a roll-the-dice possibility. Yellow perch also offer winter opportunities in the Upper Bay tidal tributaries including the Magothy, Gunpowder, and Bush rivers. They will mostly be schooled up in the deeper portions of these tribs where they can be targeted with live minnows or artificial jigs. In February, we should start seeing them push into shallower tidal creeks in preparation for the spring run.
Water temperatures in the Upper Bay have been in the mid to upper 30’s which has any resident striped bass very lethargic and holding close to bottom. Anglers wanting to do some catch and release fishing for them should search along main channel ledges using sidescan and downscan. If/when you locate some fish, drifting while jigging along the bottom may produce bites, or the fish may have lockjaw. It is a toss up in the dead of winter. Any warming trends we see may turn on the bite, but the forecast is calling for extended cold. Hang in there folks, spring is only two months away.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 9 Update:
It might be time to start getting ice fishing gear ready for yellow perch folks. Old man winter returned with a vengeance this week as most of the Upper Bay region got at least a few inches of snow. Cold and windy conditions have persisted for much of the week which has kept most anglers off the water. Not to mention that boat ramps, marinas, and creeks are freezing up quickly with the sub-freezing temperatures. These factors combine for less-than-ideal fishing conditions. On the bright side, we may get a chance to do some ice fishing on our tidal creeks if the cold weather sticks around. There is already a lot of ice covering coves and creeks in the Upper Bay tribs, but we need it to get at least three inches thick before venturing onto it. If the ice builds up, yellow perch, white perch, and pickerel should be willing to bite, especially on the Magothy River.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 2 Update:
Happy New Year folks! Let’s make the 2025 fishing season another great one. Pickerel have been biting good in the upper Bay tribs when anglers can access the creeks. The upper Magothy River, Bodkin Creek, Stoney Creek, and Baltimore area creeks are all holding pickerel that will be a reliable target throughout the winter. The recent warmup should keep ice at bay for the moment, but Contributor Eric Packard reported that late last week a venture to Stoney Creek for pickerel was foiled by ice. With the incoming cold, this could become more of a problem in the near future.
Fishing for striped bass has slowed down this week and we didn’t hear of any rockfish reports from the Upper Bay. That is likely due to the windy conditions that have been lingering for much of the week. Many anglers have been heading south below the Bay Bridge recently to chase higher concentrations of migratory fish, but even that bite seems to be slowing down. If you are looking to stay close to home, the Patapsco River is one of the more productive tidal tributaries in the Upper Bay where you can catch striped bass and white perch during the colder months. Water temps are hovering right around 40 degrees, so both species will be hanging out in deeper depths close to bottom. Main ledges and holes in the 40’ to 60’ range will be good areas to search. Small metal blade baits have been very productive, especially for perch, this winter.