Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 30 Update:
Ice is beginning to break up thanks to warmer temperatures this week, but the Way North reaches of the Bay still have a lot of floating ice. The current shot of rain will help to melt away more of it, but water will likely be stained from runoff in the coming days. Anglers fishing the Cecil County side of the Susquehanna Flats have been doing well with yellow perch this winter and that continued this week. The deeper waters near the Northeast and Elk Rivers have been holding schools of perch that are willing to bite live minnows and jigs. We saw reports from two anglers who caught their limit of 10 yellows, one was fishing from shore and the other by boat. Most of the fish have been from 30’ to 50’, but the fish have moved shallower at times. They should continue to stay schooled up in deeper depths until later into February when they will begin their spawning run. Other than perch, blue catfish will likely be the other species offering the most opportunities this time of year. They are found throughout the Way North tributaries and can get upwards of 50 pounds. The fish will be following a similar pattern as the perch, hanging in deeper depths, but moving shallower at times. A running tide is best to target them and cut bait such as gizzard shad or eel is the preferred bait right now. Once the ice clears, targeting them should be much easier.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 23 Update:
The ice is really setting in and almost all the waters in the Way North region of the Bay are locked up. The bright side is many areas in the tidal tributaries have enough ice to present some hard water fishing opportunities. Yellow perch will be the main target when dropping baits through the ice and a few anglers had success catching keepers this week. The perch are still holding in 40 to 50 feet of water in the tributaries. While the larger schools are in these depths, some fish may be shallower in smaller tidal creeks and coves. Minnows are working best, 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. Ice should be three to four inches thick before venturing out onto it and while many areas have frozen that thick, there is a warmup in the forecast for next week. Always check the ice and venture on the side of caution. Ice dams and chunks flowing downriver on the Susquehanna River have also kept boats and anglers off the water. That is likely for the best as the temperatures this week have made it feel like we are in the arctic circle. Fishing opportunities are limited right now. It is a good time to gear up and get ready for spring.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 16 Update:
Cold temperatures are persisting, and ice is continuing to build up in the Way North region of the Bay. The Susquehanna River has been full of slush and ice north of Conowingo Dam with more building up in the surrounding rivers and tributaries. Ramps are still frozen in many places, but there have been a few dedicated anglers willing to break ice to get out and fish. Schools of yellow perch have been staged at the mouth of tidal rivers such as the North East, Elk, and Susquehanna. These fish can be found in depths ranging from 20’ to 70’ which is a wide range. Searching drop offs and deeper holes along ledges will give you a decent chance at finding them. Live minnows are one of the top baits for yellow perch. They can also be caught on artificial metal jigs and soft plastics. Most fish caught this time of year will be males, but more females will start showing up as we get closer to the spring run. Blue catfish are also out and about in the deeper waters of the tidal rivers and can be caught using a variety of cut baits. Fishing will be slower this time of year, but if you are like us and need to scratch fishing itch, there are a few opportunities to keep us busy.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 9 Update:
The weather has turned brutally cold to start the new year across the Chesapeake region. Snow and wind have been the theme this week and a lot of our local waters are starting to lock up with ice. Many boat ramps, marinas, and tidal creeks are freezing up and it is likely only going to get worse with the forecast calling for extended cold. This does not make for good fishing conditions, especially when ice starts flowing down the Susquehanna River. The only upside is that we may get some ice fishing opportunities once the ice gets thick enough on local ponds and creeks. The general rule is that ice should be three inches thick before venturing onto it. We might get to that point here shortly, but always err on the side of caution when trying to ice fish. Yellow perch will be staged up in deeper holes of the tidal tributaries until their spawning run in the spring. Anglers will likely have to break ice at ramps to get to them or, if ice persists, we may be able to start drilling holes for them.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 2 Update:
Happy New Year folks! Let’s make the 2025 fishing season another great one. Recent rains muddied up the water as we had runoff flowing in from the Susky. Water temperatures are also very cold which will make most fish more lethargic. There is no shortage of catfish to fish for in the Way North region of the Bay. The mouths of the tidal rivers along the deeper channels and holes will be a good place to search them out if you are fishing by boat. The lower Susquehanna River is one of the hotspots with a lot of fish pulled from Havre De Grace up to Lapidum during the winter. Another fish to target in the Susquehanna is smallmouth bass. They are more abundant above the Conowingo Dam but can still be caught below the dam. Fishing a slow retrieve with hair jigs and tube jigs around the rocks will be a good method for getting bites. During warming trends in the winter, smallmouth will get more active and jerkbaits will be a good lure to throw. The forecast is calling for some serious cold in the coming weeks which may lead to ice forming on the rivers and Bay. While it may complicate river fishing, it could lead to ice fishing opportunities on smaller ponds and lakes.
