Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 25 Update:
October fishing can be tricky to figure out as fish are transitioning into new patterns. There has been some very tough fishing this month, but also some highlights to be happy about. An angler fishing at the Conowingo Dam earlier in the week reported catching a handful of channel catfish and a few small striped bass. They mentioned that the larger striped bass seemed to be running them into rocks and breaking them off. Out on the Susquehanna Flats, there has been a few reports of bird action near Carpenter Point with schoolie stripers chasing bait. The blitzes have been sporadic and not popping up with any regularity yet, but it is something to keep an eye out for.
The cooler water temperatures are causing blue catfish to be more active, staging near the edges of channels and becoming more concentrated. The lower Susquehanna River near Port Deposit and Havre der Grace was one of the best places to fish for blue catfish this week. Other excellent locations include the middle to upper sections of the Chester River, the other major tidal rivers, and the Conowingo Dam pool. Blue cats enjoy eating a variety of cut bait including eel, bunker, bluegill, and even chicken. The CCA Maryland Great Chesapeake Invasives Count is still running through March of 2025. Anglers can sign up and log their invasive catches to be entered into monthly drawings for prizes. The catch logs help fisheries managers and biologists track the spread of invasive species across our region.
While striped bass fishing is still on the slower side most days, bass fishing in the Susky has been much better. Captain Kayla Haile of River Queen Guide Service says that the smallmouth bite on the lower Susquehanna is heating up. White glidebaits have been working well to entice bigger fish to bite. Up the river on the North Branch of the Susquehanna, smallmouth anglers are also reporting a good bite with the cooling water temperatures. A group fishing north of Harrisburg said they had an excellent day earlier in the week catching close to 30 smallies on a variety of baits. Topwater lures were still working well even with water temperatures dropping into the 50s. Jerkbaits, soft plastic flukes, and helgramites also worked very well.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 18 Update:
It was a cold week across the Chesapeake region as temperatures dipped down into the 30s and 40s at night. A big cold front like the one we just had can either fire up the bite or give the fish lockjaw. Fortunately for anglers fishing in the Way North region of the Bay, the cooler weather seemed to help turn on the bite. The Conowingo Dam saw a lot of action this week with anglers reporting multiple impressive catches from just below the dam. Striped bass are the main target for many anglers at Conowingo, and there was a good bite for them this week. One angler casting from the rocks reported catching fish up to 30 inches and said they saw a lot of other over-slot fish caught while they were there. They did mention that only the anglers who could cast far out into the discharge waters were getting bit. Smallmouth bass and even a few walleye have been in the mix as well. The walleye bite above the dam seems to be turning on and anglers fishing at night are having the most success.
The cooler water temperatures also has blue catfish very active this time of year. These invasive fish can be found anywhere in the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay with hotspots including the lower Susquehanna River and Susquehanna Flats. The big blues have been biting and are being caught along the main channel edges and in deeper holes. The mouths of the tidal rivers have also been a good location for anglers to find striped bass and blue catfish close together. Fish finder rigs baited with fresh cut shad, bunker, and eel are working well to get the bottom feeders to bite. The stretch of the Susquehanna River from Port Deposit to Havre De Grace is known for producing some of the biggest blue catfish in this region.
Elsewhere in the tidal rivers white perch can still be found in the shallows, but not for long. The colder water temperatures will soon push them to deeper waters at the river mouths and Bay.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 11 Update:
The onset of fall has the fish on the move as they get into their new patterns. Readers report that B-I-G blue cats are on the march, and Rich sent in a pic of a serious whopper caught on cut bait near Port Deposit. Another pair of anglers fishing from shore at Port Deposit found a steady bite for channel catfish earlier in the week and put together a stringer with a handful of fish. Blue catfish are abundant throughout the Bay and can be found on drop offs, ledges, and in deeper holes of the tidal tributaries.
Fishing at the Conowingo Dam has been getting better as water temperatures have been steadily dropping. Fish are still hanging out in the current below the dam outflows, but anglers are also finding more fish hanging out along the rocky shorelines away from the dam. Striped bass, smallmouth bass, and even walleye have been showing up this week. An angler fishing at Conowingo Fisherman’s Park reported landing a 22-inch walleye and a hybrid striped bass of similar size during the same trip. There has been some striped bass action happening along the main channel of the Susquehanna Flats and at the mouth of the Susquehanna River. Fish have been popping up sporadically with birds occasionally giving away their location. Anglers casting a mix of soft plastics and crankbaits are finding good success. The striper action should continue to pick up through the rest of the month.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 4 Update:
Fall has been welcomed by many as it means that the seasonal change will also bring better fishing with it. The famous month of “Rocktober” has a lot of us excited about an improving striped bass bite around the region. We had a report that schoolie striped bass have been hanging around the Turkey Point area on the south end of the Flats. One angler noted that he has been finding the fish in 10 to 20 feet of water while drifting and jigging metal spoons. The bite has been best early in the morning. The Conowingo Dam pool has been another reliable location for striped bass anglers. The fishing is best when water is being released from the dam, but not too much water. Casting lures far out into the current and working them just above bottom is how many anglers catch their fish. Surf rods are often required to make the long casts. One angler was able to catch three slot-size striped bass.
Smallmouth bass have also been making an appearance at the Conowingo Dam and along rocky shorelines of the lower Susquehanna. They are being caught by anglers casting for striped bass with lures such as bucktails, jerkbaits, crankbaits, and jigs. In the deeper waters of the river and on the Flats, blue catfish are biting consistently. The bigger fish are getting more active and there were multiple boats that reported hauling in fish between 10 and 20 pounds this week. Port Deposit is a popular location to fish for them along with the main channel running through the flats. Anchoring up and throwing out rods baited with any type of fresh cut bait should work to get them biting. The more popular baits include bunker, blue crab, and clams. Blue cats in this region are known to get above 40 pounds, so make sure your gear can handle the big bottom dwellers.