Freshwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Fishing Report, December 19 Update:

We saw some seriously cold weather this week that had many areas iced over for a few days. It looks like we are getting a bit of a thaw that should open more areas for fishing. FishTalk’s Zach Ditmars says the bite was slow in the upper Pocomoke River last weekend, and only a handful of pickerel plus one bass were willing to hit on a recent trip. Minnow got the most bites. He noted that at one point he did find a school of fish on the meter (which would likely be either crappie or yellow perch) but the fish refused to eat. Pickerel fishing is a great option in our region, and there are several areas to target them, including the Eastern Shore Mill Ponds, Upper Patuxent River, St. Mary’s Lake, and upper reaches of tidal tributaries in the northern Bay.

An angler fishing Lake Anna reported that the fishing has been hot despite the cold weather. The striped bass and hybrid striped bass are very active right now and have been willing to hit artificials. On one trip they caught over 40 fish, and on another trip they caught 14. Most fish are between 17” and 19”, but the bigger ones measured between 22” and 25”. Lake Anna has a nuclear station that pumps warm water into the lake throughout the year, so it can be a hotspot for winter freshwater fishing. Other popular species to catch on the lake this time of year are crappie, walleye, and largemouth bass. We also had a report from another major lake in Virginia, Smith Mountain Lake. A reader spent last weekend fishing there and said that the striper bite was red hot. They were fishing in depths of 40’ to 80’ where stripers were feeding in the bottom half of the water column. Vertical jigging was very effective. They also caught a handful of big white perch mixed in with the stripers.

Freshwater Fishing Report, December 11 Update:

FishTalk’s Zach Ditmars went pickerel fishing up one of the west side tribs last weekend and reported a lack of action, with one missed hit and one follow. Other anglers fishing in the Baltimore metro area have reported a decent pickerel bite, with most willing to hit either minnow or suspending jerkbaits. The forecast is calling for a serious cold front in the coming days, so the tidal creeks, ponds, and lakes may have some ice on them to deal with. If you want a shot at a big pickerel, the lower Eastern Shore tidal ponds are a good bet for pickerel in the mid to upper 20s. They aren’t loaded with big fish, but the big ones are known to roam those waters. There is still plenty of time to sign up for CCA Maryland’s Pickerel Championship. The contest is a catch and release tournament that runs through the end of February 2026.

A reader reported a solid yellow perch bite in the Tuckahoe River, fishing two- and three-inch plastics and minnow on bottom rigs in deeper holes. The fish were sticking deep, using bobbers wasn't nearly as productive, and some extreme tides made it tough to get to the boat ramp on low tide. He also noted a fair number were big females so gently handling and releasing was in order. Yellow perch can be found in several of our tributaries during the winter months. Some hotspots include the Pocomoke River, lower Susquehanna River, and the Baltimore area creeks. Fishing with minnow is often the best way to catch them, but small, scented soft plastics can also work. The perch will be schooling up in deeper holes and channels over the next few months, so having a boat helps when targeting them. If the winter is cold enough, some of the northern Bay tributaries can offer ice fishing opportunities for yellow perch. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reported that very little has been stocked in their area, but the Cowpasture and Spring Run got a load of fish the end of last week. They say that the spring creeks are warm enough to fish and overcast days anglers are seeing blue wing olives in the afternoons and good streamer fishing.

Freshwater Fishing Report, December 5 Update:

FishTalk’s Zach Ditmars spent some of the holiday weekend hitting the ponds dotting the Delaware section of the Eastern Shore but said the pickerel bite was tepid, and the weather made fishing tough. Only a handful of fish, up into the low 20-inch range, were willing to hit. A reader reported similar results in a millpond on the Shore's southern reaches, where the pickerel bite had shut down cold with the sudden chill in the air. However, he did pick up a nice largemouth on a chatterbait. Contributor Eric Packard checked in and reported that he fished Stony Creek for a few hours last week, looking for pickerel. There was very little tide movement, and he had no bites nor marked any fish on the meter. This week, he fished St. Mary’s Lake with similar results. No luck fishing for pickerel, so he switched to look for crappie. He found several schools of fish in 18’ to 20’, but the bites were light and hard to come by. Packard landed only one crappie after three hours of fishing.

We recently received a few reports from anglers targeting crappie across the region. The bite seems to be good in the tidal rivers up and down the Bay. The Pocomoke River has been fishing very well for crappie and several other species, including largemouth bass, yellow perch, and pickerel. Crappie have been enticed by minnows tipped onto panfish jigs and either trolled behind the boat or suspended under a bobber. Another report of solid crappie action came in from the Northeast River, where the angler caught over 20 on Gulp! minnows tipped on sabiki rigs. Some large bluegill were biting as well. The central Maryland reservoirs would also be good locations to search for crappie during the colder months. As the nights get colder, we may start dealing with ice on ponds, lakes, and creeks, so keep an eye out for that.