Freshwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Fishing Report, January 16 Update:

It looks like ice fishing has become a possibility in the region’s western areas, and as of early this week the south-eastern arms and protected coves of Deep Creek were said to have sufficient ice (four inches is considered minimum) for safely venturing forth, but we didn’t have any photo-confirmed catch reports. Most of the southern PA lakes still had open water midweek while some coves were ice covered, so considering the long-range forecast there should be some hard-water fishing in store for those who partake.

Larger water bodies with open water are offering some opportunities for anglers braving the cold. There was a report from a angler who ventured down to an unspecified southern Virginia lake to chase crappie. He was on the hunt for trophy fish and despite the cold and some ice on the water, he found some very nice fish. The icy conditions and fish with lockjaw made for a tough day, but his biggest fish were a 14.5” white crappie and a 17.25” black crappie that was over three pounds. Those are the type of fish that make it worth fishing in the winter. We also heard from another angler who fished dike 3 at Lake Anna this week that found a steady bite. He caught 14 fish consisting of striped bass and hybrid stripers. The warm water discharge on the lake usually keeps it a bit warmer in the winter and can be one of the more productive freshwater lakes in our region.

Freshwater Fishing Report, January 9 Update: 

After some mild winters in recent years, old man winter seems to be showing up in full force for 2025. Most of the region was blanketed with a healthy dose of snow to start this week and it was followed by brutally cold temperatures. Unfortunately, this has caused most ponds and lakes to freeze up across the Delmarva, basically shutting down fishing opportunities for many folks. The larger rivers are still open, but ice is beginning to flow through them which is not great for fishing either. The only upside is that the cold weather may allow for some ice fishing opportunities this year. The generally rule of thumb is that ice needs to be at least three inches thick before venturing onto it. Always err on the side of caution and double check ice thickness before heading out. We did hear that a few areas on Deep Creek Lake are thick enough and some anglers have already started ice fishing. The forecast is calling for extended cold temps, so more opportunities should present themselves in the coming weeks if the weather holds.

Freshwater Fishing Report, January 2 Update: 

Happy New Year folks! Let’s make the 2025 fishing season another great one. 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. Hopefully temps will remain high enough that this doesn’t become more of a problem in the near future—or they’ll drop low enough that we get an ice fishing season in 2025. Packard also mentioned that pond fishing was good this week after the warmer weather hit, and largemouth bass were hitting white/pumpkinseed wacky worms and blade-baits. We don’t have a whole lot of information from trout waters as the cold weather out west has kept a lot of anglers from fishing. Trout stocking operations should be getting back underway in Maryland, but if lakes and ponds freeze over, it could complicate those operations. Virginia has a plethora of locations stocked with trout and several streams that should stay open during the forecasted cold spell. Stay up to date with the latest trout stocking information on the Virginia DWR and Maryland DNR websites.

Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that the panfish action on the Pocomoke has been hot and other freshwater species such as largemouth bass and pickerel are also very active. Sea Hawk staff have been out on the river and report that crappie and yellow perch are abundant and willing to hit live minnows and small artificial jigs. Several trips this week produced stringers of fish that will make for some delicious dinners. Bass and pickerel have been a common bycatch while fishing for panfish, but you can also target them directly if you want a little more tug on the end of your line. Plug style baits such as jerkbaits retrieved slowly can work well to entice these larger predatory fish to bite. They will be hanging around fallen wood and any structure in deeper waters of the river. Down on the Rappahannock, there was a report from an angler fishing in the Port Royal area who said several freshwater species were active at the beginning of the week. Bottom rigs baited with nightcrawlers had blue catfish, yellow perch, and bluegill biting.