Freshwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Fishing Report, December 20 Update:

The sustained chill in the air has had an impact on the bite, and Contributor Eric Packard says it was tough to get the bass biting recently. However, bluegills were active last weekend and casting micro-jigs under a bobber worked well. Eric also made it out later in the week during the brief warm up and hit a pickerel tributary in the Upper Bay catching 14 pickerel in coves and along docks. Most of his fish were 21 to 22 inches with the biggest measuring 23.5 inches. They took a liking for a Berkley Fishing PowerBait Cullshad and a VMC quarter ounce hybrid swimbait jig dressed with a Rapala “The Mayor” four-inch plastic.

FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg was out earlier in the week fishing for crappie on the Miles and found that the low tides made it impossible to fish. He quickly made an audible and headed over to Tuckahoe. He only caught one crappie but was pleasantly surprised to find that the largemouth were very active. Minnows and jerkbaits produced around 10 bass. The crappie action in the central Maryland reservoirs and down in the Pocomoke River on the lower Eastern Shore has also been good. Anglers fishing the Pocomoke are finding the best success fishing minnows on jigheads while drifting or trolling.

The mountain streams are benefitting from a pattern with more precipitation and steady flows being observed in most areas. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reports that not many fly fishermen have been out in the mountains this week with the recent winds and cold weather. They did say that the spring creeks are fishing well and that DWR has been stocking more streams lately. Their musky reports from the various rivers have also been good and the overcast days have produced the best action. You can find the latest stocking information for Virginia on the DWR trout stocking website. Maryland crews have not been stocking, but they should resume in the new year. Stay up to date with Maryland waters on the Maryland DNR trout stocking website. There should still be holdover fish in the larger lakes and ponds that were stocked back in October.  

Freshwater Fishing Report, December 13 Update:

Contributor Eric Packard made it over to a local reservoir early in the week, and he said it was fairly slow but crappie were willing to bite on micro-jigs fished near bottom in 20’ of water. A 17” largemouth (on a white twister) and a pickerel (on a jerkbait) were also hit. Another angler fished St. Mary’s Lake last weekend and reported a very slow bite. They caught two crappie, two bass, a yellow perch, and a pickerel during a three-hour trip on their kayaks. Tandem rigged panfish jigs and trout magnets produced the bites. They also mentioned marking plenty of fish in 12’ to 20’ of water but that they just wouldn’t bite. Water temperatures were already down to 42 degrees. Late in the Week Packard visited a local pond and caught a few bass on blade-baits, but said that the bite was slow.

When the bite becomes finnicky in the winter, using live bait such as minnows can help to entice fish to bite. Fishing them on jigheads and dropping them down to where fish are suspended works well. You can also slow troll them to cover more water which is a proven method and can work very well. Anglers who fish on the Pocomoke River on the lower Eastern Shore find some of their best success trolling minnows and the bite is good right now for perch, pickerel, bass, and crappie.

We got some more relief from our drought this week as a few shots of rain moved through the region. The heavier rains gave a much-needed flush to our rivers and streams which are still running on the higher side in some areas. The rain added some color to our larger rivers which is improving conditions for musky fishing. They will be lurking in the deeper pools and can be caught in the Susquehanna, Potomac, James, and Shenandoah.

Maryland DNR has not done any more trout stockings, but surrounding states have been periodically stocking fish. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reports that Virginia DWR stocked Spring Run, Cowpasture, Hearthstone Lake, Smith River Dam, and the Tye recently. They also mentioned trout reports from West Virginia have been good outside of the areas experiencing cold and snow. Mossy Creek and Beaver Creek have decent water flows and anglers are experiencing good streamer and nymph fishing with some BWO hatches in the afternoons. Anglers can visit the Virginia DWR trout stocking website and Maryland DNR trout stocking website for up to date stocking information.

Freshwater Fishing Report, December 6 Update:

It was a cold week across the region as the official start of winter is coming up fast but some species are more willing to bite than others during the colder months, one of which are chain pickerel. These fish can be found in the upper Bay tidal Rivers, upper Patuxent River, central Maryland reservoirs, and in Eastern Shore mill ponds and tidal rivers. The bite is on for them right now with anglers reporting good success in all these locations. The bigger pickerel are typically found in the reservoirs and in the lower Eastern Shore mill ponds, so if you are looking for trophy fish, try your luck there. The upper Bay tidal rivers such as the Severn and Magothy have high populations of pickerel in the creeks, though these tidal fish tend to be slightly smaller on average. Anglers planning to fish for pickerel should consider signing up for the CCA Pickerel Championship. The tournament runs until the end of February 2025 and there are several divisions to compete in for great prizes.

The larger reservoirs and lakes are fishing well for a variety of species this week including pickerel, and a reader reported tying into a pair of monster pickerel (26” and 26.5’) at one of the Baltimore reservoirs. Triadelphia, Liberty, Lake Anna, and Deep Creek Lake are all productive bodies of water to fish this time of year as there is very little boat traffic in the winter. An angler fishing the upper portion of Lake Anna during a two day stretch reported catching well over 100 crappie on artificial jigs while fishing over structure. They also mentioned that gulls were working on threadfin at daybreak and they managed to catch their personal best landlocked striper measuring in at 31 inches. Up at Deep Creek Lake, the weather has been very chilly, but the water is still open. Walleye and smallmouth bass fishing has been good around rocky shorelines and steep ledges. Deep diving crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits are popular lures that are effective for catching both species.

Trout stockings in Maryland should pick back up soon and Virginia crews have been busy stocking throughout the state. Visit the Maryland DNR trout stocking website and the Virginia DWR trout stocking website for the latest information.