Freshwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, July 25 Update:

The cooler temperatures have been welcomed by just about everyone this week as it seemed we might never get a break from the scorching heat of summer. Rain has also been keeping things cooler and replenishing some of our freshwater locations. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing says that the rain has been a big relief for the western trout streams, but a lot more rain is needed to get things where they need to be. Heavier rainfall has helped to push out some of the matted grass and algae that have bloomed this summer. The Mossy Creek crew says until they see a significant boost in water flows locally, they will continue bass fishing every day and enjoying some trout fishing in the mornings on the spring creeks. Tricos, ants, beetles, hoppers, and damselfly patterns will be best on the spring creeks. If a storm bumps them up the streamer fishing could be epic. The bass fishing continues to be excellent, though low water flows can make fish a bit spookier but the overcast days ahead with fronts blowing through should make them more approachable.

Contributor Eric Packard has been enjoying a better than usual bass bite for midsummer, and crappie have been biting in his local lakes as well. The 12- to 15-foot zone has been good. FishTalk team members Zach Ditmars and Kaylie Jasinski report a wide-open blue cat bite in the upper sections of the Patuxent River, catching 15 up to 40 pounds in the Abington area. We also had a reader report of bass hitting white frogs farther up the Pax. A shoreline angler fishing at Lake Roland found a steady bite this week throwing small jigs and minnows under a bobber. Bluegill, crappie, and largemouth bass were all biting along shaded shorelines.

Snakehead anglers are enjoying some of the best fishing of the year as the bulk of the spawning lull has passed. Fry balls are popping up everywhere that snakeheads can be found. Damien Cook of Lowland Outfitters has been running successful kayak trips all summer for clients on the Eastern Shore. An excursion this week led to one of his anglers breaking their personal best twice in one day with an 11-pound fish followed by a monster 17-pound dragon that measured 37 inches. Topwater frogs have been king in the shallows where snakeheads are lurking in thick vegetation. In open water areas, the snakes have been willing to hit chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and inline spinners. Live minnows floated under a bobber are also candy to snakeheads and are a relaxing option for fishing while waiting on a bite.

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, July 19 Update:

It was another week of scorching hot temperatures across the region. That has been the pattern for much of summer, but at least we got some rainfall to go along with it recently. Eric Packard says the bass are biting in local ponds and lakes, but you have to fish early before the heat of the day sets in. Green wacky worms and silver blade-baits did the catching on a recent morning trip to Indian Creek NRMA, and in just a couple of hours of fishing he tied into eight largemouth bass. If your outings are going to be while the sun is high, focus your fishing efforts on shaded shorelines and any structure that can provide cover for bass. They may be loafing but can still be caught throughout the day. The Tackle Box told us that there is still a steady crappie bite happening in St. Mary’s Lake. Small panfish jigs and spinners are filling stringers and putting smiles on anglers faces.

High temperatures and low flows have put a lot of stress on trout in many of the western zones. The few rounds of rain this week have brought some relief to these areas, but it is going to take a lot more rainfall to bring us out of the drought we are in. Trout anglers are encouraged to limit their outings to early mornings during the coolest part of the day. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing says that anglers are still catching trout during the trico hatch in the morning while fishing terrestrial patterns. They recommend checking local stream gauges and if water levels rise with the recent rains, anglers can expect some quality streamer fishing. The smallmouth bite has been good and we have had reports of decent fishing in the Susquehanna. Low flows have made good wade fishing conditions for anglers fishing above the Conowingo Dam. The early mornings have offered a good topwater bite on poppers and later in the day, sub-surface baits are doing the trick.

While this heat has been tough on anglers and fish alike, bluegill and other sunfish species can be a great option for freshwater anglers as they aren’t as temperamental about the daytime highs. Fishing for bluegill is how many of us started our fishing careers, and it is still as fun today as when we were kids. Just about all our local ponds, lakes and reservoirs have an abundance of sunfish species that can be targeted with much success this time of year. Nightcrawlers on small hooks floated under bobbers work well and is easy to teach new anglers. These fish are also willing to hit small soft plastics on light panfish jigheads.

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, July 12 Update:

It has been downright scorching outside lately with no signs of letting up. With summer moving into the dog days, bite windows have been during the coolest parts of the day. We are in desperate need of rain, but luckily the future forecast shows we may finally get some relief. Major rivers and smaller trout streams are all running low and warm. Trout anglers should consider holding off on targeting fish in certain zones as the hot weather can cause high mortality rates. If you do plan to fish for them, limit their time out of water and try to fish in the early mornings which will be the coolest parts of the day. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing gave us their latest fishing forecast and says that the spring creeks are seeing good trico hatches. Beetles and grasshoppers are also abundant, and the fish are tuning in on them. The hoppers are small in size 10 or 12 and most trico patterns should work in size 20. If we get some overcast or rainy days in the coming weeks, anglers could enjoy some good streamer fishing. Mossy Creek recommends having black, olive, brown, and purple streamers during these conditions. Anglers should note that Shenandoah National Park is still suspending all fishing due to drought conditions.

Largemouth bass are a popular summertime target for anglers, but with the warm weather, they are loafing for most of the day and feeding during low light hours or at night. You can still catch them when the sun is up along shaded shorelines and near structures that will give them cover. Grass beds are great areas to fish as they will be holding baitfish, frogs, and other sources of food for bass. Topwater lures and weedless soft plastics are great for fishing the thick cover, and subsurface lures like chatterbaits and spinners will attract fish cruising the edges of the grass. The young of year snakehead fry balls can be spotted along marsh edges and aquatic vegetation. Snakeheads will push into very shallow water this time of year, usually three feet or less, which makes topwater frogs a perfect lure option. Stealth is key, so move slowly while fishing from shore, kayak, or boat. A precision cast can lead to exciting strikes and aerial battles.

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, July 5 Update:

Contributor Eric Packard reported a surprisingly good summer bite early this week and despite high temperatures and stifling humidity, when clouds were shadowing the sun he enjoyed solid action at an area lake with 14 largemouth bass plus a smattering of crappie, yellow perch, bluegill, and pickerel. Small jerkbaits were hot. Another reader fishing in southern Maryland let us know that the bass bite was good in the evenings last weekend with the best bite occurring during the last two hours of light. He caught largemouth up to four pounds while throwing white soft plastic flukes and topwater frogs.

Snakeheads have picked up after a lull for spawning activity. We are moving into prime fry ball season throughout the region. Parent snakehead will guard their young and can often be sight fished by harassing the fry with a topwater frog or weedless fluke. Fishing the thick vegetation and marsh shorelines on the Susquehanna Flats, Blackwater area, and upper tributary rivers using topwater lures has been producing aggressive strikes. Captain Mike from Apex Predators guide service let us know that the fishing was excellent for snakeheads on the Virginia side of the Potomac River this week. His clients caught several nice fish and a few into the double digits. If you target these invasive fish and want to help out with some cool citizen science, consider signing up for CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. Anglers submit where they catch invasive species like blue catfish, flathead catfish, and snakehead, which helps fisheries managers track the spread of invasive species in our region. Once you register, you are also entered for a chance to win a monthly giveaway. Let’s do our part in helping manage invasive species!

Out West, the drought conditions have not been good for trout fishing. It's tough enough that Shenandoah National Park has closed fishing until the area gets much needed rainfall to get the streams back in shape. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing recommends that anglers focus their efforts on smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing while we wait for a bump in the flows. The bass are much more tolerant to hot weather than the trout and the low flows have made for great wading and drifting conditions on the rivers. There are still opportunities to catch trout on the spring creeks, but it is best to fish these early before the heat of the day sets in. Trico hatches have been reliable on most days and beetles have emerged along with hoppers. Let’s keep hoping for more rain, because persistent drought conditions aren’t great for anyone.