Freshwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Fishing Report, October 17 Update:

As the temperatures are cooling off, our freshwater fish are getting active, and the bite has been heating up. Contributor Eric Packard visited sweetwater spots several times this week with mixed results. He took a trip up the Potomac and said water levels remained unusually low just before the recent storm, and finding fish was difficult. He and a friend managed eight smallmouth bass up to 15”. A pond-hopping trip proved better for largemouth bass, with pumpkinseed/white Wacky Worms tempting the fish into striking. Contributor Adam Greenberg checked in with a report after fishing the Potomac for smallmouth last week. He reports that fish were hitting a small white paddletail. Only one fish was pushing three pounds, and the rest were on the small side. The river was running low, and the USGS flow gauges show that the river has not risen much since the recent rain this past weekend. The water may be muddied up, but should clean up again within the next few days. Another angler fishing the Monocacy River reported that the smallmouth were very active last week. They caught a few dozen fish up to 18 inches on topwater poppers, swimbaits, and jerkbaits. They also mentioned that he caught a few walleye.

Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reports that the cold nights have sent the smallmouth into their deeper wintering holes in most of the western rivers. This shift has changed the focus to musky for many anglers. The mountain brook trout streams are still very low, and they expect to start seeing some signs of spawning activity soon. They recommend trout anglers spend most of their time on the spring creeks in the coming weeks. Hoppers are still around, and the windy days have been blowing them into the creeks, leading to some good dry dropper fishing. Indicator rigs have been best for the deep holes, but dry droppers have been key for spooky fish on sunny days. Overcast days have been great for fishing streamers and covering water.  Trout stocking operations from state agencies are still underway in both Maryland and Virginia. Maryland crews have stocked Garrett, Cecil, and Caroline counties this week. Virginia crews have stocked rainbow, brown, and tiger trout across the state this week. Anglers can find the most up to date stocking information on the Virginia DWR trout stocking website and the Maryland DNR trout stocking website.

Freshwater Fishing Report, October 10 Update:

There was a cool crisp in the air this week, and we are moving right into the heart of fall. Contributor Eric Packard reports that fall is having the much-anticipated action-enhancing effects on area freshwater fishing. Earlier this week, he hit St. Mary’s Lake after getting a late start and was only able to fish mid-day; yet, he caught 11 largemouth bass, four pickerel including a 25.5” beast, and a yellow perch. Jerk baits and a square-bill crankbait did most of the catching, and he said the hottest zones included stump fields and over dying grass beds. We heard from another angler fishing on the Susquehanna Flats that largemouth bass were biting on the edges of dying grass and over areas where the grass was still alive. The region’s smallmouth rivers have been fishing well, as flows have been low due to the lack of rain. Bass are transitioning and moving to deep ledges and holes. This means you should target the deeper sections of rivers and around structure like big rock ledges and large pieces of woody cover.

The first big cold front of the fall moved through our area this week, just in time for the start of trout stocking operations in the region. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources resumed its trout stocking program, and as of today, Washington, Howard, Frederick, Garrett, and Allegany counties have received stockings. More fish will likely be stocked over the next few weeks. Virginia also resumed its stocking program, with several counties throughout the state receiving a mix of rainbow, brook, brown, or tiger trout. Anglers should visit the Maryland DNR trout stocking website and the Virginia DWR trout stocking website for the most up to date stocking information. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reports that the mountain brook trout streams are running very low right now. The good news is there is some rain in the forecast over the weekend. If we get a bit of rain and temperatures drop, they mentioned we could start to see some spawning activity. Brook trout fishing likely won't be good, and anglers should consider giving them a break while there are options for stocked fish on some of the bigger streams. 

Freshwater Fishing Report, October 3 Update:

Water temperatures are cooling, and our freshwater areas are fishing well across the region. FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg checked in and reported he was able to get a few hours of smallmouth wading in on the Upper Potomac this week. He said the river is still low and moderately clear. He caught a dozen or so fish, but all were fairly small. A small paddle tail and a whopper plopper got bites. Adam said he probably should have been throwing a heavier football jig and dead sticking it for 10-20 seconds at a time to get bigger bites. He was fishing in a pretty pressured area and saw decent sized fish bust the surface, but I couldn’t get anything big to bite. We had another reader report from an angler who caught a nice smallie on the Potomac with a 7wt and custom Gulp! minnow pattern tied by his dad.

Largemouth bass and crappie are very active in our larger lakes and reservoirs. Bass are feeding along the edges of grass beds in the shallows. On shorelines with steeper ledges, they will be holding near rocky drop-offs. The central Maryland reservoirs are excellent places to fish in the fall. They are often less crowded, and the fish are more active. Crappie can be found suspended on ledges, near rock/brush piles, and over stump fields. Live minnows work extremely well for crappie and bass.  Mossy Creek Fly Fishing said that the rain that moved through the region earlier in the week helped improve stream flows slightly, but we need some more rain to really make a difference. Reports from their anglers show that tricos are still hatching, and hoppers, beetles, ants, and crickets are still around. Streamer fishing has been good on overcast and rainy days. Anglers should be prospecting with dry dropper rigs on sunny days. A stealthy approach and long casts will be essential. Anglers should also keep an eye out for state trout stockings, as both Virginia DWR and Maryland DNR should be starting their fall efforts.