Freshwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, November 29 Update:

The weather warmed up briefly this week, but the winds kept on blowing which has seemed to be the norm this fall. Contributor Eric Packard reports solid action when the weather isn’t blowing in St. Mary’s Lake, on a nice mix of bass and crappie plus some pickerel. He’s been doing best on the bass and crappie with bladebaits recently, worked in 15’ or 20’ of water either skipping along bottom or vertically jigging when fish are on the electronics. The pickerel have been hitting jerkbaits run in five to eight feet. The upper Bay tidal rivers and the Eastern Shore mill ponds have also been fishing well for pickerel which will remain a reliable cold weather fishing opportunity. In the Magothy and Severn, fish are hanging out in coves and creeks in the upper reaches. Flashy lures such as spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and paddletails with underpins are working excellent. Anglers are reporting that some creeks are loaded with fish while others seem to be holding just a few. Covering water and trying different areas will yield the best results.

Smallmouth bass and a few walleye are being caught at the Conowingo Dam pool and the lower portion of the Susquehanna River. A boat fishing near Port Deposit reported catching a handful of smallies during an outing before the rains rolled through. The recent rains have likely bumped the flows and water level in the river as well as added some color thanks to stained water, but conditions should still be fishable. Jerkbaits, crankbaits, and jigs are working well along rocky shorelines and ledges. Smallmouth are also being caught on the upper sections of southern tribs and though water levels remain relatively low through the region the recent rains have brought them up a bit.

We had a few reader reports of good bass action including both reservoirs and pond, including one who checked in with a 5.5 pounder caught on a white paddletail this week. On the flip side of the coin, Team FishTalk’s Fish Crushin’ Kaylie reports having a tough time finding fish willing to bite at Loch Raven recently, and she noted that the water levels were well below normal. Down on the Patuxent River corridor, we heard from a few readers who report that the largemouth bass bite is going strong in flooded ponds just off the main river. White flukes and soft plastic paddletails worked through remaining lily pad fields caught them close to a dozen bass and a few pickerel. The Western Branch is also fishing well and another reader reported a steady day catching close to 20 bass between one to three pounds mostly on spinnerbaits.

Mossy Creek Fly Fishing brings us the latest report from the western zones. They say that the recent rains have helped bump flows in the creeks and streams, but we still need a lot more moisture to get them to where they need to be. They mentioned that the stocked locations in Virginia and West Virginia are fishing well and there is an abundance of opportunities for anglers to take advantage of. Bass fishing in their region is expected to take a plunge with the cold temperatures moving in, and say that musky will often eat big flies and other lures during the first big temperature drop of the year.

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, November 22 Update:

Cold fronts have brought more seasonable weather to our region this week. Contributor Eric Packard reports that bladebaits have been effective on bass and crappie at the area reservoirs, and bass were also hitting Wacky Worms this week. Some bass were still in shallow water around laydowns (where the worm did the trick), but a nice mix of bass and crappie were holding in 15’ to 20’ of water (where the bladebait proved most effective). An angler fishing at Lake Anna reported good action on crappie this week catching 10 fish up to 14 inches during one trip. The bite was good during the morning hours. They did mention that the striped bass/hybrid striper bite on the lake seems to be slow for this time of year. Anglers at Deep Creek Lake are finding better fishing for walleye as temperatures drop. Casting sinking jerkbaits and crankbaits along rocky ledges is a good way to target them. Western Maryland will be dealing with a good bit of snow to end the week which is a sure sign that winter is knocking on our door.

Across the bay on the Eastern Shore we had readers report an improving pickerel bite in the mill ponds, with one noting 15 fish up to 25" plus six perch attacking his slowly twitched red/white MirrOlure. Action on pickerel was slower in the Tuckahoe and Pocomoke, but on an incoming tide bass were happy to slam jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and Ned rigs. Contributor Adam Greenberg made a foray to the upper Miles River where he generally does well on crappie, but he said water levels were so low (three to four feet down from normal) at his usual hotspots that it was a bust.

Mossy Creek Fly Fishing brings us the latest report from the western trout areas. They report that the brook trout are still spawning with mountain streams still running low and clear for the most part. Recent shots of rain have slightly bumped flows across the region. Virginia DWR has been busy stocking varies lakes and streams including Back Creek, Jackson, Bullpasture, Cowpasture, Spring Run, North River, South River. Hearthstone, Briery Branch, Hone Quarry, Elkhorn have also been stocked and you can catch brookies and browns up at Switzer Reservoir. The most recent winds will likely bring down remaining leaves, so leaf litter may be covering some areas of streams and rivers in the coming days. Maryland has not had any recent trout stockings, but we will likely see those pick back up in December. Visit the Maryland DNR trout stocking website and the Virginia DWR trout stocking website for the most up to date stocking information.

In the upper tributaries smallmouth are biting and in the Susquehanna walleye as well. The bite for both species is generally better north of the Dam on the Susquehanna and now is the time to target them. Crankbaits and deeper diving jerkbaits tend to work well. The smallmouth are starting to move into deeper holes and stretches of river where they will hangout through the colder months. Jigs with creature bait presentations can be very effective at getting them to bite when they are lethargic.

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, November 15 Update:

We are finally starting to see more seasonal weather after a very mild start to fall. Largemouth bass fishing around the region has been good as fish look to stock up body reserves before winter arrives. The tidal bite in our rivers has been good and a falling tide is usually best to target them as they stage around creek mouths and sunken wood. An angler fishing the upper Patuxent River reported that the bass bite has been excellent over the past few weeks and a has had multiple 20 fish or more days. Spinnerbaits and creature jigs are working very well right now. Lure retrieves should be very slow this time of year as water temperatures drop. As the Patuxent is fishing well, other tidal rivers such as the Elk, Bohemia, Northeast, and Susquehanna should be exhibiting similar patterns. The smallmouth bass bite on the Susquehanna continues to improve, especially above the Conowingo Dam. Colder water temperatures have the fish moving to deeper water along ledges and holes. Water levels are still low, so boaters should be careful while traversing the river. A kayak angler fishing in an unspecified location above the dam had an excellent day this week catching 16 smallies. The top five fish combined for a total of just over 18 pounds. Jerkbaits in five to 10 feet of water got all the bites.

Contributor Eric Packard hit several area ponds through the week and noted that strong winds made kayak fishing difficult at times and fronts passing through shut off the bite at others, but a few bass were willing to smack bladebaits and spinnerbaits and he also picked up a snakehead this week.

The pickerel bite around the region continues to improve and light tackle guide Tom Weaver of Fish With Weaver has been enjoying excellent action in the Severn River creeks. The fish are holding close to fallen wood and areas coated with floating leaves. Slow rolling spinnerbaits and other shiny lures have been working well. This has also been the pattern in the Magothy River, Baltimore area creeks, and the Eastern Shore millponds. The ponds around Salisbury are known for producing some of the bigger pickerel in the state and they will be biting from now throughout the winter. Anglers who enjoy pickerel fishing should consider signing up for the CCA pickerel championship which runs from now through the end of February.

We have received some much-needed rain over the past week that should bump flows and water levels slightly. Many areas are still experiencing a significant drought with water bodies exhibiting very low water levels. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reports that brookies and brown trout are still spawning, but that they should finish up in the next few weeks. The mountain streams are still low with a lot of leaf litter being a problem at times. The state-stocked streams are fishing fair as Virginia DWR continues their stocking efforts. Mossy Creek also mentioned that the spring creeks have been popular and as a result have seen a lot of angler traffic. The main rivers like the Potomac, Rappahannock, James, and Susquehanna have seen good bass fishing as temperatures drop. We need more rain, so let’s hope the pattern is changing in our favor.

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, November 8 Update:

It has been over a month since we have seen any rain around our region, and we could really use some precipitation. Many lakes, ponds, and streams are running very low thanks to the drought. Warm weather, sunny days, and high pressure have been the pattern for most of the fall which has made it difficult to pattern bite windows. Contributor Eric Packard noted a tepid bite at St. Mary’s Lake recently, with a few midsized bass all that were willing to bite his jerkbaits. Fishing a series of local ponds a few days later, however, he found the bass were revved up and on fire when he was casting Wacky Worms. Readers have enjoyed an uptick in the pickerel action across the board with several reports of good-sized fish hitting swimbaits and lipped plugs. Most of the action came from the upper sections of northern Bay tribs but we also had one reported from Loch Raven this week. FishTalk’s Zach Ditmars fished for pickerel in the Severn last weekend with Fish With Weaver and said the bite was excellent at Capt. Tom’s favorite spots with a dozen or so fish up to 24” striking assorted flashy lures through the afternoon.

The trout stockings that took place across the state have provided plenty of opportunities, but anglers are reporting a finnicky bite at many of the stocked locations. A few cold fronts should drop water temperatures and get the fish feeding again.

The larger lakes and reservoirs are fishing well this week as boat pressure has dropped off significantly. We had a reader check in from Smith Mountain Lake in southwest Virginia giving us the details of what the pattern has been lately. They said that right now the surface water temperatures are still in the low 70s which has baitfish in the shallows during the mornings and evenings. Boats fishing with live shad pulled behind planer boards are catching big stripers up to 30 pounds along with largemouth and smallmouth bass. During the day, most striped bass are in the 25’ to-50’ range concentrated around points. Occasionally fish have been breaking water during low light hours. Topwater lures, paddletails on half ounce jigheads, and jointed jerkbaits are all working well in shallow water. The largemouth and smallmouth bass are more active from the banks down to 15’. White perch are also schooling up in 30’ to 50’ of water and several anglers on the lake are catching fish up to 12”. These patterns should be setting up similarly in our larger lakes such as Lake Anna, Deep Creek Lake, and the Baltimore area reservoirs.

Above the Conowingo dam, smallmouth anglers have been enjoying a great fall bite and more walleye are being caught too. Both species have hit jerkbaits, craw jigs, spinners, and crankbaits. Rocky shorelines, shoreline points, and deeper ledges will be the typical hangouts for them this time of year. Anglers looking to catch walleye may find better success at night as the fish typically feed more and move shallower under the cover of darkness. Contributor Adam Greenberg said a trip to the upper Potomac for smallmouth was a bust this week, and even though he spotted fish he couldn’t get them biting.

Freshwater Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, November 1 Update:

Freshwater anglers have plenty of options this time of year and we have been blessed with some very favorable fishing weather. Contributor Eric Packard says he hit one of the local ponds a few days after it received a trout stocking, but the trout weren’t biting for him nor for the other anglers who had congregated. Fortunately, both crappie and bluegill were in a feeding mood, so although the target species remained elusive there was plenty of action on the fly rod. We also heard from a reader who had good luck on the bluegills while fly fishing a pond. The put and take trout stocking shave concluded for the fall in Maryland. The Department of Natural Resources stocked 27 locations with a combination of over 15,000 brown, rainbow, and golden trout. Anglers around the state have been enjoying the abundance of angling opportunities and these stockings should provide fishing action for several weeks. Virginia has also been busy stocking throughout the state and their crews continued putting fish into water bodies this week. As the temperatures cool off, trout fishing will be a great option through the fall and winter. Anglers should visit the Maryland DNR trout stocking website and the Virginia DWR trout stocking website for the most up to date stocking and regulatory information.

From the wild western trout waters Mossy Creek Fly Fishing gives us the latest on what is happening. They report that water levels are continuing to drop with the lack of rain and leaves are starting to choke up the lower flow areas. They haven’t received any reports of brook trout spawning but say that anglers should approach the wild brook trout streams as if they are in full force. Anglers choosing to fish should focus their efforts on faster runs, riffles, and pockets of water where fish are not likely to be spawning. Also try to avoid wading through calm gravel areas that are likely to be spawning areas for the brookies. Brown trout are also starting to spawn in various creeks. Hoppers, crickets, ants, and beetles are still around on the spring creeks, but they are seeing more action with streamers.

The upper stretches of many rivers such as the Potomac and Rappahannock are running low and clear right now. Anglers choosing to wade fish are having luck with smallmouth bass, though they are beginning to move to slightly deeper areas in the rivers. If you are choosing to wade, it is important to wear a life jacket with water temperatures plummeting right now. Small crankbaits, jigs, and grub baits are all working well for smallmouth and walleye. Long casts have often been required lately as fish are spooked more easily when the water is very clear.