Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 14 Update:

With striped bass still closed, Way North anglers are finding plenty of action on blue catfish, largemouth bass, and white perch. Big blue cats are holding in the deeper, cooler water around Conowingo Dam and the lower Susquehanna, with some big fish around, while the Susquehanna Flats are producing quality largemouth around grass beds on topwater frogs and chatterbaits. White perch are also available around older docks, fallen trees, and other shoreline structure throughout the tidal rivers.

Striped bass season is still closed on the Chesapeake Bay, but we are halfway through the closure, so we will be back to being able to fish for the state fish soon. In the meantime, anglers have been shifting their focus and finding some success with other fisheries. Blue catfish are the most widespread and largest fish in the Way North waters. These fish can be found from the Conowingo Dam down to the Susquehanna Flats, and in all the surrounding tidal rivers of the flats. Since water temperatures are hot right now, these fish will be seeking out cooler waters in deeper channels and holes in the rivers. There is also a concentration of big blue catfish that tend to hang out below the Conowingo Dam because of the conditions that the outflow pipes create. Faster moving water, cooler water, and increased dissolved oxygen levels. We have seen some very big blue cars pulled from these waters over the past few weeks, including a few fish in the 30-to-40-pound range. Fresh American eel is a popular bait, but any fresh-cut fish bait should work. Just to the south, the deeper channels running near Port Deposit on the lower Susquehanna River are hotspots for catfishing in the summer months. There should be plenty of action for bank anglers casting from shore. Anglers fishing from a boat should anchor at depths of 15 to 30 feet, which should put you in a position to get some bigger bites. In the other tidal rivers such as the North East and Elk, channel catfish are roaming around the shallows in the tidal creeks and along shallow shorelines. They can be caught on fresh-cut bait as well but are also more than willing to hit some live nightcrawlers.

Summer bass fishing is in prime form on the Susquehanna Flats. The wild celery grass and stargrass beds are expansive across the Susquehanna Flats between the mouth of the North East River, mouth of the Susquehanna River, and down to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. The bass have been holding in the slightly deeper channels at depths of five to 10 feet of water during the bulk of the daylight hours but are roaming around the grass beds feeding in the mornings, evenings, and at night. Chatterbaits are one of the top lures to throw over the grass beds on a high tide. At low tides, or when fishing over the thick mats of SAV grass, topwater frogs are the best choice to throw. There have been some snakeheads in the mix as well in the areas with thick vegetation. White perch can be found in the Way North tidal rivers near docks and other shoreline structures. When it comes to perch fishing, the older the structure the better, so docks with old growth on the pilings and old fallen trees along the bank tend to be where the perch like to hang out. These fish are usually willing to hit small spinners, but sometimes they prefer live bait. Tipping a small jighead under a bobber with grass shrimp or minnows can work great.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 7 Update:

With striped bass off limits during the August closure, anglers are finding plenty of alternatives in the Way North region, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and blue catfish. The Susquehanna Flats are producing good bass action around healthy grass beds during low-light periods, while smallmouth are feeding well above Conowingo Dam. Blue catfish remain one of the most dependable options, particularly around deeper holes, channel edges, and current seams in the lower Susquehanna.

Since the striped bass closure is still in effect for the month of August, anglers will need to focus their attention elsewhere for a few weeks. Bass fishing on the Susquehanna Flats is a great option right now. The fish aren’t very active during the heat of the day, but the action has been good in the early mornings and late evenings. Healthy grass beds provide plenty of cover for bass, and topwater fishing can be great in low-light conditions. When the sun is up, chatterbaits are excellent search baits to throw. Retrieve them just above areas with submerged grass, which will be more abundant during high tides. During low tides, more grass will be exposed, so anglers should switch to Texas-rigged creature baits and finesse presentations worked through holes in the grass and along the edges of exposed vegetation. Points of interest where fish may be hanging around include irregularities in the grass beds, ditches, and channels.

Smallmouth bass fishing above the Conowingo Dam has also been providing some steady action. FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg checked in after spending an evening fishing on the river for smallmouth bass. He reported that the bite was killer during the hour leading up to sunset. The fish were feeding heavily on shad, and a three-inch white paddletail was getting a lot of bites. Once the sun went down, they didn’t get another bite for three hours. He beat the bank with whopper ploppers, jerk baits, ned rigs, and paddletails without any action. Adam also mentioned that there must have been a recent mayfly hatch because the adults were everywhere peppering them while running the river, and by the time they got off the water, the boat was carpeted in them.

Blue catfish will continue to provide ample opportunities for anglers throughout the lower Susquehanna River and surrounding tidal rivers. Right now, those looking for these invasive bottom dwellers should focus on deeper holes, channel edges, and current seams that funnel bait. Fresh-cut bait is the go-to offering, with chunks of gizzard shad, bunker, white perch, and eel being top producers. A fish finder rig is a reliable setup; you will just need to match your weight for how fast the current is moving where you are fishing. It is also possible to find blue catfish on shallow flats and adjacent channel edges in low light conditions with moving tides. The area of the lower Susquehanna River from the Conowingo Dam down to Port Deposit is usually a hot spot for blue catfish during the summer months. If you plan to fish for blue catfish, or any invasive fish, consider signing up for CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. All you have to do is log your catch on their app, and you will be automatically entered into monthly drawings for some great prizes. The data helps fisheries managers track the spread of invasive fish across our waterways.