Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, November 20 Update:

The striped bass action has been red hot in areas to the south of the Way North region, but there are still some fish to be caught in the northernmost areas of the Bay. Stripers are still hanging around the Conowingo Dam pool, but the bite has been on the slow side. They have also been cruising around the edges of the Susquehanna Flats. We had a report from an angler who was targeting them recently that they caught several fish in the 21” to 27” range, with the largest fish coming in over 29”. Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and glidebaits all got bit. They mentioned that they did not come across any big schools of fish, rather just small schools or single fish, so covering a lot of water was crucial.

Blue catfish will offer plenty of fishing opportunities throughout the colder months. These fish are very active right now as they are feeding heavily to fatten up for winter. There has been a hot bite for big fish at the Conowingo Dam in recent weeks. Anglers are using fresh cut gizzard shad, eel, and several other types of cut bait to catch the big blues. Water releases from the dam have not been pushing a lot of water down the lower Susquehanna River, which has made it easier for shore anglers to cast out into the river without getting snagged. But the catfish tend to bite better when the water is flowing faster. When the dam releases water, it usually turns on the bite as catfish begin to gorge themselves on fish and other forage being swept downriver.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, November 13 Update:

The wind machine continues to be a nuisance as we move through November. A few reports came in from the area of the Susquehanna Flats this week. One angler reported catching a few striped bass in the 20” range while fishing the shallow edges of the flats. They were using a swimbait and had a heavy incoming tide when the fish were biting. Another reader fishing north of Garrett Island caught a few smallmouth last weekend. Earlier in the week, we had a report from an angler who said they caught a few largemouth and striped bass on the flats. We also had a report from a boat that trolled the flats this week but got skunked. Anglers should be aware that duck season opens this weekend, and the Susquehanna Flats are a popular duck hunting location, so look out for hunters if you are out on the flats over the next two weeks.

Yellow perch are a favorite cold weather species for anglers to target, and the Way North region has plenty to fish for throughout the fall and winter. An angler reported catching several near the Havre De Grace docks on a recent trip. The yellow perch will school up along ledges and the deeper holes surrounding the Susquehanna Flats. They can be caught on the lower Susquehanna and Elk River throughout the coming months. The blue catfish bite continues to be impressive from the Conowingo Dam down to the flats and surrounding tidal tributaries. Several big blue catfish were landed at the dam this week, and the Susky has been producing 20- to 40-pounders for most of the fall. The deeper channels and holes will start to see blue catfish congregate around them as water temperatures continue to drop. A hotspot in the colder months is the stretch of the Susquehanna from Port Deposit down to Perryville.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, November 7 Update:

The blue catfish bite is going strong in the Way North region of the Chesapeake Bay. Now is a great time to get out on the water and target them, as they are feeding heavily to fatten up for winter. The big blues will be prowling the deeper channels and holes in the lower Susquehanna River and other surrounding tidal tributaries. There has been a hot bite at the Conowingo Dam this fall, and we saw some excellent reports from there this week. The water has been flowing low and slow thanks to the lack of rainfall, and thus not much water is being released from the dam. This makes it a lot easier to fish without getting your rigs snagged on the rocky bottom. One angler fishing there this week caught several blue catfish in the 20-pound range, with a few over 30.

There should still be some striped bass, smallmouth bass, and walleye around the dam. When the water is flowing slowly, anglers can usually get away with two ounces for casting into the wash. When more gates are open, it often requires four to eight ounces of weight to effectively cast and retrieve lures in the wash. A three-way rig or drop shot style setup is popular for this style of fishing. In the Northeast River, Elk River, and Bohemia River, largemouth bass will be holding close to fallen wood and docks this time of year. The grasses have mostly broken up on the Susquehanna Flats, so the bass will be retreating to hard cover.