Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 16 Update:

Cold temperatures are persisting, and ice is continuing to build up in the Way North region of the Bay. The Susquehanna River has been full of slush and ice north of Conowingo Dam with more building up in the surrounding rivers and tributaries. Ramps are still frozen in many places, but there have been a few dedicated anglers willing to break ice to get out and fish. Schools of yellow perch have been staged at the mouth of tidal rivers such as the North East, Elk, and Susquehanna. These fish can be found in depths ranging from 20’ to 70’ which is a wide range. Searching drop offs and deeper holes along ledges will give you a decent chance at finding them. Live minnows are one of the top baits for yellow perch. They can also be caught on artificial metal jigs and soft plastics. Most fish caught this time of year will be males, but more females will start showing up as we get closer to the spring run. Blue catfish are also out and about in the deeper waters of the tidal rivers and can be caught using a variety of cut baits. Fishing will be slower this time of year, but if you are like us and need to scratch fishing itch, there are a few opportunities to keep us busy.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 9 Update: 

The weather has turned brutally cold to start the new year across the Chesapeake region. Snow and wind have been the theme this week and a lot of our local waters are starting to lock up with ice. Many boat ramps, marinas, and tidal creeks are freezing up and it is likely only going to get worse with the forecast calling for extended cold. This does not make for good fishing conditions, especially when ice starts flowing down the Susquehanna River. The only upside is that we may get some ice fishing opportunities once the ice gets thick enough on local ponds and creeks. The general rule is that ice should be three inches thick before venturing onto it. We might get to that point here shortly, but always err on the side of caution when trying to ice fish. Yellow perch will be staged up in deeper holes of the tidal tributaries until their spawning run in the spring. Anglers will likely have to break ice at ramps to get to them or, if ice persists, we may be able to start drilling holes for them. 

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 2 Update: 

Happy New Year folks! Let’s make the 2025 fishing season another great one. Recent rains muddied up the water as we had runoff flowing in from the Susky. Water temperatures are also very cold which will make most fish more lethargic. There is no shortage of catfish to fish for in the Way North region of the Bay. The mouths of the tidal rivers along the deeper channels and holes will be a good place to search them out if you are fishing by boat. The lower Susquehanna River is one of the hotspots with a lot of fish pulled from Havre De Grace up to Lapidum during the winter. Another fish to target in the Susquehanna is smallmouth bass. They are more abundant above the Conowingo Dam but can still be caught below the dam. Fishing a slow retrieve with hair jigs and tube jigs around the rocks will be a good method for getting bites. During warming trends in the winter, smallmouth will get more active and jerkbaits will be a good lure to throw. The forecast is calling for some serious cold in the coming weeks which may lead to ice forming on the rivers and Bay. While it may complicate river fishing, it could lead to ice fishing opportunities on smaller ponds and lakes.