Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 14 Update:

Perch are biting strong in the Susquehanna when the weather allows anglers to get out, and this week we had a reader report of a three-man limit. It was a mix of males and females and some of the fish broke the 14” mark. While there have been several boats out perch fishing, there seems to be plenty to go around as most anglers are catching fish from Port Deposit down to Perry Point. The larger schools have been in depths of 40’ to 60’. Most anglers are finding the best success while fishing with live minnows on bottom rigs. Small panfish jigs can also work and jigging them along the bottom of the water column can entice bites, especially when they are tipped with minnows or grass shrimp. One of the more exciting stories in the local fishing news this week is the announcement of a new state record yellow perch. The catch was certified by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and breaks a 49-year-old record of a 2.2-pound fish. Thomas Dembeck Jr. caught the 2.3-pound, 16-inch fish on February 7th while fishing on the lower Susquehanna River. You can read more about this incredible catch on the Maryland DNR website. Congrats on a once in a lifetime catch!

The recent rain and warmer temperatures are melting off the snow from our latest storm. The runoff will have the Susquehanna River on the rise and there is more rain in the forecast this weekend, so the Way North region of the Bay will likely be muddy in the coming days. Catfish anglers often look forward to rising water on the river as these conditions can trigger the fish to bite as they don’t mind the muddy water and higher flows. Both blue catfish and channel catfish are abundant in the lower Susquehanna and surrounding tributaries. Late winter and spring is known as a great time of year to catch trophy blue catfish, especially when we get warming trends in the weather. CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count is still running until March 31st, 2025, and we encourage anglers to log their catches. The data collected through citizen science is used to help fisheries managers understand the spread of invasive species in our waters. Anglers will also be entered into monthly drawings for a chance to win some great prizes.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 6 Update:

February gets many anglers excited as we anticipate the spring spawning runs and yellow perch are already bending rods. During the deep freeze the Gunpowder River creeks and tribs have turned out to be a producer for fishing through the ice, with a reader report of crappie, bass, and perch all hitting on a mix of tip-ups and jigging gear. That ice might be gone, but surely the fish aren’t! Now that the ice has melted, it is much easier for boats to get out to fish, and that is exactly what they have been doing. Yellow perch have been very active, and the fishing has been good recently. Most fish are being caught around the Perryville area and in the mouths of other tidal rivers. We had a few reports of boat limits this week with some jumbos over 13” in the mix. Live minnows are working best, but small artificial jigs are also enticing bites. The perch are mostly schooled up in depths of 40' to 60'. They will stay staged at the mouths of the tidal rivers for a few more weeks, then will start to push further into their spawning tributaries. Blue catfish are another species that are abundant throughout the Way North region and will bite in the cold winter months. They will also be holding along deeper ledges in the Susquehanna, Elk, and North East rivers. Fresh cut gizzard shad or eel are tried and true baits that usually get the blue cats biting. The biggest fish are typically caught in the winter and spring, so now is a great time to try for a trophy sized fish.