Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 29 Update:

The cooler late summer air temperatures have cooled off water temperatures in the Way North region of the Bay. This has made for an improved striped bass bite at the Conowingo Dam. There were several reports from anglers catching slot fish over the past few weeks. The key is to use large surf rods to cast lures far out into the turbine wash where the stripers tend to hangout. Make sure to bring plenty of extra tackle because the rocky bottom is notorious for snagging lines. Due to construction going on at the Dam, the section of rocks closest to the dam is not always open. Anglers can still fish at Conowingo Fisherman’s Park, but getting closer to the dam usually leads to better success. The striped bass bite on the Susquehanna Flats is still slow but has improved slightly along the edges where some fish have been caught during low light hours.

The catfish bite has been very good as well from the Conowingo Dam down onto the Susquehanna Flats. A kayak angler reported that he has been catching a lot of fish just downriver from the dam. Dropping baits and bouncing them along the bottom while drifting has been working well. We had another report from two anglers fishing between the 95 Bridge and the railroad bridge on the lower Susquehanna River that had an excellent day catfishing. They coated over 40 blue catfish with the largest weighing 24 and 26 pounds. Chicken breast soaked in Kool-Aid was the hot bait. Blue catfish have been biting well in most of the tidal tributaries in this region, but the lower Susquehanna is the hotspot. The cooler weather has also made for a good bass bite in our larger freshwater rivers. On the Susquehanna River above the Conowingo Dam, the smallmouth bass are very active right now as we get ready for the transition to a fall pattern where they will feed aggressively. Shallow riffles and runs near deeper holes have been good locations to cast topwater lures right now. An angler fishing on the Susquehanna reported that swimbaits have been working well at creek mouths and along rocky stretches of shoreline.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 22 Update:

Fishing in the Way North region has been centered on catfish recently. The summer bite is usually dictated by the power generating schedule at the Conowingo Dam as water releases increase flows and thus increase dissolved oxygen levels in the river. The bite has been good from Port Deposit down to the Susquehanna Flats. The big fish seem to be biting too, and we saw reports of several fish over the 30-pound mark this week. The stretch of the Susquehanna River near the 95 Bridge has been a hotspot, but catfishing anywhere along the lower Susky will give you a good chance to catch them. Flathead catfish have also been active just below the Conowingo Dam, and there have been some very big fish caught north of the Dam in Pennsylvania waters. We had a report this week of a fish over 40 pounds caught near York.

The smallmouth fishing north of the dam has also been good. Crawfish jigs, crankbaits, and topwater lures have been working well. The cooler weather has turned on the topwater bite, which should continue to be great as we head into the fall. Shallow, rocky sections of the river are excellent locations to cast a whopper plopper during low light conditions. Northern snakehead are abundant throughout the upper Chesapeake Bay. The tidal rivers, including the Susquehanna, North East, Elk, and other smaller tributaries are good places to target them right now. You will likely also encounter largemouth bass as they are abundant in the tidal rivers as well. White perch can be caught in the Way North tidal rivers this time of year. Casting spinners to docks is a good way to catch them on artificial. Though the perch bite has been though this year, fishing with grass shrimp has led to better results for many anglers. Tipping shad darts and casting along shoreline structure is sure to get a hungry perch to bite.  

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 15 Update:

Cooler weather has been a blessing this month, especially since this is when we usually see some of the hottest temperatures of the year. The fish have been responding well to the dropping water temperatures that are now into the mid-70s to low 80s. The catfish bite has been the main highlight in the Way North region, with blue catfish stealing the show. We had a report from a pair of anglers fishing in the lower Susquehanna near Garrett Island who caught over two dozen blue catfish with the larger fish weighing over 30 pounds. Other anglers fishing near North East Maryland have also been reporting a good catfish bite from both shore and from boats.

Striped bass fishing in this area has not been the best lately as the larger schools of stripers have pushed south into Upper Bay waters. There are still fish being caught at the Conowingo Dam in the turbine wash, and some fish around the edges of the Susquehanna Flats, but the reports have not been great. At the dam, using surf casting rods to cast jigs into the moving water will give you the best chance of catching a rockfish. They prefer to sit below the turbines in the faster flowing water where there is more oxygen this time of year.

Above the Conowingo Dam, the smallmouth bass bite has been very good thanks to the cooler weather. Anglers up and down the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania waters are reporting a good bite. Crawfish jigs, swimbaits, and chatterbaits have been mentioned as hot baits. Wet wading is a popular option this time of year in shallow stretches and smaller tributaries of the river. Float fishing is another popular technique, but it can be harder to pick apart an area when float fishing. On hot days, fish will migrate to deeper pools and holes in the river or along shaded shorelines. The smallmouth bite should continue to be good well into the fall.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 8 Update:

Since the striped bass season has reopened, the bite has been on the slower side in the Way North region. The larger schools of fish have retreated to deeper water in the Upper Bay, but there are still some fish around. Warm water temperatures mean that the bite will be best in the low light hours. Areas with more current will also be key areas to focus on, and those zones will also hold multiple species. The Conowingo Dam has been operating under an evening power generations schedule, which means that more gates will be open in the afternoons, thus creating faster flowing water and better conditions for fishing. Striped bass can be caught by casting lures into the dam pool. A three-way rig works very well for fishing at the dam. Anglers often use large surf casting rods as well, so they can cast far out into the current. One angler fishing at the dam last week reported catching four stripers over the course of a few hours ranging from 19” to 25.5”.

Blue catfish are another species that will be reliable to target during late summer. The bite has been very good for them recently on the lower Susquehanna River, Susquehanna Flats, and the Elk River. Many anglers enjoy bait fishing for them using fish finder rigs and a variety of cut bait, including gizzard shad, bunker, eel, and chicken. While this method is proven and effective, jigging for them with artificial lures also works very well. You can use the same gear that you would jig for striped bass with, just upsize your rod a bit as blue catfish in the 20-pound range or bigger are common in these waters. We even saw reports of a 52-pounder caught near the Conowingo Dam last week. Flathead catfish are another invasive species that are found in the lower Susquehanna River. Their highest concentrations are around the Conowingo Dam and rocky river bottom on the Susky. Flatheads are known to be aggressive and will hit live baits and lures with a vengeance.