Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 12 Update:

We experienced all four seasons this week as we went from near record high temperatures to heavy snow. The March weather is never predictable, but the fish are still getting more active as we move further into spring. A reader checked in after trying for yellow perch in the Perryville area, and said the fish were there, but the bite was relatively slow, and many were undersized. In an afternoon of fishing with tandem shad dart rigs tipped with minnow they caught a couple dozen fish but only six keepers. Another bite to look forward to that should be kicking off in the next few weeks is the shad run. We haven’t heard of any hickory or American shad showing up yet as water temperatures are still too cold, but as the spring temperatures warm up, these fish will arrive in huge numbers. The hotspots on the lower Susquehanna River are Deer Creek, Octoraro Creek, and the Conowingo Dam. Anglers often use tandem rigged shad darts or small spoons. The best way to fish for them when they show up is to look for seams in the river and slower moving pools of water where these shad will school up. They offer excellent catch and release opportunities that are super fun on light tackle gear.

A reader checked in after fishing on the Susquehanna Flats earlier in the week. They reported that there was about a five-mile-long patch of debris that came from the Conowingo Dam. Not only was there a ton of floating debris, but the water was the color of peanut butter. Needless to say, they did not catch any fish with the conditions. The Conowingo Dam has been releasing more water, which has the lower Susquehanna and Susquehanna Flats pretty dirty. As water temperatures warm into the mid-40s, more striped bass will start showing up in preparation for their spawning run. There are some fish that have been caught in the area this month, but the fish are still few and far between. Fishing for striped bass is still strictly catch and release, and there are certain areas that are off limits. It would be best to review the striped bass regulation maps on the Maryland DNR website to see where fishing for them is allowed. Common tactics are to baitfish with fresh gizzard shad or slow troll plugs around the river or on the flats.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 6 Update:

The lower Susquehanna River is a hotspot this time of year. The two most active fisheries are yellow perch and blue catfish. The yellow perch bite has been good for the past few weeks, and anglers are still catching them in the deeper holes near Havre De Grace in depths of 30’ to 50’. We had some rain this week that made the river run a little dirty, which affected the perch bite. The water should clean up, and the bite should pick back up too. Because the fish are schooling in deeper water, a double dropper rig baited with minnows or grass shrimp is the best option. Once these fish move into shallow waters of the North East River and Susquehanna creeks, shad darts tipped with grass shrimp become very effective, either bounced along the bottom or suspended under a bobber. Water temperatures in this region need to get into the mid 40s to the low 50s for the yellows to start running into shallower water.

The blue catfish bite has been getting better, and the big fish are starting to bite. The blues are also holding in the deeper waters and will stay there until water temperatures get into the 50s. Fresh-cut bait will work very well for them, such as eel, bunker, or chicken. These fish are invasive, so we encourage anglers to remove them from the waters when caught. Anyone fishing for blue catfish should also log their catches with CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. All you have to do is report your catch, and then you are entered into monthly prize drawings. The data collected will be used to help fisheries biologists track the spread of invasives species in our region. Another bite to explore is catch and release fishing for striped bass. Some of the migratory fish have shown up in the lower Susquehanna River and Susquehanna flats. Anglers planning to target them should take a look at the Maryland DNR striped bass regulations maps to see where they are allowed to catch and release fish for striped bass during the month of March.