Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 11 Update:

Striped bass season for Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay is now closed, so any fishing for them will be strictly catch and release until next spring. The catches were scattered before the season ended, with some being caught at the Conowingo Dam, lower Susquehanna River, and on the edges of the Susquehanna Flats. With the season over, anglers still wanting to target fish to keep and eat should focus their attention on blue catfish. The blues are schooling up in the deeper holes and channels of the lower Susquehanna, from Port Deposit down to Havre De Grace. Big ones are still showing up below the Conowingo Dam as well. The dam also offers some opportunities for walleye and smallmouth bass during the winter months. They will be holding along the rocky ledges and near the outflow at the dam pool. Yellow perch should also start to school up in the deeper holes near the mouth of the Susquehanna River. Although it is winter, there are still several opportunities to catch fish this time of year.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 5 Update:

We had a reader report of solid action on crappie in the Northeast River, with Gulp! minnows on Sabikis doing the trick. Some large bluegill were biting as well. Crappie can also be found in the Elk River, where they will be schooling near deeper structures. The tidal tributaries in the Way North region also have a robust largemouth bass fishery. The bite has slowed down as temperatures have dropped, but anglers are still catching some on the edges of the Susquehanna Flats. On the lower Susquehanna River, smallmouth bass and some walleye can be caught near the rocky islands and at the Conowingo dam pool. While fishing around rocky islands and shorelines, suspending jerkbaits, paddletails, and feather jigs can work well.

Striped bass action has been slow around the Susquehanna Flats, but we did hear about a few being caught near the flats, though just a few. The most consistent bite in this region right now is the blue catfish bite. The Conowingo Dam pool has been a hotspot for some jumbo blue catfish in recent weeks. After the recent rains, the dam has been pushing some more water at times. Faster flowing water usually fires up the catfish bite as they feed on bait being pushed downriver. If you don’t want to battle other anglers on the shore and have access to a boat, the deeper holes and channels from Port Deposit down to Garrett Island are where they tend to school up in the winter.