Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 25 Update:

After some heavy rains during the beginning of the month, water conditions improved on the lower Susquehanna and Susquehanna Flats. Anglers are taking to the river to enjoy the hickory shad run that is still going strong. They are providing excellent catch and release action at the Conowingo Dam, Deer Creek, and Octoraro Creek. The hickory shad bite at the dam has been much better when they are releasing water because it forces the fish closer to shore out of the main current. Tandem rigged spoons and shad darts are working very well in a variety of colors, including gold, silver, pink, white, red, and chartreuse. There are also a lot of gizzard shad in the area that are occasionally foul hooked by accident. Gizzard shad make excellent catfish bait, so it may be worth keeping a few if you want to target our biggest invasive fish species. Reports show that big blue catfish have moved upriver and are now being caught below the dam with mor regularity. One angler pulled in a fish just under 30 pounds and another said he caught a few in the 20-pound range last weekend. The blue cats can be caught throughout the Way North region and are found in all the local tidal rivers. The channel cats are also biting and a reader checked in after catching several on the susky. They were fishing from their 12-foot jon boat using worms as bait. Water temperatures are steadily climbing and have reached the upper 50’s in this region of the Bay. We are finally seeing more schools of white perch move into the lower Susquehanna River and anglers found good success this week in the Havre De Grace area. Chesapeake sabiki rigs and bottom rigs tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworm is working very well. If you plan to fish near the Conowingo Dam or on the lower Susquehanna, it may be worth checking how much water is being released from the Conowingo Dam. Anglers can do so by calling the Conowingo Spill Hotline at 877-457-2525.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 17 Update:

It was a cold week across the region, and I think we are all ready for a steadier weather pattern. The recent rains increased flows and created muddy water on the lower Susquehanna River this week, which made shad fishing more difficult. Anglers are still finding hickory shad while fishing from shore at the mouth of Deer Creek and Octoraro Creek, and conditions should be improving through the weekend. When shad fishing in dirty water, bright colors such as white, pink, chartreuse, and gold are good options to throw. We are still waiting for the white perch to show up on the lower Susquehanna in numbers, which should happen soon, but the return of colder weather is the likely cause for their delay. There have been some boats catching perch off Havre De Grace using bloodworms, but we haven’t received any stellar reports. They are being caught in tidal rivers and tributaries to the south, so a steady warming trend should bring bigger schools into the area.

The Conowingo Dam released a lot of water after the recent rains and the increased flows can improve the catfish bite in the river. Anglers have been catching both flathead and blue catfish just below the dam. On the Susquehanna flats and in the other Way North tidal tributaries, blue catfish and channel catfish are being caught using fresh cut bait. Largemouth bass are in pre-spawn mode and some anglers are targeting them on the Susquehanna Flats using a variety of lures, including soft plastic creature baits, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits. Bass fishing has also been decent in the North East river, but the colder mornings have delayed the bite until temperatures warm up during the day.

The striped bass closure is still in effect for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. During this time, anglers are prohibited from targeting striped bass. Striped bass season will open for certain areas of the Bay in Maryland waters on May 16th. You can view the Maryland DNR striped bass regulations map to see when and where targeting striped bass is allowed.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 11 Update:

The hickory shad are running folks! Schools of fish have shown up on the Susquehanna River and with the rain this week, increased flows should bring more into the area. The water will likely be running high and muddy following the rain, but once it starts to recede, fishing should pick right back up. Octoraro Creek has been a hotspot for shad fishermen and Deer Creek has also been producing bites. One angler reported catching around a dozen shad in an hour at one of the creeks. The shad are taking a variety of lures, including red, pink, and chartreuse shad darts, silver and gold spoons, and brightly colored flies. We haven’t heard of any American shad being caught yet, but the hickory shad have arrived in numbers and will offer great catch and release opportunities in the coming weeks.

Catfishing is also on the rise and there has been good action throughout this region of the Bay. The warming waters have them on the move and actively feeding. Fresh cut gizzard shad and eel appear to be the top producing baits right now. Snakeheads are also getting more active and the warm start to spring has had them biting more consistently. The cooldown has slowed the bite, but once we see a warming pattern, things should pick right back up. Anglers are finding them in emerging vegetation and also having good luck with pre-spawn largemouth bass as well. If you plan to fish for invasive fish, consider signing up for CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. Anglers can register their invasive catches to help fisheries managers track their spread across our region. You will also be entered for a chance at monthly giveaways. Anglers should remember that the striped bass closure is till in effect for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay until May 16th. Starting May 16th, some areas of the Bay will open for striped bass season, but others will remain closed. It is helpful to view the Maryland DNR striped bass regulation map to view when and where areas are open to striped bass fishing.

Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 4 Update:

The striped bass closure is now in effect for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Anglers are prohibited from targeting striped bass until May 16th when certain areas of the Bay will open for the season. We encourage anglers to view the Maryland DNR striped bass regulations map to see when and where areas are open for striped bass fishing. The good news is that the catfish bite is picking up and will be a great option for anglers until the striped bass season opens in May. The blue catfish have been biting at the mouths of all the Way North tidal tributaries and Havre De Grace up to Lapidum has been a hotspot. We also had a report of a good channel catfish bite at the Lapidum boat ramp this week. The angler said that frozen shrimp yielded him close to a dozen channel catfish, but all were small around five pounds or so. Blue catfish will be very active throughout the Way North region this spring and can be caught in all the tidal tribs. These fish are invasive (and delicious!) and we encourage anglers to remove them from the water if caught. Anglers should also consider signing up for CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. You can log your invasive catches for a chance to win some great prizes.  

The shad bite is beginning to ramp up and we had a few reports come in from the lower Susquehanna River this week. Hickory shad are being caught below the Conowingo Dam, at Deer Creek, and at Octoraro Creek. The bite doesn’t seem to be on every day and the reports have been inconsistent with some anglers reporting steady catching and others reporting skunks. A little bit of luck is involved this early in the year, but more fish should be on the way with warmer temperatures and increased flows helping. One angler mentioned that the shad bite really picked up in the evening when the dam started releasing water around 5pm. Red and green shad darts are traditional lures that are tried and true. When the flows are fast or the water is deep, many anglers will rig a tandem shad dart with a small spoon under it to get the lures down in the water column. A tip for shad fishing is to cast where there are seams in the river or pockets of slower moving water. With the arrival of shad, white perch should be arriving shortly to the lower Susquehanna. We will let you know when the big schools arrive for their spawning run.