FISHING & BOATING

Lured by abundant freshwater, bay, and ocean fishing opportunities, anglers throughout Maryland happily cast their lines from lakeside piers, boat decks, and the banks of swiftly flowing streams. Depending on the season and location, your “catch of the day” could be anything from flounder and white marlin to trout, bluegill, crappie, and the official state fish, striped bass (also known as rockfish).

There’s no better place in the world to get out on the water than the Annapolis area, “ America’s Sailing Capital.” But boating is enjoyed everywhere there is bay frontage and the promise of finding a quiet cove or natural harbor. Some 600 marinas, as well as 250 public boat ramps and access points, are spread out amid charming towns like Cambridge, Havre de Grace, Tilghman Island, Chestertown, and many others.

 

FRESHWATER FISHING

- The Youghiogheny River is famous for white-water rafting, but six gentler miles from Hoyes Run to Gap Falls are well-suited for fly-fishing. Use an open boat or wade in to cast for brown and rainbow trout, as well as smallmouth bass.

- Deep Creek Lake is well-stocked with trout, walleye and bass. A state-best 2-pound, 7-ounce yellow perch was landed here in 2003. The boat launch facility is open except when winter conditions prohibit access. Even then, ice fishing is a popular activity.

- The North Branch of the Potomac River (especially below the Jennings Randolph Dam) has enjoyed popularity for its smallmouth bass and trout (record-setting brown and cutthroat varieties have been caught here). The tidal portion of the river just below Washington, D.C. is annually ranked among the top bass-fishing sites in the United States. Follow a Potomac River Water Trail (part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network), or launch a fishing expedition from one of the convenient state facilities.

- For brook, brown and rainbow trout enthusiasts, the Savage River is a nationally acclaimed catch-and-release trophy area. Both the Gunpowder River and Little Patuxent River (near the Historic Savage Mill) also have a great trout reputation.

- Deer Creek, annually stocked with rainbow and brown trout, is a prime put-and-take fishing hole.

HIDDEN GEM: Liberty Reservoir, open from March through November, receives light fishing pressure despite easy access from Baltimore and surrounding areas. It is home to several past state record fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, striped bass, walleye, and white perch. You can also find quality crappie, yellow perch, sunfish, and rainbow trout.

- A special catch-and-release area downstream from the Prettyboy Reservoir Dam has been rated among the best in the mid-Atlantic. Cold water flowing from the base of the dam allows the brown trout population to sustain itself naturally.

- American and hickory shad populations are booming in the Susquehanna, Choptank, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers. Catch-and-release is required.

- Smallwood State Park has hosted many fishing tournaments, including the Maryland CITGO Bassmaster Eastern Open. The park’s Sweden Point Marina has boat slips and excellent access to Potomac River waters. You can also cast from the shore or from several stationary piers at the marina. Just down from Smallwood is Mallows Bay, reachable only by shallow draft watercraft. But boaters who complete the lengthy, open-water trip are rewarded with some of the best inland bass fishing on the Eastern Seaboard.

- At St. Mary’s River State Park, a flood-control dam has helped create a 250-acre lake where bass fishing is legendary.

- Unicorn Lake, a 43-acre tributary to the Chester River in Queen Anne’s County, is managed as a largemouth bass and bluegill fishery. But the Unicorn dam tailrace also provides excellent spring fishing for perch and blueback herring.

- Private pay-to-fish locations throughout the state offer freshwater pond and lake fishing for a fee, with no license required. Largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, and trout are plentiful.

 

BAY SPORTFISHING BY SEASON

Recently listed among the country’s top 25 places to fish by Field & Stream, the Upper Chesapeake Bay area is noted for offering “extraordinary beauty, diversity, and unique personality.” For smallmouth bass (common up to four pounds), the best fishing might be in the Susquehanna River from the Conowingo Dam to Havre de Grace. Largemouth bass up to six pounds are found from North East to Fairlee Creek.

 

Winter: January-March

- Great catch-and-release fishing for striped bass occurs in the warm-water discharges from several bay power plants in the middle bay and on the Potomac and Patapsco rivers.

- The first of the yellow perch spawning runs start in late February through mid-March. Prime locations include Wye Mills and Tuckahoe Creek.

 

Spring: April-May

- Striped bass move into the bay to spawn from late March through the end of May. Anglers across the nation come to the Susquehanna Flats shallow-water fishery.

- Bottom fishing starts in earnest in late April and early May, as large numbers of big Atlantic croaker move into the lower and middle portions of the bay. Try Tangier Sound, Hooper Island, Point Lookout, Janes Island, and the mouth of the Patuxent River.

 

Summer: June-August

- Call upon a charter-boat captain to experience one of the bay’s most popular fishing pursuits – chumming for striped bass.

- Look for giant black drum, weighing up to 100 pounds, in the middle bay area throughout June.

- Bottom fishing for Atlantic croaker to 20 inches and three pounds is possible on nearly any hard or shell bottom from the “Middle Grounds” in the lower bay to the oyster lumps of Gibson Island. Norfolk spot will also be seen in many of these locations.

- White perch and summer flounder are especially abundant in the middle and upper bay.

- Trolling can produce nice mixed catches of striped bass, bluefish and Spanish mackerel.

 

Autumn & Early Winter: September-December

- Tranquil fall weather and an influx of migratory waterfowl lead to excellent bay fishing. Bottom fishing and striped bass chumming hold up through the end of October, but the best action can be found using light tackle to catch “breaking” striped bass and bluefish as they feed at the surface.

- Use a fly or spinning rod with a metal jig to catch 30-inch-long weakfish (also known as sea trout) that are swimming under the blues and stripers.

- November brings colder weather and more frequent storm fronts. But patience will be rewarded. Before the striper season closes at the end of November, troll for big striped bass, up to 45 inches, that are entering the lower Chesapeake Bay off Point Lookout State Park.

 

OCEAN FISHING

- Surf fishing is available in Ocean City (all day off-season, or generally before 10 a.m. and after 5:30 p.m. in-season) and along Assateague Island, resulting in great croaker and kingfish catches. Other fishing opportunities are found along the Inlet at the southernmost end of Ocean City and from the Route 50 bridge, where flounder are prevalent. There are also various pay piers in the area.

- Though record-size weakfish have been caught in the Inlet, boats also head miles off the Ocean City shore to deep-sea fish for everything from bluefin tuna to shark. The best months for marlin are August and September, but marlin and mahi-mahi catches often occur from July through October.

- A state-record 13-pound spotted sea trout was caught in the Sinepuxent Bay Wildlife Management Area, a group of islands amid Worcester County’s coastal bays. Sinepuxent and Isle of Wight bays are also known for flounder, croaker, spot, and bluefish.

 

CRABBING

If it’s a warm spring, the first blue crabs can be caught in early May right on through autumn. Launch a boat and string a crabbing trotline, lower collapsible traps from a pier, or let the kids wade the waters of a tidal pond and skim crabs with a hand net.

The Wye River is a popular place to crab, as well as several state parks such as Janes Island, Point Lookout, North Point, and Hart-Miller Island.

 

CHARTER BOATS

Charter boats and knowledgeable captains are ready to take you to fishing hot spots on the bay and ocean. Arrange your own group or join a “make-up charter” with a few like-minded anglers. Check out the Maryland Charter Boat Association at www.marylandcharterboats.com.

 

FISHING & BOATING LICENSES

Sportfishing licenses* are available throughout Maryland at sporting goods stores, bait and tackle shops, and other businesses associated with recreational fishing or boating activities. Forms for fishing and boating licenses are available on the Department of Natural Resources web site, www.dnr.maryland.gov/service, and through DNR Regional Service Centers. The Annapolis number is 410-260-8200.

*Individuals less than 16 years of age are not required to obtain a license to fish.

 

OTHER FISHING & BOATING RESOURCES

Public boat launch facilities (listed by county): http://mddnr.chesapeakebay.net/fish/state2.html.

DNR fisheries: www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries.

Striped bass fishing reports (updated weekly during open season): 1-800-ROCKFISH (1-800-762-5347).

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Maryland Fishery Resources Office: http://marylandfisheries.fws.gov, 410-263-2604. Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association: www.mssa.net, 410-255-5535. Maryland Angler’s Network: www.mdangler.net

Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland: www.ccamd.org, 410-280-8770, 1-888-758-6580.