Maryland Fishing Report – April 2

Forecast Summary: April 2 – April 8:

As the days continue to grow longer and increasingly warmer, Maryland Bay waters will continue to slowly heat up for gamefish moving up the Bay to spawn. As reported from the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures have risen to the low 50s and blue crabs will begin to emerge from the mud after their winter sleep. River temperatures are also increasing to the low 50s. However, smaller streams and downwind areas on a sunny day will warm faster and will often hold water temperatures closer to the mid 50s. Such waters in low salinity areas will be prime locations to look for white perch.

Expect average flows for most Maryland rivers and streams. However, recent flows to Maryland waters are running below normal, so salinity is slightly above normal for this time of year. Expect average clarity for most Maryland portions of the Bay and rivers. To see the latest water clarity conditions on NOAA satellite maps, check Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps. There will be above average tidal currents Wednesday and Thursday as a result of the recent new moon on March 25.

For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay’s Click Before You Cast.

Jake Baczeski holds up a hickory shad he caught and released near the mouth of Deer Creek this past weekend. Photo courtesy of Jake Baczeski

From now through May 15, all waters of the Chesapeake Bay and tidal rivers in Maryland are closed to all targeting striped bass. DNR’s online regulation map for striped bass season can help striped bass anglers understand the changing seasons and associated boundaries. The season will reopen on May 16. 

White perch will begin to start showing up in the lower Susquehanna shortly and anglers can catch them on shad darts and small jigs or a bottom rig baited with pieces of bloodworm. The white perch spawning runs are still active in the upper Chester River and the Bush. Anglers are also encountering post-spawn yellow perch in the North East River area and upper Chester River. Lip-hooked minnows or dropper rigs fished in the deeper waters tend to get the best results for yellow perch.

Blue catfish will be the main target for anglers looking for some steady action this week in the upper Bay. They can be found from the mouths of the Susquehanna and Elk rivers south to the Bay Bridge and the region’s tidal rivers. The Chester River near Crumpton is a standout for blue catfish. Almost any cut bait will work, the oilier the better, and white perch are easily available at this time. 

Anglers are starting to see hickory shad in the lower Susquehanna River, Octoraro Creek, and the mouth of Deer Creek. The hickory shad spawning run at Deer Creek is a fraction of what it used to be for some unknown reason. In a couple of weeks American shad will be found in limited numbers at the Conowingo Dam pool for some exciting catch and release action. 

All striped bass fishing is now closed for all Maryland waters through May 15. Prior to the April 1 closure of striped bass, anglers enjoyed a great weekend of catch-and-release fishing in the Eastern Bay area; large skirted soft plastic jigs were a popular lure choice. The striped bass began to spawn in earnest this week on the upper Choptank River when water temperatures reached 59 degrees, and it is hoped that this is the first of several spawns during the month of April.

Amanda Brewer was fishing with her mom when she caught this large white perch this past weekend. Photo courtesy of Amanda Brewer

The striped bass fishing regulation maps can give you oversight as seasons and openings progress. 

The white perch spawning run in the Choptank River is still running strong with anglers catching them at Denton, Goldsboro, and Red Bridges. Casting shad darts and small jigs tipped with small, scented baits is a popular way to target them, especially in the spawning areas. Using a bottom rig baited with pieces of bloodworm and cast in the deeper waters of a channel is also a proven way to catch them, but the cost of bloodworms is high. Post-spawn yellow perch are being caught by anglers fishing in the deeper channels below the spawning sites with dropper rigs baited with lip-hooked minnows or small soft plastic jigs.  

A few hickory shad are showing up at Red Bridges and anglers fishing shad darts for white perch are catching and releasing them. If hickory shad are your target, a small silver spoon is hard to beat for getting their attention. 

A mix of channel and blue catfish can be found in the Choptank River from the Dover Bridge area up past the town of Denton. Almost any kind of cut bait will work, with gizzard shad and menhaden giving out a distinct scent trail for catfish to follow to the bait. White perch are easy to obtain at this time and blue catfish are feasting on them so white perch would also make an excellent bait. A fish finder rig with a small float in front of a 5/0 to 7/0 circle hook makes an excellent rig. The catfish can be found along the edges of the channels and an ebbing tide is often one of the best times to fish.

Amanda Cappello was fishing in the Potomac River this past weekend when she caught and released this hickory shad. Photo courtesy of Amanda Cappello

Although the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay is now closed to all fishing for striped bass, the Potomac River mainstem is open to catch-and-release through May 15. However, please note that the tributaries on the Maryland side of the Potomac River are closed. The striped bass should be spawning now in the spawning reaches of the Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers. 

The fishing for white perch has been excellent in the tributaries of the Potomac River, the upper Patuxent, Nanticoke, Wicomico (both off the Potomac and the Eastern Shore), and the Pocomoke rivers. Casting shad darts or fishing with pieces of bloodworm on a bottom rig have been the most popular ways to fish for them. 

Hickory shad are being caught in Mattawoman Creek and the Potomac River in the District of Columbia at Fletchers Landing to below Little Falls, American shad are now being caught at Fletchers in excellent numbers, and some exceed 4 pounds or more. Casting shad darts for American shad and small silver spoons for hickory shad are favored lures to use.  

Blue catfish are very active now in the region’s tidal rivers; they can be found in every tidal river of the lower bay region. The Potomac from the Route 301 Bridge to the Wilson Bridge are good areas to fish along channel edges. The Upper Patuxent from Benedict to Jug Bay also holds great numbers of blue catfish. The Nanticoke River near Sharptown is one of the best places to fish for blue catfish on the Eastern Shore. 

Fishing for crappie is a favorite fishery during the month of April in the tidal waters of the Potomac, Nanticoke, Wicomico and Pocomoke. Fishing small minnows or marabou jigs under a slip bobber near any type of structure is the best way to catch them. They will be found holding near fallen treetops, sunken wood, marina docks. and bridge piers.

Wyatt Jackson went trout fishing for the first time with his uncle John on the Patapsco River and this large rainbow trout was his first fish ever – a great start with his fishing career. Photo by Jefferson Jackson

The weather smiled on opening day for trout anglers in the put-and-take areas, and it seemed everyone had a great time fishing with family and friends. The stocking of trout is not finished, and crews will be out with more generous stocking this month. Subscribing to our email subscription service is a good way to be notified when waters have been stocked, or you can go to the trout stocking website. At the top of the page, there is also a link to trout stocking maps that show where trout are stocked.

Anglers at Deep Creek Lake are enjoying excellent fishing for walleye and smallmouth bass this week, water temperatures are favorable to the walleye, and they are very active along steep rocky shorelines. The upper Potomac River is also providing good fishing for a mix of walleye and smallmouth bass. Soft plastic minnows and flukes are popular baits. 

Largemouth bass in many areas of the state are responding to warmer water temperatures and longer photoperiod and entering their pre-spawn mode of behavior. They are aggressively feeding, and the female largemouth bass are especially hungry and need to build up body stores for the upcoming spawning season. Targeting transition areas between the shallowest waters and the deepest is a good tactic. Casting spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits are good choices for baits. Working whacky rigged worms and stickbaits near sunken wood or emerging grass can also be a good tactic. Deeper waters can be fished with soft craw jigs and grubs. 

Noelle Richmond got to fish at Lake Artemesia with her dad and caught her first fish, a largemouth bass. Photo by Danaya Washington

April is a premier month for crappie fishing. The crappie are schooling up near sunken structure. Sunken wood, brush, fallen treetops, rocks, marina docks, and bridge piers are all good places to look for them. Small minnows or marabou jigs that are fished under a slip bobber are excellent ways to target crappie. 

The tidal Potomac near the Wilson Bridge and Fort Washington are an excellent area to fish for crappie. The tidal Pocomoke and Wicomico rivers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland also hold good numbers of crappie. Ponds and lakes can hold good populations of crappie, Wye Mills Pond, Smithville Lake, St. Marys Lake, Deep Creek Lake and Piney Run Reservoir are just a few examples. The DNR website lists a few freshwater areas and the species available to fish. 

Fishing for chain pickerel is another fun way to fish both tidal and nontidal waters this week. Grass beds have yet to form up so the chain pickerel are holding near any sunken structure they can find. Shoreline sunken wood will be a good place to look for medium-sized chain pickerel. The large females can often be found holding out in deeper and more open water. A variety of lures work for chain pickerel and anglers targeting them should consider replacing treble hooks with single inline hooks. 

The recent warm weather brought out families to enjoy a day together while fishing, especially over this past weekend. Trout anglers were at their favorite put and take trout waters and others chose lakes and ponds to spend time with a young angler.

Anglers should see some black drum in the surf this week or next, it is that time of the year. The most exciting fishing action this week is the striped bass fishing in and around the inlet and in the coastal bays near the Route 90 Bridge. Most of the striped bass being caught are coming up short of the 28-inch minimum but are providing plenty of fun catch-and-release action with the possibility of being able to take a legal-sized fish home. Casting a mix of soft plastic jigs, paddletails and jerkbaits are good lures to use. Any day now the first summer flounder will be reported to be caught in the coastal bays behind Ocean City. 

Fishing for tautog in the inlet and Route 50 Bridge can be a worthwhile endeavor for shore bound anglers or those drifting in boats. There are enough legal-sized tautog to keep it interesting, anglers are reminded the minimum size is 16 inches and a creel limit of four per day. 

Anglers who are heading offshore on charter or party boats are finding good fishing for tautog at times. Captains report the bite can be finicky at times, causing moves to alternate wreck or reef sites but the rewards are there. Some of the tautog coming over the rails are weighing in the double-digit size category. Large fish, especially females, are often released and smaller sized tautog are kept for eating.