Maryland Fishing Report – October 1

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Forecast Summary: October 1 – October 7:

Expect partly cloudy weather and relatively stable conditions for fishing in Chesapeake Bay waters all week. There is a limited chance of rain all week. As reported by the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures are currently in the mid 70s but continue to slowly cool. River temperatures are slightly cooler in the upper 60s.

Salinities are below normal for most Maryland waters this time of year. Oxygen conditions throughout the main Bay are much improved and suitable to the bottom in most places.

Expect average water clarity for Maryland’s streams, rivers, and main Bay waters. 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 Saturday through Tuesday as a result of the full moon on October 7.

Upper Chesapeake Bay

The Conowingo Dam recently began a limited amount of power generation and remains inactive during most of the day, resulting in very low flows from the dam. A few striped bass are being caught in the dam pool but most of the attention is geared to fishing for blue catfish. Along the edges of the Susquehanna Flats fishing for striped bass during the early morning hours is slow. 

There is some striped bass action occurring in the Baltimore Harbor during the morning hours for anglers casting paddletails, poppers, and soft plastic jigs. The harbor and Patapsco River have been plagued with fish kills lately so adjust your fishing accordingly.

The upper Bay striped bass will hopefully begin to slip into a fall pattern, at which time trolling deep with umbrella rigs and jigging along channel edges will come into play. Spot are beginning to head south so many anglers collecting bait for live-lining will switch to white perch and eels.

White perch are still being caught on various knolls and lumps in the upper Bay this week.

Middle Bay

Striped bass fortunes have been tough in the middle Bay, but prospects are looking better this week. Live-lining spot and other bait at the Bay Bridge piers has been more productive in the past week. The 30-foot channel edge on the eastern side of the bridge has been one of the more productive spots. Casting soft plastic jigs at pier bases during the morning hours is also a good way to target striped bass. Casting jigs at Thomas Point and paddletails and topwater lures near Poplar Island, the lower Choptank, and promising Bay shorelines are also good tactics for striped bass this week. Water temperatures in the lower tidal rivers are now in the low 70s; when they decline to the lower 60s, bay anchovies and juvenile menhaden will begin to exit the tidal rivers, and the fall pattern of striped bass fishing will begin.

Bluefish can still be found in the middle Bay along the channel edge from Buoy 83 south past the Sharps Island Light to the False Channel. Trolling surgical tube lures and spoons behind planers and inline weights is the most popular way to catch them. At times breaking bluefish can be encountered and catching them by casting metal jigs on light tackle is always fun. 

White perch can still be found in the middle to lower sections of the region’s tidal rivers and creeks this week. Fishing with grass shrimp near docks and oyster reefs is a good way to catch them. Casting small spinnerbaits along promising looking shorelines during the evening hours is another good way to target the larger white perch. 

Bluefish of various sizes are a driving force in the lower Bay, with bluefish up to six pounds or more being found in the main part of the Bay and the mouth of the Potomac River. The channel edge along the east side of the Bay from the HS Buoy past the Target Ship is an excellent area for trolling surgical tube lures and spoons behind planers and inline weights. The west side of the Bay from Point No Point to the mouth of the Potomac River is also offering good trolling action for bluefish. Casting metal jigs to breaking bluefish can provide plenty of action. 

Anglers are finding striped bass by jigging along the channel edges of the Potomac River near the Route 301 Bridge and near the Route 4 Bridge on the Patuxent River. They are also catching striped bass in the shallows of Tangier Sound and shallow areas near Hoopers Island and Cedar Point. Casting poppers is an exciting way to fish early in the morning, and paddletails are effective in the shallower waters for striped bass. The use of umbrella rigs is becoming more popular as striped bass begin to become suspended along deep and steep channel edges. 

Large red drum are finding the cooler water temperatures much to their liking and are being found in the shallower waters along marsh edges, grass beds, and creek mouths. The Hoopers Island area and Tangier and Pocomoke sounds are some of the better places to get in on the exciting catch-and-release action this week. Casting paddletails and using soft crab baits are popular.

Fishing for a mix of spot and croakers continues to be good in the lower Patuxent River, Cornfield Harbor near Point Lookout, and the Cobb Island area of the Potomac River. The Tangier and Pocomoke sounds are also excellent places to find spot and croakers. White perch are being found in the tidal rivers and creeks this week and fishing with grass shrimp is one of the best ways to fish for them.

Blue Crabs:

Recreational crabbers continue to enjoy good crabbing in all regions of the bay this week, but they are seeing crabs moving to waters of 12-15 feet deep. Dropoff edges have been one of the more productive spots to set a trotline.

Freshwater Fishing

The fall trout stocking program will begin within a week, giving our put-and-take trout anglers something to look forward to. Many of the smaller streams and creeks in the central and western regions are suffering from extremely low flows due to the lack of rain. Regional biologists are checking conditions and making recommendations to stocking crews. Anglers will be notified on the trout stocking website or by email subscription as the stockings occur. 

The staff at the trout hatcheries have been working hard to bring anglers the best trout possible, often under difficult conditions. These trout will soon be loaded onto tank trucks to be stocked at your favorite trout fishing spot.

The upper Potomac River continues to experience low flows this week. Anglers fishing for smallmouth bass will need to make careful approaches to promising spots and make long casts with light lines. A mix of paddletails, tubes, small crankbaits and poppers are good choices for lures based on the time of day.

Crappie are beginning to gather near deep structure; fallen treetops, marina docks, sunken wood, bridge piers all fit the bill. Fishing with small minnows or marabou jigs under a slip bobber is a good way to target them. 

Largemouth bass are reacting to cooler water temperatures by becoming more aggressive in their feeding. They are feeding throughout the day and can be found near grass beds, structure and smaller feeder creek mouths. Topwater lures are always exciting to use, spinnerbaits are a good choice near grass bed edges and wacky rigged worms are an excellent choice when penetrating floating grass mats. Chesapeake Channa (northern snakehead) will be in the mix when fishing near or over grass beds in tidal waters.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Ocean City anglers will see the ocean stirred up with strong winds and heavy surf this week, but it is expected to diminish by the weekend. Anglers had been catching and releasing some nice red drum before the ocean became stirred up. Bluefish, croakers, and flounder have also been in the mix recently.

Fishing for sheepshead near the inlet’s jetty rocks has been good, although wave action may cause dangerous conditions. Sand fleas, pieces of crab, and peeler crab have been good baits to use. Flounder fishing in the back bay channels may decline due to cloudy water conditions. The incoming tide may bring clearer water and fishing close to the inlet may be a choice.

It is doubtful that any boats will clear the inlet until the weekend. The black sea bass season is closed and taking a rest until October 10, when it reopens until December 31. Anglers were making some impressive catches of large flounder before the weather moved in and that good fishing should continue once boats are able to comfortably take anglers out to the wreck and reef sites. The canyon fishery will also be on hold until the ocean calms down.