Forecast Summary: November 20 – November 26:

Expect cooler, breezy weather to highlight our fishing conditions this week. Salinity in Maryland’s part of the Chesapeake Bay above Cove Point is running slightly saltier than average. In addition, there is adequate oxygen from surface to  bottom throughout the Bay. Main Bay surface water temperatures in the upper 50s, bottom waters slightly warmer with the rivers running cooler. In comparison to historical Bay conditions, the mainstem water temperatures are average, but all tributaries are either warmer than average or at historic maximums. These above average river temperatures may delay the large push of baitfish from the rivers into the Bay. However, air temperatures are predicted to cool this week, hopefully rewarding anglers with great fishing conditions and more opportunities to catch fish near river mouths (as well as breaking fish) and the traditional places deeper in the water column such as channel edges, underwater points, hard bottom, and drop-offs.

Expect average water clarity for most of the Maryland portion of the Bay. To see the latest water clarity conditions, check Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps. Expect average flows for the Maryland rivers and streams. There will be above average tidal currents Wednesday and Thursday as a result of the full moon on November 16. 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.

Kevin Roeder holds a large walleye he caught recently in the dam pool. Photo courtesy of Kevin Roeder

Fishing for striped bass at the Conowingo Dam pool continues to be slow, but anglers are catching some striped bass by casting a mix of lures during the morning and evening hours. The striped bass fishing along the edges of the Susquehanna Flats has also been slow and is also best during the morning and evening hours. Anglers are finding some action with a mix of walleye and smallmouth bass in the dam pool and river and are catching them using crankbaits and deep running jerkbaits.

Fishing for blue catfish has been very good in the Conowingo Dam pool, the lower Susquehanna River, and the tidal rivers of the upper Bay. Fresh cut bait of menhaden, gizzard shad, and eel are very popular baits, but chicken liver, chicken breast and scented bait work well also. The blue catfish are steadily moving into the tidal rivers as water temperatures cool and can be found along channel edges and in the channels.

Anglers fishing for striped bass report that they are still experiencing an early morning and late evening shallow water action in Baltimore Harbor and many of the region’s tidal rivers. Casting topwater lures, paddletails, lipless crankbaits, and jerkbaits are popular lures to use near promising looking shoreline structure. Jigging along channel edges in the Patapsco and the Love Point area is also a viable option when fish can be found suspended close to the bottom.

Trolling umbrella rigs behind heavy inline weights is a very popular way to fish for striped bass this week along the 30-foot channel edges. It is a good way to cover a lot of water when the striped bass are spread out. Heavy trolling tackle is needed of course, and braided line helps get rigs down with less line out. Jig heads with plastic skirting and a sassy shad are a very popular trailer.

Anglers are finding some striped bass action at the Bay Bridge piers by drifting live spot, white perch or eels towards the pier bases. The 30-foot edge on the eastern side of the bridge is a favored location. Casting skirted soft plastic jigs at the pier bases is also a good tactic. The rock piles often hold large white perch this time of the year and jigging is the best way to fish for them in the swift current.

White perch are now holding over oyster bottom and hard-bottom shoals in the deeper waters of the tidal rivers and Bay. Jigging with metal jigs is the most popular and productive way to target the larger white perch. A bottom rig baited with pieces of bloodworm will also catch white perch but often will attract the small white perch.

Travis Long’s fish finder shows a tightly packed school of juvenile menhaden and prowling striped bass. Photo by Travis Long

Good things are happening in the middle Bay, as striped bass and small menhaden finally get together in a typical fall pattern of fishing. The water temperature in the tidal rivers has dropped to 54 degrees and is still declining. This is forcing juvenile menhaden to exit the tidal rivers and move down the Bay along steep channel edges. Often when the tide is running strong the small menhaden are swept along, and striped bass can better navigate the strong currents and feed.

Anglers are reporting good striped bass success while trolling umbrella rigs at depths of 30 feet along channel edges from Buoy 83 south to Stone Rock, the False Channel, and below the CP Buoy on the east side of the Bay. Most anglers are using bucktails dressed with sassy shads or twistertails or jig heads dressed with a plastic skirt followed by a sassy shad as trailers behind their umbrella rigs. 

Anglers are reporting fish breaking at times from the mouth of Eastern Bay south to the Little Choptank, reports of fish breaking from the western side of the bay have been sparse. The action seems to be constantly moving and can be frustrating at times. Everyone loves casting into the surface action but jigging down deep tends to be more reliable when fish can be spotted on fish finders down deep. Plastic skirted soft plastic jigs and metal jigs are the tools of the trade for this type of fishing. It will be a welcomed surprise to anglers jigging that there are still some red drum around and many are falling into the slot of 18-27 inches.

White perch have headed for the deeper waters at the mouths of the region’s tidal rivers this week and some have already moved out into Bay waters. Jigging with metal jigs is the most popular and successful way to fish for the larger perch. Bottom rigs using pieces of bloodworm will work well also but tend to attract the smaller white perch. Anglers are finding schools of white perch holding in about 35 feet of water off Kent Island and having success jigging for them. They report that the white perch and some striped bass are gorging on schools of bay anchovies.

Photo by Travis Long

Anglers are experiencing exciting fishing for striped bass and the last of the red drum that are still hanging around in the lower Bay. Anglers are spotting schools of juvenile menhaden being harassed by striped bass along the steep channel edges of the main bay channels and in the lower Potomac River. Once striped bass are detected, either by observing sea gulls diving on bait that has been pushed to the surface or deep by watching depth finders, they can be caught by casting soft plastic and metal jigs. Casting to breaking fish is an exciting way to get in on the action, but jigging deep to suspended striped bass also offers great light tackle fun. Juvenile menhaden are being swept south by strong currents along the steeper channel edges of the bay and the lower Potomac River.

Trolling with umbrella rigs pulled behind heavy inline weights is a very popular way to fish for striped bass this week along the deeper channel edges, 30 feet tends to be the best depth to locate striped bass suspended close to the bottom. Skirted jig heads and bucktails dressed with sassy shads are popular trailers being pulled behind umbrella rigs. The east side of the shipping channel below Buoy 72 to Buoy 76, the Cove Point channel edge, and the steep channel edge from St. Georges Island to Piney Point are all good places to check for striped bass.

Anglers are still enjoying shallow water action in the lower sections of the region’s tidal rivers and the Tangier Sound waters. Casting topwater lures, paddletails, and jerkbaits during the early morning and late evening hours offers plenty of fun with a mix of striped bass and puppy drum. A portion of the puppy drum are falling short of the 18-inch minimum but offer plenty of fun catch and release action.

White perch can be found in the deeper waters near the mouths of the region’s tidal rivers this week. The perch are staged in the deeper waters often over oyster bottom or hard bottom, always looking for warmer water. Jigging with metal jigs with a small plastic jig teaser tied in above is an excellent way to fish for them, once a school is located on a fish finder.

Fishing for blue catfish in the tidal Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers is a worthwhile endeavor this week and a great way to stock up on filets that freeze well. The waters from the Route 301 Bridge to the Wilson Bridge hold a lot of blue catfish and they can be found along the channel edges. The middle section of the Patuxent from Benedict to Jug Bay is an excellent place to fish as well as the Sharptown area of the Nanticoke. Cut bait of menhaden, gizzard shad, eel or other fresh fish work well for bait, chicken liver can work well in a pinch.

Anglers at Deep Creek Lake are seeing better fishing for walleye as cooling water temperatures are making it more comfortable for walleye to explore shallower waters near steep rocky edges during the evening hours. Casting sinking jerkbaits and crankbaits is a good way to fish for them. Smallmouth and largemouth bass can be found on points and grass edges. A mix of spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits can be good choices for lures. Northern pike can be found near cove mouths and chain pickerel holding close to sunken wood and large rocks. Crappie can be found deep near the Route 219 bridge piers. 

Photo by Keith Lockwood

Fishing for smallmouth bass and walleye is good, despite low and clear water conditions. Long casts and light lines are required when casting tubes, small crankbaits and jigs that resemble crayfish. Walleye can be found behind the dams and one of the best baits to use are fathead minnows if you can acquire some. 

Trout fishing in the delayed harvest and catch-and-release trout management waters is good this week. Low water conditions require some stealth when approaching waters that might hold trout. Casting streamers, emergers, and even dry flies can be good choices when fly fishing. There are some new trout stocking regulations on the horizon for anglers. The proposal and a link to public comment is on the DNR website. 

Largemouth bass are very active throughout the ponds, reservoirs and tidal waters of Maryland this week. Cool water temperatures are much to the liking of the bass and they can be found in a variety of water depths this week. Any existing grass is a good place to target as largemouth bass will be often found outside these areas waiting for baitfish and crayfish to move to deeper cover as the shallow water grass beds diminish. Casting spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, soft plastic craws, grubs and jerkbaits can all be good choices to work the transition waters between diminishing shallow grass and deeper cover. 

Several central region reservoirs have been stocked with landlocked striped bass and northern pike. Triadelphia and Liberty reservoirs are noted for their landlocked striped bass, Loch Raven for northern pike. These reservoirs and others also have healthy populations of chain pickerel. Colder water temperatures are much to the liking of chain pickerel and they can be found holding near sunken wood during the fall and winter months.

Crappie are another fish that enjoy cooler water temperatures in both nontidal and tidal waters. They are attracted to structure and the depth that they can be found at is often determined by water temperature. Many anglers use telescoping fiberglass poles rigged with small minnows and a slip bobber. Boats can be seen festooned with numerous poles sticking out at various angles from boats slowly working structure in tidal waters. The tidal Potomac River is an excellent place for this type of fishing. Fishing with more than two fishing rods is only allowed in tidal waters and is called spider fishing. The marina docks in the Fort Washington area and a particular location with submerged large pieces of concrete at the northeast foot of the Wilson Bridge are excellent places to fish.

A mix of channel and blue catfish are ready this week to offer anglers plenty of good fishing in the tidal rivers of the Chesapeake. Every river system has channel catfish and now blue catfish. Some tidal rivers have larger populations than others, The tidal rivers of the upper bay all hold both catfish species. The Chester, Choptank, Nanticoke, Patuxent and Potomac rivers are standouts for blue catfish. Catfish can be found in the middle to upper sections of the tidal rivers at this time of the year along channel edges.

Dave Taylor was fishing off the Route 50 bridge when he caught several nice tautog. Photo by Dave Taylor

Surf anglers are patiently waiting for the southbound migration of striped bass from our northern neighbors and the vanguard of these fish should start arriving any day. In the meantime, there are some bluefish being caught on cut mullet baits.

Anglers fishing at the Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 bridge area are enjoying good fishing for a mix of striped bass, large bluefish and small puppy drum. Casting soft plastic jigs is the most popular way to fish near the jetties, bridge piers and swift current areas. Tautog fishing is good this week, the south jetty has been a standout for those fishing with sand fleas and pieces of crab. The Route 50 Bridge piers, various bulkheads and pier pilings are all good places to fish for tautog. Flounder continue to move through the inlet and most of them have left the back bay areas, so the inlet is the best place to fish for them.

The offshore wreck and reef sites are providing good fishing for black sea bass this week. Anglers are enjoying good catches of sea bass and a mix of flounder and porgies. Some anglers are focusing on flounder fishing at some of the reef sites and bottom mounts and catching good quantities of large flounder. Bluefin tuna continue to be caught within a few miles from the Ocean City beaches out to the 30 Fathom Line.