Living History Program Featured June 9 and 10 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources welcomes the public to Point Lookout State Park in St. Mary’s County as they look back on the War Between the States and the historic sites within the park that were impacted in the conflicted that divided North and South. The annual Read the Rest…
Many of us found ourselves fishing in the rain last week. I was with a friend on the lower Choptank River last week enjoying some striped bass topwater action — the fishing was fun and the overcast weather showed us one of nature’s many moods to be enjoyed. Often less-than-perfect weather gives us a unique Read the Rest…
Most anglers know we had been going through a bit of a dry spell for several weeks, but, oh boy, did that come to an end. The heavy rains and stormy conditions moving through the state the past few days are expected to last through the weekend. But the sun will shine again and it Read the Rest…
Those who fish know that the waters they love have many moods, and perhaps one of our favorites is when they are quiet and calm. This past weekend with overcast skies and little wind was one of those times that the waters we fish seem to talk to us – from the bubbling mountain streams, Read the Rest…
Guided Ride May 5 All are invited to a free guided bike tour along the Western Maryland Rail Trail beginning at 10 a.m. May 5. The 20-mile round trip will begin at at the C&O Bicycle Shop, located at 9 South Pennsylvania Ave. in Hancock. Fort Frederick State Park naturalist Ellen Kinzer will lead the group at a Read the Rest…
Warmer and more seasonable weather has finally descended upon the Maryland landscape, offering a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors. The warm air temperatures and sunny weather, along with relatively cool water temperatures make for perfect fishing conditions in many local waters. Community ponds, trout management waters and lakes offer fun shoreline fishing adventures that Read the Rest…
Patience is supposed to be the hallmark of an angler, but many had theirs strained this past opening weekend for trophy striped bass season. Most understand it has been a chilly spring, and low water temperatures have delayed striped bass spawning in the tidal rivers. In the past couple of days we have seen water Read the Rest…
Activities Start at 10 a.m. on April 28 On Saturday, April 28, the public is invited to help clean up areas among the World War I-era shipwrecks moored in Mallows Bay and adjacent shorelines at Mallows Bay Park in Charles County. Local archaeologists, historians and naturalists will share information and interpret the history of Mallows Read the Rest…
This coming Saturday, April 21, is a big day for those who dream of catching a trophy striped bass. More than a few anglers will spend the night before checking alarm clocks just to find themselves waking up a half-hour before the alarm is set to go off anyhow. Weather is predicted to be a Read the Rest…
Cold nights and chilly days have prevailed far too long in the past couple of weeks, but change is on the way, with air temperatures of 80 degrees promised for the weekend. We are a little more than a week away from the opening day of the trophy striped bass season and it would be Read the Rest…
It continues to be a chilly spring and there seems to be no immediate end to it. We’re a week into April and water temperatures are considerably lower than usual — in the mid-40s in the tidal rivers and bay. By comparison, last April 5, the bay was just about 50 degrees and the tidal Read the Rest…
Volunteers Sought for Two Sites in St. Mary’s County The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites volunteers to get outside to help clean up along the Potomac River in St. Mary’s County, from 9 a.m. to noon April 14. Crews will meet at two different locations: Newtowne Neck State Park and Point Lookout State Park. Volunteers should wear closed-toed Read the Rest…
It’s safe to say that more than a few trout fishermen will spend a restless Friday night glancing at their alarm clocks. Opening Day holds all the promise and anticipation one can imagine, like something out of our youthful fantasies. A carnival-type atmosphere will greet most anglers as they arrive at the more popular and Read the Rest…
Most everyone in the fishing community has heard the news by now: an iconic figure has passed to what he referred to his “spirit spring.” The world will not be the same without Lefty Kreh, the Maryland hometown boy who shook up the fly-fishing world like nobody else ever has or possibly ever will. Lefty Read the Rest…
We are less than a week from the official first day of spring, and the recent switch to daylight saving time gives us an extra hour of daylight to enjoy some fishing after school or work. Daffodils are blooming and so are the fishing prospects. There is plenty of fun trout fishing to be had, Read the Rest…
Long-Term Monitoring Site to Benefit Public, Resource Managers and Scientists The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have announced a five-year partnership to monitor water quality at Mallows Bay on the Potomac River, a site being considered for designation as a national marine sanctuary. The partnership plans for a long-term, continuous Read the Rest…
Most everyone has some observations they consider harbingers of spring. It could be as simple as crocus or daffodils popping up in the yard, geese flying north or even the sound of spring peepers in a nontidal wetland, singing the evening away. For many anglers spring means fishing for yellow perch and white perch as Read the Rest…
Board of Public Works Approves Program Open Space Acquisition The Board of Public Works today unanimously approved a Maryland Department of Natural Resources acquisition of 522 acres in Charles County for the development of a new Wildlife Management Area that will provide both conservation and recreation benefits. Adjacent to county managed land, the site will provide numerous Read the Rest…
Maryland started off 2018 with a deep freeze, and it remains to be seen what old man winter has in store for us in the next month. But as long as temperatures remain relatively moderate, there are all kinds of fishing adventures out there from the Atlantic Ocean to Mountain Maryland. Anglers in the tidal Read the Rest…
Maryland Natural Resource Police officers using radar, patrol boats and Natural One, the department’s helicopter, caught and arrested two Somerset County watermen Thursday for taking oysters from a state sanctuary. David Thomas Wheatley Sr., 53, of Princess Anne and David Thomas Wheatley II, 30, of Deal Island, were each charged with one count of illegally Read the Rest…
This fishing report will close out 2017, but there are plenty of fishing opportunities for all regions of Maryland through the winter. The preseason stocking of trout has begun and will pick up pace in January and February. Yellow perch are moving into the upper reaches of the tidal rivers while crappie, chain pickerel, catfish Read the Rest…
Breton Bay and St. Mary’s River Selected for Large-Scale Restoration; State Pledges Investment in Manokin, Nanticoke and Severn Sanctuaries The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today announced a comprehensive plan on oyster restoration, including its intention to recommend Breton Bay and the upper St. Mary’s River as the fourth and fifth tributaries to satisfy the state’s Read the Rest…
Winter’s grasp on the Maryland landscape is steadily getting tighter and windows of mild weather are becoming less frequent. This week high winds could make for a tough time on open water. If you do go out, be careful and wear your life jacket. Trolling along deep channel edges in the upper Chesapeake Bay region Read the Rest…
The striped bass fishing community always anticipates the possible appearance of large fall migrant striped bass in our portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The fall migration was late this year, but the first confirmed report came in over the weekend — so there is hope for anglers wishing to catch a trophy-sized striped bass before Read the Rest…
Water temperatures in Maryland continue to drop as the weather turns colder. In many areas, fish are seeking out warmer temperatures found in deeper waters. The tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay are seeing surface water temperatures in the mid-40s while the bay itself is around 50 degrees. The upper bay region has been providing Read the Rest…
Extremely strong winds last weekend made for a tough time fishing on the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, and kept most boats at the dock. Along with that, a lot of boats were taken from the water and put to sleep for the winter months, now parked and covered in boatyards and backyards. That Read the Rest…
Cold weekend temperatures have descended on just about every location in Maryland, putting an end to any summer plants and many of those pesky insects that were lingering into November. Cold weather is also pushing freshwater and saltwater fishing closer to a winter pattern. This is a time of great transition and great opportunity for Read the Rest…
The fall colors are in full swing throughout much of Maryland this week, offering some added delight to fishing experiences; the leaves won’t last much longer so don’t miss out. Meanwhile, many of the best fishing opportunities are occurring this month, as fish feel the need to feed and prepare for the winter.
The fall months offer some exciting fishing opportunities for anglers across Maryland, from the trout management waters of Garrett County to the shores of Ocean City. Daylight is getting sparser and this weekend the clocks fall back an hour, making it a little harder to get some fishing time after work and school. We’re all Read the Rest…
Two Dates Offer Introduction to Maryland Tradition The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites young hunters to hone their skills with the help of an experienced adult during two Youth Waterfowl Hunt days: Nov. 4, 2017, and Feb. 10, 2018. Anyone 16 years of age or younger can hunt coots, ducks, geese and mergansers on Read the Rest…
Historic Reenactments of Wartime Actions Oct. 28-29 For Americans keeping watch for the approaching British during the War of 1812, the aptly named Point Lookout in St. Mary’s County served as an ideal location. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources this weekend offers visitors to Point Lookout State Park a chance to witness living history of Read the Rest…
Maryland’s Water Quality Monitoring Data Indicates Second Best Year on Record Dissolved oxygen conditions in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay mainstem were much better than average this summer, according to Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The results show that 2017 had the second-smallest Chesapeake Bay hypoxic volume (dissolved oxygen concentrations below two milligrams per liter) since 1985, for the regions and times Read the Rest…
It seems hard to believe but the month of October is slipping away and November is just around the corner. Temperatures continue to be somewhat mild, and it is a wonderful time to take the young ones out fishing after school or on the weekends. The fall trout stocking program for October is almost over; these put-and-take Read the Rest…
The much anticipated annual striped bass young of the year survey results have been released and they are positive. The number of two-year-old striped bass that are being encountered in all three regions of the bay also bode well for the future of striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. At present the two- and Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 21 and 22, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. The Mid-Atlantic region is basking in the glow of an Indian summer, and if you’re planning to head west this weekend, you should meet with good Read the Rest…
Annual Young-of-Year Survey Tracks Spawning of State Fish Results of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources 2017 young-of-year striped bass survey in the Chesapeake Bay shows the fish is reproducing in strong numbers. The annual survey’s index is 13.2, above the 64-year average of 11.7. Striped bass, popularly known as rockfish, is Maryland’s state fish. The Read the Rest…
Recent warm weather has caused Chesapeake Bay and tidal river water temperatures to be rather stagnant this week. Water temperatures in all three regions of the bay are holding around 73 degrees to 75 degrees and the tidal rivers are running about 3-5 degrees cooler. It is going to take a prolonged cool front to Read the Rest…
The recent cold evenings this week are beginning to have an effect on water temperatures in the Chesapeake Bay and tidal rivers. Bay surface water temperatures are down to about 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the tidal rivers are in the mid to upper 60s. As a result, the upper bay region striped bass fisheries are Read the Rest…
Living History Highlights ‘Picketing the Potomac’ Oct. 7-8 Fort Frederick State Park invites visitors to a commemoration of life during the 1862 Maryland Campaign, a critical point in the Civil War. Living history performances and tactics demonstrations will mark the anniversary of this conflict that raged in the Old Line State 155 years ago. “Picketing the Read the Rest…
Cooler water temperatures stir various types of catfish to think about eating even more than they do during the warmer summer months. Catfish can be found in all of the tidal creeks and rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, and many lakes throughout Maryland. Catching them is simple and provides some fun fishing from lake Read the Rest…
The heat and humidity hanging over Maryland continues to hold a grip on us, but it won’t be long before fall is here to stay. The striped bass fishing in the upper bay remains rather stable this week due to warm weather keeping water temperatures in the mid-70s. However, at some point in early October Read the Rest…
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers patrolling the Potomac River in Montgomery County Sunday charged a Virginia man with fishing with a spear gun and fishing without a license. Witnesses said two men were in a boat and one man caught a smallmouth bass with a spear gun. The officers questioned the two men, who denied the Read the Rest…
Nice Weekend for the Calvert County Fair, National Public Lands Day and Apple and Pumpkin Festivals Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. October arrives this weekend and soon the full Read the Rest…
Many would agree we are entering one of the most beautiful times of the year in Maryland. Mornings are cool and daytime temperatures are inviting for outdoor activities. Where I live crops are being harvested, wildlife is on the move, bait in the tidal rivers is beginning to feel the urge to move out into Read the Rest…
Ecologically-Important Area Conserved and Preserved; Public Access and Recreation Expanded The Board of Public Works today unanimously approved the Maryland Department of Natural Resources acquisition of 2,009 acres in Western Maryland for the development of a new state park. This acquisition in Garrett County consists of three parcels near Kitzmiller, with two of the parcels being adjacent Read the Rest…
Four Demonstration Projects Proposed The Board of Public Works today approved funding for a new Coastal Resiliency Grant Program to help Maryland’s coastal communities enhance their resiliency to the effects of extreme storms and weather. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources program will help design four shoreline improvement demonstration projects across the state with an additional two Read the Rest…
Natural Resources Police Investigate Boating Accident, Charge Deer Poacher, Cite Fishing Violators A St. Mary’s County man whose Maryland commercial waterman’s license was revoked in 2015 for oyster harvesting violations has been banned from any oystering activity on the Potomac River for the coming season. James Phillip Nelson, 41, of California, was convicted in St. Read the Rest…
After being away for two weeks, I’m struck by the changes that are occurring as we drift out of the grasp of summer. We all need to thank Erik Zlokovitz for doing such a great job covering the fishing report and keeping you informed of our fishing opportunities in Maryland while I was away.
Dissolved oxygen conditions in a portion of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay mainstem were better than average for late August, reports the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The hypoxic water volume (areas with less than 2 mg/l oxygen) in the study area was 0.33 cubic miles, which is much smaller than the late August 1985-2016 average of 0.80 cubic miles for that reduced Read the Rest…
This is Erik Zlokovitz filling in once again for Keith Lockwood on the weekly fishing report. The big weather story this week is Hurricane Irma, which is making landfall in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean islands. The storm made landfall as a Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale, making it the most Read the Rest…