This will be the last weekly fishing report of 2024. All of us at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources wish you the happiest holidays with family and friends. There is still plenty of fishing to be had during the winter months so please be sure to check what’s in season and enjoy. The Maryland Read the Rest…
Although Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic waters are becoming cold, there is still plenty of excellent fishing to be found across Maryland and the ocean waters. Recreational striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay closed on Dec. 10. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASFMC) Striped Bass Management Board will meet in-person and via webinar on Read the Rest…
Cold weather has settled in, and if you dress warmly and keep your feet dry, there is plenty of good fishing to be found throughout Maryland. Coastal anglers are enjoying an epic bluefin tuna bite off Ocean City and tautog at the inlet. Inland, one fish that excites cold weather anglers is the chain pickerel. Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources wishes everyone peace and renewed family bonds this holiday, as we reflect on all the things we are grateful for and hopefully enjoy a long weekend. Despite the weather getting a little chilly out there, once the sun shines there is a wonderful array of fishing to be had Read the Rest…
There are plenty of good fishing opportunities this week across Maryland and our offshore waters. Anglers are urged to get out and enjoy the action, which may provide wonderful memories to reflect on this winter. Nick Perez of Perryville recently earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Department’s FishMaryland program. He is the 15th Read the Rest…
There are plenty of excellent fishing opportunities this week across Maryland and our offshore waters, don’t miss out on the exciting action. Bundle up and enjoy good fishing before the cold of winter descends upon us, and most importantly take the younger anglers with you. Memories and smiles will last a lifetime.
A change of seasons is all around us this week, vibrant colors abound, the mornings have a little more chill in them, and anglers are enjoying fishing across Maryland. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced results of this year’s juvenile striped bass survey, which tracks the reproductive success of Maryland’s state fish in the Read the Rest…
Mild weather conditions and a full spectrum of fall fishing opportunities await anglers this week from the mountains of Western Maryland to the Atlantic. With the fall fishing season well underway, anglers are encouraged to participate in the Department of Natural Resources’ volunteer angler surveys. This is a chance for anglers to directly help with Read the Rest…
Little by little, summer is losing its grip on the Maryland landscape, with cooler nights and milder daytime temperatures. Fish feel it too, and they are feeding aggressively and putting on body stores for what lies ahead. A perfect example are the bluefish in the Chesapeake Bay that are large and fat.
Glorious September is here, and although summer will sweep her hand across Maryland a few times before it is all over, we can all look forward to more comfortable weather. Water temperatures will begin to cool also and fishing in general will shift into high gear.
Labor Day is upon us and September is on the horizon, promising cooler weather and excellent fishing and crabbing. There will be many crab feasts scheduled for families and friends across Maryland this weekend and recreational crabbers will go out on the water to provide the crabs.
Fishing is always better in the company of family or friends, and when an angler is successful and has their friends to cheer them on and offer encouragement it makes all the difference when battling a fish of mammoth proportions. As a reminder to all Maryland anglers, please participate in the Department of Natural Read the Rest…
Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries experienced unusually high tides last week, and the Conowingo Dam had several flood gates open. Conditions are beginning to return to more moderate flows but anglers fishing on the Bay and tidal rivers need to keep an extra watch for floating debris.
The excitement of seeing a young angler catch their first fish is enough to warm the heart of anyone, much less a veteran angler. Bluegill sunfish and white perch often fit the bill for this first fishing adventure. The Chesapeake Bay striped bass season reopens August 1, and although it is legal to fish for Read the Rest…
Maryland anglers are always able to adjust to conditions, if it involves catching fish. During the current striped bass closure in effect through July 31, many anglers are focusing on blue catfish. The action tends to be non-stop. As a reminder to all Maryland anglers, please participate in the Department of Natural Resources Volunteer Angler Read the Rest…
Sly and the Family Stone sang about “Hot Fun in the Summertime” back in 1969, and it seems very appropriate at the moment. As the temperatures stay high, summer fishing and crabbing is in full swing – freshwater, tidal, and Atlantic fish are providing plenty of exciting action! The striped bass season in Maryland waters Read the Rest…
It is time for summer vacations. Our youngest anglers are off from school and many parents and grandparents are creating lifetime memories with them, often through fishing together. As a reminder, all striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay will be on hold from July 16-31 , in order to protect the fishery during what Read the Rest…
It’s the Fourth of July – time for family gatherings and barbecues, and steamed blue crabs will be on the most wanted list for many. Blue crab catches have been good recently, so we wish all our recreational crabbers the best of luck. On July 4, unlicensed anglers are free to fish anywhere in the Read the Rest…
It is now officially summer, but with this heat we didn’t need a calendar to tell us that! The early mornings and evenings offer some relief for anglers — wading or an overhead canvas, T-tops, or the simple shade of a shoreline tree, or wading can offer a cool and peaceful place to fish. July Read the Rest…
Father’s Day was a wonderful day for people to spend time with family – and many chose to go fishing and enjoy the day together. As summer officially begins this week, we can look forward to many more opportunities to join friends and family in the great outdoors. For anglers who catch striped bass in Read the Rest…
Summer breezes and warm temperatures set the stage for all kinds of fishing this week. Whether fishing in the Atlantic Ocean or Chesapeake Bay, or just lazily watching a fishing rod nestled in a forked stick at your favorite freshwater fishing hole, it’s all good. We can all find a bit of peace and reflection Read the Rest…
Although the season doesn’t officially change until June 20, it sure feels like summer, and everyone is enjoying the outdoors, especially their favorite fishing adventures. A popular pastime is fishing for invasives like blue catfish and Chesapeake Channa, also known as northern snakeheads, which provide a wonderful dinner item. Maryland Department of Natural Resources fisheries Read the Rest…
Maryland anglers have a wide choice of fishing adventures this week, whether in the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay, or the fresh waters of our western counties. One thing that many recall is the first fish they caught, which for many was the feisty bluegill sunfish. Maryland offers license-free fishing days for all state Read the Rest…
With Memorial Day weekend, the traditional beginning of the summer season is upon us. Remember to take a moment to reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, including the ability to enjoy the outdoors with families and friends. Striped bass season opened with a couple good days until some wind and Read the Rest…
There are lots of great fishing opportunities this week, from freshwater to the coastal waters of Ocean City. The first segment of Maryland’s striped bass season starts May 16 in the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay below the line from Hart-Miller Island to Tolchester. Summer migrant species including spot, red drum, and speckled trout Read the Rest…
Families are fitting in those last summer vacations and simple relaxing times close to home. From local ponds and tributaries to the waters off Ocean City, Maryland’s waters are ideal places to spend time with children and allow them to experience the joys of fishing. Remember that hot weather creates tough conditions for undersized striped Read the Rest…
Everywhere in Maryland, colder weather is setting in as we enter December. Some species of fish will begin to hunker down for the winter months while others relish the colder water temperatures. Fishing for blue catfish, trout, and chain pickerel often excels during the winter months, and saltwater fishing for sea bass and tautog provide Read the Rest…
Marylanders are beginning to hear Old Man Winter knocking on the door this week, with repeated temperatures below 30 degrees in some areas. Water temperatures are declining in all areas, changing the fishing conditions. Dress appropriately and enjoy the exciting fishing opportunities. All of us at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources wish everyone a Read the Rest…
As we move through November there are plenty of excellent fishing opportunities to be had. The western mountain streams and rivers hold trout, smallmouth bass, and muskellunge. The small lakes and ponds that dot Maryland are providing a variety of fish that are feeding aggressively. The striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay are also feeling Read the Rest…
Many of Maryland’s fishing opportunities are at their zenith as cool water temperatures have fish feeling the urge to build up body stores for the coming winter months. This is good news for anglers.
November is upon us and many areas of central, southern, and eastern Maryland have experienced their first frost. The waters are cooling and providing excellent fishing opportunities as many species of fish are feeding aggressively. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources trout program made an all-out effort to stock waters last week, providing exciting fishing.
Maryland offers a wide variety of fishing adventures this time of year. Many anglers are enjoying the excellent trout fishing or other freshwater species. Fishing for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay remains at the top of the list for many anglers.
This week is an exciting time for family and friends to be out fishing and enjoying the outdoors, as daytime temperatures become more moderate and a wide variety of fish become more active as waters cool.
Children always offer a different window into our world, certainly a simpler type of fun and excitement. This could not be truer when they accompany us on our fishing and crabbing adventures. Right now blue crabs are heavy and laden with meat so do not put that crabbing gear away just yet.
Early fall offers a wonderful opportunity to spend time outdoors with family and friends, especially our younger anglers. The fall trout stocking program has begun, offering excellent trout fishing at waters in most areas of Maryland. The Atlantic waters near Ocean City and Assateague Island, along with the Coastal Bays and the Chesapeake Bay all Read the Rest…
As September fades into October, cooling temperatures will bring on more true fall-like fishing conditions. Anglers in the upper Chesapeake Bay are putting more focus on the fall striped bass run, while lower Bay anglers are also trying to get their last shots at Spanish mackerel, red drum, bluefish, and spotted sea trout. Fishing for Read the Rest…
The pleasant days of September offer wonderful opportunities to spend time with children and make lasting memories they will take into their adult life.
Summer is still holding sway over the Maryland landscape but cooler weather keeps slipping in with more frequency. All of this makes for the perfect opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. For anglers who want to learn or brush up on boating skills, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and partners are Read the Rest…
Maryland anglers will gradually begin to see their varied fisheries react to cooling water temperatures through September. Currently the summer migrant species in the Chesapeake Bay and offshore waters are present in good force, and freshwater anglers have plenty of fishing action across the entire Maryland landscape.
There are many fishing opportunities in Maryland and many anglers are taking full advantage of the late summer fishing scene. Although the Labor Day weekend is traditionally the end of the summer vacation season, Marylanders know that great fishing will continue for the months to come. Be sure to check the Maryland striped bass fishing Read the Rest…
Mother Nature is dealing Maryland some hot daytime temperatures this week, and many of those seeking some relief will flock to the water. Fishing for a variety of freshwater and saltwater fish could hardly be better as we approach the zenith of our summer fisheries, from the cool mountain streams of Western Maryland to the Read the Rest…
These late summer weeks hold a lot of fishing opportunities for anglers across the state. Our summer migrant fish species in the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters are in full swing and other fish are active. Northern snakeheads are on the prowl in many areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and entertaining anglers with plenty Read the Rest…
Life on the Chesapeake is all about family and friends, a good boat, a good dog, and getting out on the water to enjoy it all. In many cases, this involves catching some blue crabs for a crab dinner together. Throughout the summer, anglers should continue to check the striped bass fishing advisory forecast to Read the Rest…
Summer is a time to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends and few things can be more rewarding than fishing with sons and daughters. With striped bass fishing resuming this week, anglers should continue to check the striped bass fishing advisory forecast to help protect this iconic species during harsh conditions.
The striped bass fishery will reopen Sunday, August 1. During the closure, anglers are targeting alternate species such as catfish, perch, spotted sea trout, red drum, bluefish, cobia, and Spanish mackerel. Sea bass have been a reliable target fish for ocean anglers with the warm weather and calm seas. Throughout the summer, be sure to Read the Rest…
With the striped bass fishery currently closed, anglers are targeting alternate species such as catfish, perch, spotted sea trout, red drum, bluefish, cobia, and Spanish mackerel. Anglers are reminded that the striped bass fishery is closed in the Chesapeake Bay until August 1 to lessen catch-and-release mortalities of undersized striped bass. Throughout the summer be Read the Rest…
This week concludes our Maryland Fishing Report for 2020 — look for our winter update in early February, and for our weekly reports to resume in March 2021. Despite colder temperatures there is still plenty of good fishing ahead in the winter months. Many will now shift their focus to freshwater and ocean fishing — Read the Rest…
With December’s arrival it is getting chillier outside, but there is still plenty of wonderful fishing to be had from offshore of Ocean City to Deep Creek Lake.
From all of us at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, we wish you a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. Many will take advantage of some time off to go fishing or enjoy other outdoor activities. There are so many fishing options from the mountain streams of western Maryland to the waters off Ocean City.
The recent cold front that has descended on Maryland seems like a knock on the door for what is coming. There are still plenty of wonderful fishing opportunities to be had — always be safe and make sure to wear a personal flotation device (PFD) while out on the water.