This is an exciting week for fishing and crabbing in Maryland! The Chesapeake Bay striped bass season has reopened, and more seasonal fish are arriving in the Bay, rivers, and Atlantic Ocean. Remember that hot weather creates tough conditions for undersized striped bass that are caught and released. From now until September, DNR once again Read the Rest…
As we approach the end of July, families are enjoying vacations and anglers of all ages are fishing together. Sometimes the unbounded hope of angling offers up some surprises. For those anglers who are also photographers, be sure to enter your best shots in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Photo Contest. Entries for the Read the Rest…
Chesapeake Bay anglers received a welcome surprise this week with the arrival of wonderful numbers of speckled trout, bluefish, and spot. These offer great alternatives during the striped bass closure in the Chesapeake Bay through July 31 and the tidal Potomac River until August 21. Elsewhere, the waters off Ocean City are offering excellent fishing Read the Rest…
Kayak fishing has gained many converts in the past few years. These small, human-powered watercraft are portable and offer easy access to waters throughout Maryland, and for our younger anglers provide an opportunity to be the captain of their own vessel.
Maryland is full of outdoor adventures, and getting out on the water is one of the most enjoyable. Being the captain of your own vessel can be a thrill and a learning experience for our younger anglers, under the watchful eye of adults tagging along and capturing those special moments.
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…
Summer heat is upon us and many are seeking relief near waters across the state, from cool mountain streams of Western Maryland to the surf and offshore sites of the Atlantic Ocean. This is a good opportunity to seek and pursue the wide variety of fish found in our waters. The Maryland Department of Natural Read the Rest…
July is providing some exciting promise for Chesapeake Bay anglers as reports of cobia, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel entering the lower Bay are becoming more common. Offshore of the Atlantic Coast, fishing for sea bass is excellent right now. Anglers are reminded of the upcoming striped bass closure period in the Chesapeake Bay from July Read the Rest…
It’s the Fourth of July weekend, a time of family and friends getting together to enjoy each other’s company and the great outdoors. People naturally gravitate to water this time of the year, and our younger anglers are enjoying fishing for anything that will bite. The last Maryland license-free fishing day for the year is Read the Rest…
Summer is in full swing and those who have been sequestered by pandemic, work, or school are flocking to the outdoors. Maryland State Parks are having another busy season, and just viewing the weekend traffic headed towards the beaches or western mountains makes it clear folks want to get out and do something. Many Marylanders Read the Rest…
August seems to have arrived in the blink of an eye, and families are doing their best to fit in some outdoor summer recreation time. Be sure to stay safe and follow the latest COVID-19 guidelines for outdoor recreation. On Aug. 6 at noon the Maryland Department of Natural Resources hosts another Maryland Fishing Roundtable Read the Rest…
Hot and dry weather continues across Maryland. These conditions put heat-related stress on the summer striped bass population, especially in the upper Chesapeake Bay. We ask anglers to focus their fishing on early morning hours, or target other species during the heat wave. Throughout Maryland’s warmest months, the department’s online striped bass fishing advisory forecast Read the Rest…
The weather is putting a lot of heat-related stress on both anglers and the summer striped bass population. We ask anglers to focus their fishing on early morning hours, or switch to other species during the heat wave. Throughout Maryland’s warmest months, the department’s online striped bass fishing advisory forecast provides a seven-day outlook to Read the Rest…
The Fourth of July holiday weekend means outdoor adventure seekers will be out in droves. Be safe and use common sense — if you’re boating, use a personal flotation device and never boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For all anglers, remember also to keep a social distance and avoid crowded areas. The Read the Rest…
Many dads, daughters, sons, and moms spent a special Father’s Day enjoying time together in that special setting that fishing provides. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers a license-free fishing day July 4 — an opportunity to explore Maryland’s diverse and unique fishing experiences without needing a fishing license, trout stamp, or registration. As Read the Rest…
A recent trip to the fishing tackle section of a large discount store showed a lot of empty space on the shelves. Everyone is excited about getting out and enjoying the outdoors safely and fishing seems to be at the top of the list. Children are perhaps the most anxious to get outside, and taking Read the Rest…
The summer-like weather is bringing families out to enjoy the outdoors. What could be better than being out on a fishing adventure with mom, especially if you catch a strange-looking fish like a northern snakehead! The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers two more license-free fishing days on June 13 and July 4 — a Read the Rest…
The weather forecast for the next week predicts summer temperatures and offers a wonderful time to bring our younger anglers outdoors for some family fishing fun. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers license-free fishing days on June 6, June 13, and July 4 — a free option to explore Maryland’s diverse and unique fishing Read the Rest…
Maryland is beginning to settle into something resembling summer, and anglers are out safely enjoying the outdoors. As we continue doing our part to keep transmission of COVID-19 to a minimum, please remember to check our website to find the latest guidance on a variety of outdoor activities.
As October comes to a close, Maryland anglers will find there are plenty of treats and no tricks awaiting them. The fall stocking program has released a very generous amount of trout across Maryland; Chesapeake Bay anglers are enjoying some of the season’s finest light-tackle action; and sea bass fishing off Ocean City has been Read the Rest…
The stormy weather during September and October often bring fishy friends from southern waters to the coast of Ocean City. Don Whittington of Bivalve, Wicomico County, was fishing near some offshore lobster pot buoys recently when he caught an 11-pound tripletail, a new addition to our state record species list.
Pleasant daytime temperatures make ideal conditions for taking our younger fishermen out for some family fun close to home. Community ponds usually offer plenty of freshwater species such as bluegill sunfish. The fall trout stocking program is underway and community ponds are one of the many places fish will be stocked near your home. Northern Read the Rest…
As summer slips into history and we step into fall, there is a lot of exciting fishing in Maryland. Trout fishermen are getting ready for the fall stocking program that begins in October. The Chesapeake Bay is teeming with Spanish mackerel and behemoth red drum, providing some amazing catch-and-release fishing.
The change of seasons is always a push-and-pull affair – recently it seemed that summer was just not ready to let go. This is a wonderful time of the year to still enjoy the outdoor activities Maryland’s warm weather affords, and is perhaps the best time of the year to enjoy large and heavy crabs Read the Rest…
Now that Labor Day activities are behind us, anglers can focus on fishing more with family and friends. Cooler weather will begin to show its face and Maryland waters will begin to shake off the summer heat. Fishing for Spanish mackerel has been very popular in the bay.
The recent cooler weather has been a welcomed relief for all, and the hot summer months are beginning to fade into memory. Fishing has been good and recreational crabbers, in particular, are enjoying the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay, providing healthy and heavy crabs for crab picking with family and friends.
Anyone who has ventured to the Bay Bridge in the past few weeks knows you will see all kinds of boats fishing the bridge piers. Some remind one of the opening verse of the Fisherman’s Prayer, which President John F. Kennedy kept inscribed on a block of wood on his desk in the Oval Office, Read the Rest…
We’ve all heard the saying about finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In the past couple weeks, fishermen on the bay and freshwater areas have been dodging passing rain clouds, but were blessed with the sight of a pretty rainbow. A serious problem that pains any fisherman to see is Read the Rest…
Summertime temperatures are settling in this week and many will be looking for some relief from the heat — water provides that and fun as well. Many will be headed to Maryland’s state parks, the Chesapeake Bay or Ocean City, while others will seek the solitude and cool temperatures of western Maryland. Also, the state Read the Rest…
Welcome to May — a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors with family and especially children. There are few things more fun than taking children to any of Maryland’s many fishing derbies or rodeos. These events are usually held at a community pond and sponsored by a local service organization. Trophies and prizes for various Read the Rest…
Cold winds are blowing and minds are beginning to drift from fishing, but there will still be days where the outdoors call us away from the holiday rush. For those times, there are plenty of good fishing opportunities to be found from the streams and lakes of western Maryland to the offshore waters of the Read the Rest…
As the month of November approaches its end, we have a lot to be thankful for here in Maryland. Outdoor opportunities abound from the mountain streams of western Maryland to the Chesapeake Bay and coastal beaches. Here’s hoping you find your own place in nature for reflection during this special time of the year.