{"id":43909,"date":"2025-01-29T15:29:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T20:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=43909"},"modified":"2025-01-29T15:29:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T20:29:06","slug":"maryland-fishing-report-midwinter-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/01\/29\/maryland-fishing-report-midwinter-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryland Fishing Report – Midwinter 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Photo<\/a>

This beautiful brown trout is an example of the wonderful catch and release opportunities available in some of the special trout management waters. Photo by John Mullican, Maryland DNR<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

The cold hand of winter may be loosening its icy grip on the Maryland landscape with warmer temperatures forecast this week. Fast-moving streams and creeks in the western region are providing excellent trout fishing opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2025 Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing is expected to be available by the end of February. A few sportfish regulations have been announced that would interest Chesapeake Bay anglers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2025 striped bass recreational and charter boat summer and fall fishery for the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, including the Maryland tributaries of the Potomac River will run from May 16, 2025, through July 15, 2025, and August 1, 2025, through December 10, 2025. Minimum size for striped bass is 19 inches and the maximum size for striped bass is 24 inches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The bluefish regulations will be the same as last year: three bluefish for recreational anglers fishing from private boats or shore, and five from charter or for-hire boats with a minimum size of 8 inches and no closed season. Summer flounder minimum size will be 16 inches from January 11 through May 31. The minimum size will be 17.5 inches from June 1 through December 31, the creel limit is four fish per day for anglers for both seasons. The cobia season for Maryland will be closed through June 14; a subsequent notice regarding regulations for the remainder of the season will be issued at a later date.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Upper Chesapeake Bay<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most areas in the upper Bay have been locked up in ice. The coves are the first to freeze over, followed by more open waters. Anglers anxious to try some fishing for yellow perch should be very careful and <\/span>never explore iced-over areas alone<\/span><\/a>. Warmer weather is in the forecast towards the end of the month, so ice conditions can become dangerous rather quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although January has been tough on home heating bills, the cold weather may help set the stage for a good striped bass spawn this spring in the spawning tidal rivers. Time will tell but we have our fingers crossed that conditions will align. Recreational anglers and commercial watermen have been making sacrifices to help build the spawning stock size so this may be the start of a payoff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The lower Susquehanna River will offer some fishing opportunities in the coming month, depending on ice and weather conditions. Blue catfish will be found holding in the deeper channels. The deep hole below the railroad bridge is always a good place to try. Gizzard shad or menhaden make good baits. Next month that same area is one of the first places to be able to fish for yellow perch. Dropper rigs with enough sinker to hold and baited with small minnows are a popular way to target the yellow perch.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Middle Bay<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is not much fishing to report in the middle Bay, as ice conditions have locked up most harbors, marinas, and boat ramps. Striped bass are hunkered down in the deep channels for the cold winter, and they will not bite jigs in most cases. It may be possible to jig with dropper rigs for white perch if you can find where they are holding, and if you do succeed, they will be hard-earned fish due to the cold weather conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

If ice conditions in the upper Choptank River recede in the coming weeks, fishing for blue catfish in the region of the Dover Bridge to Denton will be something anglers can try. The blue catfish can be found holding close to the bottom in the deepest channels, channel catfish and white catfish will also be part of the mix.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If anglers can navigate the ice near marinas or boat ramps, the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant warm water discharge is always an attraction. Striped bass will often nose into that warm water discharge current and drifting through and jigging can reap catch-and-release rewards.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Lower Bay<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Potomac and Nanticoke rivers will provide much of the focus for anglers in the next couple of weeks if the ice recedes and fishing for blue catfish can occur. The blue catfish will be found holding in the deeper channels and often the fishing can be quite good. The deep channel in front of Fort Washington is notorious for holding some of the largest blue catfish and several Maryland state records have been caught there. The channel areas near the mouth of the Marshyhope and Sharptown area is a good place to fish for blue catfish if conditions allow. Fresh gizzard shad or frozen menhaden make good baits and chumming with a chum pot filled with ground menhaden can help attract blue cats closer to your boat. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Freshwater Fishing<\/strong>
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\"Photo<\/a>

Keaton Feaster of the Albert Powell Hatchery holds up one of the fall holdover golden rainbow trout that are growing larger for the anticipated spring stockings. Photo by Michael Anderson, Maryland DNR<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Ice conditions in most freshwater and tidal areas have made it tough for open water fishing this past month. Warmer weather is in the forecast so hopefully waters will begin to open up. Some of the favorite reservoirs in the central region are closed to fishing until March 15, they include Loch Raven, Liberty, Prettyboy and Piney Run. Triadelphia and Howard Duckett reservoirs are open to fishing when the ice recedes; ice fishing is prohibited in these locations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maryland DNR staff have been <\/span>working hard at the trout hatcheries<\/span><\/a> to keep ice from clogging the rearing raceways and working in the bitter cold. They report that the trout that were reserved from the normal fall trout stockings are growing out well and trout anglers fishing the put and take trout management waters should be pleased.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following a public comment period, the Department has established changes to the areas managed for put-and-take trout fishing. These changes will maximize trout fishing opportunities for anglers and to reduce the complexity of regulations. There will be a single closure period during the spring stocking season. All these changes will be listed in the 2025 Maryland Fishing Guide which will be posted online and distributed by the end of February.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These changes include:<\/span><\/p>\n

Extending the Patapsco River put-and-take trout fishing area in Baltimore and Howard counties upstream by about 0.61 miles. The additional area is public property – within Patapsco Valley State park \u2013\u00a0 with good access for both stocking and anglers. The new area encompasses the stretch of the Patapsco River from the previous site of Bloede Dam upstream to Ilchester Road.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some areas removed from the stocking list are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n