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FRESHWATER FISHING
REPORTS
 Pictured
on the left is Jim Thompson holding a couple of rainbow
trout caught at Tuckahoe.
Howard Stinefelt Trout Stocking Updates:
Trout Stocking Update – March 17
to March 21, 2003
East of Garrett County the “big snow” has
finally melted and most lakes and ponds are free of ice.
Stream flows across the State are the best that I’ve seen
in a long time.
This week, fishery crews continue to stock the #1 closure
areas in preparation for the March 29 opener. Also, we were
able to squeeze in a few more pre-season stockings that
had been delayed due to snow, ice and soggy turf. Stocking
crews have assured me that all #1 & #2 closure areas will
be stocked by opening day, March 29. The only exception
may be Muddy Creek in Garrett County that has a problem
with low pH during high flow periods. This creek will be
stocked as soon as conditions improve.
This week we stocked trout in the following areas that
are now open to fishing (0 Closure Areas): Savage Reservoir
(ice free), Rocky Gap Lake (ice covered), Battie Mixon Pond,
North Branch @ Kitzmiller & Gorman, Sand Run, Casselman
River Delayed Harvest, Town Creek Delayed Harvest, Little
Tonoloway Creek upper (2/day), Little Antietam Creek (under
16), Bennett Cerf Pond (2/day), Morgan Run Catch & Return
@ Klee Mill only, Little Patuxent River (2/day) @ Savage
Mill and both up & down from Vollmerhausen Road, Laurel
Lake, Stansbury Park Pond, Lake Waterford, Melwood Pond
and Howards Pond. On Thursday, Westminster Pond (#2 closure,
closes Sunday night) and Taneytown Pond received a partial
stocking of trout to provide some action during the upcoming
weekend. Both ponds will get a big stocking next week with
extra trout held back from their pre-season stocking. Due
to very soggy turf, the Farm Museum Pond has yet to be stocked
this year. Hopefully by next week the sod will dry out enough
for us to get close to the pond.
Due to snow and access problems the following areas
have not been stocked: North Branch Delayed Harvest, Hamburg
(#2) & Whiskey Springs (#2) Ponds, and Farm Museum Pond
(#2). These areas will be stocked as soon as conditions
improve, hopefully by next week. Those labeled as (#2) will
be closed during this stocking. North Branch stockings at
Barnum & Piedmont are also on hold while we wait for high
flows to drop. I’ll keep you posted.
Just as a reminder, #1 areas are now closed to all fishing
and will reopen to fishing March 29, at 5:30am. Number 2
areas will close this coming Sunday night, March 23, at
10:00pm and will reopen to fishing also on the morning of
March 29.
March 10 to March 14, 2003 -
Snow, ice and soggy turf continue to play
havoc with portions of our spring trout stocking schedule.
The “big snow” is melting and is mostly gone across
much of Maryland except for Garrett and sections of
Allegany Counties. We are making progress and have completed
many stockings that were delayed due to snow-blocked
access. Fishermen should take note that in general,
all ponds and lakes throughout Central and Western Maryland
are still ice covered.
This week, fisheries crews have begun stocking trout
into the #1 closure streams in preparation for the March
29 opener. Just as a reminder, all #1 streams are now
closed to all fishing until 5:30am, March 29. Number
2 closures go into effect Sunday night, March 23. This
spring, all stocking trucks will be loaded with a mix
of mostly standard-sized, 10” to 11” rainbow trout to
include several nets-full per tank of 2-year holdovers
averaging 14”-15” long. In addition several 3-year old
jumbos will go on each truck load. Some of these brutes
weigh in at nearly 3 to 4 pounds or more!!! These are
real nice fish folks; enjoy them.
This week we stocked the following areas that are
now open to fishing (0 Closure Areas). The Patapsco
River at Daniels (2/day) finally got its pre-season
stocking of 3000 trout on Wednesday, March 12. Trout
were stocked from Daniels Dam downstream to the I-70
Bridge at which point the 4WD pickup truck used to stock
this area bogged down in the heavy snow and could go
no further. In addition, several hundred trout were
stocked above the Daniels Dam. The Patuxent River Catch
& Return Area (2000) and the Middle Patuxent River Delayed
Harvest Area (500) will be stocked with brown trout
on Friday, March 14. Members of the Potomac/Patuxent
Chapter of Trout Unlimited will help float stock these
browns throughout both special areas Also stocked were
Tuckahoe at Crouse Mill (1500), and Avalon Pond (under
16 over 65, 250, completely frozen). In Garrett and
Allegany Counties trout were stocked in the North Branch
at Barnum and Piedmont as well as in the Casselman River
Delayed Harvest Area. Jennings Run, located in Allegany
County, was stocked along Rt. 36 between Corriganville
and Barrelville. Jennings Run is a #2-3 closure stream
and will remain open to fishing until 10:00pm, March
23
March 3 to March 7, 2003 - This
is the last week of “pre-season” trout stocking.
Unfortunately, ice and snow continues to play havoc with
our pre-season trout stocking schedule. Unplowed parking
lots, pull-offs and access roads have prevented us from
stocking many areas. In Garrett County its still full bore
winter, deep snow and thick ice everywhere.
As a result, the following areas did NOT receive their
scheduled, pre-season stocking of trout: Jennings Run, Rocky
Gap Lake, Battie Mixon Pond, North Branch Potomac, Town
Creek delayed harvest, Hamburg & Whiskey Springs Ponds,
Little Tonoloway Creek (upper), Little Antietam Creek (under
16), Morgan Run catch & return, Farm Museum Pond, Westminster
Pond, Bennett Cerf Pond, Patapsco River at Daniels, Lake
Waterford, Stansbury Park Pond, Little Patuxent River, Howards
Pond and the Tuckahoe. We will get trout into these areas
as soon as time and weather permit. I’ll keep you posted.
This week, March 3 to 7, the following ice-free areas
received their pre-season stocking of trout: Youghiogheny
River at both Oakland and Friendsville, Patuxent River catch
& return, Middle Patuxent River delayed harvest, Hugesville
Pond, Calvert Cliff Pond, Allens Pond, Hutchins Pond, School
House Pond, Melwood Pond, Tucker Pond and Myrtle Grove.
The following lakes were also stocked but were mostly or
entirely ice covered: Elkhorn Lake, Rainbow Lake, Lake Needwood,
Centennial Lake, Piney Reservoir, Cosca Lake, and Allens
Pond. Big Pool may be stocked on Friday depending on access.
When these areas thaw out the trout will be waiting for
you. Be sure to check the 2003 Sportfishing Guide (page
34) for upcoming closure periods that will affected several
of the lakes and ponds listed above. Some of these areas
have a #2 closure and fishing will be prohibited beginning
March 23, 10:00pm to March 29, 5:30am.
Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 2003 - Winter
refuses to release its icy grip on Maryland’s pre-season trout
stocking schedule. Many of the parking lots, boat ramps and
access roads to pre-season streams and ponds are not plowed
and the remaining snow, several inches to several feet thick,
has set like concrete with a glassy slick surface almost impossible
to walk on. To add insult to injury, as of Thursday, February
27, we are in the midst of yet another sizable snowstorm. But
none the less, to keep from falling too far behind, stocking
trucks were rolling out of Albert Powell Trout Hatchery this
week to areas we could get to. Keep in mind that access and
parking at many of these areas will remain difficult until snow
conditions improve.
This week we stocked trout in the following areas that are
relatively ice free and fishable. Due to the snow, parking may
be a problem at some areas: Shad Landing 500, Salisbury Park
Pond 750, Wheatley Lake 2000 (some ice), Artemesia lake 500
(some ice), and Antietam Creek – 1000.
The following lakes received their pre-season stocking
this week however they were all completely covered with ice
ranging in thickness from skim ice up to 18”: Liberty Reservoir,
Greenbelt Lake; Greenbrier Lake, Blairs Valley Lake and Cunningham
Falls Lake. Ice fishing is permitted at Blairs Valley Lake
and Greenbrier Lake only.
There will most assuredly be snow-related changes to our
stocking during the next couple of weeks, so log-on each week
for another Trout Stocking Update.
Feb. 17 to Feb. 21, 2003
- This week, February 17–21, was scheduled to be
our first week of preseason trout stocking. But needless to say,
this weekend’s massive snowstorm put an end to any thoughts of
stocking trout. We will be watching weather and road conditions
closely and will begin stocking as soon as we can get the trucks
to the scheduled areas. Keep in mind that access roads to boat
ramps, ponds, lakes and streams are some of the last areas to
be plowed. To make matters worse, many parking lots for lakes
and ponds are used as snow dumping areas. So it may be a long
time before we can get to these areas. I’ll keep you posted as
soon as the trucks begin to roll.
This year’s trout stocking program promises
to be a good one in spite of last year’s record-breaking drought.
For the most part, trout at our State facilities grew nicely
and we have a good supply 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 year old trout. Some
of the largest of the 3.5 year old trout at Albert Powell Trout
Hatchery are up to about 6 pounds each. Spring can’t be that
far away.
Eastern Shore: Herring were spotted in good numbers
at Tuckahoe Dam Monday morning. Stocked trout have been biting
well on Power Bait at Tuckahoe and in Salisbury. Remember a
trout stamp is required. Largemouth bass action is gradually
improving. Best baits have been minnows and nightcrawlers. Water
temperature at Johnson's Pond ranged from 50 to 52 degrees Fahrenheit
last weekend. DNR Biologist, Jim Thomson, called in this morning
(3/19/03) to inform me that there are white perch in Millington.
Most are small but a few trophies were surveyed. Rich White
of Severna Park, e-mailed the following report. I found
Crappie and Largemouth Bass at several spots in Kent and Queen
Anne's Co. Sunday the 16th. Tiny live minnows under a float
with a little jigging worked pretty well. I fished Red Lion
Branch, Urieville, and Southeast Cr.(Chester R.). Each week
is picking up a little, last week I got 12 fish, this week I
got 26. Good luck.
Western Maryland: Many places remain ice covered or
have high water. Western Regional Manager, Ken Pavol, suggested
that anglers try fishing the tributaries of the Savage River
for wild brook trout. Although they are probably a little high,
he suspects that anglers will find them fishable. The Youghiogheny
River and Casselman River have been to high to fish. Mark Jackson
supplied the following report. On Tuesday, March 18, 2003,
I took a half day off of work to go fishing for trout in Maryland.
My destination was Jennings Run in Allegheny County. This stream
has a "2,3" closure regulation and according to the Stocking
Report, was stocked with trout the week before. On my way there
through Southeastern Pennsylvania, I observed very high water
conditions on a number of streams along the way. In fact on
several streams water levels were over the banks. I did not
expect that things would be much different when I reached my
destination. When I arrived, I was right as Jennings Run was
roaring with rapids and white caps. Despite these poor fishing
conditions the water color was cloudy but not muddy, so I decided
to give it a try. I did notice several other anglers on the
stream as well. The only way that I could reasonably fish the
stream was by doing so along the edges of the stream bank where
the water was somewhat calmer! I fished with minnows for about
three hours of actual fishing time and caught 13 trout in total!
I released all 13 of these rainbow trout back into the stream.
It was a beautiful afternoon in Western Maryland and I look
forward to opening day on March 29th. I hope that the water
levels do come down until then as the stream conditions on Jennings
Run were dangerous on Tuesday.
Deep Creek Lake (Garrett County):
Anglers continued to ice fish for yellow perch, bluegills,
largemouth bass, and chain pickerel. Information on whitewater
boating releases is available on the Deep Creek Hydro Hotline
at (814) 533-8911 or online at URL: http://www.deepcreekhydro.com/
Loch Raven Reservoir (Baltimore County):
The Fishing Center will open April 4th, 2003. The Maryland
Geological Survey has a bathymetry
map on their website.
Piney Run Park (PRP): Boating season
will resume on April 1, 2003. Shore fishing is permitted during
the "closed season" from November 1st - April 1st. Shore anglers
have been using waxworms and minnows to reel in crappies and
bluegills.
Triadelphia Reservoir and Rocky Gorge Reservoir:
Closed indefinitely for security reasons.
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Nontidal Potomac River: This River remained
high last weekend but the water is clearing up. Water temperature
was 49 degrees Fahrenheit earlier this week.
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