Western Region:

The fishing in the trout streams continues to be excellent despite some high water at times in some of the larger streams and rivers. Alan Klotz reports that the Mayflies are hatching and a small caddis on the Youghiogheny River and surrounding streams. Alan went on to mention that the caddis are around a size #20 and he did very well with a elk hair caddis. Alan also mentioned that biologists Ken Pavol and Don Cosden floated the “Zero Creel Limit” section of the North Branch of the Potomac and discovered a cicada hatch in that area. They used a cicada pattern fly and caught and released over 50 rainbow trout. The Fisheries Service biologists have been stocking fingerling-sized rainbow trout in this section of the Potomac for several years now and the fish are exhibiting phenomenal growth. The fish have been stocked at about 2”-3” in size, which is about 2-months old. The trout that Ken and Don caught on Saturday showed that they had grown to about 11” in one year, 14” in two years and 17” in three years.

Deep Creek Lake provided some good fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass over the Memorial Day Weekend. Fishermen have been catching big largemouth’s in the shallow weedy areas of the lake using plastic worms with no weight. The water level is up in the lake due to recent rains and both species of bass are holding close to shore. Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent along the shoreline areas where rocks are present or docks. Some of the best action has been on surface poppers which is always an exciting way to fish for smallmouth. Ken Pavol is shown with a nice Deep Creek Lake smallmouth taken with a popper on a fly rod.

Central/ Southern Regions:

Fishing opportunities abound in the streams, rivers and lakes in this section of the state. Fishermen are still enjoying the fish feeding frenzy on cicadas; the trout streams are in good shape despite recent rains. The Gunpowder for example recently received a stocking of trout and the water temperature is 59-degrees. The largemouth bass are in their post-spawn feeding phase and anglers are adjusting to a summer time mode of fishing. Allison Thron of Olney caught this beautiful largemouth bass while fishing with here Dad at Triadelphia Reservoir. Chris Peloquin sent us this report from his fishing trip to Triadelphia Reservoir.

I made it out to Triadelphia Sunday afternoon. Water temperature was 77 degrees and the water clarity was up to 5' (which is very clear for Triadelphia). The reservoir has also come up a few feet from the previous weekend.

I fished the lower, middle and upper ends of the reservoir and caught fish in each. Some fish are shallow while others have moved out to deeper water. Most of my shallow fish (in water 8' or less) were close to deeper water on wood and rock cover along points and channel banks. I caught several decent fish (averaging 3 lbs apiece) and others by fishing the shallow part of rocky channel banks. Don't overlook isolated wood cover (those single logs sticking out of the water and not on the bank). I primarily used a Texas-rigged worm for my shallow-water fishing.

My deeper fish (to 15' feet of water) were caught along rocky points and ledges adjacent to shallow, hard bottom flats. I used a heavy (1.5 oz) shad-colored spinnerbait or 1/2 oz jig for my deep-water fishing. My largest fish, a 3-pound, 10-ounce largemouth, came off a ledge where the flat quickly dropped from 14' down into 20'+. I was sitting close to 100 yards off the bank, so you have to find this type of structure with a depth finder. This area accounted for several other fish, including a smallmouth.

The fish are still munching cicadas. I used a small top water lure (Heddon Tiny Torpedo) to catch carp up to 9.5 lbs…fun on a light rod.

Rob Magnien also was fishing Triadelphia Reservoir on the weekend and sent in this report of a Sunday fishing trip on the reservoir. This may ruin my reputation as a fly fisherman, but here's a pix of a carp I caught this Sunday afternoon at Triadelphia reservoir if you're desperate for freshwater pix this week. The carp were hitting moving cicadas and I had numerous swipes on surface poppers fished near the shore with a little movement. My two hookups were on a green and yellow deer-hair frog popper about 1/2 the size of a cicada. Many of the carp were having trouble sucking the naturals down with their small mouths so a popper smaller than the natural may actually be a better bet as I found out. Unfortunately, for the couple hours I was fishing, I did not get any bass action, which is what I was really looking for.

Fishing was also good next door at Rocky Gorge for largemouth bass and other fish as well. Ron Huffman of Catonsville caught a real whopper of a crappie on a minnow, bobber combination. His crappie weighed 2lbs.-12oz. and was successfully released back into the reservoir.

Piney Run Park reports that anglers are doing well with post-spawn largemouth bass and bluegills. The fish are being caught on top water lures, crankbaits and plastic worms. Fly fishermen continue to enjoy good fishing for largemouth bass and bluegills along submerged wood. The best patterns are bumblebee, ants and smaller wooly-boogers. Jim Gronaw reports that several brown bullhead catfish have been caught recently that were within ounces of the Maryland state record, set last year at Piney Run Park at 2lbs.-4.1ozs. The Governors Youth Fishing Derby will be held at the park June 5th. from 6 am. till noon.

The bass fishing at Loch Raven, Liberty and Prettyboy Reservoirs has proven to be excellent lately. The bass are being found in shallower water near weed beds and submerged wood. Plastic worms and crankbaits have been the best choice, now that the fish are in their post-spawn mode of feeding. Fishermen are finding these fish in the shallows during the early morning hours and a little deeper in adjacent areas as the day progresses.

Joey and Phil Oppel of Ferndale caught this beautiful smallmouth bass while kayaking down the Monocacy near Thurmont recently.

Largemouth bass on the Potomac below the Wilson Bridge are also exhibiting the typical post-spawn behavior for this time of the year. Fishermen are finding the bass in the shallow weed beds in the early mornings. Plastic worms such as the Senko worms are the favorite, fished light. Later on in the day the adjacent deeper waters are being fished with lures such as Terminator jigs.

Eastern Region:

The lakes, ponds and rivers are starting to settle into the summer realm of fishing. Basically fish can often be found in the shallower waters in the evenings and early morning hours and in deeper adjacent waters during the day. Largemouth bass fishing continues to be very good on the Sassafras River. Areas around docks and submerged wood have been good producers during most of the day as are creek mouths and cove points. A variety of plastic worms, tubes, crankbaits and jigs have been the lures of choice. Bass fishing has been very slow in the Chester, for unexplained reasons, but some excellent catches of channel catfish are being reported. The Choptank, Nanticoke, Wicomico and Pocomoke all seem to be falling into the same grouping. Largemouth are being caught early in the day in shallower regions, especially weed beds and around submerged wood and docks during the day. Top water lures, and plastic worms fished light are the best in the shallow weed beds. Jigs, tubes and crankbaits have been the best choices for fishing the deeper waters. Bass fishermen who have access to farm ponds have been doing very well, as are anglers working some of the more popular lakes. Tuckahoe Lake in Tuckahoe State Park and Johnson Lake in Salisbury are two lakes that have been producing very consistent largemouth bass fishing for anglers.

Links to freshwater flows: