Chesapeake Bay & Tributaries Fishing
Reports
Upper Bay Region:
Real-time water information for selected points in
the Northern Bay
Boaters should exercise caution on the water for the next several days as flood waters recede on the Susquehanna. A variety of floating and partially submerged debris can be found as far south as Chesapeake Beach. Fishing has been compromised as a result, from Chesapeake Beach North. Anglers can fish the tributaries with success, as we have received reports of some nice perch and small to medium stripers from the Chester and Magothy Rivers. The Patapsco River is yeilding fair catches of stripers up to 22 inches as far up as Ft. McHenry. In the Chester, try the shell bottoms off Blackbeard's Bluff, or off Eastern Neck Island.
Mid Bay Region:
Real-time water information for selected points in
the Middle Bay
In the mid bay, we are receiving some very encouraging reports of mixed schools of breaking fish. Stripers, blues and a few Spanish mackerel on top, and below......WEAKFISH! Before you get too excited, the weakfish are small, but it's better news than we've heard in a few years. The weakfish appear to be cohorts of age 2 or possibly 3. Water temperatures on the bay are near 70 degrees and all species are getting active. The next few weeks look to be very good. Flounder are being reported up to 26 inches from False Channel and the Poplar Island Narrows. 
Pictured is a nice flounder caught by Jeffrey Shaw fishing off the steep edge at Taylor's Island earlier this week. Eastern Bay has spot, white perch and scattered weakfish on the shell bottoms near Parsons Island, Tilghman Point, Bodkin Island and off Long Point. Breaking fish have been active in E Bay as well. The area from the Bay Bridges south to Holland Point has been off color from the flooding at the head of the bay. A few white perch are still being caught at Tolley Point, the Spider Buoy and Thomas Point along with a few stripers that are mostly smaller in size. White perch, stripers, bluefish and even a few weakfish are being caught in the Severn River. The channel edges near Round Bay are worth trying. Further south near Breezy Point, the 40 foot contour has been holding some nice schools of mixed stripers blues and the occasional Spanish mackerel. Pictured is long time carp fishermen Patrick Kerwin. Pat caught this carp in the Patuxent River. The Pax River has a long tradition of great carp fishing. In fact, Jean Ward, the "Carp Lady" established several Maryland state records for carp when she fished the river on a regular basis in the 1970s and 1980s. 
Trolling will get you the occasional large striper to 40 inches Between 40 and 60 foot depths off the western channel edge from Chesapeake Beach to the Flag Ponds. Our striped bass biologists are into wave 4 of their annual tagging, and they are already seeing a few big stripers. As big as 43 inches. At the mouth of the Choptank, the Gooses remains productive for striped bass chumming and the Diamonds has spot and a few flounder. The sharp edge off the Punch Island Bar has seen some nice flounder to 23 inches. You'll need to try various depths. They can be as shallow as 20 feet or as deep as 60 feet, but should be with bait if your electronics are good.
Lower Bay Region:
The lower bay has been nothing short of stellar and Tangier Sound is alive with fish of many species. Bottom fishermen are doing well with spot, weakfish and yes, even a few late croaker. Flounder have been abundant, but many are sublegal. Bluefish and striped bass have been very active and often breaking. The eastern edge of the mainstem is still very productive for chumming for stripers, from Buoy 72 south to the Target Ship. Mixed schools of breaking fish have also been active in this area and the Triangle, as well as the Targets near Cedar Point Hollow. The Cedar Point rips have been productive for small to medium stripers and blues. A few nice flounder have been reported off the edge at Buoys 74 and 76. We'll watch with interest to see if weakfish show up in better numbers in the coming weeks. If so, keep your metal jigs on hand. You just don't know.
TANGIER SOUND:
We have added a new link to some very
valuable information for Chesapeake Bay Anglers. DNR's
"Eyes on the Bay" website has data coming in from
remote sensing stations in the Chesapeake Bay and
tributaries. It is well worth checking this out. Click
on the map below.
