Maryland Fishing Report – April 1

Maryland Bay waters are heating up for gamefish moving up the Bay to spawn. As reported from the buoys, main Bay surface and river mouth water temperatures are now in the low to mid 50s. Smaller rivers and streams temperatures are holding in the upper 50s. However, smaller streams and downwind areas on a sunny day will warm faster and will often hold water temperatures near low 60s. Such areas in low salinity areas will be prime areas to look for white perch as they move up from their wintering areas in the downstream portion of rivers and prepare to spawn in the next couple of weeks in Maryland waters. Striped bass are moving to spawning areas in low salinity (0 to 2ppt) portions of the Bay and tidal rivers. Focus on channel edges as fish move towards spawning areas in low salinity portions of the Bay and tidal rivers.

Expect average flows for most Maryland rivers and streams. Expect average clarity for most Maryland portions of the Bay and rivers. To see the latest water clarity conditions on NOAA satellite maps, check Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps. There will be above average tidal currents all week as a result of the April 2 full moon.

For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the Bay, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay’s Click Before You Cast.

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Upper Chesapeake Bay

The upper Bay is open to catch-and-release fishing for striped bass below a line drawn from Abby Point to Worton Point. The 2026 striped bass catch and release season will be open through April 30. Starting May 1, anglers will be able to keep one striped bass per day that measures between 19 inches and 24 inches. Anglers trolling will be limited to six lines; they must use barbless hooks and no stinger hooks. If using cut bait, anglers must use non-offset circle hooks, and using eels for bait is prohibited during the catch-and-release season. Most of the large female striped bass in the upper Bay will be pre-spawn so handle them carefully and be quick about releasing them. Water temperatures in the upper Bay region are holding around 50 degrees this week. 

Anglers can fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass in the lower Susquehanna river during the closure. Fishing for blue catfish and channel catfish is also allowed but please use non-offset circle hooks and do not use cut eel for bait. The largest blue catfish can be found at the mouth of the Susquehanna and Chester rivers and out in the Bay down to the Bay Bridge. 

The white perch spawning runs are underway and the tidal rivers in the upper Bay are fun places to fish for them. The upper waters of the North East, Sassafras, Bush, Gunpowder, Chester, and Magothy rivers are good places to look for them. Small jig heads or shad darts tipped with grass shrimp; a piece of minnow or bloodworm are popular ways to fish for them. Hickory shad have arrived in the Susquehanna River, the mouth of Deer Creek and Octoraro Creek.

Middle Bay

Anglers looking for some striped bass catch-and-release action will be out on the open waters of the Bay. Many will be trolling along the steep channel edges with barbless bucktails dressed with sassy shads in chartreuse or white – just remember, no more than six lines and no stinger hooks. Jigging with large soft plastic jigs will also be a popular way to fish.

Since this is a catch-and-release season and many of the fish being caught will be large, have a plan of who is doing what as you begin to fish. The angler will most likely want a picture; someone should be ready to assist getting the fish in the boat with a rubber landing net. The fish should be held horizontally by the angler, and someone should be designated to take the picture before the fish is brought into the boat. Get the fish back into the water as quickly as possible. The DNR website provides good catch-and-release information for anglers. 

The white perch spawning runs are providing a lot of fun action for anglers in the Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek this week. The perch have traveled far up the river and creek this week and the larger females are now filling in behind the smaller male white perch. 

Denton, Greensboro on the Choptank, and below Hillsboro on the Tuckahoe are good places to fish for them. Casting small 1/16 or 1/8 jig heads tipped with grass shrimp, lip hooked minnows, or a piece of bloodworm close to the bottom are a very popular way to fish for them. White perch anglers in the Denton area may find themselves catching small blue catfish that measure about 10 inches. Please do not release them back into the river, just hold them for disposal. Fishing for blue catfish in the Choptank River from the Windy Hill area to Denton is good this week. Cut bait on a circle hook is the most popular way to fish for them.

The open waters of the lower Bay perhaps holds the greatest opportunity to catch and release striped bass this week. All striped bass heading to the spawning rivers up the Bay must pass through it. Trolling along the steep channel edges will be a popular way to intercept them. Just be sure to handle them with care when practicing catch-and-release. The main portion of the tidal Potomac is also open to catch-and-release fishing. Jigging with large soft plastic jigs will be a popular way to fish for light tackle anglers. The other tidal rivers in the region and Maryland’s tributaries remain closed to all striped bass fishing until May 1. 

The annual spawning runs of hickory shad have arrived in the Potomac River in the District of Columbia at Fletchers and Little Falls and the Mason Branch of Mattawoman Creek. Casting small flashy spoons, small shad darts or brightly colored flies is a fun way to catch them on light tackle.

White perch have moved up the Patuxent River and can be found as far upriver as Wayson’s Corner. The Marshyhope Creek is an excellent place to fish for them on the Nanticoke, Wicomico and Pocomoke rivers. Anglers are having fun catching them on small jig heads tipped with grass shrimp or pieces of bloodworm. Anglers using lip-hooked minnows are also catching some crappie. 

Blue catfish are at the top of the list regarding availability this week. The tidal Potomac is full of them as are the Patuxent and Nanticoke rivers. The blue catfish have an appetite this time of the year and will aggressively go after most any kind of cut or scented baits. Anglers are urged to use circle hooks when fishing for them in the tidal rivers this month.

Freshwater Fishing

The spring trout fishing season continues this week as crews are out stocking put-and-take trout waters for anglers to enjoy. The stockings are posted on the trout stocking website as they occur. The crews are loading up trucks at the hatcheries early in the morning at the sites during the morning hours. The stockings are usually posted by early afternoon. The trout stocking website has all the details. Largemouth bass are aggressively feeding through most of the day due to cool water temperatures and a need to build up body stores as they approach spawning in May. The bass can be found near most types of cover, grasses are beginning to emerge, fallen treetops, sunken wood, sharp depth changes are all good places to target. Crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbait, paddletails, and craw jigs are just a few lures to choose from. 

Chesapeake Channa are beginning to stir, and sunny afternoons is a good time to find them in slightly warmer waters on the sunny side of tidal creeks. Fishing a large minnow under a popping cork or bobber is a good way to target them during the month of April. Casting white paddletails can also provide some action.

Spring is one of the best times of the year to fish for crappie. They can be found schooling up near structure and providing excellent fishing opportunities. Shoreline sunken wood in the form of fallen treetops, submerged brush are good places to check. Marina docks are another good place to find crappie. A small minnow under a slip bobber is the most popular offering.

Blue catfish are active; the medium size catfish tend to be farther up the tidal rivers and the larger ones in the middle to lower sections of the tidal rivers with an obvious overlap. The lower Susquehanna and Elk rivers and the upper bay hold some of the largest blue catfish. The tidal Potomac River near Fort Washington is also noted for holding very large blue catfish. Blue catfish can be found in every tidal river, but the Potomac, Patuxent, Nanticoke, Choptank, and Chester hold the greatest populations. Cut bait or scented baits work well and circle hooks are recommended.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Surfside anglers continue to keep watch for the first black drum to move along the beaches of Assateague. So far clearnose skates and dogfish are keeping anglers busy. The Ocean City fishing community waits for the first reports of flounder being caught inside the inlet, it very well may happen this weekend. Water temperatures are still cold.

Striped bass are providing exciting catch and release action at the Route 90 Bridge and there should be some action at the Verrazzano Bridge piers as well. Anglers are fishing during the evening hours with paddletails, soft plastic jigs near the bridge piers and marsh sedge banks. Most of the striped bass being caught are below the 28”-inch minimum, but occasionally a fish falls within the 28-inch to 31-inch slot.

Fishing for tautog remains good at the offshore wreck and reef sites for those that can get out to fish for them. The two most popular party boats are out of the water for pre-season maintenance preparing for the May 15 black sea bass opening. A few charter boats and private boats report good catches. As water temperatures warm this month, tautog will move into the Ocean City Inlet and provide action for shore bound and small boat anglers.