Upper Bay Fishing Reports
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 15 Update:
Striped bass season has started strong in the Upper Bay, with anglers around the Bay Bridge finding good numbers of slot and over-slot fish relating to bridge pilings in deeper water. Blue catfish action also remains steady north of the Patapsco River as the spawn approaches, with fresh cut bait producing fish in several Upper Bay tributaries. White perch are beginning to move into their summer patterns around tidal river structure and shallow cover, though anglers are still waiting to see if the fishery rebounds after last year’s slower bite.
Striped bass season is off to a good start in the Upper Bay. A subscriber fishing the east side of the Bay Bridge reported it as a hotspot for the rockfish, saying plenty of slot fish plus some over-slots were stacked up along pilings in 10’ to 20’ of water. Six-inch Z-Man Bad Shad Swimmerz on one-ounce heads were a top pick. Reports Editor Dillon Waters took a trip to fish the Bay Bridge last weekend, and reports that jigging the pilings was productive. He fished pilings in depths of 18 to 23 feet of water on both the west and east side of the bridge during the outgoing tide. Bouncing around to various sets of pilings produced close to 10 fish that included one under slot, one slot, and the rest over slot. The largest fish measured around 27 inches. The hot bait was a one-ounce Logans Custom Lures ball head skirted jig. Almost all bites came from bouncing the jig along bottom next to the pilings. He also talked to another angler fishing the bridge who had caught a few over slot fish as well. Other reports coming in from charter boats fishing at the Bay Bridge seem to indicate that there are a lot of over slot fish, and boats are having to work to catch fish small enough to fit in the 19 to 24-inch slot limit. Starting on May 16th, there are some changes to the zones where you can fish for striped bass in the Upper Bay. Some areas will open for harvest, but most of the rivers and tributaries are still catch and release only or under a no-target closure until June 1st, so make sure to check the Maryland DNR striped bass regulation maps to see when and where you can fish for striped bass.
We are approaching the blue catfish spawn, and it can be harder to get them to bite during this time, but we aren’t there just yet. The better catfish reports from the Upper Bay are coming in from north of the Patapsco River. One angler fishing in Back River this week caught a mix of channel and blue catfish while fishing from shore. The Bush River, Gunpowder River, and Chester River are other zones that are historically productive for blue catfish. Fish finder rigs baited with gizzard shad, menhaden, eel, peeler crab, or any other fresh cut bait is all you need to entice these invasive bottom feeders. Anglers who plan to fish for blue catfish, or any other invasive species should consider signing up for the CCA Maryland Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. You can log your catch and be entered to win monthly prizes. The data collected helps fisheries managers monitor the spread of invasive species in our waters.
White perch should be starting to return to their summer hangouts. We have not received any subscriber reports, and after last year’s poor perch fishing, we are hoping that they make a comeback this year. The shallows of the tidal rivers near docks, rip rap, creek mouths, and other nearshore cover are usually good areas to search. Last year, the Magothy River and Bay Bridge pilings were the only semi-consistent places where anglers were catching white perch. The Upper Bay shoals are popular bottom fishing destinations for perch, spot, and croaker. Spot and croaker have not arrived yet, but there’s a chance some perch could be hanging out around Six Foot Knoll or Seven Foot Knoll. Bloodworms, grass shrimp, peeler crab, minnows, or Bloodworm-flavored Fishbites are the most popular bottom fishing baits. In the shallows, small twisty tail jigs, shad darts, and small spinners should work if you can locate them.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 8 Update:
Strong winds continued to make fishing difficult across much of the Chesapeake Bay this week, but anglers who found protected water still reported solid action from blue catfish and striped bass. Lower-salinity areas north of the Patapsco River are producing the best catfish bite, while striped bass fishing around the Bay Bridge and Upper Bay channel edges has been productive for both live bait and light tackle anglers. Many anglers are also encountering large numbers of over-slot striped bass as baitfish push into the rivers and water temperatures climb into the 60s. With multiple seasonal boundaries and regulation zones currently in effect, anglers are being reminded to carefully review Maryland’s striped bass regulations before heading out.
The Angler in Chief says he’s had to cancel multiple trips in the past week thanks to all the wind, including last weekend’s catfish fishing voyage on the Magothy with Combos for Kids in the Katfish for Kids tourney. Even fishing the shoreline at Podickory Point was difficult thanks to gusty conditions and everyone went biteless. Several contenders in the tournament did manage to find a bite, proving that if you could get out of the wind the blue cats were still very willing to eat, with a top catch of 33 fish, second place stringer with 25 fish, and third with 19; a 19.3-pounder was the biggest. Lack of rainfall this year (and over the last two years) has caused salinity levels to be higher than normal in the Chesapeake Bay. Areas that would normally be good grounds for blue catfish in the spring have been disappointing at best. The better reports are coming from areas north of the Patapsco River where salinity levels are lower. The Bush River, Gunpowder River, and lumps around Pooles Island are reliable zones to target blue catfish.
Several reports came in this week from boats fishing the Bay Bridge, where striped bass season is open on the Chesapeake Bay. Charter boats that have been able to get spot delivered seem to have the best results. The slot limit this year is 19 to 24 inches, but based on the reports from so far this season, there seem to be a lot of over slot fish. One boat reported catching 15 fish at the bridge pilings during a trip this week, but only being able to keep three fish because the rest were over the slot. We also had a few reports from anglers light tackle jigging around the bridge pilings. The pilings on the west side of the bridge have been productive in the early mornings. On the Patapsco River, striped bass are being caught in the shallows and in the main stem of the river along the channel edges. One angler reported finding schools of fish next to one of the main channel markers (though they didn’t disclose which one). They trolled around the area, and caught 13 fish, all between 23 and 30 inches. Another angler jigged up a few fish in 20 to 25 feet of water. Throughout the Upper Bay, the shallows near shoreline points, docks, and rip rap should all be points of interest for striped bass anglers. Water temperatures are in the 60s, baitfish are moving into the rivers, and the fish are looking to feed.
The striped bass regulations in the Upper Bay are complicated right now with the different boundaries of closed areas, catch and release areas, and areas open to harvest, so make sure to check the regulations before your fishing trip. The area above the boundary line from Abbey Point to Worton Point is still off-limits to targeting striped bass until June 1st, and the area between that boundary and the Brewerton Channel remains catch-and-release only until June 1. The Maryland DNR striped bass regulation maps are a great resource.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 1 Update:
Striped bass season is underway in portions of the Upper Bay, with slot fish showing around classic structure like the Bay Bridge, lighthouses, and channel edges, and even the chance of a lingering trophy still in the mix for a short window. Meanwhile, blue catfish continue to provide steady action—especially farther north in the Bay and tidal rivers—while white perch are transitioning out of their spawning runs and beginning to stage in deeper water, setting up a reliable late-spring bite around river mouths and nearby structure as they prepare to move shallow again.
Striped bass season is now open in some Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The slot is 19 to 24 inches, and anglers can keep one fish per person per day. There are still certain tributaries that are closed to targeting striped bass, so make sure to take a look at the striped bass regulation maps to when and where areas open for striped bass fishing. A reader reported that rockfish were at the Bay Bridge and he had success jigging the pilings along relatively shallow pilings in 10’ to 15’. Casting chartreuse seven-inch Bust ‘Ems with half-ounce heads on Alltackle “Tom Weaver Special” rigs did the trick. Upper Bay hotspots for striped bass fishing include the Bay Bridge, lighthouses, Love Point, Patapsco River shipping docks, and lumps around Pooles Island. One young reader was fishing off his pier on the Magothy after dark when he tied into a B-I-G surprise catch, a trophy striper that hadn’t yet left town. Any remaining trophy fish will soon make their way south out of the Bay, but there is a chance to run into a big fish through at least the first half of May.
Another reader, fishing from his pier in Norman Creek (off Back River), mentioned there were some very large blue cats prowling around, and he reeled up a nice on fishing from his pier. The blue catfish fishing has been much better farther north in the Upper Bay compared to areas around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Areas around the Bush and Gunpowder River have been productive, and the upper Chester River holds a very dense population of blue catfish. These fish are prowling ledges and shallow flats looking to feed, so any form of cut bait will give you a good chance to catch them right now. Gizzard shad, menhaden, eel, and chicken are all great options for tidal blue catfishing.
White perch spawning runs are pretty much wrapped up, so they will be moving out of the tidal rivers and hanging out in deeper waters before moving into the shallows later this month. Bottom fishing around the mouths of the Upper Bay tidal rivers will be a good bet for catching perch right now. Grass shrimp and bloodworms, or bloodworm-flavored Fishbites are two of the best baits to use while bottom fishing. The Bay Bridge and the shoals just north of the bridge are good locations to find white perch in late spring and early summer. It may be a bit early to catch perch there now, but they should be showing up soon if not already.
