Upper Bay Fishing Reports
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 18 Update:
Striped bass fishing around the Bay Bridge remains inconsistent, but the Patapsco River and Pooles Island area continue to produce fish for anglers willing to fish deeper structure and ledges. White perch fishing is steadily improving, especially on shoals and oyster bottom along the main stem of the Bay. As water temperatures climb into the 80s, early morning and evening trips are producing the best results for most species.
The Bay Bridge was a hot spot in May, but the bite has become a lot tougher in recent weeks. Reports editor Dillon Waters took a trip to the bridge last weekend with contributor Adam Greenberg. They got on the water before sunrise and fished pilings on both the west side and east side of the bridge for about two hours without a bite. They also mentioned not seeing any charter boats fishing at the bridge either, which is odd for a summer weekend. After striking out at the bridge, they tried fishing the shallows and creeks around Whitehall Bay and the docks spanning from Sandy Point up to the mouth of the Magothy River. These areas also proved fruitless. Another subscriber also reported striking out at the bridge last weekend. The bridge always has a few fish around, but it has not been easy to catch them lately. Just to the north, the Upper Bay shoals and mouth of the Patapsco River have been holding some schools of white perch. Anglers are catching them at depths of 10 to 20 feet of water using bloodworms (the most hurtful on the wallet), grass shrimp, and small hair jigs. The perch fishing in the tidal creeks has not been the best, but we have had some reports from Stoney Creek, Bear Creek, upper reaches of the Patapsco, and creeks in the Chester River. The larger schools of perch seem to be on the main stem of the Bay near shoals and oyster bottom, so bottom fishing is a decent option right now. There should also be spot and small croaker around willing to bite.
The Upper Bay zones that have been most productive for striped bass have been the Patapsco River inside the former Key Bridge and the lumps around Pooles Island. The Patapsco River has been the most consistent lately, but there has been a fleet of around 20 charter boats fishing the river on a daily basis. Once you add recreational boats to the mix, it is easy to see that the river can get crowded, but there seem to be plenty of fish around right now. The best action is still in the early mornings and late evenings. During the middle hours of the day, anglers have been finding success by fishing deeper structure like the old shipping docks, rip-rap shorelines, and any other cover that is in deeper water. A kayak angler reported that a midweek trip on the river produced a good bite around deep structure with white and chartreuse swimbaits. They also mentioned that there were a lot of cownose rays swimming around. Now that water temperatures are warming up and have now reached the 80-degree mark in many areas, striped bass are moving to slightly deeper water to get relief from the heat. The lumps around Pooles Island area good zone for boats live lining and eeling. Schools of fish have been sitting on the ledges of the humps that go from around 10 or 15 feet down to 30 feet or so. This area is broad, and there are a lot of lumpy zones, so it may take some looking around to find them. Once located, they are usually willing to bite.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 11 Update:
Striped bass continue to be the main attraction in the Upper Bay, with the Bay Bridge and Patapsco River producing fish despite some reports of slower action during periods of heavy pressure and changing weather. White perch are beginning to show up in greater numbers throughout the creeks and rivers, offering additional opportunities for light-tackle anglers. Blue catfish remain available throughout the region, though spawning activity has made the bite somewhat less consistent than earlier in the spring.
There are still plenty of reports of rockfish at the Bay Bridge, but we did hear from a couple of readers who struck out there over last weekend. Whether it was the weather or the crowds we can’t say, however, note that reports of tough bites came in from other areas as well. Anglers fishing in the Patapsco River are doing well in the middle sections of the river at depths of 20 to 30 feet. Soft plastic paddletails on jigheads to match the current have been very effective while vertical jigging. The trollers have also been out in the river working the ledges from Fort Smallwood to Dundalk. The best action was in the early morning hours during low light. The bite is usually shutting down once the sun gets up but usually picks back up in the evening hours. A boat fishing on the Patapsco reported a relatively slow bite this week. They checked several locations and only caught a few fish, catching a few slot and over-slot fish, along with a few catfish. Water temperatures have warmed up quickly with the summer heat moving in, so anglers should make sure to handle fish with care if they plan on catch and release fishing. When the water temperatures warm up and the dissolved oxygen levels are low, fish get stressed very easily. The best way to handle them is to release them in the water, if possible, but if you have to take them out of the water, get them back in quickly. Upper Bay hotspots for summer striped bass fishing include the Bay Bridge, Love Point, Hart-Miller Island, the Patapsco River, and shallow areas with structure.
Reports of white perch are starting to trickle in as we head further into summer. Anglers are beginning to find them in more of the tidal creeks in the tidal rivers. The fish have mostly been caught in depths of three to seven feet of water. Small spinners and crankbaits have been reported as effective in the creeks. Bottom rigs tipped with bloodworms and grass shrimp are also working well. We had a report from an angler fishing at the Bay Bridge who said there was a slow bite for white perch on a recent trip. Dropping down fresh grass shrimp along some of the pilings produced a half dozen keeper-sized perch. Another boat reported finding some fish along the edges of grass beds near Hart Miller Island.
The blue catfish bite has slowed down a little bit in the Upper Bay, which is likely due to their spawning activity. These fish tend to move into shallower water this time of year, so it may be worth soaking some fresh cut bait in depths of five to 15 feet of water. The larger females will be preoccupied with spawning, but there should be plenty of smaller male fish willing to bite. The upper Chester River is known to have a robust population of blue catfish that can be caught year-round. Other notable areas to try for these invasive fish are the lumps around Pooles Island and the mouth of the Bush and Gunpowder Rivers. Channel catfish can be found in the shallows of the Upper Bay tidal creeks and upper reaches of the rivers. There is usually a good channel catfish bite in the upper Patapsco River near Fort McHenry and Middle Branch Park. Night crawlers, shrimp, and fresh cut bait work very well for these bottom feeders, or you can avoid the mess and try out the new Fishbites catfish baits.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 4 Update:
The Bay Bridge continues to be one of the hottest striped bass destinations in the Upper Bay, with fish being caught on artificial lures and live spot around bridge pilings. The Patapsco River is also producing quality catches, while white perch activity is beginning to pick up in local creeks as water temperatures climb. Bluefish appear to be moving into the region as well, adding excitement for anglers working bridge structure and deeper channels.
Striped bass season is now open in all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. This means that the rivers that were catch and release only or closed to targeting are now open. The season will be open until the August closure, when all Maryland waters will be under a no-target restriction for striped bass. The Bay Bridge continues to be a standout in the reports coming in from subscribers, with multiple different areas producing fish under, in, and slightly over the slot. There was also a wide range in methods reported as successful, including casting BKDs on white bucktails, paddletails on ¾ and one-ounce heads, and livelining spot. One noted that spot aren’t around in huge numbers but on the west side, you can catch enough in 10’ to 20’ to make a go of it. Another said there was a good concentration of rockfish along the deeper pilings where bait was also visible this week. He also mentioned that bluefish had probably made their way this far north, too, because multiple times he pulled back plastics with the tails removed.
Another hotspot for Upper Bay striper fishing has been the Patapsco River. Trollers and light tackle anglers are finding success near the mouth of the river all the way up into the inner Harbor. The best action has been in the main stem at depths of 20 to 40 feet of water, but fish are also being found in the shallows. The old wooden shipping docks were producing some fish, and we heard from a kayak angler who said jigging a five-inch curly tail soft plastic on a half-ounce jighead did the trick. The fish seemed to be relating to the shade lines in most areas.
Spot are being caught around the Bay Bridge and Sandy Point, but it has not been easy to catch them. A few anglers this week reported trying to bottom fish for them but did not have any luck. As the summer heat kicks in and water temperatures warm up, these fish will start to show up in greater numbers. By mid-June, the spot, white perch, and some croaker should be roaming around the Upper Bay shoals. We did see the first decent report on white perch fishing this week. An angler fishing in Stoney Creek reported that the perch were biting this week while he fished from his pier using a small crankbait. The perch were on the smaller side, but it is a good sign to see them biting in the creeks.
Anglers should note that cow nose rays are moving into the Upper Bay and the large schools have now been spotted at the mouth of the Chester River, near Gibson Island, and the mouth of the Patapsco River. When they move through an area, they can muddy up the water and turn the bite off for other fish with all their commotion. Anglers fishing by boat should do their best to avoid areas with these schools of rays because they can be a serious nuisance while fishing for other species like rockfish.
