---

Forecast Summary: September 24 – September 30:

For this first week of fall, expect cool and cloudy fishing weather and relatively stable conditions for Chesapeake Bay waters all week. A chance of rain is expected Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. As reported by the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures are currently in the mid 70s but continue to slowly cool. River temperatures are slightly cooler in the upper 60s.

Salinities are below normal for most Maryland waters this time of year. Oxygen conditions throughout the main Bay are much improved and suitable to the bottom in most places.

Expect average water clarity for Maryland’s streams, rivers, and main Bay waters. 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 through Saturday as a result of the new moon on September 22.

Upper Chesapeake Bay

Fishing for striped bass at the Conowingo Dam pool has been slow, as low water levels have resulted in very little power generation. The good news is the decreased currents are creating better fishing for blue catfish near the dam pool. The good fishing for blue catfish continues downriver to the mouth of the Susquehanna.

Striped bass fishing tends to be good near piers and bulkheads within the Baltimore Inner Harbor during the early morning hours for those anglers casting topwater lures and paddletails. There has also been a limited amount of striped bass fishing for anglers live-lining spot along channel edges.

Spot can still be found in hard bottom areas within the Chester River, the mouth of the Magothy River, and near Sandy Point State Park. Some of the better fishing for white perch is occurring out in the Bay on various knolls and lumps. Anglers are having the best luck using bottom rigs baited with grass shrimp, pieces of bloodworm, or peeler crab and dropper rigs with shad darts.

Middle Bay

Striped bass are being found at the Bay Bridge piers this week, but the action tends to be variable based on tides and the time of day. The mornings have been offering some of the best fishing for anglers drifting live spot or cut spot back to the pier bases. The 30-foot edge on the eastern side of the bridge has been popular for live liners. Casting soft plastic jigs at various pier bases has also been accounting for striped bass. Spot and white perch can be found in the shallower waters at the ends of the bridge. 

Shallow-water striped bass fishing is one of the best options this week. Cooler water temperatures are holding the striped bass in the shallower waters longer into the morning hours and starting earlier during the evening hours. Poppers, jointed jerkbaits, and paddletails are popular lures to use for casting in the promising looking shorelines of the main Bay, Eastern Bay, Poplar Island, Thomas Point, and the lower Choptank.

Trolling spoons, umbrella rigs with spoons as teasers, and surgical tube lures behind planers and inline weights are a good way to catch bluefish this week along the channel edges from Buoy 83 south past the Sharps Island Light and the False Channel. 

Fishing for white perch in the tidal rivers continues to be worth the effort for those fishing with grass shrimp near piers and structure. Casting small spinnerbaits along promising shoreline structure during the morning and evening hours is a good way to target large white perch.

Large bluefish are creating some exciting fishing for anglers trolling from the HS Buoy south past the Target Ship with surgical tube lures and spoons behind planers and inline weights. The bluefish are large and fat and as usual putting up a good show on the end of a fishing line. At times they are being found pushing bait to the surface and casting with metal jigs is a fun light tackle way to catch them. The Spanish mackerel seem to have headed south.

The lower Potomac River is producing some good to excellent fishing for striped bass this week for anglers who are live-lining spot or jigging with soft plastics along the channel edges in the Route 301 Bridge area. Bluefish are also part of the mix below the bridge to the mouth of the river. Striped bass are also being found on the eastern side of the Bay; the cuts between Hoopers Island are good places to find them.

Spot are providing plenty of action in the Cornfield Harbor area, the lower Patuxent River, and Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. The spot are about as large as they’re going to get before they head south in the next couple of weeks. Legal-sized croakers are also part of the mix and there are just enough smaller spot to keep live-liners in bait. White perch are being found in the tidal rivers with grass shrimp and peeler crab being excellent baits.

Large red drum are providing exciting catch-and-release action on the eastern side of the Bay near the Target Ship and Tangier Sound. Spotting schools of large red drum on depth finders or by spotting slicks and jigging with large soft plastic jigs or fishing with cut spot is getting most anglers in on the action. A mix of striped bass and speckled trout are being found by anglers working the shallower waters of the eastern marsh edges.

Blue Crabs

Recreational crabbers continue to do well this week for a wonderful grade of blue crabs; they tend to be large and heavy this time of the year. Crabbers report some of the largest crabs come from waters 12-15 feet deep and along edges. 

Freshwater Fishing

As waters cool, freshwater fish are becoming increasingly active throughout the day. Largemouth bass are roaming the middle depths to the shallower waters in search of prey that can come in the form of baitfish, crayfish, and even frogs and small snakes that decide to go for a swim. Largemouth bass are never one to pass up an opportunity – spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, frogs, chatterbaits, paddletails, and soft plastic worms can all be good choices. 

The upper Potomac River continues to experience low flows this week. Wading is a great way to get closer to the action for shore-based anglers. Long casts with light lines are often the best tactic when waters are clear and low. Tubes, paddletails, small crankbaits, and poppers can all be good choices for lures.

Fishing for blue catfish continues to be good this week; anglers are finding good fishing in the upper sections of the tidal rivers. As waters cool, many of the blue catfish in the Chesapeake tidal rivers are expected to move down to lower sections of the rivers. Chesapeake Channa are active and aggressively striking topwater lures and paddletails.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Anglers fishing at the beaches of Assateague Island are beginning to see the transition into a typical fall fishery. Bluefish are more abundant and large red drum are now being caught and released in the surf. Finger mullet rigs and traditional surf bottom rigs baited with cut mullet are working well. A mix of kingfish, spot, flounder and pompano are also being caught.

At the Ocean City Inlet anglers are enjoying excellent fishing for sheepshead along the jetties. Sand fleas, pieces of crab and wild shrimp are all good baits to fish for the sheepshead. Flounder fishing at the inlet has also been very good; bluefish are being caught by casting jigs or drifting cut bait.

The back bay waters have cleared up significantly and flounder fishing has been good in the channel waters leading towards the inlet. Gulp baits and live bait have been catching some of the larger flounder. Traditional squid strips are catching flounder and croakers.

The nearshore wreck and reef sites have been a great place to find large flounder this week. Anglers are catching limits and a mix of sheepshead and triggerfish. At the offshore wreck and reef sites, black sea bass catches have been good with some triggerfish, bluefish, and flounder rounding out catches.

The canyon waters have come to life as a mix of yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, long-fin albacore, dolphin and white marlin are being caught. Anglers are rounding out trips with deep dropping for a mix of blueline and golden tilefish.