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Forecast Summary: October 22 – 28:

Expect sunny and cool weather with relatively stable conditions for fishing in Chesapeake Bay waters. There is a limited chance of rain all week. As reported by the NOAA buoys, main Bay surface water temperatures are currently in the mid 60s but continue to slowly cool. River temperatures are slightly cooler and holding around the upper 50s.

Salinities are above normal for most Maryland waters this time of year. Oxygen conditions throughout the main Bay and Maryland’s tributaries are suitable to the bottom.

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 all week as a result of the new moon on October 21.

Upper Chesapeake Bay

The Conowingo Dam appears to have a loose power generation release schedule right now, and there is no predictability. There are striped bass in the dam pool and flathead and blue catfish to be caught. The mouth of the Susquehanna River is one of the top places to target large blue catfish. The grass beds on the Susquehanna Flats are breaking up. The mouth of the Elk River and the North East River are also excellent locations to fish for blue catfish.

Striped bass are being found in many locations within the upper Bay; anglers report they have to work for them, but the fish are there. The waters around Pooles Island, Hart-Miller, Baltimore Harbor, Love Point rocks and promising-looking shorelines of the Bay and the tidal rivers all have something to give to anglers.

Casting topwater lures, paddletails, and soft plastic jigs near structure or live-lining spot, white perch, or eels all can work well in different situations. Trolling along the main channels with tandem rigged bucktails and umbrella rigs is also accounting for some fish catch. White perch are moving out of the tidal rivers and can be found on hard bottom at the mouths of the rivers or out in the Bay on shoals and reefs.

Middle Bay

The winds have been relentless for the past week making fishing and boating out on the Bay tough. The Bay Bridge piers and rock piles continue to draw the attention of anglers, but the rough conditions make it difficult. Jigging and live-lining near the pier bases has been producing some striped bass and the shallower western side of the bridge has been a good place to fish for white perch.

The shallow water fishery is alive and well in the lower sections of the region’s tidal rivers and Eastern Bay. Prominent points, structure, and a moving tide are good factors for successful fishing. Poppers, paddletails, and jerkbaits are popular lures to use.

The bluefish left the Bay during the recent winds. As water temperatures in the tidal rivers drop toward the 50s, baitfish will start pouring out of the tidal rivers and striped bass will line up along steep channel edges. This fall pattern is always something to look forward to. The striped bass will show beautiful color and be heavy-shouldered, and the sight of diving gulls is not to be missed. Casting soft plastic or metal jigs with a fast taper jigging rod and reels spooled with braid puts it all together for light tackle anglers. Trolling down deep with umbrella rigs behind heavy inline weights will be another way to put striped bass in the boat.

White perch are moving out of the tidal rivers and the oyster reefs at the mouths of the tidal rivers; the place to find them is off Matapeake. Dropper rigs of small jigs or hooks baited with grass shrimp or pieces of bloodworm work well. Large white perch will begin to hold near the rock piles of the Bay Bridge, and small but heavy jigs will be needed to reach them.

The recent winds pushed the bluefish out of the lower Bay for the most part; there might be a few stragglers that may be found near the Target Ship. Large red drum are found in the shallower waters of the Eastern Shore and Tangier Sound, providing exciting catch-and-release action. Popping corks with plastic shrimp underneath or casting paddletails are great ways to target them along with striped bass and speckled trout. Jigging with large soft plastics in deeper waters works well, as does drifting cut bait. 

Striped bass are being found in the lower Potomac and Patuxent rivers and all along promising Bay shorelines. Jigging with soft plastic jigs is very popular along channel edges and live-lining spot continues to be a good way to fish. Trolling umbrella rigs down deep is becoming more popular as striped bass become suspended along steep channel edges.

There are still some spot to be found in the lower Potomac River, Patuxent River, and Tangier Sound this week, and they are as big as they’re going to get before they head south. White perch are showing up in the same areas as they move down the tidal rivers. Hard bottom and oyster reefs are a few of the best places to look for them. Anglers are reporting catching a few black sea bass near reef sites and some are exceeding the 13-inch minimum length.

Blue Crabs:
Some recreational crabbers never give up and lately they have been rewarded for their efforts. Some of the largest crabs are being caught in the lower sections of creeks and tidal rivers and others are being caught in shallower waters during midday hours when the sun warms up the water.

Freshwater Fishing

The fall trout stocking program continues this week with some generous trout stockings taking place in the Baltimore area. Trout stockings in various trout management waters will continue until the end of October. After a lull in late fall, the preseason trout stockings will begin after January 1. The DNR trout stocking website offers where and when trout have been stocked. 

The thick grass beds that have provided sanctuary for small baitfish and crayfish are diminishing, so baitfish and particularly crayfish are moving to deeper waters and looking for some place to spend the winter. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are keyed in on this movement and will be stationed in transition areas to intercept the crayfish. Lures that imitate crayfish will be a very good choice for anglers to use as will be lures representing baitfish. 

Chesapeake Channa – aka northern snakehead – are losing the grass cover they like, and the water temperatures are becoming a little chilly to their liking. Casting paddletails is still a good tactic but many anglers will now be fishing with bobbers or popping corks with large minnows. The setup can either be dead-sticked while casting paddletails or worked near existing grass or brush to attract their attention. The sunny side of bodies of water in the afternoons will attract fish looking for warmer waters.

Blue catfish are very active this month and can be found on the edges of channels in the middle sections of the Bay’s tidal rivers. Chumming with ground fish and using fresh cut baits is a good way to attract their attention.

Crappie are schooling up near deeper structure as water temperatures decline. Marina docks, bridge piers, and sunken wood all fit the bill. Fishing with minnows or marabou jigs under a slip bobber is a good way to get in on the action. 

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

The Assateague surf continues to be a bit stirred up but anglers are catching a mix of bluefish, flounder, and large red drum (catch-and-release only). Sheepshead and tautog are being caught near the jetty rocks, bridge piers, and bulkheads in the inlet. Striped bass are being caught on soft plastic jigs. 

Flounder are making their way from the coastal bays to offshore waters, so the Ocean City Inlet is a good pinch point to intercept them. The channels leading toward the inlet are the place to be if you’re flounder fishing. 

The bay waters are a little stirred up from the winds so an incoming tide might offer better fishing success. Anglers are enjoying some fun catch-and-release fishing for striped bass at the Verrazzano and Route 90 bridges, while casting paddletails and soft plastic jigs. 

When sea conditions allow the boats to take anglers out to the wreck and reef sites, there should be good fishing for black sea bass and a mix of tautog, triggerfish, and flounder. Some boats specialize in flounder fishing and are finding good catches of large fish. We have not heard much from offshore canyon anglers this week, but calmer conditions will allow them to venture offshore soon.