All of Maryland’s natural beauty springs open for the enjoyment of sportsmen and women with the coming of spring. As the days grow longer and the temperatures warmer, it’s time to grab your fishing gear and head out to take advantage of the abundance of perch and trout stocks throughout the state. Three Fish to Chase this Spring Yellow Perch: Yellow perch are a favorite sportfish in Maryland – especially in the Chesapeake Bay area[...]

Fun to catch, these fish travel in schools, moving from salt water to coastal marshes throughout the year—providing anglers an extremely passionate fishery. But don't get them confused with the small stream trout anglers catch in Western Maryland. Key Distinguishing Markings: Spotted sea trout are dusky gray on top fading to silver at the belly. The upper body is marked with numerous dark spots which extend into the dorsal and tail fins. The dorsal and[...]

About White Perch Ask anyone in Maryland to tell you the first fish they caught, and the most likely answer will be a white perch. (Morone americana). Close cousins to striped bass, they’ll take an artificial lure quicker than a whipstitch on a shad dart. They’re prolific in most tidal streams, and they are great fun to catch. Not just for kids either - there are plenty of full-grown adults, including this old stump jumper[...]

Gather round, we’re whipping up a fresh batch of Perch Chowder. While this recipe features white perch, fear not if they aren’t available in your area – any white-fleshed, mild fish will do. I’ve experimented with various panfish species and yellow perch in the past, all yielding fantastic results. One of my fishing buddies recently tried this recipe with blue catfish and raved about the outcome as well. Widely distributed, great eating, and often game[...]

Battie Mixon The Battie Mixon Fishing Pond is a mile-long stretch of fishing inside the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Located at Canal Mile 168, the pond was constructed in 1945 by a volunteer group of Western Maryland sportsmen and was named after the Allegany County game warden that conceived the idea. The fishing hole is stocked annually by the Maryland DNR and is a great place to catch rainbow trout, largemouth bass, sunfish, and[...]

In addition to the reputation for producing really big blue crabs, the tidal waters around Wye Island also host some very productive fish habitats, ideal for fly fishing. Launching from Wye Landing on the Wye East River, you will quickly find yourself at the eastern end of Wye Island adjacent to Skipton Creek. If you circumnavigated the entire island, you would pass by Pickering, Gross and Lloyd creeks, and Shaw Bay on the south side[...]

Deep Creek Lake Deep Creek Lake is one of the most well-known bodies of water in Maryland. It offers exceptional fishing for walleye, great action on largemouth and smallmouth bass, and an abundance of pike, pickerel, and crappie. As the largest freshwater impoundment in the state, it attracts many anglers looking for yellow perch and bluegills. The panfish here also grow to epic proportions and the current Maryland state record bluegill came out of Deep[...]

Freshwater With water temps ranging between 68-75 degrees, fishing across the state is at its peak. Anglers have reported prime spawning conditions when targeting bass, snakeheads are still being spotted guarding fry balls, and fishermen and women are consistently catching brown and brook trout on dry flies in the streams and creeks. Prime locations include Loch Raven Reservoir and Deep Creek Lake. Located just north of Baltimore, Loch Raven is ideal for any angler. This[...]

If you are looking for a place to fly fish with family members, somewhere to fish during the middle of the winter, or a spot to fly cast from an ADA accessible fishing platform, then you definitely need to head to Unicorn Lake in upper Queen Anne’s County on the Eastern Shore. You can fly fish from an extensive section of shoreline as well as in the spillway and stream below the dam. If you[...]