There is a true gem in St. Mary’s County when it comes to fishing and that is St. Mary’s Lake. Nested within St. Mary’s State Park’s 2,200 acres of mainly undeveloped lands, the lake encompasses 250 acres of fishing habitat for a great assortment of fish species including bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, chain pickerel and yellow perch. The park offers a modern comfort station, picnic tables, playground, boat launch ramps and a large[...]

Great American Outdoor Show 2020 Every year the Great American Outdoor show provides the perfect opportunity to network with Sportsmen and women from around the world, check out new products, and explore all the hunting and fishing trips offered by outfitters and guides. This year, the show did not disappoint. both booths were staffed by industry partners and staff members from Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Office of Tourism. Some of the[...]

Flowing through Cecil County and into the Susquehanna River just downstream of the Conowingo Dam, Octoraro Creek is uniquely situated to provide fly fishers with both a range of fly fishing experiences—shoreline, wading and via boat—and opportunities to catch over a dozen different fish species. At this one Trail site, you can catch largemouth bass, striped bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, yellow perch, white perch, walleye, trout, American shad, hickory shad, northern snakehead[...]

Including the Chesapeake Bay’s largest underwater grass bed, extending over thousands of acres, the shallow waters of the Susquehanna Flats is an important habitat for numerous fish species and, therefore, a literal playground for fly fishers in Harford County. Accessing the Susquehanna Flats starts with launching at Millard Tydings Memorial Park in Havre de Grace. Next, you are faced with the decision of which fish species to target out on the water. Choices include largemouth[...]

The 243-acre Lake Habeeb, known for having the "bluest water in the state”, is nested within Rocky Gap State Park located in Western Maryland’s Allegany County. The park, which encompasses over 3,000 acres of public land for visitors to enjoy, is surrounded by rugged mountains making Lake Habeeb a truly beautiful place to fly fish. With generally excellent water clarity, a fly fisher can target largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, channel catfish, stocked rainbow[...]

Located in South Baltimore City, Masonville Cove is the nation's first Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership, home to a green building nature center and beautiful waterfront public trails. You can fly fish from the pier, the shoreline or launch your canoe, kayak or small boat and head out into the Patapsco River. Depending on the time of year, you can end up catching striped bass, white perch, sunfish, catfish, largemouth bass, crappie, yellow perch and northern[...]

My rod hadn’t been in the water for five minutes when the tip bounced a few times then pegged over in a heavy arc as a bulky blue catfish tried to rip it from the rod-holder. As I wrestled the outfit from the holder, line was peeling out at a steady pace. Steady give-and-take pressure ensued and eventually my friend Alvie scooped up the big whisker-fish with his oversized net. As the yard-long beast gyrated[...]

Beyond its rich 400+ year history, St. Mary’s River also provides a unique fly fishing experience on a tidal river which widens with every mile traveled towards its ultimate union with the tidal Potomac River. Sunfish, largemouth bass, yellow perch, white perch and catfish are on the menu down here in St. Mary’s County. The first few miles provide a very intimate fly fishing experience, requiring short casts. Soon the river opens up, adding extensive[...]