Trout fishing in the middle of Howard County? Absolutely! Embedded in surrounding county parkland, the Middle and Little Patuxent Rivers will quickly make you forget you are in suburbia as you line up your next fly cast for brown and rainbow trout.  

Conveniently located off both Routes 29 and 32, the three miles of delayed harvest waters provide fly fishers with more opportunities to catch trout before the rivers’ waters get too warm to support the trout. When you are down in the river, you will be surrounded by hardwood and hemlock forests, making you feel like you are somewhere up in the mountains of Western Maryland. That’s exactly the fly fishing experience that awaits you at this Trail site.

Site Location

The Middle and Little Patuxent Rivers flow through Howard County between Route 29 and Interstate 95.

Address

Murray Hill Road access: 39.15991014231785, -76.85208243720943

Kindler Road access: 39.163443084029495, -76.8776946469257

Eden Brook Road access: 39.165973808012986, -76.87472730792999

How to Get There

Take Route 29 or Route 32 to Gorman Road to Murray Hill Road where it crosses the river; Gorman Road to Kindler Road where it dead-ends at the river, and Route 32 to Eden Brook Road where it dead-ends at the river.

Parking

There is roadside parking off Murray Hill Road and Kindler Road and a gravel parking area off Eden Brook Road.

Where to Fish 

You can fly fish from the bank or by wading in the stream.  Focus on casting to the riffles and deeper pools.

What to Catch 

Rainbow trout, brown trout and fallfish

What to Fish & How 

Recommend bringing 4-5 weight 6' to 9' fly rods with floating line with 7 1/2 to 9-foot leaders with 4x to 5x tippets.  A good fly collection will include caddis and mayfly (spring) and midge (year round) dry fly patterns as well as terrestrials like ants, flying ants, beetles, crickets and inch worms which work great in the summer.  Include some nymph patterns like hare's ears, bead heads, pheasant tails and caddis larvae. Finally include some streamer patterns and wooly buggers.

Fly Fishing Organizations

Connect with local fly fishing organizations to learn about mentoring opportunities and to connect with others interested in fly fishing.