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 gravel parking lot. There is shoreline fishing along the southeastern end of the Lake. And fly fishers with access to a boat can cast along miles of the shoreline which include multiple embayments and river-like extensions into the surrounding forests.

Fees

There is a fee to enter the site.

Site Location

St. Mary’s Lake, located in St. Mary’s County, is nested in St. Mary’s River State Park, located in Calloway, along Maryland Route 5, south of Historic Leonardtown.

Address

St. Mary's River State Park 21250 Camp Cosoma Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650

How to Get There

Heading south on Route 5/Point Lookout Road, about six miles beyond Leonardtown, take a left turn onto Camp Cosoma Road and the entrance into St. Mary’s River State Park.

Parking & Launching

Parking is located adjacent to the lake on a paved lot. You can launch your boat using the concrete boat launch at St. Mary's River Watershed Park 21250 Camp Cosoma Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650 directly adjacent to the parking lot.

Where to Fish

A 7.5-mile trail circles the St. Mary's Lake, allowing the lake to be fished from shore. For the best fly fishing, you will need a boat, canoe or kayak.  Cast towards the shorelines, looking for any underwater structures like downed trees, branches and underwater grasses.

What to Catch

Bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, chain pickerel and yellow perch

What to Fish & How

Recommend bringing 6-8 weight fly rods with floating, intermediate and sink tip fly lines. For largemouth bass, recommend medium-sized poppers and floating frog patterns, Clouser minnows, and other minnow imitations. For yellow perch, crappie and pickerel,, recommend Clouser minnows and other minnow imitations. For sunfish, recommend poppers, wooly buggers, and insect patterns with rubber legs.

Fly Fishing Organizations

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