Talbot County Maritime Museum

Fly Fishing on Maryland's Eastern Shore

There is a whole world of fly fishing experiences to be had once you cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and enter Maryland's Eastern Shore. From ponds and lakes filled with big largemouth bass and colorful bluegills to seemingly endless tidal rivers to blackwater adventures to winding salt marsh creeks to the coastal bays all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean. 

 

Different from the other regions, the Eastern Shore’s selection of fish species changes with each season's migration patterns. Cecil, Kent, Caroline, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester counties together literally provide a lifetime of fly fishing adventures, 12 months of the year, with an evolving seasonal menu!

 

BACK TO FLY FISHING TRAIL 

FLY FISHING Trail SITES on Maryland's Eastern Shore

Turners Creek with Lotus

Lower Sassafras River

Turner's Creek Park welcomes you to come out and experience fly fishing on a wonderful upper Eastern Shore tidal river filled with miles and miles of tidal shoreline and tidal creeks leading to even smaller tidal creeks. These waters hold bluegill, crappie, channel catfish . . .

Bluegill caught by Jess

North East River

Accessed through Cecil County’s North East Community Park, the North East River provides fly fishers with a great freshwater tidal river fly fishing experience. Given the number of different fish species you can catch at this Trail site—bluegill, crappie, channel catfish . . .

An Octoraro Hickory Shad on a Rainy Afternoon

Octoraro Creek

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 . . .

Smith Island Aerial

Smith Island

The ride over to Smith Island from Crisfield alone is worth traveling to this Trail site, whether by ferry or mailboat or your own boat. You can even make arrangements for the transport of your own kayak or rent one on the Island. Be sure to make time to explore the Island . . .

Smithville Lake

Smithville Lake

Among the many Eastern Shore ponds, Smithville Lake stands out as one of the more productive waters, offering fly fishers with an assortment of fish species to target. Its populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and chain pickerel provide for year round fishing . . .

Unicorn Lake-Brian Wallace

Unicorn Lake

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 . . .

Upper Pocomoke River with Lots of Place to Fly Cast

Upper Pocomoke River

When you launch your canoe or kayak at Porters Crossing on the upper Pocomoke River, you will soon feel you have been transported to Jurassic Park expecting to see some dinosaur around the next bend or one of those prehistoric dragonflies with a six-foot wingspan. It is . . .

Wicomico River Aerial Image

Upper Wicomico River

The lower Eastern Shore is blessed with a number of tidal rivers reaching out to the Chesapeake Bay. The Upper Wicomico River provides an excellent waterway to experience tidal fly fishing in waters which offer a truly incredible array of fish species which can be caught on . . .

White Perch Caught on Skipton Creek on the Maryland Eastern Shore Mark Bange

Wye East River

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 . . .