Fishing Report

AREA 1: D.C. AND VICINITY

POTOMAC RIVER: 0-35 miles (…) — At Fletcher’s Cove (Georgetown, off Canal Road; 202/244-0461) anglers will hook catfish, a bass or two and even a couple of stripers that still hang around. Now that the bass spawning is over, the downstream largemouths have taken up residence along tidal creek marsh banks, especially those with nearby “deep” water of five or six feet. Lots of action also can be found in milfoil, wild celery and hydrilla weedbeds. River guide Dale Knupp (301/934-9062) has had no trouble finding bass for his clients. Wacky-rigged scented worms, “creature” baits like Berkley’s Beast or standard Texas-rigged plastics will produce in Aquia, Potomac, Quantico, Powell and Occoquan feeders on the Virginia side and every feeder creek from Broad Creek near Wilson Bridge down to the Chicamuxen Creek in Charles County. Topwater poppers and grass “rats” can do well if the water begins to recede. In the salty waters below Route 301 bridge, small croakers have been biting at Swan Point, with bigger specimens showing up toward Point Lookout.

WICOMICO RIVER: 55 miles (..) — We keep hearing about great croaker catches out of Bushwood, but whenever I speak to local croaker fishermen, the word is the “hardhead” fishing has been fair at best, lousy at worst but never super productive.

MATTAWOMAN CREEK: 40 miles (…) — A receding tide coupled to flooded grass or spatterdock fields can result in topwater popper bass catches, although soft plastics will be the best all-around lure from the Deep Point area clear up to Hancock Cove and the railroad tracks.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND LAKES: 40-50 miles (…) — Gilbert Run Park’s Wheatley Lake (Route 6, east of La Plata) turns up a mixed bag of bass, sunfish and surprising remnant trout that were stocked here earlier this year. St. Mary’s Lake (south on Route 5, past Leonardtown to Camp Cosoma Road) delivers the goods for bass fans and sunfish fly-rodders or minnow and bobber anglers looking for crappies.

LITTLE SENECA LAKE: 30 miles (…) — Black Hill Regional Park (off Route 117, near Boyds, 301/972-9396) and nearby Seneca Creek Lake (Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, 301/924-2127) show good crappie action, especially around beaver huts, with bass going after Carolina-rigged plastics in deeper water ledges.

WSSC RESERVOIRS: 20-30 miles (…) — (Triadelphia, off Route 97 or Route 650, in Montgomery County; Rocky Gorge, off Route 29, in Montgomery County) Bass can’t be kept until June 16, but if you are practicing, note that they like scented plastic worms around waterlogged wood or long lake points early in the day. Crappies and sunfish are available.

PATUXENT RIVER: 25-60 miles (…) — White perch are moving into the lower feeder creeks, with small rockfish seen on the main stem from the mouth up to Benedict. Croakers are active after sundown from the mouth up to Greenwell State Park.

OCCOQUAN RESERVOIR: 25-30 miles (…) — In the Fountainhead Park area (Route 123, Fairfax County) and up-lake, anglers will score on good-sized bass along lake points and drops as they use Texas-rigged worms or slow-roll spinnerbait. Sunfish catches are super. Crappies are found more often now.

BURKE LAKE: 29 miles (…) — (Ox Road, Route 123, Fairfax County) After the Occoquan Reservoir, this lake is rated second best for bass in Northern Virginia. That’s good news for users of plastic worms, medium depth firetiger or shad color crankbaits. Crappies and sunfish are willing.

AREA 2: CENTRAL, WESTERN MD.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: 35-100 miles (…) — Biologist John Mullican reports that the river is lower than average and the water is warm. Smallmouth bass and walleyes provide good action. The bass like small buzzbaits and poppers, but the usual tubes, grubs and crankbaits do well on bass and walleyes.

DEEP CREEK LAKE: 179 miles (…) — Largemouth bass are spawning in lake coves, but the smallmouths, says Keith Lockwood, are finished. Jigs, grubs, worms and spinners can produce when flipped under floating docks. If you need a guide, call Brent Nelson, 240/460-8839.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER: 65-100 miles (…) — Fishing the lower river’s grass beds can produce some fine largemouth bass, while the inside of the river between Port Deposit and Conowingo Dam turns up some well-fed smallmouth bass.

AREA 3: CHESAPEAKE BAY

MARYLAND: 45-75 miles (…) — From St. Jerome’s Creek in St. Mary’s County, Christy Henderson (www.buzzsmarina.com) says, “We are getting into the summer pattern where [bottom] structure is key. Having a good chart and GPS will really help. The trollers have downsized their rigs and are trolling from the Targets to a few miles past Point No Point Lighthouse on the 40-foot contour and doing really well with the rockfish between 18 and 28 inches. Bluefish up to three pounds were caught at the Holland Bar Light by trollers using surgical eels, and croakers have shown up in good numbers from the Mud Leads to the Holland Bar Light. A few flounder are taken near the Target Ship.” In the upper bay parts, from the Gooses to Hackett’s Light, small bucktails and surgical tubing can result in a few keeper rockfish. Occasional bluefish are scored as well. Black drum are possible at Stone Rock.

VIRGINIA: 75-150 miles (…) — Northern Neck charter fishing captain Billy Pipkin (Ingram Bay Marina in Wicomico Church, www.captbillyscharters.com. 804/580-7292) says, “Chumming for rockfish brings 18-to 20-inchers. The channel edge from the Northern Neck Reef down to Buoy 62, the Triangle area at Buoy 65 and the eastern channel edge at Buoys 70 and 72 are all producing this week.” Pipkin also says some bluefish come into chum lines. From the Virginia Beach area, Julie Ball reports that lower Chesapeake Bay catches include sheepshead, spadefish and cobia. “The red and black drum bite [has been] steady on the Eastern Shore side of the lower bay,” she adds. Flounder of the mandated 181/2-inch size are tough to find, but some are caught in deep-water channels, especially around Lynnhaven Inlet.

AREA 4: EASTERN SHORE/MD.

CHOPTANK RIVER: 120 MILES (…) — (Route 50 east to Cambridge) The mid-shore chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association will have a children’s fishing derby Saturday at the Choptank Fishing Pier adjacent to the Route 50 bridge in Cambridge. Bring fishing gear and catch white perch, maybe a croaker or little rockfish. Good fun and prizes are promised. Call 410/476-5961 for details.

POCOMOKE RIVER: 140-170 miles (…) — (From Snow Hill down to Shad Landing) Jack Miller visited the river just below Snow Hill. He reports that 4-inch junebug-color Power Worms resulted in fine catches of bass, including several 3-pounders.

NANTICOKE RIVER: 120 miles (…) — (Sharptown ramp off Route 313 or use the Federalsburg ramp on the Marshyhope Creek) The bass fishing has improved a great deal since last week. Wacky-rigged scented worms worked well in the Marshyhope Creek, as well as upstream blowdowns.

AREA 5: CENTRAL VIRGINIA

LAKE ANNA: 82 miles (…) — (Route 208, Spotsylvania County) Bass are in postspawn mode, and some fine specimens are taken on deep crankbaits or Carolina-rigged plastics, usually around lake and creek points. The crappie fishing is fine in dockside-placed brush piles or around beaver huts.

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER: 47-100 miles (…) — Upper river smallmouth bass will jump on a tube lure flicked into the rock pools and riffles on a 1/8-ounce jig hook. Small crankbaits also can work upstream of Fredericksburg. In the tidal parts, bass fishing has been good between Hicks Landing and Port Royal. Soft Texas-rigged worms are best cast into submerged trees.

LAKE BRITTLE: 59 miles (…) — (Route 793, off Route 29) Crappie catches can be good. Fly-rodding for sunfish is super now. Bass will bite early and late, with 4-inch plastic worms working best.

LAKE ORANGE: 75 miles (…) — (Concessionaire: 540/672-3997; look for left turn sign on Route 20 before entering town of Orange) Bass action has been pretty good. Quarter-ounce spinnerbaits, soft junebug-color worms or shallow-lipped crankbaits are the ticket. Crappies will bite.

LAKE GASTON: 179 miles (…) — (Route 46, Gasburg) Good bass action in the feeder creeks on both sides of the lake are reported. Plastic worms are best. Uplake bass hounds also connect on early morning stripers using topwater lures, such as the Chug Bug or Zara Spook.

KERR RESERVOIR: 185 miles (…) — (Route 58, Clarksville) Large catfish and fat crappies are the rule now, but some decent bass are also taken. The blue cats like a cut slab of fish on the bottom.

JAMES RIVER: 115 miles (…) — (Tidal Richmond area and downstream) Striped bass have been caught downstream of the I-95 crossing. Catfish are hungry, but bass catches could be better.

CHICKAHOMINY RIVER: 135 miles (…) — (Williamsburg area) Blowdowns in the upper river and marsh edges in the lower parts have been good for bass. Perch and crappies are available.

AREA 6: WESTERN VIRGINIA

SHENANDOAH RIVER: 75-85 miles (..) — The Route 340, Front Royal, Luray and Bentonville stretches hold some decent smallmouth and largemouth bass, as well as many sunfish.

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE: 210 miles (…) — (Route 122, east of Roanoke) Some of the lake’s rocky outcroppings and boulder fields are giving up smallmouth bass. Nights are best for stripers.

UPPER JAMES RIVER: 130 miles (…) — (Route 6, south of Charlottesville, Scottsville) Smallmouth bass are guaranteed for river floaters, waders and shoreline lure casters. The water is low.

AREA 7: ATLANTIC OCEAN

MARYLAND: 153-175 miles (…) — (Route 50 to Ocean City) The offshore wrecks turn up good numbers of delicious sea bass, with blue water trollers and bait users also finding many sharks, scattered bluefish and some tuna. Back at the resort city, the inlet waters turn up rockfish and small blues and continued catches of tautogs. The flounder chances are not good, and surf stickers get more sand shark bites than anything else.

VIRGINIA: 210 miles to Virginia Beach (…) — Virginia Beach’s Julie Ball reports that offshore wrecks continue to produce sea bass and tautogs on crab baits. “The Triangle Wrecks and the Chesapeake Light Tower Reef are good locations,” she says. A reader who checked out the offshore waters near the Carolina line tied into a school of heavy bluefish. Tuna will be biting, too, this weekend. For charter boats, call the Virginia Beach Fishing Center, 757/491-8000.

• Look for Gene Mueller’s Outdoors column Sunday and Wednesday and his Fishing Report on Thursday, only in The Washington Times. E-mail: gmueller@washingtontimes.com.