Experience the vast shoreline fishing opportunities the Chesapeake Bay has to offer, from Maryland’s Eastern Shore marshlands to the shadow of our nation’s capital, and everywhere in between.
I know, I know, it’s a boating magazine. But if you’re an angler with engine problems, pulled your vessel from the slip during wintertime, or just want to give the ol’ girl a break, look no further than the shorelines of the Chesapeake to tickle your fishing fancy. Explore marshlands, rivers, and everything this brackish paradise has to offer—all with your boots on dry land.
Matapeake Park
Located just over the Bay Bridge on Kent Island, Matapeake Park is one of the best public access points to the main Bay from shore. The 650-foot fishing pier allows for ample personal space, even on crowded days. It’s open 24 hours and equipped with lights, catering to the nocturnal angler. Complete with picnic tables, grills, and restrooms, Matapeake is the perfect spot to spend a day fishing or crabbing with the family.
Casting soft plastic jigs on a medium setup is a great way to target rockfish, white perch, puppy drum, and bluefish. These same species, as well as spot, croaker, and catfish can be caught on bait such as bloodworms, cut alewife or spot, and razor clams. Crabbing with pull traps is also popular here, with chicken necks being the preferred bait.
If you’ve wrapped up fishing by dinnertime, head over to Harris Crab House for some killer seafood. They steam one heck-of-a-good pot of crabs, but this restaurant is no one trick pony. Their fried oysters melt in your mouth, and the hush puppies are to die for.
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
The main attraction here is snakeheads. Blackwater is one of the first places in Maryland where the population of this invasive species really took off, and to say that the system is now full of these fish would be an understatement. Casting minnows under bobbers with a medium or medium-heavy rod is a tried-and-true way to catch snakeheads. Look for fish shallow and tight to vegetation during the warmer months and search deeper holes or ledges during colder times of the year. Anglers who wish to throw lures can experiment with topwater frogs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and soft plastic minnows or paddletails to see which offering gets the fish to chew that day. Aside from snakeheads, there is opportunity to catch perch, largemouth bass, rockfish, and catfish. Pull traps and hand lines are popular for crabbing at Blackwater, too.
Shoreline fishing and crabbing access can be found via the Key Wallace Drive Causeway. This road spans across the Little Blackwater River and offers hundreds of yards of fishing access on both sides. No parking is allowed on the Causeway, so be sure to park on the west end by the entrance to Wildlife Drive.
Just a short drive south of Cambridge, Blackwater is a Dorchester County gem that all anglers can take advantage of.
King’s Landing Park
For those of you interested in filling the cooler or simply assisting in conservation efforts, head over to King’s Landing Park on the Patuxent River for some excellent blue catfish action. Heavy rod and reel setups are ideal here, as these invasive critters have been caught at monstrous sizes, including Maryland’s 84-pound state record. A fishfinder rig or Carolina rig equipped with a 5/0 to 10/0 size circle hook should do the trick. As far as baits, think about the stink. Any oily fish or raw meat will be the easiest for these scent-focused and opportunistic catfish to find. My personal favorites are alewife and chicken livers.
King’s Landing is not only a fishing destination but a park packed with amenities to keep the whole family busy. There’s a swimming pool (open from Memorial Day to Labor Day), hiking trails, and even an equestrian facility.
Fletcher’s Cove
Just outside of our nation’s capital lies a park on a stretch of the Potomac River that offers tons of fishing action and species diversity. Fletcher’s Cove sits just below the river’s fall line, making this part of the river both tidal and brackish. Different times of the year offer anglers the opportunity to target striped bass, white perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, American and hickory shad, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, snakeheads, walleye, and crappie. It’s a long list, I know, so let’s break it down by season.
In the springtime, Fletcher’s hosts hundreds of fishermen flocking to the riverbank to catch shad. The “shad run” is the annual migration of both American shad and hickory shad as they head upstream to spawn. During the peak of the run, anglers can catch hundreds of these fish in just a few hours. Tandem rigs, spoons, and shad darts casted on light tackle are popular methods for shad fishing. Blue catfish, flathead catfish, and striped bass are also putting on the feed bag this time of year, gobbling up the plethora of shad in the river. Cut alewife and large soft plastic swimbaits on heavier gear are what you’ll find most anglers throwing from the bank for these predatory species.
Summer is an excellent time to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass, snakeheads, crappie, and white perch. Target creeks or coves and slower moving water for the largies and snakeheads with topwater frogs, soft plastics, or live minnows. Crappie and perch will be found in the same areas but will be keyed in on smaller lures like micro soft plastics and inline spinners. Bloodworms, nightcrawlers, and minnows should get them biting as well. Smallmouth are more likely to be found in eddies or held up by rock piles. Try throwing ned rigs, finesse jigs, spinnerbaits, and topwater poppers. Live crawfish under a bobber also work great, if you can get your hands on them.
Fall is going to be a mixed bag of summer species, but with a bit more action from the catfish and walleye. Curly tail grubs and deep diving jerkbaits are absolute killers for walleye. Live minnows are a good bet, too. Target catfish the same way as in the spring.
Winter will be the toughest time of year, but catfish, smallmouth, and walleye may still be around. Downsize your artificial offerings or switch to live bait when fishing in the colder months.
And when your stomach is rumbling after a long day of fishing, D.C. is right on the doorstep of Fletcher’s Cove with loads of great restaurants from fast-casual to Michelin star. (Note: plan for some traffic if you decide to drive into the city). Union Market is one of my favorite places to dine in the District. This eatery is basically a foodie’s dreamhouse, as each stall is unique from the rest. Sweet, savory, Asian, soul, Latin, Italian, pizza, you name it. Whatever you’re craving, you’ll find it at Union Market.
The Chesapeake Bay and her tributaries are rife with opportunities to fish and explore by land. All it takes is a car, your boots, and a fishing rod. There’s no better time than the present. Head out and lose yourself in the magic and beauty of fishing the Chesapeake from shore. For more shoreline fishing opportunities, visit fishtalkmag.com and type “shoreline fishing” into the search box.
By Adam Greenberg