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Maryland Angler's Log - Share Your Catch!To post a report please email your name, hometown, photos, location information, and the content for your report to fishingreports@dnr.state.md.us. All information is optional, but encouraged. Important Note: If anyone in your picture is under 18 years of age, we must have a photo release signed by a parent/guardian before we can post your picture. By sending any photos or art to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources you are giving DNR permission to use the image(s) online and in print. You are also giving DNR permission to distribute the photo for non-commercial purposes to other media, print, digital and television for their use. You are not giving up your copyright, but are allowing the photo(s) to be used for educational and news purposes. All Photos will be made available on Fisheries Service Flickr Page. The Snakehead Contest is being incorporated into an Inland Freshwater Survey on the Volunteer Angler Creel Survey webpage. For 2013 the end-of-year random drawing will include anglers reporting snakeheads to the Anglers Log as well as anglers participating in the Volunteer Angler Creel Surveys. We encourage anglers to continue to report snakehead catches. The information is helping our biologists better understand how this invasive species increases its range. |
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Alan Klotz, Fisheries Biologist - Garrett County
- Total Reports: 48
- View all reports by Alan Klotz →
Posted on October 27, 2011 | Permalink
Deep Creek Lake Fall Sampling
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake
Anglers – don’t stow away your fishing gear for the season - fishing Deep Creek Lake can be quite rewarding this time of the year! The Western Region crew pulled an all-nighter, sampling the lake from dusk to dawn earlier this week, and the amount and variety of fish we collected was amazing. The fish are in the fall feeding frenzy and most all of the gamefish were in very good condition. Nice-sized walleye (including a trophy 10 lb fish) were collected in every sample station and the amount of young of year walleye suggest a record year-class was produced. Chunky smallmouth bass and largemouth bass up to 4 lbs were collected. Jumbo-size yellow perch in the 10 to 13 inch range were common. Chain pickerel were abundant in each station, some measuring more than 20 inches. Northern pike are showing up more frequently in our samples, the largest was a thick-bodied fish that bottomed out our scale.
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Matt Sell, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 13
- View all reports by Matt Sell →
Posted on August 3, 2011 | Permalink
Deep Creek Lake Walleye
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake
Fishing has been steady for the walleyes on DCL the past few weeks. Getting fish in the boat hasn’t been a problem, and a surprising number of 15”+ fish are coming up as well. I won’t share all of my “secrets”, but targeting main lake points using a combo of trolling and casting has proven most effective. Just because surface temps are over 80 now, don’t be discouraged, just adjust tactics! Plenty of chunky 12-14” smallmouth are also happy to volunteer as a ‘by-catch’, so to speak with the associated pickerel that are always willing to bite. The occasional large yellow perch is a nice bonus as well, with plenty of 11”+ fish around for the taking!
Good luck out there and be safe with the boat traffic!!!
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Michael Peters, Recreational Angler - Hampstead, MD
- Total Reports: 15
- View all reports by Michael Peters →
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Cameron Fletcher, Student Technican - Annapolis
- Total Reports: 7
- View all reports by Cameron Fletcher →
Posted on July 22, 2011 | Permalink
Garrett County: No Civilization But Lots of Nature
Type: All
Region:
Location: Savage River, Chesapeake Bay
This week’s trip to the Savage River was interesting. While we were basically in the middle of nowhere, we were surrounded by mountains, forests, and rivers, all abundant with nature’s creatures. Electrofishing was much harder in the Savage River as each section was covered with rocks and boulders that we had to climb through without getting electrocuted by the water. I successfully made it through the whole trip without shocking myself. I also caught and saw my first brook trout which has amazing, almost neon, coloring. The only disappointing part of our surveys was that the number of fish we were catching was much lower than last year for some reason. Hopefully that will change within the next couple of years. Outside from our work on the Savage River, we had some time to relax and explore. We spent some time lying on the beach at Deep Creek Lake and also swimming and rock climbing at Swallow Tail Falls. My first taste of freshly hunted deer topped everything off.
Upon my return to civilization, I helped out with the program, Marylander’s Grow Oysters. We collected the oyster cages from private homes and released them into an oyster sanctuary. At one particular home, a family came out onto the pier when we arrived. As we pulled up the cages, we showed the children what they had been growing. They were very excited to see the oysters and other little organisms that were living in the cages. Chris Judy, one of the leaders of this program told me that this was what the program was all about: exciting the public about saving the bay. If each participant is continually excited about the oysters, chances are they will be more involved with other environmental issues that affect the bay and its surrounding waters. I learned that the river that I live on (The Severn River), participates in this program, so I can’t wait to get my own cages of oysters to grow on my dock!
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Don Cosden, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 6
- View all reports by Don Cosden →
Posted on July 6, 2011 | Permalink
Deep Creek Lake
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake
I’m a little late on this report but I thought someone might tuck away the info for next year. We had great late May fishing at Deep Creek Lake for smallmouth, big pickerel, rock bass and few other nice specimens. I pulled into the campground on Wednesday afternoon the 18th. It was grey and even a little chilly but that not uncommon for Garrett Co. this time of year. The next day was a little rainy and cool so I took my time getting ready. I dropped by boat in around nine and started fishing the Park shoreline. Within 10 minutes I had numerous hits and caught several little smallmouth on a white streamer fly that I like to fish unweighted on a 6-weight outfit. This was a good sign. The water temp was 60 f which is a perfect early spring temperature. It never actually warmed up and the water temp may have dropped a half degree which may be why the smallmouth fishing never got really hot. But no matter the pickerel were hungry and I got several over 20”. The next day alternated between sunny and balmy and breezy, cloudy and chilly but the smallmouth fishing was better. That afternoon I picked up our former Western regional manager, Ken Pavol for a few hours. And Ken gave me not only a casting clinic but showed me what it takes to drive these smallmouth crazy. Kens been on this lake for 30 years and knows a thing or two about DCL smallies. Over the next few days the smallmouth got more and more aggressive. I fished a few different flies and a couple of spinning lures but nothing could beat that suspended streamer pattern. My wife came up for the weekend joined me for some fantastic flyrodding for smallmouth. Nothing was huge but most ranged between 11 and 15 inches. We also caught a few bluegill that were pushing 11 inches. You talk about fun! Well I heard from Ken just a week ago that the lake was still on fire. The smallmouth were trailing off but the bluegill action only got better. You can bet where I’ll be next May.
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Steve Doctor, Fisheries Biologist - Ocean City, MD
- Total Reports: 12
- View all reports by Steve Doctor →
Posted on June 28, 2011 | Permalink
Garrett County Fishing Trip
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Garrett County
I recently spent a week with my nieces up in Garrett County and was tasked with entertainment for the week. So I decided to take the nieces fishing for a few days. The first day we spent on Deep Creek Lake drifting minnows and worms and they caught some huge yellow perch. They thoroughly enjoyed the activity, as soon as they started catching some fish. The next day we went on my favorite wild and scenic river. In a full day of fishing we caught over 40 smallmouth bass, rock bass, chubs, and rainbow trout. I take my hat off to you freshwater guys. You are really doing a great job! Thanks
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Matt Sell, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 13
- View all reports by Matt Sell →
Posted on June 27, 2011 | Permalink
Deep Creek Lake
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake
I met up with regional biologist, Alan Klotz, last evening for a few hours of fishing on Deep Creek. We launched around 5:00 from the State Park and started fishing in McHenry Cove, working south from there. We mainly trolled shad-raps on weed lines in 12-15 FOW. Our targets were the walleyes, but ended up with a nice mixed bag, as is usual when draggin' shad raps. At the end of the night, we had one keeper ‘eye, a few perch, one nice bluegill, a few pickerel, one northern, and some smallmouth. The weather was nice.. a bit calm with the occasional sprinkle of rain. Water temps were mainly in the low to mid 70’s.
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Alan Klotz, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 48
- View all reports by Alan Klotz →
Posted on June 20, 2011 | Permalink
Western Maryland Fishing Vacation
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Youghiogheny River
After a long year of school, my son Kyle and his friend Zach and I took a week to fish Western Maryland. Our first stop was the Youghiogheny River, where we caught several rainbow trout, including a hefty 14-incher that took a black zonker streamer. Then on to Broadford Lake for some bluegill action – and we were not disappointed as we caught a lot of bluegills and pumpkinseeds, and enjoyed a delicious fish fry that evening. We enjoyed a day of brook trout fishing in the Savage River Watershed. We travelled to the Battie Mixon Fishing Hole where the boys caught several hybrid sunfish and largemouth bass, but really enjoyed seeing several species of turtles. We finished up the week on Deep Creek Lake where the guys reeled in some very large bluegills, along with yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and rock bass. Time well spent!
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Allen Forrest, Recreational Angler - Hagerstown, MD
- Total Reports: 6
- View all reports by Allen Forrest →
Posted on June 7, 2011 | Permalink
Good Day of Fishing at Deep Creek Lake
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake
I went up to deepcreek lake on 6/5/11 to do some prefishing. Iam happy to report the lake is alive and well the millfoil is back this year and the fish are very heathy. By the end of the day i had 2 largemouth 8 smallmouth and more pickerel than i care to count. I also had a glimpse of a largemouth over 24in. All in all a good day.
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Alan Klotz, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 48
- View all reports by Alan Klotz →
Posted on May 26, 2011 | Permalink
Deep Creek Lake Smallmouth Bass and Rock Bass
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake
Now is primetime for catch and release fishing for Smallmouth Bass in Deep Creek Lake – try fishing topwater lures, plastic tubes (fished weightless), or streamers along boulder-strewn shorelines for the best action. Rock bass also known as Red-eyes are also very aggressive this time of year, and you will catch them in the same rocky habitat. I had a blast last evening fly-fishing with this wool-bodied streamer and caught several scrappy Smallmouths in the 10 – 12 inch range and lots of Rock Bass.
