fishing upper potomac river

By | December 30, 2020

Super guide to fishing the Upper Potomac. In the past 2 days i have fished 6 hours and have only caught 2 11" smallmouth. The 1999 Maryland regulations require PFDs for all persons aboard watercraft, including tubes, from November 15 to May 15, but there are no such regulations for waders. The flat and graded towpath is well-shaded in the summer and is perfect for hikers and bikers, so it can become quite crowded around the more populated areas and historic landmarks during nice weather. The 184.5-mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park begins in Washington, DC and runs up the Maryland side of the Potomac River all the way to Cumberland in Maryland’s panhandle. Grubs, small crankbaits and tubes are good choices when fishing these areas. A few of these islands are still privately owned and they are posted. The best places to start if you are new to fishing the Potomac River are Chicamuxen Creek, Mattawoman Creek, Aquia Creek, and Nanjemoy Creek . Fishing upper Potomac river question. Acid mine drainage keep the PH so low that it seemed nothing could survive in its waters. Fishing for smallmouth bass in the upper Potomac River has been slow. Plastic bags are provided at the parking lots, and visitors are expected to take their trash with them to dispose of elsewhere. The map of the area from Brunswick to Seneca is provided by LOU. Their website is www.potomacriver.org. Ironically, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) held its own groundbreaking ceremony on exactly the same day near Baltimore, and the race to the west between the two had begun. Great Falls, which is a steep 80 foot drop, is the largest impediment on the river, and fish ladders were built there in the mid-1800′s to allow fish to migrate upriver, but in 1959, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Little Falls Dam next to the old, ruined feeder dam to deliver water to the Washington Aqueduct, obstructing fish migration even further down river. The magazine usually has an article about fishing in Maryland for smallmouth bass, either in the Potomac or the Susquehanna, which enters the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. GMCO is a small operation that splintered off from ADC, and as of early 1999, the owner hadn’t quite gotten his direct sales up and running yet. The map of the area from Dam No. Like a lot of water, it is all about location. Regulations and property ownership may have changed since publication. Casting to submerged ledges with tubes in crayfish colors and light ⅛-ounce jig heads tends to be the best tactic. The history of the river and the canal makes a great story and has been grossly abbreviated for this article, so further reading is highly recommended. Fishing for smallmouth bass in the upper Potomac River has been slow. The tidal Potomac River near Washington, D.C. gets lots of accolades for its brackish water largemouth fishing and exotic snakeheads. You can write to ICPRB at 6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20852. On the Virginia side, river access is available to the public at Turkey Run, Dranesfield Park, Riverbend Park, Algonkian Park and Balls Bluff. We set the 100 ft fillet out and had to reset a dozen times to catch the shad we use for bait. Mon, Wed - Sat 10-6 Closed Tuesdays Sunday Noon to 4:00; 4332 William Wilson Freeway Harpers Ferry, WV 25425; 304-876-8030; Categories. I think the reason is also for the abundance of aquatic vegetation which creates cover. A Potomac River sport fishing license is not required if you: Are less than 16 years of age. Ive fished some very good looking ledges, riprap, and eddies. When fishing tidal waters, northern snakeheads can be encountered in these same areas, especially in the tidal creeks of the lower Potomac and Nanticoke rivers and the lower Eastern Shore counties. I'm new to boating and I'd like to buy a boat for the family mainly for fishing but some cruising too. Along its path, the river forms the boundaries between Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. In this magazine are maps of the Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac River, which show depths and hot fishing spots. Is anybody familiar with that part of the river? Kayaks; Fly Fishing; Conventional tackle; WFO, Guided Trips, Kayak Rentals; Follow Us ; Site Search. History The Fishery If you don’t have a map your lost. Occasionally you can spot a bald eagle or a wild turkey, and in the spring and fall, migratory birds use the park as a resting spot on their long journeys. For a list of maps and books about the canal you can write to: Parks & History Association, P.O. This map set covers approximately 32 miles and shows public access sites, facilities, points of interest and historical and cultural information. The area between Great Falls and Little Falls varies from Class I to Class III, and the area from Little Falls down to Chain Bridge, just over the DC/Maryland line, is listed an area of Class VI rapids. This map set covers approximately 32 miles and shows public access sites, facilities, points of interest and historical and cultural information. The most ambitious of these attempts was the construction of a canal along the river by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company. 2 talking about this. The company filed for bankruptcy, and all plans to expand further west were canceled. The most notable exceptions to this are between Great Falls and Little Falls and near the dams. Low and clear water conditions have made a stealthy approach and light lines a must. Elsewhere, the canal is mostly a dry ditch or an insect-infested swamp, but there are also areas of the canal near Little Pool, Big Pool and Hancock that have been maintained with water by local organizations. There is also a free boat ramp across from Point of Rocks maintained by the Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Relic hunting and possession of metal detectors are also prohibited in the park. That was about 6 to 7 years ago. Smallmouth bass fishing on the scenic upper Potomac River in the Fall!!! River levels can be found on the weather pages of local papers, or by listening to the recording at 703-260-0305. Naturally, striped bass are a prime target for … 0 Comment Report abuse James Sand. There are 74 lift locks along the canal, about half of which have roads leading to them and small parking lots. That includes all waters from as far north as Cumberland, MD all the way to Little Falls, Washington DC. District Angling          2105 North Pollard Street   Arlington, VA  22207      (703) 268-7500     info@districtangling.com. A useful website for information is www.md.water.usgs.gov. Catfish seem to be everywhere. The Potomac River covers many miles of the mid-Atlantic region, traversing some remote, isolated areas and some of the most heavily populated regions in the country. It is your responsibility to know and obey all regulations and not trespass on private property. Late summer on the Potomac is often tough fishing, so the contenders in the Costa FLW Series Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits event had to pull out all the stops. There is also a 7-day license available for $7. There is an annual magazine that comes out called “Fishing in Maryland”. These tricolor maps are detailed with place names, islands, rapids, fishing spots, portage spots, etc., and there are also text boxes on each map containing historical tidbits. B&O gained control of the canal by buying up most of the company’s debts and promising the bankruptcy court to keep the canal in working order. There is also a special trophy bass area from Seneca Breaks to the Mouth of the Monocacy River and into the Monocacy River up to Buckeyestown Dam. It is also waterproof. Most of these are free and maintained by NPS, but a few are private and charge a small fee. Fly Fishing The North Branch of the Potomac River Maryland Several years ago no one would have ever thought this river could support trout. Articles on this site are out of date since some go back to 2006. His guide service uses large rubber rafts adapted for these waters and is somewhat geared to flyfishing. 5 and Dam No. I was initially looking at a Crestliner 1950 Superhawk (roughly 20') with a 150 or 200 outboard, but that may be too much boat for this stretch of the river. Fishing Overview - Fishing for smallmouth on the Potomac has continued to be tough. Smallmouth fishing in the Upper Potomac River can be a rewarding and peaceful experience. Show more. March 19, 2010 The individual location pages have been removed with the publication of this inexpensive book. Specifics and Tips - Try a much slower retrieve, and use bigger patterns in deep slots.. River is optimal depth at 2.5 feet and pretty clear. Washington county, MD. Best Wading from Point of Rocks to Whites Ferry is 0.7 feet on the Point of Rocks Gauge.Best Wading from Violets lock down to Turkey Run is 3.0 feet on the Little Falls Gauge. There are about 30 of these free campsites, and they and available on a first-come, first-served basis and closed in the winter. For anyone that enjoys smallmouth bass fishing and the Potomac River. This river can be a year round fishery, depending on winter weather, and holds trophy sized bass, walleye, catfish and musky. A Potomac River sport fishing license is not required if you: Are less than 16 years of age. There is a towpath alongside the canal that was built for mule teams to pull barges loaded with cargo westward up the canal. President John Quincy Adams officiated at the elaborate groundbreaking ceremony at Little Falls on July 4, 1828. Smallmouth bass in the Upper Potomac forage mainly on minnows (including spotfin shiners, bullnose minnows, spot tail shiners and darters), crayfish, stonecats and hellgrammites. The upper portion of the river, upstream of Jennings Randolph Lake, is a fantastic place to go fly fishing for trout. Maryland owns the entire main stem so you must have either a Virginia, West Virginia or Maryland freshwater fishing license. In 1999, a Maryland resident’s nontidal license cost $10, and a non-resident’s license costs $15. I've caught a lot of Channels up here. The Upper Potomac River maps are a bit sketchier with no depths shown, but good wading spots, hot fishing spots, towns, roads, islands and boat ramps are all marked. The Commission produced a lovely set of six, small strip maps that covers the river from Georgetown to Opequon Creek, so it has one of the few maps that details the river from Georgetown to Great Falls. Current fly fishing reports and conditions for North Branch Potomac in Maryland! The upper Potomac is a scenic, historic river and conveniently located to the Washington D.C area. B&O readily made its way to West Virginia, and the now-obsolete canal had only reached as far as Cumberland when it was devastated by another tremendous flood in 1889 (the same year as the flood that destroyed Johnstown, Pennsylvania). Wade in the shallows, cast from the banks, or fish from a canoe. Northern Chesapeake Bay Chart: Tidal Potomac River: Store Information. Ken Penrod has a professional guide service called Life Outdoors Unlimited (LOU) that guides the entire river and uses mostly jet bass boats and standard tackle for smallies. While some of the tackle info may be a bit dated, the geographic features are gonna pretty much remain the same. Tidal Potomac River > Upper Potomac River > Susquehanna River Juniata River > Upper Bay > Eastern Shore Tidal Rivers Visit our other Facebook Pages below: Notes: Our fishing reports and client photos will be posted to Ken’s Facebook Page, “Life Outdoors Unlimited” and our website, www.penrodsguides.com. Most of the Upper Potomac River is about 3/4 mile wide and slowly narrows as it reaches up to its origin as a deceptive trickle at Fairfax Stone near Kempton, Maryland. Because of frequent floods, cost overruns, labor problems and competition from B&O, the company was many years behind its original three-year schedule, far exceeded its original $22 million budget and was always in debt. I have read several Potomac River books that were authored by a local guide and I must say that this book is right up at the top with those books. Smallmouth bass can be found in fast moving and deeper waters. In early 1999, a company named GMCO came out with a boater’s map of the Upper Potomac River from Dam No. The barges would then float down river on their return, loaded with coal, quarry stone, lumber, grain and other commodities from the western regions. I've done the meet and greet from Brunswick, MD to point if rocks and had a great time. Another exception is that certain areas, such as Carderock/Turkey Run, produce an unusual amount of algae, so felt soles are recommended for waders. Just below Oldtown, Maryland, (above Paw Paw) the Potomac splits into the North and South Branches. Largemouth bass can also be caught in the quieter pools. Natural colors of jigs are popular lure choices and it is hard to beat a spinnerbait for locating actively feeding fish. The river can be very dangerous, especially after heavy rains, so please exercise caution. The river changes too much to get any more specific, and it is vastly a different experience depending on whether you are a boater or a wader. Catfish are actually more sought after than bass, but they are most often caught for food. 2 talking about this. The Potomac is a big watershed that is sometimes influenced by high density populations which significantly lower water quality and negatively affects the animals that live there. Get the latest up to date fly fishing report for Smallmouth bass, panfish, catfish, carp fishing in Potomac River with the top producing flies and recommended equipment to get you into fish. It is a surprise to many that the Potomac River has so much white water so close to the Nation’s Capitol. Horseback riding along the towpath is permitted from Swains Lock to Cumberland, except for in the Paw Paw tunnel. Numerous small islands dot the river and some very large ones split the river in half, making it look narrower. Smallmouth bass fishing is slow at Lander and Brunswick, but with good numbers of catfish. Upper Potomac River in Review - 2015 The nontidal Potomac River, generally referred to as the “Upper” Potomac, is one of Maryland’s most popular freshwater fishing destinations. Catfish are actually more sought after than bass, but they are most often caught for food. Upper Potomac is north of D.C. Dams 4 & 5 are located up here. Public access on the West Virginia side is even more limited, but there is a state-owned boat ramp in Sharpsburg. Mark Kovach has a professional float fishing guide service that specializes in the Upper Potomac River, particularly above Brunswick. The above-mentioned guide services contributed information for the creation of this map. Bass will be … Hot Bait: Chumming with bunker is usually the number-one way to catch ‘em up. I hear that the upper Potomac River is killer for smallies, but I don't know where to start. Use a guide, such as Rich Johnson who is knowledgeable of the local conditions and can get them on the fish much faster than trying to fish on their own . Largemouth Bass can be caught throughout the river’s tidal and southern regions while Smallmouth Bass are typically found in the Upper Potomac. I live a few minutes from Seneca Landing boat ramp, and I'm wondering if there are certain multi-use boats suited to the Upper Potomac (say, Seneca Landing to Brunswick). Meet and greet from Brunswick to Seneca is provided by LOU level is very low s of... Through ADC stores or its website at www.penrodsguides.com or at many tackle shops in the upper portion of the.... Westward up the slack around Dam 4 can buoys are maintained catches of northern Snakeheads the Virginia of! Along the River they looked like the Blues i 've seen but i n't! By NPS, but were introduced by railroad in 1854 taking up the slack around 4. 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