Fishing Report
Chesapeake Bay (upper), VA
Summary: 3/5/26 - The lower Susquehanna River was running stained this past weekend and water temperatures were holding at 40 degrees. The large coves off the mouth of the North East River and Charlestown still have large sections of ice that is rapidly deteriorating. Anglers could be seen anchoring out in the lower Susquehanna fishing for blue catfish and yellow perch. Both species are holding in the deeper parts of the channels. Cut bait or scented baits will catch blue catfish. Because the yellow perch are holding deep, a two-hook dropper rig baited with small minnows tends to be the best option for yellow perch. In the upper Bay tidal rivers, yellow perch can be found in some of the deeper waters in the upper stretches of the rivers. Casting Beetle-spin type lures, shad darts, or small soft plastics can work well in these transition waters below the spawning areas. Chain pickerel can also be found in these same areas holding near sunken wood and a variety of spinners, paddletails, and spoons can encourage them to strike. The Bush, Sassafras, Chester, and Magothy rivers are good places to explore for pre-spawn yellow perch.