Charles County, MD · Potomac River

Chapel Point State Park

Chapel Point State Park offers public shoreline and pier access on the tidal Potomac in Charles County. Common targets include striped bass, white perch, blue catfish, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and northern snakehead.

Live · updated Jun 5, 6:56 PM ET

Top picks today

Blue Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish & Northern Snakehead — tied at the top (74/100)

4 species tied for best of 6 tracked at Chapel Point State Park.

74 /100

great

Atmosphere

Air Temp

92°F

Mostly Sunny

Wind

2 to 12 mph

Rain

Saturday

Pressure

Steady

6-hour trend

Water

Water Temp

80°F

Tidal waters

Tide

outgoing

Sun & Moon

Sunrise

5:44 AM

Sunset

8:28 PM

Moon · 70%

waning gibbous

Today's Tides

Time	Type	Height
1:23 AM	Low	0.5 ft
7:48 AM	High	1.7 ft
2:02 PM	Low	0.3 ft
8:31 PM	High	1.6 ft

Species at Chapel Point State Park

6 species tracked, ranked by today's conditions. The top 4 (tied) are open below — tap any species to expand it, or a chip to focus.

#1 Blue Catfish Check local Blue Catfish regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 74/100

Regulations not yet verified

We don't have confirmed size, creel, or season rules for Blue Catfish in MD on file yet. The live conditions score still applies — but confirm the current regulations with your state agency before keeping any fish.

What's helping

80°F water — inside blue catfish's active range
12 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

About. Ictalurus furcatus — Invasive apex predator, now abundant throughout the tidal Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke. MDDNR actively encourages harvest. Caught on cut bait (bunker, white perch, gizzard shad) fished on bottom. 50+ lb fish are routine on the Potomac.

Prefers. Water 55–85°F (ideal 72°F) · either tide · depth 10–60 ft.

No regulations on file for Maryland tidal / tidal-potomac. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

#1 Largemouth Bass Check local Largemouth Bass regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 74/100

Regulations not yet verified

We don't have confirmed size, creel, or season rules for Largemouth Bass in MD on file yet. The live conditions score still applies — but confirm the current regulations with your state agency before keeping any fish.

What's helping

80°F water — inside largemouth bass's active range
12 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

About. Micropterus salmoides — Most popular gamefish in MD non-tidal waters. Ambush predator around cover — lily pads, submerged timber, docks, grass edges. Hits plastics, spinnerbaits, jigs, and topwater across the season.

Prefers. Water 55–85°F (ideal 72°F) · either tide · depth 3–25 ft.

No regulations on file for Maryland tidal / tidal-potomac. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

#1 Channel Catfish Check local Channel Catfish regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 74/100

Regulations not yet verified

We don't have confirmed size, creel, or season rules for Channel Catfish in MD on file yet. The live conditions score still applies — but confirm the current regulations with your state agency before keeping any fish.

What's helping

80°F water — inside channel catfish's active range
12 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

About. Ictalurus punctatus — Native catfish of MD non-tidal rivers, reservoirs, and farm ponds. Bottom-feeder that takes chicken liver, stinkbait, nightcrawlers, and cut bait. Most active at night and in warm water.

Prefers. Water 60–85°F (ideal 75°F) · either tide · depth 5–30 ft.

No regulations on file for Maryland tidal / tidal-potomac. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

#1 Northern Snakehead Check local Northern Snakehead regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 74/100

Regulations not yet verified

We don't have confirmed size, creel, or season rules for Northern Snakehead in MD on file yet. The live conditions score still applies — but confirm the current regulations with your state agency before keeping any fish.

What's helping

80°F water — inside northern snakehead's active range
12 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

About. Channa argus — Invasive ambush predator, now established throughout the tidal Potomac and much of the Eastern Shore. Also marketed as "Chesapeake Channa" to encourage harvest. Explosive topwater strikes in lily pads and grass flats; hits frogs, Chatterbaits, and swimbaits.

Prefers. Water 55–85°F (ideal 75°F) · either tide · depth 2–10 ft.

No regulations on file for Maryland tidal / tidal-potomac. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

#5 White Perch Check local White Perch regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 48/100

Regulations not yet verified

We don't have confirmed size, creel, or season rules for White Perch in MD on file yet. The live conditions score still applies — but confirm the current regulations with your state agency before keeping any fish.

What's helping

outgoing tide — white perch prefers outgoing tide
12 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

80°F water — above white perch's active range (50–78°f) — fish move deep

About. Morone americana — Smaller cousin of the striped bass and arguably the Bay's most popular panfish. Schools heavily in tidal rivers and creeks; hits bottom rigs with bloodworms, grass shrimp, or small jigs. Spring spawning run into the freshwater ends of tributaries is the marquee fishery.

Prefers. Water 50–78°F (ideal 65°F) · outgoing tide · depth 3–25 ft.

No regulations on file for Maryland tidal / tidal-potomac. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

#6 Striped Bass Check local Striped Bass regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 32/100

Regulations not yet verified

We don't have confirmed size, creel, or season rules for Striped Bass in MD on file yet. The live conditions score still applies — but confirm the current regulations with your state agency before keeping any fish.

What's helping

12 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

80°F water — above striped bass's active range (50–72°f) — fish move deep
outgoing tide — striped bass prefers incoming tide

About. Morone saxatilis — Maryland's state fish. Anadromous — runs into Bay tributaries to spawn each spring. Targeted by trolling, jigging, live-lining, and surf casting. Locally called "rockfish."

Prefers. Water 50–72°F (ideal 62°F) · incoming tide · depth 5–35 ft.

No regulations on file for Maryland tidal / tidal-potomac. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

Location Info

Water Body

Potomac River

Access

Pier, shore, and ramp

Jurisdiction

Maryland tidal

Coordinates

38.4681, -77.0266

What anglers are reporting

From the Maryland DNR weekly fishing report, published May 27, 2026.

Lower Bay

Deeper waters along channel edges are being targeted by anglers jigging with soft plastic jigs or by trolling with umbrella rigs down along the 30-foot edges. It is a good idea to place a few Drone spoons behind inline weights for the bluefish that are in the region. The steep channel edge of the Potomac from St. Georges Island to Piney Point, the lower Patuxent and the eastern side of the bay from Buoy 76 to Buoy 72 are worth exploring. Red and black drum are being found on the eastern side of the Bay from the Middle Grounds up past the Target Ship and Tangier Sound. Finding them on depth finders and dropping soft crab baits to them is the most popular way to fish.

Species mentioned: black drum, bluefish

Excerpts are anecdotal and reflect a single week's observations from DNR biologists and reporting anglers — not predictions. Use as one signal among many; verify against current conditions before planning a trip.

Local reports & rules for Chapel Point State Park: Maryland DNR fishing report → · trout stocking schedule → · fish-consumption advisory →

Nearby Access Points

Friendship Farm Park

6.8 mi

Charles Co., MD · Multi · Potomac

Chapman State Park

11 mi

Charles Co., MD · Shore · Potomac

Leesylvania State Park

15 mi

Prince William Co., VA · Multi · Potomac

Mason Neck State Park

15 mi

Fairfax Co., VA · Multi · Potomac

Frequently Asked

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Chapel Point State Park?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Chapel Point State Park you need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport License issued by MD DNR. Anglers may instead qualify for the free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration in some circumstances (e.g., guest on a boat carrying a Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Decal, or holder of a Virginia saltwater license). See the agency's current rules: https://dnr.maryland.gov/pages/service_fishing_license.aspx

What fish are commonly targeted at Chapel Point State Park?

Chapel Point State Park is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, White Perch, Blue Catfish, Largemouth Bass, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Chapel Point State Park?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Chapel Point State Park against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Chapel Point State Park have?

Chapel Point State Park has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Chapel Point State Park?

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Chapel Point State Park. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Chapel Point State Park tidal water?

Yes. Chapel Point State Park sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.