It’s a fishing day

Conowingo Dam Tailrace fishing conditions · Maryland

Tomorrow, 7 am–2 pmStriped bass

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 70°, inside their 50–72° range, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 86 for striped bass, goTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Striped bass, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 8610 am
  2. 86
  3. 92
  4. 1001 pm
  5. 100
  6. 96
  7. 964 pm
  8. 88
  9. 90
  10. 867 pm
  11. 86
  12. 86
  13. 8610 pm
  14. 86
  15. 86Tue
  16. 901 am
  17. 92
  18. 88
  19. 884 am
  20. 88
  21. 88
  22. 967 am
  23. 96
  24. 100
  25. 9610 am
  26. 96
  27. 96
  28. 1001 pm
  29. 92
  30. 92
  31. 864 pm
  32. 86
  33. 86
  34. 907 pm
  35. 86
  36. 86
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
70°F

Striped bass range 50–72°

Wind
1 mph

From the northwest

Light
Daylight

Sunset 6:10 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
51°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Steady

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Maryland tidal regulations for these waters.

Striped Bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

100GoTomorrow, 7 am–2 pm

Water

70°
40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Striped bass is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Striped bass prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

19" minimum · 24" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay, 2026. Catch and release only Jan 1–Apr 30 and Dec 6–31; harvest May 1–Jul 31 and Sep 1–Dec 5 at 1 fish a day, 19–24"; closed to all striped bass fishing in August. In May, harvest is only allowed in the main Bay (and Tangier and Pocomoke sounds), not in its bays, rivers and creeks. Spawning rivers and the Upper Bay spawning area are closed to all striped bass fishing Mar 1–May 31. Non-offset circle hooks with bait; eels may not be used as bait; no possession midnight–5 a.m.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on striped bass

Blue Catfish

Blue catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

98GoTomorrow, 7 am–2 pm

Water

70°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Right in blue catfish's ideal range. Blue catfish is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–60 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland tidal waters: catfish have no size limit and no daily limit, open all year. DNR encourages anglers to keep invasive blue catfish.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: Year-round. More on blue catfish

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

86GoTomorrow, 7 am–2 pm

Water

70°
45°55–78° · ideal 68°88°

Why

Right in smallmouth bass's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 5 a day (Jan 1–Feb 29, Jun 16–Dec 31); 15" minimum · 5 a day (Mar 1–Jun 15)

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland tidal waters: 5 black bass a day (largemouth and smallmouth combined); 15" minimum Mar 1–Jun 15 and 12" the rest of the year. Bass may not be used as bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: Apr–Nov. More on smallmouth bass

Common Carp

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

86GoTomorrow, 7 am–2 pm

Water

70°
42°52–86° · ideal 72°96°

Why

Right in common carp's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland's tidal Chesapeake rules list no carp limit, size or season. The 15-a-day carp limit applies only to non-tidal waters above the tidal line.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on common carp

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

74Worth the tripTomorrow, 7 am–2 pm

Water

70°
50°60–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside channel catfish's active range. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tidal waters: no minimum size and no daily creel limit; open year-round.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: Apr–Nov. More on channel catfish

Walleye

Walleye

Sander vitreus

74Worth the tripTomorrow, 7 am–2 pm

Water

70°
40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside walleye's active range. Holds 10–40 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 15" minimum, 5/day, open year-round.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: Mar–May, Oct–Dec. More on walleye

White Perch

White perch

Morone americana

68MarginalTomorrow, 7 am–2 pm

Water

70°
40°50–78° · ideal 65°88°

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside white perch's active range. White perch prefers outgoing tide. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries: no minimum size by hook and line (8" with other gear) and no daily limit, open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on white perch

Yellow Perch

Yellow perch

Perca flavescens

68MarginalTomorrow, 7 am–2 pm

Water

70°
35°45–70° · ideal 58°80°

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside yellow perch's active range. Yellow perch prefers slack tide. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

9" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries: 9" minimum, 5 a day (down from 10 in 2025), open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: Feb–Apr, Oct–Dec. More on yellow perch

The water

  • Water temperature70°F
  • Barometer30.37 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today6:10 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow7:27 am
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Major solunarToday 12:00 pm–2:00 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 5:40 pm–6:40 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 12:30 am–2:30 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

Maryland DNR, Oct 14

Upper Chesapeake Bay. The Conowingo Dam late-day water releases have been above normal this week, but the dam pool is providing good fishing. Anglers are catching a mix of striped bass, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. If you want to get in on the action, you’ll need a medium weight surf rod loaded with braid and a pair of waders. All are necessary to make the long casts to the turbine wash and control a fish in the strong current. Fishing for striped bass in the shallower edges of the Susquehanna Flats, Bay shore and tidal river waters is a good option for anglers. The morning and evening hours offer the best fishing opportunities for anglers casting poppers, paddletails and crankbaits.

Quoted from the Maryland DNR weekly fishing report. Reports are what anglers and biologists saw that week, not a forecast.

Licenses and rules: MD DNR · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

The tailrace below Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River is one of the most productive fisheries on the East Coast. Stripers, walleye, white perch, and catfish concentrate below the dam. Access via Fisherman's Park on the west bank.

Parking at Fisherman's Park (west bank, Harford County). Flow and access vary with dam generation schedule — check Exelon's generation forecast. High water after storms can make the area unfishable.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Jean S. Roberts Memorial Park (Perryville)9 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 2 am–2 pm
100Go
Havre de Grace Fishing Pier9 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 2 am–2 pm
98Go
Susquehanna Flats11 mi · MarylandBest tonight 10 pm to tomorrow 2 pm
98Go
Louisa Lane Park (Charlestown Beach)12 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 4 am–2 pm
100Go
North East Community Park13 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 3 am–2 pm
100Go
Flying Point Park16 mi · MarylandBest tonight 11 pm to tomorrow 2 pm
92Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Conowingo Dam Tailrace?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Conowingo Dam Tailrace 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 Conowingo Dam Tailrace?

Conowingo Dam Tailrace is listed on this site for 8 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, and 4 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 Conowingo Dam Tailrace?

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 Conowingo Dam Tailrace 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 Conowingo Dam Tailrace have?

Conowingo Dam Tailrace has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location. Parking at Fisherman's Park (west bank, Harford County). Flow and access vary with dam generation schedule — check Exelon's generation forecast. High water after storms can make the area unfishable.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Conowingo Dam Tailrace?

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Conowingo Dam Tailrace. 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 Conowingo Dam Tailrace tidal water?

Yes. Conowingo Dam Tailrace sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.