Anne Arundel County, MD · Chesapeake Bay

Fort Smallwood Park

Fort Smallwood Park offers public shoreline and pier access on the Chesapeake Bay in Anne Arundel County. Common targets include striped bass, white perch, yellow perch, channel catfish, blue catfish, and largemouth bass.

Live · updated Jun 5, 6:56 PM ET

Top picks today

Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish & Largemouth Bass — tied at the top (61/100)

3 species tied for best of 6 tracked at Fort Smallwood Park.

61 /100

good

NWSActive weather alert

Air Quality Alert issued June 4 at 4:40PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Atmosphere

Air Temp

87°F

Mostly Sunny

Wind

3 to 10 mph

Rain

Saturday

Pressure

Steady

6-hour trend

Water

Water Temp

74°F

Tidal waters

Tide

high slack

Next high at 11:24 PM

Seas

0.7 ft

Nearest buoy wave height

Sun & Moon

Sunrise

5:40 AM

Sunset

8:28 PM

Moon · 70%

waning gibbous

Today's Tides

Time	Type	Height
4:04 AM	Low	0.6 ft
10:38 AM	High	1.7 ft
6:07 PM	Low	0.5 ft
11:24 PM	High	1.2 ft

Species at Fort Smallwood Park

6 species tracked, ranked by today's conditions. The top 3 (tied) are open below — tap any species to expand it, or a chip to focus.

#1 Channel Catfish Check local Channel Catfish regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 61/100

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

74°F water — right in channel catfish's ideal range
10 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

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-bay. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

#1 Blue Catfish Workable day for Blue Catfish. In season 61/100

What's helping

74°F water — right in blue catfish's ideal range
10 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

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.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 44 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Daily creel: 0

Invasive species in Maryland tidal waters. No minimum size, no creel limit, open year-round. MDDNR encourages anglers to harvest rather than release. Not listed in the Chesapeake Bay seasons/sizes/limits table because no restrictions apply.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#1 Largemouth Bass Check local Largemouth Bass regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 61/100

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

74°F water — right in largemouth bass's ideal range
10 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

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-bay. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

#4 White Perch Marginal conditions for White Perch. In season 43/100

What's helping

74°F water — inside white perch's active range
10 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

high slack tide — white perch prefers outgoing tide
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

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.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 44 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Daily creel: 0

No minimum size when caught with hook and line; 8-inch minimum for other legal gear. No daily creel limit. Open year-round in Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#5 Yellow Perch Skip the Yellow Perch trip today. In season 23/100

What's helping

high slack tide — yellow perch prefers slack tide
10 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

74°F water — above yellow perch's active range (45–70°f) — fish move deep
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Perca flavescens — Late-winter and early-spring favorite. Schools up in tidal tributaries for the pre-spawn run in February and March, taking small minnows, shad darts, and small jigs. A classic Eastern Shore "neds" fishery.

Prefers. Water 45–70°F (ideal 58°F) · slack tide · depth 5–30 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 44 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 9"
Daily creel: 5

Chesapeake Bay tidal waters: 9-inch minimum, 5 per day, open year-round. Some tributaries have historically had emergency closures during the spring spawn — check the MDDNR site annually before the February–March run.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#6 Striped Bass Skip the Striped Bass trip today. In season 19/100

What's helping

In the current report — striped bass is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area
10 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

74°F water — above striped bass's active range (50–72°f) — fish move deep
high slack tide — striped bass prefers incoming tide
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

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.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 44 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 19"
Max size: 24"
Daily creel: 1

Chesapeake Bay recreational regulations (2026). January 1–April 30 and December 6–31 are catch-and-release only (no harvest) — the April C&R period was restored in 2026 for the first time since 2019. August 1–31 is closed to all targeting to protect fish from thermal stress. Spawning rivers (Choptank, Chester, Manokin, Nanticoke, Patuxent, Transquaking, Wicomico) and the Upper Bay spawning area / Susquehanna Flats are closed to targeting March 1–May 31. Circle hooks required when fishing with bait. Potomac River main stem is managed separately by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. Atlantic coast regulations (28–31 in slot, year-round) differ.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

Location Info

Water Body

Chesapeake Bay

Access

Pier, shore, and ramp

Jurisdiction

Maryland tidal

Coordinates

39.1647, -76.4768

What anglers are reporting

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

Middle Bay

Fishing for striped bass at the Bay Bridge piers has been good this past week and should continue. Boats have been anchoring up-current of the bridge piers on the east side and drifting live spot and assorted baits back to the pier bases. Other anglers are positioning close to the piers and casting soft plastic jigs to the pier bases with good success. Striped bass fishing is very good for light tackle anglers casting and jigging in many traditional locations in the middle Bay. Eastern Bay, Poplar Island, Thomas Point, and the mouth of the Choptank River are just a few locations where casting paddletails and soft plastic jigs is working well.

Species mentioned: spot, striped bass

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 Fort Smallwood Park: Maryland DNR fishing report → · trout stocking schedule → · fish-consumption advisory →

Nearby Access Points

Downs Park

4.2 mi

Anne Arundel Co., MD · Multi · Chesapeake

North Point State Park

4.5 mi

Baltimore Co., MD · Shore · Chesapeake

Rocky Point Park — Essex

7.2 mi

Baltimore Co., MD · Multi · Chesapeake

Cox's Point Park

8.9 mi

Baltimore Co., MD · Multi · Chesapeake

Frequently Asked

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Fort Smallwood Park?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Fort Smallwood 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 Fort Smallwood Park?

Fort Smallwood Park is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch, Channel Catfish, 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 Fort Smallwood 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 Fort Smallwood 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 Fort Smallwood Park have?

Fort Smallwood Park has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Fort Smallwood Park?

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Fort Smallwood 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 Fort Smallwood Park tidal water?

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