Tomorrow, 7 am–3 pmWhite perch
The bite peaks at 100. Water is 62°, close to the 65° white perch like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.
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.
Right now
White perch range 50–78°
From the northwest
Sunrise 7:27 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
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.
Right in white perch's ideal range. White perch prefers outgoing tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–25 ft down.
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
Right in chain pickerel's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 3–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tidal waters: 14" minimum, 10/day. Open May 1–March 14 (closed to harvest mid-March through April during spawning).
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal
Season here: Oct–Apr. More on chain pickerel
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside largemouth bass's active range. Holds 3–25 ft down.
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: Mar–Nov. More on largemouth bass
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside northern snakehead's active range. Holds 2–10 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland tidal waters ("Chesapeake Channa"): no size limit, no daily limit, open all year. Illegal to possess alive.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal
Season here: Apr–Oct. More on northern snakehead
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside blue catfish's active range. Holds 10–60 ft down.
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
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside common carp's active range. Holds 1–15 ft down.
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
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside yellow perch's active range. Yellow perch prefers slack tide. Holds 5–30 ft down.
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
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
Lower Bay. Getting out to fish on the lower Bay has been difficult for the past three weekends, but there are excellent fishing opportunities in between. Anglers are enjoying excellent fishing for bluefish this week. Trolling a mix of spoons and surge tube lures has been the most popular and effective way to catch them. The mouth of the Potomac, the Target Ship area and the Middle Grounds are all good places to find them. Make sure to bring plenty of ice to keep them firm in an ice chest. Once they get soft from not being iced, there is no way to firm them up again.
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
Jug Bay, a freshwater tidal section of the upper Patuxent River, is a productive fishery for white perch, tidal largemouth, and chain pickerel. Northern snakehead are now abundant. Access via Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and Patuxent River Park.
Patuxent River Park (Prince George's County) has a boat ramp and canoe/kayak rentals. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary (Anne Arundel County) charges a small fee and requires registration for some access. Snakehead must not be released alive.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Jug Bay — Patuxent River 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
Jug Bay — Patuxent River is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: White Perch, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, and 3 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
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 Jug Bay — Patuxent River 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.
Jug Bay — Patuxent River has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Patuxent River Park (Prince George's County) has a boat ramp and canoe/kayak rentals. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary (Anne Arundel County) charges a small fee and requires registration for some access. Snakehead must not be released alive.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Jug Bay — Patuxent River. 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.
Yes. Jug Bay — Patuxent River sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.
Patuxent River Park (Prince George's County) has a boat ramp and canoe/kayak rentals. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary (Anne Arundel County) charges a small fee and requires registration for some access. Snakehead must not be released alive.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
