| January 5th, 2024
 Welcome to the first edition of the District Fishing Report, presented by the Department of Energy and Environment’s Fisheries and Wildlife Division. My name is Dillon Waters, and I am the new Fishing License/R3 Coordinator for the District. I will be publishing bi-weekly fishing reports starting in 2024 and look forward to providing District anglers with up-to-date information on what is biting, best places to fish, and upcoming angling opportunities.
Happy New Year!
It may be cold out, but there are still plenty of fish to catch. The most readily available species this time of year is blue catfish. These invasive fish are found in just about all the fishable waterways in the District and can grow to well over 50 pounds. Blue catfish are bottom feeders for the most part and will hit a variety of baits with chunks of baitfish like bunker or bluegill being two of their favorites. We had a report from an angler who let us know that his recent trips targeting blue catfish were productive and that cut pieces of frozen tilapia worked well. Another angler fishing in late December let us know that the bite was slow with mostly small fish taking their baits, but that they did manage a 40 pounder. Chunks of eel and chicken breast also usually get the catfish biting. Popular shore fishing locations for catfish include Hains Point, the Tidal Basin, Diamond Teague Park, and Anacostia Park. If you have access to a boat or kayak, the section of the Potomac from Three Sisters Island to Chain Bridge is known for holding jumbo blue catfish in the deeper holes and channels during the winter.
 Largemouth bass are mostly lethargic this time of year, but there is a hotspot found in D.C. waters to catch them in the winter. The Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant has a warm water discharge that attract bass and other fish. Access to this site is by boat only and the closest ramps are the Anacostia Park Boat Ramp and the Gravelly Point Boat Ramp. The discharge is located by the concrete dock just offshore of the plant. The bass tend to congregate around the dock and along the rocky shoreline that borders the facility. Your technique will want to be a slower approach since the fish still aren't as active as other times of year, so slowly retrieving crankbaits and other hardbaits can work well. One angler let us know that drop shot rigs have been working in the main stem of the river. Crappies are another popular winter target for anglers. They are most commonly near the Blue Plains plant, inside Oxon Cove along the rocky banks with steep drops, and in the Washington Channel. Recent reports have shown that the crappie bite in the Southwest waters has been decent on moving tides with small jigs out producing other baits. The best crappie bait is usually live minnows, but small plastic jigs on 1/16- or 1/32-ounce jigheads work well too.
Smallmouth bass are another fish that don’t mind the colder water and can be caught on the Potomac River in the District. Usually the best areas to catch them are around the rocky shorelines and Islands between the Tidal Basin and Chain Bridge. Walleye can also be caught in these same areas but will be found in better numbers closer to Chain Bridge. Deep diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits, and jigs paired with soft plastics all work great for catching these fish.
DC Fishing Licenses
If you would like to buy a D.C fishing license, please visit our Get a Fishing License webpage. You can also find more information about places to fish, fish species found in the District, and updated fishing regulations on our Fishing in the District webpage. Anglers who would like to submit include information from their recent fishing trips in this report can email dillon.waters@dc.gov, and send photos to fishandwildlife.photos@dc.gov. Tight lines everyone! 🎣
Thank you to the members of the D.C. Tidal Basin, Hains Point, and Potomac Fishing Reports Facebook page for submitting photos for the first report!
|
