| March 25th, 2024
Welcome back to the District Fishing Report! Much has changed since we last talked and there is a lot of exciting news to cover. The middle of March provided us with summerlike temperatures that were a welcomed sign of springs arrival. Many anglers got to enjoy a good bite with some beautiful scenery as the cherry trees bloomed early thanks to the warmer weather. However, last week the colder weather snuck back into the region, but it won't stick around for much longer. Shad, largemouth bass, and big striped bass are all highlights of this week's report, so let's get into it.
Angler Kasper Parfomak holds up his D.C. record 5.90 pound largemouth bass that he caught at the Tidal Basin on March 16th.
We have a new D.C. fishing record! 15-year-old angler Kasper Parfomak caught the new D.C. record largemouth bass last weekend. Kasper caught a 5.90 pound largemouth, that measured 20.5 inches, at the Tidal Basin on March 15 while fishing with a Rat-L-Trap. The very next day, he caught another bass at the Tidal Basin that weighed 5.90 pounds and measured 20.75 inches while fishing with a bladed jig. Both fish qualify for trophy fish awards, and the bigger fish qualifies for the youth and overall angling record for largemouth bass. Congrats to Kasper on two amazing catches! There are 29 different species of fish that are eligible for the Recreational Angling Records Program. If you catch a fish that you think is eligible for a D.C. record, please reach out to Dillon Waters at dillon.waters@dc.gov to coordinate a time to bring the fish to the Aquatic Resources Education Center to be weighed by a DOEE biologist. The full set of rules and eligible species can be viewed on the Recreational Angling Records Program webpage. Spring is here and the fish are biting, so get out there and catch a big one!
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Kasper Parfomak shows off two 5.90 pound largemouth bass that he caught at the Tidal Basin. The fish were certified by Aquatic Resources Education Center staff and qualify as the new D.C. record.
The Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant is still a winter fishing hotspot while water temperatures are cold. We received a report from an angler who fished the warm water discharge at the plant last week and found a few striped bass biting. The fish were all around 20 inches and hard baits fished slowly around the concrete docks worked well for getting bites. They also mentioned snagging a few gizzard shad while fishing. Striped bass cannot be kept until May 16, when anglers will be allowed one fish per day between 19 and 24 inches. Catch and release fishing is allowed until the season opens. The big migratory striped bass will be moving into our waters soon and will offer a fun catch and release opportunity for anglers. If you plan to target these fish, or catch one by accident while fishing for catfish, please make sure to use proper catch and release techniques when handling them. Minimize the time fish are out of the water, and if you plan to take one out of the water for a picture, support the fish with one hand gripping the lips and the other holding the belly. When putting them back in the water, place them in horizontally and hold them by the tail until they are ready to swim away. Taking the time to revive fish after the catch is very important. The future of the striped bass fishery relies on these big breeders to have a successful spawn.
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DOEE fisheries biologist Spencer Shellie holds up a huge striped bass that was caught during an electrofishing survey in the Washington Channel. The fish was weighed, measured, and then released.
As water temperatures have been rising, crappie fishing has picked up. Local angler Michael Whiffen let us know that these fish are schooling up around the concrete pier at Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant and at the Wharf in the Washington Channel. Live minnows floated under a bobber is a great way to catch them, but if live bait is unavailable, small panfish jigs or Rat-L-Traps work well. Another exciting arrival to our waters is big migratory striped bass. There have been multiple reports of anglers catching these fish from Hains Point, Joint Base Bolling, and near Fletchers. Most have been caught by catfish anglers using cut bait, and fresh cut gizzard shad seems to be working best. If you want to target the striped bass specifically, searching for them along the rivers main channel edges by boat or kayak will be a good strategy. The key will be finding bait as the striped bass will be feeding on the herring and shad that are currently here. Jigging with large soft plastic baits will mimic these baitfish and will usually get the stripers biting if you can locate them. Striped bass come up the Potomac River every spring to spawn in the District and they will only be around for a few more weeks before making their return to the ocean. The striped bass season does not open until May 16th, so fishing for stripers is strictly catch and release right now.
Shad are here, shad are here! The much-anticipated shad run has finally started in the District. The first hickory shad of the year was caught on March 7th by Alex Binstead. Since then, more shad have shown up, but the bite has varied from day to day. The warm stretch earlier in the month offered some very good fishing at Fletchers Cove. Many anglers found success throwing shad darts and metal spoons, and the fish were big. Fishing early in the day typically yields better results, but it is also important to check the tide before an outing. If you want to read more detailed shad reports, we encourage you to sign up for the Friends of Fletchers Cove Shad Report. The shad run is still in the early stages and the fishing will continue to get better in the coming weeks. American shad will soon accompany the hickories in the river. Keep an eye on the forecast and USGS flow guage at Little Falls if you plan on fishing. The big rain event this past weekend could have the river high and muddy into the beginning of next week. Boat rentals at Fletchers Boathouse became available on Saturday, March 23rd. The shad bite should turn back on once the waters from the recent rains receede. It is an exciting time of year to fish in Washington D.C. and we encourage all anglers to make the most of these great fishing opportunities. Good luck on your next outing!
You can view the full set of Regulated Fishing Activities for The District on our Regulated Fishing Activities webpage. If you would like to buy a fishing license, please visit the Get a Fishing License webpage. Fishing licenses are sold on a calendar year basis. Anglers under the age of 16, or over the age of 65 are not required to buy a fishing license to fish in The District. If you would like to submit information for the report, please email dillon.waters@dc.gov. If you would like to submit a photo to be included in the report, please send an email with photo attachments to fishandwildlife.photos@dc.gov. Tight lines everyone! 🎣
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The Department of Energy and Environment’s Fisheries Research Branch is conducting their annual creel survey and encourages local anglers to participate. The goal of the survey is to better understand recreational angling efforts, perceptions, and harvests within Washington D.C. The information obtained from the survey will be used to inform fisheries management decisions and regulations. To make it easier for anglers to participate, a QR code has been developed. To access the survey, just scan the QR code using the built-in camera on your mobile device and tap the banner that appears. Already reading this on your phone? Click here. The survey is voluntary, but we encourage anglers to fill out the form after every fishing trip. Good luck fishing and let us know how you do!
Upcoming Events!
Register for the Spring Fishing Discovery Day at the Aquatic Resources Education Center.
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