May 17th, 2024
Welcome back to the District Fishing Report! Even though May is meant to bring us flowers, it has also brought a lot of rain showers with it. Temperatures have been on the mild side with damp conditions persisting over the past two weeks. Fish haven't seemed to mind, and we are settling into more of a summertime fishing pattern here in the district. Most of the spring spawning runs are on their tail end now, but that is no reason to stop fishing. There are still plenty of great opportunities for anglers of all skill levels. We have some impressive catches to talk about, so let's get right to it.
Fletchers Cove is still attracting a lot of anglers to the upper Potomac. The shad run is just about over, but there are still some scattered hickory and American shad running near the cove. The best luck has come to those who are using boats or kayaks to get out in the middle of the river. Tandem rigged shad darts are still proving effective and small metal spoons are working well to get down to fish in deeper water. White perch have been a common bycatch for shad anglers as there are still schools in the area. Most of these fish are on the smaller side, but there are some eater sized fish mixed in as well. The recent rains may bump flows enough to get another push of shad up the river over the next few days. It may be wishful thinking, but after a great spring run, we aren't ready for it to be over just yet. If you want to know the latest reports for the shad run, consider signing up for the Friends of Fletchers Cove Shad Report.
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“Angler Mark Moss caught this striped bass while using a topwater lure in the Tidal Basin."
Anglers should be happy to know that striped bass season is now open in the district. As of May 16th , anglers are permitted to keep one fish per day no less than 19 inches and no greater than 24 inches. The season will remain open until December 31st. Last week we heard from some of the Fletchers Cove crew that there was a good schoolie striped bass bite with fish up to 24 inches being caught along the deeper channel of the river. That bite has slowed this week, but there are still some around that can be targeted. Soft plastic paddletails and jigs have worked well to get bites. As we move closer to summer, the striped bass will spread out and will be found scattered throughout D.C. waters. They tend to hang close to structure such as bridges, sea walls, and docks. The inflows of the Potomac River and Washington Channel into the Tidal Basin are great locations to target striped bass during the late spring and summer months. Another fish that is common in D.C., but not commonly targeted, are longnose gar. These fish can get over 40 inches long and weigh well over 20 pounds. Anglers who fish for them typically use two different methods. One is to use float rigs with pieces of fresh fish for bait and the other is to use rope lures to entice a bite. A rope lure is exactly what it sounds like, a lure with frayed rope coming off of it and no hook. When a gar bites the lure, the rope gets tangled in the sharp teeth of the gars mouth and allows the angler to catch them. We heard from an angler who had a successful day last week targeting gar just south of Fletchers Cove. They caught a few white perch for bait using small twisty tail grubs. Small pieces of perch hooked on a float rig and drifted in the current enticed six gar to bite between him and another angler. Gar can commonly be found near the Washington Channel, Fletchers Cove, Rock Creek, and in the Tidal Basin.
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“Angler Kevin Kosar caught this longnose gar in the vicinity of Fletchers Cove while using white perch as bait.”
As has been the case for much of the spring, catfish are keeping rods bent and anglers happy. The Potomac River is known for its excellent catfish fishing and there are some true monsters swimming around our waters. Captain Chad Koenig of Dog Days Fishing checked in and says that the catfish bite on the upper Potomac has been incredible lately. As the shad run is coming to an end, there are much less boats on the river which means much less fishing pressure. Blue catfish can be found just about anywhere in D.C., and the stretch of river from Three Sisters Island up to Chain Bridge holds some very big blue catfish and flathead catfish. Both of these species are invasive, and we encourage anglers to remove them from the waterways if they are caught. Captain Koenig says that these fish are aggressive, and they usually jig for them using artificial lures. The catfish are also usually willing to bite fresh cut bait. Chunks of bunker, bluegill, white perch, eel, chicken, and even hot dogs are common baits that anglers use when fishing for catfish. A few of the more popular locations to fish for them from shore include Anacostia Park, Hains Point, Diamond Teague Park, and the Tidal Basin. We received a report of a huge fish caught in the vicinity of Fletchers Cove this week. A 12-year-old angler reeled in an impressive 43 pound, 41-inch blue catfish while fishing from a boat. Another angler fishing from shore in the vicinity of Three Sisters Island caught a 63-pound blue catfish last week. If you are looking for a fish that fights hard and tastes great, blue catfish are the fish for you. They are arguably the most common fish in D.C. and are available to catch year-round. These fish are moving up into the shallows now that it is warmer which makes it easier for anglers to catch them. Don't let the rain stop you from enjoying the great fishing that can be found right here in our nation's capitol.
The full set of regulated fishing activities for The District can be found on the 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 age 65 and older are not required to buy a fishing license to fish in The District. Washington D.C. has a Recreational Angling Records Program that allows anglers to check in eligible fish caught in D.C. waters for record fish awards and trophy fish awards. There are 29 different eligible species, and many categories currently have vacancies, so we encourage D.C. anglers to check in their fish. The full set of rules for the records program can be found on the Recreational Angling Records Program webpage. 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! 🎣
UPCOMING EVENTS
DOEE Resource Fair
The Aquatic Resources Education Center will be hosting a fishing event at Kingman Island on June 1st as part of the Department of Energy and Environments Resource Fair. The event will be held on the dock connecting Kingman and Heritage Islands. Fishing rods, bait, and tackle will be provided along with instructive fishing demonstrations. The event will take place from 12pm until 4pm. Anglers of all skill levels are welcomed to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!
Volunteer Angler Creel Survey
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! |
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