June 21st, 2024
Welcome back to the District Fishing Report! The summer heat has really set in, and it has felt like forever since we have had any sort of rain. The rivers are running low, which has made good boating conditions for those looking to get out on the water. Fishing has been up and down as the summer lulls begin to set in, but there is still plenty biting to make it worth casting a line. It will be a good idea to plan trips during the mornings and evenings as the fish are seeking relief from the heat during the better part of most days. We can all sympathize with that, as the heat and humidity has been relentless lately. Let’s get into the report and talk about what fish are biting, the latest catches from anglers, and more tips for catching fish during the summer months.
The summer heat can cause fish to bite only at certain times of day or in specific areas. Anglers will find the best luck by fishing during the cooler parts of the day when the sun is not beating down. If you are fishing during the midday heat, focus on areas with shade. Shorelines with overhanging vegetation, under bridges or docks, and in areas with lily pads will attract many fish. Largemouth bass are hanging out around the sea wall in the Tidal Basin and are seeking out the shaded edges. Soft plastic creature baits and worms have been working well to get them to bite. In the Anacostia, snakeheads have been seen in the lily pads spawning, which means that fry balls will soon start to pop up. A fry ball is a group of young snakeheads that swim together once the eggs hatch. Hundreds of small snakehead babies will group up and form a “ball”. Snakeheads are unique in that they guard their offspring. This creates a unique sight fishing opportunity because the parents will often hit lures that get close to their fry balls in defense of them. Topwater frogs and soft plastic fluke style baits are great options to throw in this scenario. The snakeheads won’t always hit right away, but if you keep casting and pestering them, you can often entice a strike. Make sure to wait a few seconds before setting the hook, because snakeheads are notorious for short striking baits. Keep an eye out for snakeheads the next time you hit the water.
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DOEE biologist Joe Swann shows of a snakehead that was caught during a survey in the Anacostia River.
White perch can still be found biting in the Potomac and Anacostia during the summer. The best perch bite has seemed to be in the Anacostia, with reports of them being caught in Anacostia Park, the Navy Yard, and at Kingman Island. Most of the perch have been on the smaller side, but they are still fun to catch and great to eat. Bottom rigs baited with worms work well when targeting perch and a size six hook will. If fishing in shallow water, a bobber and hook rig will work well. Nightcrawlers, bloodworms, lugworms, and Fishbites are all proven and reliable baits. A size six hook is typically standard for perch fishing. One of the strangest catches we saw in recent weeks came from an angler fishing at Jones Point Park under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. While throwing a crankbait, they caught a Tilapia. That’s right, a fish native to Africa was caught right here in DC. It was most likely a pet that was released into the river, and we always discourage people from letting their pets go into local ecosystems.
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Zac caught this white perch while attending the fishing event at the DOEE Resource Fair on Kingman Island.
Local fishing legend Ernie The Hog Snatcher was just featured in a Washington Post article that details his amazing catches here in DC. Ernie specializes in catching blue catfish and has reeled in some very big fish during his trips to the river. Recently, he caught a 63-pound fish that is one of the largest we have seen pulled from the Potomac in DC waters. If you want to read the article, it is titled Potomac River catfish are no match for Ernie the Hog Snatcher. The blue catfish bite has been a bit on the slower side lately as many fish are spawning now that water temperatures have reached the low 80s in the rivers. Many anglers have been reporting that the smaller catfish in the one-to-five-pound range have made up the majority of catches on recent trips targeting catfish. The bigger fish are busy spawning and are less focused on eating at the moment. Big fish can still be caught, however, and we saw a report from an angler jigging soft plastic lures that caught blue catfish over 40 inches and a few flathead catfish in the 30-inch range this week. Blue catfish are invasive to our waters and have become one of the most common fish in the river. They are out competing native fish species and pose a significant threat to the balance of our aquatic ecosystems. We encourage anglers to remove all blue catfish they catch from our waters when possible. We also encourage anglers who catch a big blue catfish to submit their catch for a trophy fish award and potential DC record. The minimum qualifications for a trophy fish award, which requires anglers to submit a photo entry of their catch, is 40 inches. To qualify for a DC record, blue catfish must weigh a minimum of 30 pounds for the youth division and 40 pounds for the overall division. Qualifying fish must be brought to the Aquatic Resources Education Center in Anacostia Park to be certified by a DOEE biologist.
Now that summer has arrived, it’s a great time of year to get friends and family together to hit the water and enjoy the nice weather. We encourage seasoned anglers to share the fun of fishing with new or lapsed anglers so that they may experience the wonderful benefits of angling. Men make up the majority of anglers in the U.S. and it is important that we get more women involved in the sport. Our friends at the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation have done some amazing research that shows women who fish have more confidence than women who don't, but young women stop fishing at an 11 percent higher rate than young men. Around half of women who fish say that fishing teaches them patience and helps them develop confidence. Take the initiative to get the special women in your life fishing this year!
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! 🎣
Volunteer Angler Creel Survey
The Department of Energy and Environment’s Fisheries Research Branch is conducting it’s 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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