February 21st, 2025
Fishing License Reminder: Fishing licenses from the 2024 calendar year have expired. Please purchase a 2025 D.C. fishing license if you plan on fishing in the district this year. Fishing licenses can be purchased on our Get a Fishing License webpage.
Potomac River Access Update: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced full restoration of the Potomac River impacted by the aviation incident. Community members should immediately call 911 if they come across items or have information related to recovery efforts in the Potomac or Anacostia Rivers on the shore. It is also advised to not touch or remove any items that are encountered.
Welcome back to the District Fishing Report! It has been a brutally cold start to the year with ice keeping most anglers off the water during the month of January. The rivers have finally thawed and there are a lot of exciting opportunities on the way in the coming months. Fishing overall has been on the slower side as water temperatures are still in the upper 30s to low 40s in our waters. Blue catfish have been the main target for anglers fishing this winter since they are one of the more active and abundant species at this time of year. In the coming weeks, herring, shad, striped bass, and other species will migrate up our rivers for their spawning runs, offering an abundance of angling opportunities. It is time to start gearing up for an action-packed spring, so let’s cover some of the exciting changes headed our way.
Winter and spring are arguably the best times of year to catch big blue catfish in the Potomac River. These fish will become more concentrated in the upper portion of the Potomac from Georgetown up to Chain Bridge as they follow herring and shad once they arrive. We are still a few weeks away from that pattern taking place, so fish will be scattered around different areas. Right now, the main ledges of the river will be a good starting point for targeting them. Most anglers fishing from boats will anchor right on the ledge and try different depths to figure out where most fish are hanging out. These depths can range from 10 feet down to 50 feet or more. The usual pattern is that fish will spend more time at deeper depths during the colder months, but when we see warming trends, catfish will move onto shallower flats at depths less than 15 feet of water. These areas of shallower water get warmed up by the sun quicker. Figuring out the catfish may sound a bit complicated, but they are so abundant in our waters that no matter where you decide to fish, there is a good chance you will still get a bite. Popular baits include fresh eel and gizzard shad, though other baits such as chicken, worms, and other fish also work well. Our blue catfish can grow to upwards of 50 pounds and last year there were even some caught in the 80-pound range, though a large percentage of our fish are under 10 pounds. Blue catfish are invasive and cause a lot of ecological damage to our native species by foraging on smaller native fish and outcompeting them for resources. Another invasive species present in our waters is the flathead catfish. They are less abundant than blue catfish, but their numbers are increasing, and we have seen them grow upwards of 40 pounds. Like the blue catfish, flathead catfish will concentrate on the upper stretch of the Potomac River in the spring from Georgetown up to Chain Bridge to feed on baitfish. Flatheads are much more willing to hit lures, and many anglers will cast one-to-two-ounce jigs paired with soft plastic swimbaits and bounce them along the bottom to entice a bite. As the weather warms up and spring arrives, fishing for both these species will get much better.
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Owen Koch caught this 51.5-pound blue catfish in the channel off Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling while fishing earlier this winter
Since water temperatures are cold, fish will be seeking out areas with warm water influence. The Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant and the Arlington Water Pollution Control Plant both pump warm water into the Potomac River. The Blue Plains water discharge is located along the concrete dock just north of Oxon Cove. The Arlington water discharge is located about a mile into Four Mile Run, which is just south of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the Virginia side of the river. Both locations can be productive for winter fishing and species such as blue catfish, largemouth bass, crappie, and striped bass are commonly found in waters surrounding these sites. Popular lures to throw this time of year include skirted bass jigs, crankbaits, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits. Fish are usually more lethargic in the wintertime, so slowing down retrieval when fishing will often lead to more hook-ups. The Blue Plains site can only be accessed by boat, but anglers can fish along the shores at Four Mile Run Park. A Virginia fishing license is required when fishing west of the George Washington Memorial Parkway at Four Mile Run.
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Hickory Shad will soon return to our waters and provide ample angling opportunities.
As we look forward to the seasons changing with the arrival of spring, many anglers are also anticipating the arrival of two of our most sought-after species. The Hickory and American shad spawning runs are arguably the most popular fishery we have here in the district. Anglers travel from all over the country to experience the exciting action these fish provide. Historically, the bulk of the shad migrate to our waters from mid-March through April, but in recent years, we have seen hickory shad show up as early as late February with American shad arriving a few weeks later. They are known for their fighting ability and their acrobatic tendencies when hooked. The most popular section on the Potomac to fish for them is the area from Fletcher’s Cove up to Chain Bridge. Fly anglers and spin anglers flock to the water’s edge with light tackle gear to experience this unique opportunity. Fly rods of eight to nine feet with five to seven weight fly lines are best. Pair this with a tapered leader with a four-to-eight-pound tippet for the ideal fly-fishing setup for shad fishing. Fly anglers will also spool their reels with a fast-sinking tip line, since shad spend most of their time in the lower half of the water column. Spin anglers often use six-to-seven-and-a-half-foot light action rods spooled with four-to-eight-pound line when shad fishing. It often doesn't take long casts, as the fish will seek out deeper pools of slower moving water close to the shoreline. Spinning rod anglers cast small jigs and metal spoons into the river current along the rocky shorelines to entice these fish to bite. When the fish are here in large numbers, the action can be non-stop, catching one fish after another. Regardless of when they show up this year, we are only a few weeks away, so it is time to start getting our rods rigged so we are ready to go. Anglers should note that in accordance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for shad and river herring, the possession of these species is prohibited. Catch and release fishing is still allowed, but keeping these fish for food, bait, or other uses is prohibited.
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
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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