Skip to Main Content

Fishing Conditions Forecast

Weekly Fishing Conditions Forecast Summary

October 30 - November 5, 2024

forecast iconExpect moderate, sunny, breezy weather to highlight our fishing conditions for the first week in November in Maryland’s waters. As reported by the NOAA buoys, shorter daylight periods and cooler day-time air temperatures have cooled main Bay surface water temperatures to the low 60's, with the rivers running cooler. Salinity in Maryland’s part of the Bay above the Bay bridge is running slightly higher than average. Due to the cooled waters and windy conditions over the last week, turnover has occurred, and the Bay waters have mixed from surface to bottom resulting in good oxygen conditions (>3 mg/L) and uniform water temperatures throughout the water column. This will result in cool-water fish being able to move more vertically in many Bay areas and be more scattered until turnover conditions stabilize. Once stabilized, anglers will be rewarded with great fishing conditions and more opportunities to catch fish in shallower waters (as well as breaking fish) and the traditional places deeper in the water column such as channel edges, underwater points, hard bottom, and drop-offs. As always, the best fishing areas could be further refined by intersecting them with underwater points, hard bottom, drop-offs, and large schools of baitfish.

For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the bay, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay's Click Before You Cast.


Fishing Condition Details:

  • Pattern Stability - Sunny and moderate temperatures for the week (day: 60's/70's, night: 50's/60's). Low chance of rain all week. Expect 10-15kt winds all week with gusts higher on Saturday. Sunrise next week around 7:35am and sunset about 5:00pm.

  • Salinity - Rainfall to Maryland waters has been slightly below average so salinity is still slightly above normal above the Bay Bridge for this time of year. Lower Bay salinities are slightly below normal this time of year.

  • Oxygen - Recent oxygen conditions are as follows:
    • Stateline up to Point Lookout: Adequate oxygen to bottom
    • Point No Point up to the Gooses: Adequate oxygen to bottom
    • Little Choptank up to Choptank River: Adequate oxygen to bottom
    • Bloody Point: Adequate oxygen to bottom
    • Bay Bridge: Adequate oxygen to bottom
    • Swan Point: Adequate oxygen to bottom
    • Still Pond up to the Susquehanna Flats: Adequate oxygen to bottom
    • Potomac River: Adequate oxygen to bottom

    For oxygen forecasts, see VIMS Depth to 3 mg/l.
    To identify your local conditions, see "Don't fish below this depth."
    For information on Maryland's main bay oxygen conditions, see Maryland's latest hypoxia report.

  • Temperature (°F) - Main Bay surface temperatures have cooled to the low 60's (°F). River temperatures have dropped to the low to mid-50's (°F). As recorded at the real-time NOAA and DNR buoys, daytime Bay water temperatures are as follows:

    • For the upper/mid-Bay:
      • Susquehanna River at Darlington (USGS): 66°F
      • Tolchester: NR
      • Baltimore/Patapsco River: Gust:
      • Thomas Point: 61.9°F
      • Annapolis NOAA Buoy: ong> 29.85 i

    • For the mid/lower-Bay:
      • NOAA/DNR Gooses Reef buoy: 65°F
      • Bishops Head: ong> 29.84 i
      • Choptank, Cambridge: 62°F

    • For the Potomac River:
      • Point Lookout NOAA buoy (surface): NR
      • Lewisetta: ong> 29.85 i
      • Mallows Bay: 60.9°F
      • Washington DC at Little Falls (USGS): ong> 29.88 i

    To see water temperature by depth, check out our interactive “Water Temperature by Depth map.” For water temperatures in some of Maryland’s smaller rivers and streams, check “NOAA’s Mid-Atlantic Water Temperatures.”

  • Clarity - Expect average water clarity for the Maryland portion of the Bay. To see the latest water clarity conditions on NOAA satellite maps, check "Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps.”

  • Habitat - To see locations of key Bay bottom habitat, see the ”Bay Bottom Habitat Mapper.”

  • Moving water - Expect average flows for the Susquehanna River and some other Maryland rivers and streams. There will be above average tidal current conditions all week as a result of the full moon on Friday, November 1st.

  • Putting it all together - The best fishing areas could be further refined by intersecting these prime areas with underwater points, hard bottom, drop-offs, and large schools of baitfish.

For a step-by-step way to find the best fishing areas based on water conditions, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay's Click Before You Cast. Have a safe and enjoyable fishing trip, and as always, drop us a line with comments or suggestions.