Maryland fishing reports

Post-spawn stripers exit the Chesapeake as water reaches 50°F

Water temperatures at NOAA buoy 44009 are reading 50°F as of this morning — right in the optimal feeding band for striped bass. On The Water's April 24 striper migration map puts the Chesapeake squarely in focus: post-spawn fish are actively moving out of the Bay, while a broad coastal push of quality bass rolls northward through New Jersey and into southern New England. The Fisherman (Northeast) describes the regional striper front as being in "rapid expansion" mode, with schoolies quickly giving way to slot and over-sized fish over the course of just a few days. For Bay anglers, the late-April window — when larger post-spawn rockfish linger near tributary mouths before their northward run — may be starting to narrow. Light winds (~6 knots) are keeping boat conditions manageable. White perch are typical for the upper Bay's tidal rivers in late April, though no specific reports flagged them by name for the region this week.