It’s a fishing day

Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge fishing conditions · Maryland

Tonight 6 pm to Monday 4 amRainbow trout

The bite peaks at 74.

Log a trip here
Right now: 61 for rainbow trout, marginalTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Rainbow trout, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 614 pm
  2. 61
  3. 69
  4. 697 pm
  5. 74
  6. 74
  7. 7410 pm
  8. 74
  9. 74Sun
  10. 741 am
  11. 74
  12. 74
  13. 744 am
  14. 74
  15. 74
  16. 747 am
  17. 74
  18. 74
  19. 7410 am
  20. 74
  21. 74
  22. 741 pm
  23. 74
  24. 74
  25. 744 pm
  26. 74
  27. 74
  28. 747 pm
  29. 74
  30. 74
  31. 7410 pm
  32. 74
  33. 74Mon
  34. 741 am
  35. 74
  36. 74
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Rainbow trout range 45–68°

Wind
17 mph

From the northwest

Flow
87 cfs

steady · -3% in 24 h

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:03 pm

Sky
Partly Sunny

6% chance of rain

Air
57°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Rising

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Maryland non-tidal regulations for these waters.

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

74Worth the tripTonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am

Water

No water reading here right now. Rainbow trout bite in 45–68° water, best near 55°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland statewide trout rule: 2 a day in any combination (4 in possession), no minimum size, open all year. Put-and-take areas and special trout management areas have their own rules.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Jun, Oct–Nov. More on rainbow trout

Brown Trout

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

74Worth the tripTonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am

Water

No water reading here right now. Brown trout bite in 45–68° water, best near 55°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland statewide trout rule: 2 a day in any combination (4 in possession), no minimum size, open all year. Put-and-take areas and special trout management areas have their own rules. Brown trout may not be used as bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on brown trout

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

74Worth the tripTonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am

Water

No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal waters: 12" minimum, 5 bass a day combined, kept only Jun 16 to the last day of February; catch and release at all times. Bass may not be used as bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov. More on smallmouth bass

Common Carp

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

33Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Common carp is here Apr–Oct. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

15 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland non-tidal waters: no minimum size, open year-round, 15 a day and 30 in possession. Trout-water gear and bait rules still apply.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on common carp

The water

  • Water temperatureNo reading
  • River87 cfs · steady · -3% in 24 h
  • Barometer29.97 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:03 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:46 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 3:30 pm–4:30 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 10:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:50 am–6:50 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

Maryland DNR, Nov 4

Freshwater Fishing. Although the fall trout stocking program has reached its end, there are still plenty of opportunities for put-and-take anglers in the many community ponds and reservoirs that were stocked. If anglers try switching from Powerbait and work the waters distant from the usual stocking locations with spinners, they might be surprised with the trout that are still there. The delayed harvest and catch-and-return trout management waters will provide catch-and-release fishing from now until June. At that time there will be dates when they revert to put-and-take for the summer months. More information about the special trout management areas is on the DNR website.

Quoted from the Maryland DNR weekly fishing report. Reports are what anglers and biologists saw that week, not a forecast.

Licenses and rules: MD DNR · trout stocking · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

Antietam Creek through Antietam National Battlefield is a stocked-trout stream in spring — rainbow and brown — that turns to a smallmouth fishery in summer. Bank access along Burnside Bridge Road and across NPS lands; quiet wading water in low flows.

Stocked by MD DNR multiple times each spring. Standard MD non-tidal regulations apply on NPS lands. Free access; park at Burnside Bridge or the battlefield visitor center.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Greenbrier State Park8 mi · MarylandBest tonight 9 pm to Monday 4 am
68Marginal
Potomac River — Williamsport11 mi · MarylandBest today 5 pm to Monday 4 am
86Go
Conococheague Creek — Williamsport11 mi · MarylandBest today 5 pm to Monday 4 am
74Worth the trip
Potomac River — Point of Rocks17 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am
100Go
Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin19 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 11 am to Monday 3 am
68Marginal
Monocacy River — Buckeystown19 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am
86Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge you need a Maryland non-tidal fishing license issued by MD DNR (and a separate Maryland trout stamp if targeting trout in non-tidal waters). See the agency's current rules: https://dnr.maryland.gov/pages/service_fishing_license.aspx

What fish are commonly targeted at Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge?

Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Common Carp. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge have?

Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location. Stocked by MD DNR multiple times each spring. Standard MD non-tidal regulations apply on NPS lands. Free access; park at Burnside Bridge or the battlefield visitor center.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge?

Maryland DNR non-tidal (inland) regulations apply at Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge tidal water?

No. Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.