It’s a fishing day

Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin fishing conditions · Maryland

Tomorrow 11 am to Monday 3 amBrook trout

The bite peaks at 68. Wind builds to 20 mph out of the west by today at 4:00 pm.

Log a trip here
Right now: 45 for brook trout, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Brook 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. 454 pm
  2. 45
  3. 45
  4. 457 pm
  5. 60
  6. 60
  7. 6010 pm
  8. 60
  9. 60Sun
  10. 601 am
  11. 60
  12. 60
  13. 604 am
  14. 60
  15. 60
  16. 687 am
  17. 60
  18. 60
  19. 6010 am
  20. 68
  21. 68
  22. 681 pm
  23. 68
  24. 68
  25. 684 pm
  26. 68
  27. 68
  28. 687 pm
  29. 68
  30. 68
  31. 6810 pm
  32. 68
  33. 68Mon
  34. 681 am
  35. 68
  36. 60
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Brook trout range 40–65°

Wind
20 mph

From the west · rough for small boats

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:02 pm

Sky
Partly Sunny

5% chance of rain

Air
45°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Steady

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.

Brook Trout

Brook trout

Salvelinus fontinalis

68MarginalTomorrow 11 am to Monday 3 am

Water

No water reading here right now. Brook trout bite in 40–65° water, best near 52°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 1–10 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Catch-and-return fly-fishing area: no trout may be kept; artificial flies on fly tackle only, barbless hooks.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Big Hunting Creek catch-and-return (fly fishing)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Brown Trout

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

68MarginalTomorrow 11 am to Monday 3 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. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Catch-and-return fly-fishing area: no trout may be kept; artificial flies on fly tackle only, barbless hooks.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Big Hunting Creek catch-and-return (fly fishing)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

68MarginalTomorrow 11 am to Monday 3 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. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Catch-and-return fly-fishing area: no trout may be kept; artificial flies on fly tackle only, barbless hooks.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Big Hunting Creek catch-and-return (fly fishing)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

The water

  • Water temperatureNo reading
  • Barometer29.95 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:02 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

Big Hunting Creek through Catoctin Mountain Park is one of Maryland's signature fly-fishing-only catch-and-release trout streams. Wild and stocked brown and brook trout in tight canopy water — small classic mountain stream fishing within an hour of DC.

Fly-fishing only, single barbless hook, catch-and-release in the regulated zone. No bait. Multiple parking pull-offs along MD 77 through Catoctin Mountain Park.

Nearby

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

Greenbrier State Park11 mi · MarylandBest tonight 9 pm to Monday 4 am
68Marginal
Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge19 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am
74Worth the trip
Conococheague Creek — Williamsport19 mi · MarylandBest today 5 pm to Monday 4 am
74Worth the trip
Potomac River — Williamsport19 mi · MarylandBest today 5 pm to Monday 4 am
86Go
Monocacy River — Buckeystown22 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am
86Go
Potomac River — Point of Rocks25 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am
100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin 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 Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin?

Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin is listed on this site for 3 commonly-targeted species: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout. 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 Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin?

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 Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin 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 Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin have?

Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location. Fly-fishing only, single barbless hook, catch-and-release in the regulated zone. No bait. Multiple parking pull-offs along MD 77 through Catoctin Mountain Park.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin?

Maryland DNR non-tidal (inland) regulations apply at Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin. 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 Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin tidal water?

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