Broadford Lake Park fishing conditions · Maryland

Tonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pmLargemouth bass

The bite peaks at 68.

Right now: 55 for largemouth bass, marginalTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Largemouth bass, 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.

554 pm
55
63
637 pm
68
68
6810 pm
68
68Sun
681 am
68
68
684 am
68
68
687 am
68
68
6810 am
68
68
681 pm
68
68
684 pm
68
68
687 pm
68
68
6010 pm
60
60Mon
601 am
60
60

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: No reading
Wind: 16 mph
Light: Daylight
Sky: Cloudy
Air: 42°F
Barometer: Rising
Moon: 5% lit

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.

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

68MarginalTonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal waters: 12" minimum (or as set by special regulation), 5 bass a day combined with smallmouth, kept only Jun 16 to the last day of February. Catch and release is allowed 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: Mar–Nov. More on largemouth bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

68MarginalTonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm

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. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal waters: 12" minimum (or as set by special regulation), 5 bass a day combined with largemouth, kept only Jun 16 to the last day of February. Catch and release is allowed 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

Chain pickerel

Esox niger

68MarginalTonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Chain pickerel bite in 45–80° water, best near 60°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal waters: 14" minimum, 5 a day (10 in possession), open all year. May not be used as bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Oct–Apr. More on chain pickerel

Crappie

Pomoxis spp.

68MarginalTonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

15 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal waters: no minimum size, 15 a day (30 in possession), open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Yellow perch

Perca flavescens

68MarginalTonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Yellow perch bite in 45–70° water, best near 58°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

10 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal lakes and ponds: no minimum size, 10 yellow perch a day (20 in possession).

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Nontidal lakes and ponds

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Feb–Apr, Oct–Dec. More on yellow perch

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

68MarginalTonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Striped bass bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Lakes and ponds: 18" minimum, 2/day striped and hybrid striped bass combined, only one over 30". Keeping striped bass from nontidal rivers and streams is illegal.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on striped bass

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

68MarginalTonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm

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

5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Put-and-take trout area: 5 trout a day combined (10 in possession), no minimum size; brook trout must be released. No closure.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Put-and-take trout area

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

The water

Water temperatureNo reading
Barometer29.99 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today5:10 pm
Sunrise tomorrow6:53 am
MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
Minor solunarToday 3:40 pm–4:40 pm
Major solunarTonight 10:10 pm–12:10 am
Minor solunarTomorrow 6:00 am–7:00 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

A 140-acre Garrett County impoundment best known for panfish, with largemouth bass, smallmouth near the dam breast and rocky areas, chain pickerel, crappie, yellow perch, stocked tiger muskellunge and striped bass, and rainbow trout stocked each spring.

WaterLake
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesMaryland non-tidal
WhereGarrett County · 39.4093, -79.3740

Nearby

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Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Broadford Lake Park?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Broadford Lake Park 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 Broadford Lake Park?

Broadford Lake Park is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Crappie, and 3 more. 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 Broadford Lake Park?

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 Broadford Lake Park 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 Broadford Lake Park have?

Broadford Lake Park has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Broadford Lake Park?

Maryland DNR non-tidal (inland) regulations apply at Broadford Lake Park. 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 Broadford Lake Park tidal water?

No. Broadford Lake Park is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.