It’s a fishing day

Cox's Point Park fishing conditions · Maryland

Now until Monday 4 amWhite perch

The bite peaks at 92. Water is 72°, inside their 50–78° range, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 92 for white perch, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

White perch, 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. 924 pm
  2. 88
  3. 88
  4. 887 pm
  5. 88
  6. 88
  7. 9210 pm
  8. 92
  9. 92Sun
  10. 881 am
  11. 88
  12. 88
  13. 884 am
  14. 88
  15. 92
  16. 887 am
  17. 88
  18. 88
  19. 8810 am
  20. 92
  21. 92
  22. 881 pm
  23. 88
  24. 88
  25. 924 pm
  26. 88
  27. 88
  28. 887 pm
  29. 88
  30. 88
  31. 8810 pm
  32. 92
  33. 92Mon
  34. 881 am
  35. 88
  36. 88
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
72°F

White perch range 50–78°

Wind
14 mph

From the west

Light
Daylight

Sunset 4:58 pm

Sky
Partly Sunny

1% chance of rain

Air
58°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 tidal regulations for these waters.

White Perch

White perch

Morone americana

92GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

72°
40°50–78° · ideal 65°88°

Why

White perch prefers outgoing tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside white perch's active range. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries: no minimum size by hook and line (8" with other gear) and no daily limit, open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on white perch

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

90GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

72°
50°60–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Right in channel catfish's ideal range. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tidal waters: no minimum size and no daily creel limit; open year-round.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov. More on channel catfish

Blue Catfish

Blue catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

90GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

72°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Right in blue catfish's ideal range. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 10–60 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland tidal waters: catfish have no size limit and no daily limit, open all year. DNR encourages anglers to keep invasive blue catfish.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Year-round. More on blue catfish

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

90GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

72°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Right in largemouth bass's ideal range. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 5 a day (Jan 1–Feb 29, Jun 16–Dec 31); 15" minimum · 5 a day (Mar 1–Jun 15)

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland tidal waters: 5 black bass a day (largemouth and smallmouth combined); 15" minimum Mar 1–Jun 15 and 12" the rest of the year. Bass may not be used as bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on largemouth bass

Striped Bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

84Worth the tripNow until Monday 4 am

Water

72°
40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Striped bass is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside striped bass's active range. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

19" minimum · 24" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Catch and release only Jan 1–May 31: in May, harvest is only allowed in the main Bay, not in its bays, rivers and creeks. Harvest Jun 1–Jul 31 and Sep 1–Dec 5 at 1 fish a day, 19–24"; closed in August; catch and release Dec 6–31.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Bay tributary outside the spawning areas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. Likes an incoming tide. More on striped bass

Yellow Perch

Yellow perch

Perca flavescens

36Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

72°
35°45–70° · ideal 58°80°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Above yellow perch's active range (45–70°F) — fish move deep. Yellow perch prefers slack tide. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

9" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries: 9" minimum, 5 a day (down from 10 in 2025), open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

The water

  • Water temperature72°F
  • Seas1.3 ft at the nearest buoy
  • Barometer29.91 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today4:58 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:41 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

Middle Bay. It is all about striped bass this week as the fall fishery kicks into gear. Anglers are enjoying excellent fishing along the shores of the tidal rivers and Bay this week. Casting paddletails , crankbaits , and topwater lures during the morning and evening hours has been very successful. This is a wonderful time of the year to get out for a short trip to the lower sections of the region’s tidal rivers for some evening casting for striped bass. A few anglers are magically finding the last of the spot and live-lining them along channel edges and the Bay Bridge piers with good success. Using live eels and cut bait also works well.

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 · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

A Baltimore County park on Back River in Essex. Tidal fresh-to-brackish water: white perch and yellow perch in early spring, striped bass on the tide, blue and channel catfish year-round and largemouth along the shoreline cover.

Nearby

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

Miami Beach Park3 mi · MarylandBest now until Monday 4 am
92Go
Rocky Point Park — Essex4 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 6 am to Monday 4 amSmall Craft Advisory
67Marginal
North Point State Park6 mi · MarylandBest tonight 9 pm to Monday 4 amSmall Craft Advisory
67Marginal
Dundee Creek Marina (Gunpowder Falls SP)7 mi · MarylandBest now until Monday 4 am
100Go
Fort Smallwood Park9 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 4 am to Monday 4 am
92Go
Mariner Point Park10 mi · MarylandBest now until Monday 4 am
100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Cox's Point Park?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Cox's Point Park you need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport License issued by MD DNR. Anglers may instead qualify for the free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration in some circumstances (e.g., guest on a boat carrying a Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Decal, or holder of a Virginia saltwater license). See the agency's current rules: https://dnr.maryland.gov/pages/service_fishing_license.aspx

What fish are commonly targeted at Cox's Point Park?

Cox's Point Park is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch, Channel Catfish, and 2 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 Cox's Point 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 Cox's Point 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 Cox's Point Park have?

Cox's Point Park has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Cox's Point Park?

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Cox's Point 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 Cox's Point Park tidal water?

Yes. Cox's Point Park sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.