It’s a fishing day

North Branch Potomac River — Barnum fishing conditions · Maryland

Now until Monday 4 amBrown trout

The bite peaks at 92. Water is 55°, close to the 55° brown trout like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 87 for brown trout, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Brown 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. 874 pm
  2. 87
  3. 87
  4. 877 pm
  5. 92
  6. 92
  7. 9210 pm
  8. 92
  9. 92Sun
  10. 921 am
  11. 92
  12. 92
  13. 924 am
  14. 92
  15. 92
  16. 927 am
  17. 92
  18. 92
  19. 9210 am
  20. 92
  21. 92
  22. 921 pm
  23. 92
  24. 92
  25. 924 pm
  26. 92
  27. 92
  28. 927 pm
  29. 92
  30. 92
  31. 9210 pm
  32. 92
  33. 92Mon
  34. 921 am
  35. 92
  36. 92
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
55°F

Brown trout range 45–68°

Wind
15 mph

From the west

Flow
346 cfs

steady · +0% in 24 h

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:09 pm

Sky
Mostly Cloudy

5% chance of rain

Air
48°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.

Brown Trout

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

92GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

55°
35°45–68° · ideal 55°78°

Why

Right in brown trout's ideal range. 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

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Below the Jennings Randolph spillway to Barnum: no trout may be kept; artificial lures and flies only, barbless hooks, no bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · North Branch Potomac catch-and-return area (Jennings Randolph tailwater)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Brook Trout

Brook trout

Salvelinus fontinalis

92GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

55°
30°40–65° · ideal 52°75°

Why

Right in brook trout's ideal range. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 1–10 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Below the Jennings Randolph spillway to Barnum: no trout may be kept; artificial lures and flies only, barbless hooks, no bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · North Branch Potomac catch-and-return area (Jennings Randolph tailwater)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

92GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

55°
35°45–68° · ideal 55°78°

Why

Right in rainbow trout's ideal range. 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

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Below the Jennings Randolph spillway to Barnum: no trout may be kept; artificial lures and flies only, barbless hooks, no bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · North Branch Potomac catch-and-return area (Jennings Randolph tailwater)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

80Worth the tripNow until Monday 4 am

Water

55°
45°55–78° · ideal 68°88°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside smallmouth bass's active range. 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

The water

  • Water temperature55°F
  • River346 cfs · steady · +0% in 24 h
  • Barometer29.99 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:09 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:52 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

The North Branch Potomac at Barnum is a cold tailwater directly below Jennings Randolph Dam — the premier trophy-trout water on the Maryland–West Virginia line. Deep reservoir releases hold it near 55–60°F year-round, growing wild, reproducing brown and brook trout alongside stocked rainbows and golden rainbows to sizes rare on the East Coast. The mile below the dam, down to the Barnum access, is a year-round catch-and-return, artificial-only section; smallmouth bass mix into the warmer water downstream. Wade and bank access from the Barnum Fishing & Boating Access on the WV side.

Upper Section catch-and-return: from ~345 yds below the Jennings Randolph spillway down ~1 mile to the concrete abutments at Barnum — artificial lures only, barbless hooks, all trout released year-round. MD DNR and WV DNR jointly manage the border water; a Maryland OR West Virginia license is honored. Dam-release flows change fast and can spike — check the USGS Barnum gauge and the Corps release schedule before wading.

Nearby

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

North Branch Potomac River — Luke1 mi · MarylandBest today 5 pm to tomorrow 9 am
92Go
Jennings Randolph Lake2 mi · MarylandBest tonight 8 pm to Monday 4 am
92Go
Savage River Reservoir6 mi · MarylandBest tonight 12 am–8 am
92Go
Deep Creek Lake10 mi · MarylandBest tonight 11 pm to tonight 4 am
86Go
Broadford Lake Park14 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm
68Marginal
Piney Reservoir19 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 4 pm–5 pm
60Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at North Branch Potomac River — Barnum?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at North Branch Potomac River — Barnum 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 North Branch Potomac River — Barnum?

North Branch Potomac River — Barnum is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass. 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 North Branch Potomac River — Barnum?

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 North Branch Potomac River — Barnum 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 North Branch Potomac River — Barnum have?

North Branch Potomac River — Barnum has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location. Upper Section catch-and-return: from ~345 yds below the Jennings Randolph spillway down ~1 mile to the concrete abutments at Barnum — artificial lures only, barbless hooks, all trout released year-round. MD DNR and WV DNR jointly manage the border water; a Maryland OR West Virginia license is honored. Dam-release flows change fast and can spike — check the USGS Barnum gauge and the Corps release schedule before wading.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at North Branch Potomac River — Barnum?

Maryland DNR non-tidal (inland) regulations apply at North Branch Potomac River — Barnum. 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 North Branch Potomac River — Barnum tidal water?

No. North Branch Potomac River — Barnum is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.