Potomac River — Williamsport fishing conditions · Maryland

Today 5 pm to Monday 4 amWalleye

The bite peaks at 86.

Right now: 78 for walleye, worth the tripTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Walleye, 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.

784 pm
82
82
827 pm
82
82
8610 pm
86
86Sun
821 am
82
82
824 am
82
86
827 am
82
82
8210 am
86
86
821 pm
82
82
864 pm
86
82
827 pm
82
82
8210 pm
86
86Mon
821 am
82
82

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

Water: No reading
Wind: 16 mph
Flow: 896 cfs
Light: Daylight
Sky: Partly Sunny
Air: 55°F
Barometer: Steady
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.

Walleye

Sander vitreus

86GoToday 5 pm to Monday 4 am

Water

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

Why

Walleye feeds aggressively in low light. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 10–40 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 20" maximum · 5 a day (Jan 1–Apr 15); 15" minimum · 5 a day (Apr 16–Dec 31)

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 15" minimum, 5 a day; from Jan 1 to Apr 15 no walleye over 20" may be kept.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Potomac River main stem

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–May, Oct–Dec. More on walleye

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

74Worth the tripToday 5 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 (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

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

68MarginalToday 5 pm to Monday 4 am

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

Muskellunge

Esox masquinongy

68MarginalToday 5 pm to Monday 4 am

Water

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

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 10–40 ft down.

Keep

36" minimum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal waters: muskellunge and tiger muskie 36" minimum, 1 a day (2 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: May–Jul, Sep–Nov. More on muskellunge

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

68MarginalToday 5 pm to Monday 4 am

Water

No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.

Why

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

Keep

5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal waters: no minimum size, 5 a day (10 in possession), open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov. More on channel catfish

White perch

Morone americana

68MarginalToday 5 pm to Monday 4 am

Water

No water reading here right now. White perch bite in 50–78° water, best near 65°.

Why

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

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland nontidal waters: no minimum size and no daily limit, open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland non-tidal

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

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.

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
River896 cfs · steady · +0% in 24 h
Barometer29.95 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today5:03 pm
Sunrise tomorrow6:47 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 · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

Cushwa Basin in Williamsport sits on the C&O Canal NHP and offers a public boat ramp plus miles of shore access on the upper Potomac — a classic non-tidal smallmouth, walleye, and muskellunge fishery. The towpath extends bank fishing east toward Dam 4 and west toward Fort Frederick.

NPS access at the C&O Canal Williamsport visitor center — free. Cushwa Basin boat ramp can be busy on summer weekends. Dam 4 area downstream holds the better walleye numbers in spring.

WaterRiver
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesMaryland non-tidal
WhereWashington County · 39.5995, -77.8232

Nearby

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

Conococheague Creek — Williamsport0 mi · MarylandBest today 5 pm to Monday 4 am

74Worth the trip

Antietam Creek — Burnside Bridge11 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am

74Worth the trip

Greenbrier State Park12 mi · MarylandBest tonight 9 pm to Monday 4 am

68Marginal

Big Hunting Creek — Catoctin19 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 11 am to Monday 3 am

68Marginal

Cacapon Resort State Park27 mi · West VirginiaBest now until Monday 4 am

68Marginal

Potomac River — Point of Rocks27 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to Monday 4 am

100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Potomac River — Williamsport?

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

Potomac River — Williamsport is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Muskellunge, 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 Potomac River — Williamsport?

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 Potomac River — Williamsport 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 Potomac River — Williamsport have?

Potomac River — Williamsport has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. NPS access at the C&O Canal Williamsport visitor center — free. Cushwa Basin boat ramp can be busy on summer weekends. Dam 4 area downstream holds the better walleye numbers in spring.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Potomac River — Williamsport?

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

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