It’s a fishing day

Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows fishing conditions · Maryland

Tonight 10 pm to Monday 4 amRainbow trout

The bite peaks at 74.

Log a trip here
Right now: 61 for rainbow trout, marginalTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Rainbow 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. 614 pm
  2. 61
  3. 61
  4. 617 pm
  5. 66
  6. 66
  7. 7410 pm
  8. 74
  9. 74Sun
  10. 741 am
  11. 74
  12. 74
  13. 744 am
  14. 74
  15. 74
  16. 747 am
  17. 74
  18. 74
  19. 7410 am
  20. 74
  21. 74
  22. 741 pm
  23. 74
  24. 74
  25. 744 pm
  26. 74
  27. 74
  28. 747 pm
  29. 74
  30. 74
  31. 7410 pm
  32. 74
  33. 74Mon
  34. 741 am
  35. 74
  36. 74
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Rainbow trout range 45–68°

Wind
16 mph

From the west

Flow
48.6 cfs

steady · +0% in 24 h

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:07 pm

Sky
Scattered Rain Showers

13% chance of rain

Air
49°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.

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

74Worth the tripTonight 10 pm to Monday 4 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. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. 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. Closed to all fishing from 10 p.m. Mar 8 to 6:30 a.m. Mar 28, 2026 for stocking.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Put-and-take trout area (Closure 1)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Brown Trout

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

74Worth the tripTonight 10 pm to Monday 4 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. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 3–25 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. Closed to all fishing from 10 p.m. Mar 8 to 6:30 a.m. Mar 28, 2026 for stocking.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Put-and-take trout area (Closure 1)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

74Worth the tripTonight 10 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, 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

Common Carp

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. Trout-water gear and bait rules still apply.

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
  • River48.6 cfs · steady · +0% in 24 h
  • Barometer30.07 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:07 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:51 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 3:30 pm–4:30 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

Wills Creek cuts through the Cumberland Narrows, the dramatic water gap west of Cumberland where the creek slices between Wills and Haystack mountains. The put-and-take stretch upstream of the flood-control project is one of Maryland's most heavily stocked trout runs — rainbows and browns through spring, with smallmouth bass and rock bass into summer. Bank access along the old National Road and rail corridor through the gap.

Put-and-take trout water above the Narrows flood-control project; stocked through spring — pre-season 'Closure 1' dates may apply, so check the MD DNR stocking schedule. Flows are flashy after mountain rain. A discharge-only USGS gauge sits at the lower end; no live water-temperature feed here.

Nearby

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

Evitts Creek Ponds4 mi · MarylandBest now until Monday 4 am
68Marginal
Evitts Creek5 mi · MarylandBest now until Monday 4 am
68Marginal
Rocky Gap State Park — Lake Habeeb8 mi · MarylandBest tonight 8 pm to Monday 4 am
68Marginal
Lake Gordon8 mi · PennsylvaniaBest now until Monday 4 am
68Marginal
Lake Koon10 mi · PennsylvaniaBest now until Monday 4 am
68Marginal
Piney Reservoir12 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 4 pm–5 pm
60Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows 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 Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows?

Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Common Carp. 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 Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows?

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 Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows 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 Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows have?

Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location. Put-and-take trout water above the Narrows flood-control project; stocked through spring — pre-season 'Closure 1' dates may apply, so check the MD DNR stocking schedule. Flows are flashy after mountain rain. A discharge-only USGS gauge sits at the lower end; no live water-temperature feed here.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows?

Maryland DNR non-tidal (inland) regulations apply at Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows. 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 Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows tidal water?

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

Is there parking or an entry fee at Wills Creek — Cumberland Narrows?

Put-and-take trout water above the Narrows flood-control project; stocked through spring — pre-season 'Closure 1' dates may apply, so check the MD DNR stocking schedule. Flows are flashy after mountain rain. A discharge-only USGS gauge sits at the lower end; no live water-temperature feed here.