It’s a fishing day

Youghiogheny River — Friendsville fishing conditions · Maryland

Now until Monday 4 amRainbow trout

The bite peaks at 90. Water is 52°, close to the 55° rainbow trout like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 85 for rainbow trout, go · inside the best windowTap 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. 854 pm
  2. 85
  3. 85
  4. 857 pm
  5. 90
  6. 90
  7. 9010 pm
  8. 90
  9. 90Sun
  10. 901 am
  11. 90
  12. 90
  13. 904 am
  14. 90
  15. 90
  16. 907 am
  17. 90
  18. 90
  19. 9010 am
  20. 90
  21. 90
  22. 901 pm
  23. 90
  24. 90
  25. 904 pm
  26. 90
  27. 90
  28. 907 pm
  29. 90
  30. 90
  31. 9010 pm
  32. 90
  33. 90Mon
  34. 901 am
  35. 90
  36. 90
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
52°F

Rainbow trout range 45–68°

Wind
13 mph

From the west

Flow
156 cfs

falling · -23% in 24 h

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:09 pm

Sky
Cloudy

4% chance of rain

Air
46°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

90GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

52°
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. 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

Brown Trout

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

90GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

52°
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. 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. No closure.

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

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Common Carp

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

74Worth the tripNow until Monday 4 am

Water

52°
42°52–86° · ideal 72°96°

Why

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

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

37Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

52°
45°55–78° · ideal 68°88°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Below smallmouth bass's active range (55–78°F). 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 temperature52°F
  • River156 cfs · falling · -23% in 24 h
  • Barometer29.99 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:09 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

The Youghiogheny at Friendsville is a freestone river of stocked rainbow and brown trout in spring through fall and smallmouth bass through summer. Bank access along MD 53 and adjacent public lands. Note: the dedicated Top-Yough Catch-and-Return section runs from the Deep Creek Lake tailrace down to Sang Run Bridge — Friendsville is downstream of that zone and is governed by standard MD non-tidal trout regulations.

Catch-and-return artificial lures only in the Quality Fishery section — verify current section boundaries with MD DNR. Whitewater kayakers also use this stretch.

Nearby

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

Deep Creek Lake13 mi · MarylandBest tonight 11 pm to tonight 4 am
86Go
Savage River Reservoir18 mi · MarylandBest tonight 12 am–8 am
92Go
Broadford Lake Park18 mi · MarylandBest tonight 6 pm to tomorrow 10 pm
68Marginal
North Branch Potomac River — Luke22 mi · MarylandBest today 5 pm to tomorrow 9 am
92Go
Piney Reservoir22 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 4 pm–5 pm
60Marginal
North Branch Potomac River — Barnum22 mi · MarylandBest now until Monday 4 am
92Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Youghiogheny River — Friendsville?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Youghiogheny River — Friendsville 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 Youghiogheny River — Friendsville?

Youghiogheny River — Friendsville 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 Youghiogheny River — Friendsville?

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 Youghiogheny River — Friendsville 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 Youghiogheny River — Friendsville have?

Youghiogheny River — Friendsville has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location. Catch-and-return artificial lures only in the Quality Fishery section — verify current section boundaries with MD DNR. Whitewater kayakers also use this stretch.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Youghiogheny River — Friendsville?

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

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