It's a Fishing Day

Species

White Perch

Morone americana · family Moronidae

Smaller cousin of the striped bass and arguably the Bay's most popular panfish. Schools heavily in tidal rivers and creeks; hits bottom rigs with bloodworms, grass shrimp, or small jigs. Spring spawning run into the freshwater ends of tributaries is the marquee fishery.

Preferred conditions

Water temp
50–78°F (ideal 65°F)
Tide
outgoing
Moon
either
Depth
3–25 ft
Active months
Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov

Best white perch conditions today

  1. Choptank River — Cambridge Dorchester, MD
    96/100
  2. Blackwater NWR — Fishing Area Dorchester, MD
    96/100
  3. Solomon's Island Fishing Pier Calvert, MD
    96/100
  4. Point Lookout State Park St. Mary's, MD
    96/100
  5. Flag Ponds Nature Park Calvert, MD
    96/100
  6. Sandy Point State Park Anne Arundel, MD
    84/100
  7. Conowingo Dam Tailrace Harford, MD
    84/100
  8. Susquehanna Flats Cecil, MD
    84/100
  9. Havre de Grace Fishing Pier Harford, MD
    84/100
  10. Rocky Point Park — Essex Baltimore, MD
    84/100
  11. North Point State Park Baltimore, MD
    84/100
  12. Kent Narrows — Public Fishing Pier Queen Anne's, MD
    84/100
  13. Romancoke Pier Queen Anne's, MD
    84/100
  14. Matapeake Pier Queen Anne's, MD
    84/100
  15. Jug Bay — Patuxent River Anne Arundel, MD
    84/100
  16. Chesapeake Beach — Rod N' Reel Pier Calvert, MD
    84/100
  17. Lewes Canal Sussex, DE
    68/100
  18. Slaughter Beach Sussex, DE
    68/100
  19. Mason Neck State Park Fairfax, VA
    68/100
  20. Occoquan Regional Park Fairfax, VA
    68/100
  21. Pohick Bay Regional Park Fairfax, VA
    68/100
  22. Leesylvania State Park Prince William, VA
    68/100

Regulations by jurisdiction

Maryland (tidal)

tidal bay

Creel
0

No minimum size when caught with hook and line; 8-inch minimum for other legal gear. No daily creel limit. Open year-round in Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries.

Source · verified 2026-04-22

Delaware (tidal)

tidal delaware

Min size
8"
Creel
0

Delaware tidal waters (Delaware Bay, Delaware River, tributaries, Inland Bays): 8-inch minimum. No daily creel limit. Note: DE applies a size minimum where MD does not for hook-and-line, so the rule is actually more restrictive on the DE side for small fish.

Source · verified 2026-04-22

Virginia (tidal — VMRC)

tidal bay

Min size
8"
Creel
25

Virginia tidal waters (lower Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, excluding the Potomac main stem): 8-inch minimum, 25 per day. VMRC recreational rule. Significantly more restrictive than MD (no size minimum, no creel) on the creel side. Spring spawning-run tributaries can see emergency gear restrictions — verify with VMRC before March runs.

Source · verified 2026-04-22

Potomac main stem (PRFC)

tidal potomac

Min size
8"
Creel
10

Potomac River main stem (PRFC): 8-inch minimum, 10 per day for recreational hook-and-line. More restrictive than either MD or VA tidal rules — PRFC caps the creel where neither state does. Spring tributary runs (Pomonkey, Mattawoman, Nanjemoy) are the marquee fishery.

Source · verified 2026-04-22