Magothy River

The Magothy is a short, heavily developed Anne Arundel County river that meets the Bay just north of Sandy Point and the Bay Bridge. For anglers its mouth is one of the upper Bay's most dependable spots: DNR's reports name it week after week as a place to catch spot for live-lining, white perch, and stripers staging on the edges. The upper river has late-winter yellow perch and spring white perch runs.

When to fish

• March: yellow perch in the upper river.
• April: white perch spawning runs.
• Late spring: stripers around the mouth on paddletails and soft plastics.
• June to September: spot at the mouth, mostly live-bait size with bigger ones a little deeper, plus white perch.
• November: stripers stage at the mouth to intercept young menhaden leaving the river.
• Winter: white perch school tight to the bottom in the deep channel at the mouth.

Where to fish

• The mouth of the river: spot, white perch and stripers through the warm months.
• The deeper channel at the mouth: winter white perch in 35 to 45 feet, found with a depth finder.
• The upper river: late-winter yellow perch and spring white perch.

How to fish it

For spot, fish small pieces of bloodworm on a bottom rig; for white perch, DNR suggests grass shrimp or peeler crab as cheaper, excellent alternatives, or small jig heads tipped with grass shrimp, minnow or bloodworm. For yellow perch, a lip-hooked minnow on a small jig head, shad dart or bottom rig. For stripers, cast paddletails and soft plastic jigs, or jig channel edges and drop-offs; in late fall, skirted soft plastic jigs.

Getting there

Most of the Magothy's shoreline is private, so this is mainly boat fishing; Anne Arundel County's Beachwood Park is on the river, and Sandy Point State Park's ramps are just to the south. The Magothy from the Lake Waterford dam downstream for 3,300 feet is closed to all fishing in February, March and April, to protect spawning perch. Remember the Bay's striped bass seasons, including the August closure, and use non-offset circle hooks when live-lining. You need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License.