Mattawoman Creek and Smallwood State Park

Mattawoman Creek, a long, winding tidal tributary of the Potomac in Charles County, is one of Maryland's healthiest waterways and one of its best-known largemouth bass fisheries. Lined by marsh, lily pads and grass beds along mostly undeveloped shores, the creek draws national bass tournaments to Smallwood State Park and is a prolific spot for big snakeheads. It also has strong spring runs of yellow and white perch and a catch-and-release run of hickory and American shad up to Mason Springs.

When to fish

• Late February and March: yellow perch run into the upper creek around Mason's Branch; white perch follow. DNR cut the tidal yellow perch limit for 2026.
• Late March through April: hickory shad (and some American shad) in the Mason Branch and around Mason Springs, catch and release only.
• Spring: pre-spawn largemouth move shallow; bass have a larger minimum size in tidal water until mid-June.
• Summer: bass and snakeheads around the lily pads and grass; kayaks and small boats shine.
• Fall: bass and snakeheads keep feeding along the grass edges; crappie and catfish year-round.

Where to fish

• The upper creek from Indian Head to Mason Springs: spring perch and shad.
• The south shore and the outer edges of the lily pads: largemouth and snakeheads.
• Smallwood State Park's piers and shoreline: bass, catfish, perch and carp from shore.
• The boardwalk and piers at Mattingly Park, which DNR suggests for shore anglers after snakeheads.

How to fish it

• Perch: shad darts and small jigs worked along the bottom, or bloodworm or grass shrimp on a bottom rig.
• Shad: tandem rigs of shad darts and small silver or gold spoons, or small bright flies, cast to current breaks; release every shad.
• Bass: cast to shorelines, pad edges and grass; fly anglers use poppers, frog patterns and Clouser minnows.
• Snakeheads: work lures along the lily pads. It's illegal to keep a snakehead alive, and DNR encourages anglers to kill and keep them.

Getting there

Smallwood State Park, on MD 224 south of MD 225 near Marbury, has multiple ramps, a marina, piers and plenty of trailer parking; it's open from 5 a.m. (7 a.m. in winter) to sunset and charges day-use and launch fees. The Town of Indian Head's Mattingly Park, off MD 210 at 108 Mattingly Avenue, has a ramp (launch fee), piers and a boardwalk, and puts paddlers close to the upper creek. You need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License.