Pocomoke River and Pocomoke Sound

The Pocomoke River runs dark and slow through Maryland's northernmost bald cypress swamp, past Snow Hill and Pocomoke City, and into Pocomoke Sound on the Virginia line. The upper river is a paddler's freshwater-style fishery for crappie, white and yellow perch, largemouth bass, pickerel, catfish and snakeheads, with free ramps at Pocomoke River State Park and license-free fishing along the town riverfronts. Down in the salty sound, the fishing looks like Tangier Sound: speckled trout, stripers, red drum, flounder, spot and croaker.

When to fish

• Late winter and spring: yellow and white perch and crappie hold on the edges and ledges near the deepest holes; crappie move shallow by late March and bite well through April. Pickerel and bass are active. The upper river is closed to all striped bass fishing from March through May, while Pocomoke Sound opens to harvest with the main Bay on May 1.
• Summer: white perch, crappie, bluegill, bass and snakeheads in the river. In the sound, speckled trout in the grassy shallows, flounder on the flats near the channels, spot and croaker, and red drum and cobia out deeper.
• Fall: bass, white perch, snakeheads and crappie in the river; flounder, spot and croaker in the sound, and shallow-water stripers through November.
• Winter: yellow perch, crappie and bass in the river's deeper holes.

Where to fish

• Snow Hill: the breakwater around Byrd Park and the town river walk, all license-free, plus good water above the drawbridge.
• Pocomoke River State Park: the pier at Shad Landing and the river around Shad Landing and Milburn Landing.
• Pocomoke City: the license-free city docks from the Laurel Street ramp to the US 13 overpass, and the Winter Quarters dock.
• Pocomoke Sound: marsh edges, creek mouths, stump fields and points for trout and stripers; channel-edge flats for flounder.

How to fish it

• Crappie: live minnows under a bobber 3 to 5 feet down, or tiny jigs with tubes or twister tails cast tight to fallen trees and wood.
• Perch: bottom rigs or small jig heads tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworm.
• Bass and pickerel: cast to grass banks, fallen trees and lily pads.
• Snakeheads: work the grass beds as they fill in; it's illegal to keep one alive.
• In the sound: paddletails and topwater lures (walk-the-dog lures, poppers) over grass and near marsh edges early and late; drifted peeler crab for speckled trout; pink or white scented soft plastics drifted along hard-bottom shelves for flounder.

Getting there

Pocomoke River State Park's Shad Landing, at 3461 Worcester Highway about four miles from Snow Hill, has a ramp, kayak launch and fishing pier, is open year-round from sunrise to sunset and charges no day-use or launch fee; seasonal Milburn Landing is across the river on Nassawango Road. Snow Hill's Byrd Park has two ramps. Paddlers heading upriver of Snow Hill need the drawbridge opened at high tide, so call the town at least five hours ahead. Somerset County's Shelltown and Rumbly Point ramps are closest to Pocomoke Sound. The river is tidal below Whiton Crossing. You need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License outside the license-free areas.