Smithville Lake

Smithville Lake is a 43-acre mill pond in the farm country of Caroline County near Federalsburg, just west of the Delaware line. DNR manages it as a bass-and-bluegill lake inside a Fisheries Management Area, and its surveys rate it well: good numbers of quality-size largemouth, and black crappie that DNR describes as noticeably bigger and more plentiful than in comparable lakes. Pickerel add a winter option, which makes it a year-round fishery.

When to fish

• Winter: chain pickerel, which stay active in cold water.
• Spring: crappie school around sunken wood and brush (April is a peak), and bass and bluegill move shallow.
• May: the best month for big bluegills.
• Summer and fall: largemouth and bluegill around wood and lily pads.

Where to fish

• The lower two-thirds of the lake, where the banks are steeper with sharp drop-offs, especially the western shore.
• Downed trees, brush and the outer edges of the lily pads all around the lake.
• The shallow upper third, with gradual drop-offs.
• The dam breast at the south end: the best shore fishing.

How to fish it

• Bass: a quarter-ounce jig with a 3- to 4-inch paddletail worked along the shoreline; a shaky head or ned rig in cool water and shallow crankbaits in summer.
• Crappie: small minnows or marabou jigs under a slip bobber near brush, or small twister-tail jigs.
• Pickerel: paddletails or small inline spinners; single hooks make releasing them easier.
• Fly anglers: poppers and minnow patterns for bass, small poppers for panfish, and Clouser or bendback minnows for pickerel and crappie.

Getting there

From MD 404 just before the Delaware line, turn onto Noble Road; the ramp and small gravel lot are on the right within 2 miles. No launch permit is needed. There's no horsepower limit, but boats can't exceed 6 knots, and DNR prefers electric motors. A second small lot at the southeast corner serves the dam-side shore. A kayak or canoe is the best way to fish. DNR has documented summer algae blooms and mats here, so keep dogs out of the water when you see mats. You need a Maryland nontidal fishing license.