Upper Choptank River (Dover Bridge to Greensboro)

Above Cambridge the Choptank narrows into a winding, tree-lined tidal river that runs past the town of Choptank and the Dover Bridge up to Denton and Greensboro, where it finally meets fresh water at Red Bridges. It's the middle Bay's blue catfish river: DNR says it holds the greatest numbers of them in the region, most small enough to be good eating. It's also where the Choptank's yellow and white perch make their spring spawning runs, and summer brings largemouth bass, crappie, pickerel and snakeheads in the grass and wood.

When to fish

• Late February and March: yellow perch stage in deep water below the spawning areas, then run up to Red Bridges and Greensboro. DNR cut the tidal yellow perch limit for 2026 and asks anglers to release full-bellied pre-spawn females and fish for post-spawners just downstream.
• Late March and April: the white perch run, from Denton up to Red Bridges. Hickory shad and river herring show up near Greensboro and Red Bridges; both are catch and release. Striped bass spawn above the Dover Bridge in April; the river is closed to striped bass fishing from March through May.
• April and May: blue catfish leave the deep channels to feed on shelves and shallower channels from the Dover Bridge to Denton.
• Summer: blue cats move up to the Denton area, in the channels by day and onto 15-foot shelves and flats in the evening. Largemouth, crappie, pickerel and snakeheads around grass and spatterdock; redbreast sunfish at Red Bridges.
• Fall and winter: bass, sunfish and catfish; by December blue catfish settle into the deepest channels from the town of Choptank up to Denton.

Where to fish

• Red Bridges (Christian Park) north of Greensboro: wade the sandy riffles, fish the spillway below the weir dam, or walk down to the deeper pools. Spring perch and shad.
• Greensboro and Denton: the core of the perch run, with license-free piers at Greensboro Waterfront Park and Denton's Crouse Park.
• Dover Bridge to Denton: blue catfish on the deep channel edges at the outside of the bends and the shelves beside them; the west side of the old Dover Bridge is a shore fishing area.
• Martinak State Park and Watts Creek: ramp, pier and shoreline near Denton.

How to fish it

• Perch: small jig heads (1/16 or 1/8 ounce) or shad darts tipped with grass shrimp, a lip-hooked minnow or bloodworm, kept close to the bottom; or a simple bottom rig.
• Blue catfish: fresh cut gizzard shad, menhaden or white perch (or chicken liver and scented baits) on a circle hook with a fish-finder or sliding-sinker rig; anchor on channel edges and shelves. Live small white perch or bluegill also work in spring.
• Crappie: in late March and April, live minnows under a small bobber, or tiny jigs with tube or twister tails cast tight to brush and fallen trees and retrieved slowly.
• Hickory shad: shad darts, small bright flies or gold and chrome spoons, often in tandem; release them.
• Fly anglers at Red Bridges: a 4- or 5-weight with marabou streamers for shad, small shrimp and minnow patterns for perch, and poppers and rubber-legged flies for bass and sunfish.

Getting there

Caroline County has ramps at Denton (Daniel Crouse Memorial Park), Greensboro and Ganeys Wharf, plus soft launches at Gilpin Point and Two Johns; each needs a county permit for trailered boats. Martinak State Park, off MD 404 near Denton, charges a launch fee. For Red Bridges, take MD 480 through Greensboro to MD 313 and Red Bridges Road; the park is free. On the Talbot County side, Windy Hill and Kingston landings need a Talbot permit. You need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License, except at the license-free piers (register for free first).