Wicomico River (Salisbury)

The Wicomico River flows through downtown Salisbury and down through marsh and farmland to Tangier Sound. The upper river is a freshwater-style tidal fishery with strong spring runs of yellow and white perch, good crappie fishing, largemouth bass, pickerel, snakeheads and a growing number of blue catfish, and you can fish it from a license-free bulkhead downtown. The lower river holds spot, croaker and schools of white perch near the mouth. It's a striped bass spawning river.

When to fish

• March: yellow perch spawning run, followed by white perch. The tidal yellow perch limit was cut for 2026.
• April and May: crappie around docks, sunken brush and fallen treetops; pickerel and bass. The river is closed to all striped bass fishing from March through May.
• Summer and fall: snakeheads, bass, sunfish and white perch in the upper river; blue catfish in the lower river.
• November: schools of white perch at the mouth.
• Winter: pickerel and bass in the upper river.

Where to fish

• Downtown Salisbury: the city bulkhead between Mill and Division streets is a license-free fishing area (register first).
• The upper tidal river: docks, points, riprap and fallen trees for crappie, bass, pickerel and perch.
• The lower river and its mouth: blue catfish, and white perch in late fall.

How to fish it

• Perch: small jig heads tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworm, or a bottom rig.
• Crappie: small minnows or marabou jigs under a slip bobber near docks and wood.
• Blue catfish: a sliding-sinker rig with a circle hook and cut fish or scented bait.
• Bass, pickerel and snakeheads: cast to docks, points, riprap and fallen trees. It's illegal to keep a snakehead alive, and tidal bass have a larger minimum size until mid-June.

Getting there

In Salisbury, take Business US 50 to Mill Street and Riverside Drive for the city's Riverside ramp; the license-free bulkhead is nearby between Mill and Division streets. Downriver, Wicomico County's Clara Road ramp is unimproved with limited parking, and Somerset County has a paddle launch at Whitehaven. A new county ramp, pier and kayak launch at Pirate's Wharf was funded in 2025. The river is tidal below Isabella Street. You need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License outside the license-free area.