Chesapeake Bay
Seasonal Hatch Chart
What bait is running in Maryland waters month by month, and which FlyDill fly matches it. Pin this to your wall.
Match the Hatch
The right fly for what’s running
Species Breakdown
Know Your Forage
Bay Anchovies
Apr – NovThe bread and butter of the Bay. When anchovies school thick near the surface, everything feeds on them. Fish slim profiles on an intermediate line.
Menhaden / Bunker
May – OctBig bait means big fish. When bunker pods push through, stripers and blues are never far behind. Use a big profile fly and strip aggressively.
Silversides
Mar – NovSilversides hold along grass edges and shoreline structure. A natural olive baitfish pattern fished slow near the bottom is deadly in spring and fall.
Crab (Soft Shell)
May – SepSoft crabs are candy for everything in the Bay. A weighted Clouser bounced along the bottom imitates a fleeing crab. Fish it slow near oyster bars.
Shad
Mar – MayThe spring shad run is a Maryland tradition. They push up tributaries in big schools. A large deceiver swung through current is the classic approach.
White Perch Spawn
Apr – MayWhen white perch move into tidal creeks to spawn, stripers follow. A Clouser stripped through spawning flats will find fish stacked up and aggressive.
Seasonal Notes
Tips From the Water
Spring
March - MayShad push up tributaries and white perch stack in tidal creeks. Fish big deceivers in current seams and Clousers on spawning flats. The water is still cool — strip slow and let the fly sink.
Summer
June - AugustPrime time. Bay anchovies and menhaden are thick, soft crabs are molting, and everything is feeding. Fish early and late to avoid the heat. Topwater poppers work at dawn. Go subsurface with baitfish patterns once the sun is up.
Fall
September - NovemberThe fall run is what Maryland fly fishing is all about. Stripers and blues chase bait south through the Bay. Silversides and anchovies along shorelines, bunker pods in open water. Cover water and match the size of what you see.
Winter
December - FebruaryMost bait has moved out. Focus on deeper structure, bridge pilings, and warm water discharges. Slow, deep presentations. A weighted Clouser crawled along the bottom can still produce on warm spells.
Ready to Match the Hatch?
Every FlyDill fly is hand-tied in Maryland to match what’s actually swimming in these waters.
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