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Loch Raven Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Baltimore’s water supply: Loch Raven holds big largemouth and crappie in a no-motor reservoir minutes from the city.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Flow
2 cfs
Air / High
88 / 88 F
Wind
NW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01585100, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Loch Raven Reservoir locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. The river is running 2 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 88. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 82 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Whitemarsh Run at White Marsh.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01585100.

1231512 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp88 F
High / Low88 / 70 F
WindNW 9-17 mph
Pressure1012.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain64% cloud, 65%
Sunrise / Sunset06:37 / 19:32
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 88/70 F, wind 9 mph, rain 65%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Loch Raven Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Loch Raven Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Loch Raven Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 87 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 78 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 93 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Maryland requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Maryland license plus a Baltimore City watershed fishing permit. Electric motors only; no body contact with the water. Check current city and DNR rules.

Access

Watershed boat rental and launch areas; extensive shoreline access along Loch Raven Drive and watershed trails.

About this water

A 2,400-acre drinking-water reservoir on the Gunpowder Falls north of Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland.

Fishing Loch Raven Reservoir: the full guide

A city reservoir with rules

Loch Raven Reservoir covers 2,400 acres on the Gunpowder Falls north of Baltimore, supplying the city’s drinking water and managed accordingly: electric motors only, no swimming, no body contact, and a fishing permit required alongside the state license. Those restrictions have preserved a genuinely good fishery: largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish and a walleye and pike component.

Bass in quiet water

The lack of gas motors keeps the water calm and the fish less pressured than the location suggests. Largemouth relate to the standing timber, points and shoreline wood: jigs, spinnerbaits and plastics through the seasons, with spring pushing fish shallow into the coves. The reservoir produces genuinely large bass for a metropolitan water.

Crappie and panfish

Crappie stack in the timber and brush, providing excellent spring fishing and steady winter action on deeper structure. Bluegill fill the shallows in early summer, and channel catfish work the flats. Northern pike and walleye appear in modest numbers, adding variety for anglers willing to target them specifically.

Baltimore-area logistics

Boat rentals and launch access are managed through the city’s watershed program, with a permit required and electric motors only. Extensive shoreline access exists along Loch Raven Drive and the surrounding watershed trails, popular with hikers and cyclists as well. Below the dam, the Gunpowder tailwater is a wild trout fishery worth a separate trip.

Common questions

Do I need a special permit?

Yes: a Baltimore City watershed fishing permit in addition to the Maryland license. Electric motors only.

Is the bass fishing good?

Better than the location suggests: restricted access and no gas motors keep pressure low and fish quality high.

What about the Gunpowder below?

The tailwater below the dam is a wild brown trout fishery, a completely different trip minutes away.

Is fishing good at Loch Raven Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Gunpowder River10 miLiberty Reservoir18 miSusquehanna Flats25 miChesapeake Bay (Annapolis)33 miPatuxent River35 miSusquehanna River42 mi
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