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Potomac River Fishing Report

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

The nation's smallmouth river: ledges, grass and history from Harpers Ferry to the fall line.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
2,120 cfs
Air / High
90 / 90 F
Wind
NW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01638500, 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Potomac River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 2,120 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 90. Water sits around 66 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: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutExcellent

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadFair

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

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 POTOMAC RIVER AT POINT OF ROCKS, MD.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01638500.

2,1303,3754,6202,120 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp90 F
High / Low90 / 70 F
WindNW 8-16 mph
Pressure1012.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 75%
Sunrise / Sunset06:41 / 19:36
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 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, 90/70 F, wind 10 mph, rain 75%

Slow. High rain chance; fish the front edge before it arrives.

Species guide

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

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Potomac River 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
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 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 Potomac River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 90 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 88 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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

MD/VA reciprocity on main stem (check tributary lines); snakehead harvest encouraged. Confirm MDDNR.

Access

Brunswick, Point of Rocks, Whites Ferry (upper); Fort Washington, Leesylvania (tidal).

About this water

The nation's river: 100-plus smallmouth miles above DC, premier tidal bass water below.

Fishing Potomac River: the full guide

The people's river

The upper Potomac is a smallmouth factory flowing past national history: ledge-rock wading at Harpers Ferry and Point of Rocks, summer topwater over grass, and float access the whole way. Below DC, the tidal river adds largemouth in spatterdock and the invasive-but-thrilling snakehead game.

Ledges and floats

The upper Potomac wades like a warm-water bonefish flat: ankle-to-knee ledges, smallmouth in every seam. Floats from Brunswick or Point of Rocks cover miles; wading at Harpers Ferry works the classic rock gardens. Tubes, buzzbaits at dawn, and crayfish patterns forever.

The tidal other-river

Below DC the Potomac turns tidal-bass famous: spatterdock, docks and grass from the Wilson Bridge south, snakeheads thick in the creeks. Tide windows rule exactly like the Delta: our report's moving-water logic applies verbatim.

Grass calendar of the tidal river

The tidal Potomac's bass fishery runs on vegetation clocks: hydrilla and milfoil green up through May, canopy by July, and the bite organizes around it: frogs and chatterbaits over the grass on outgoing tide, pitching the edges on the flood. Winter pulls fish to the deep marina basins and warm-water discharges. Every pattern here is tide-first: the same grass bed fishes opposite ways two hours apart.

Common questions

Which Potomac should I fish?

Above DC for wading smallmouth simplicity; below for tidal bass and snakehead drama. Same name, two complete fisheries an hour apart.

Which tide fishes best on the Potomac?

Outgoing, last two hours: bait funnels out of the grass and bass ambush the drains. Plan runs so you ride the falling tide down-river spot to spot.

Is fishing good at Potomac River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Liberty Reservoir37 miOccoquan Reservoir40 miShenandoah River43 miPatuxent River51 miGunpowder River53 miLoch Raven Reservoir55 mi
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