Fishing Rocky Gorge Reservoir in Howard County, Maryland

• Overview

  Howard County, Maryland, is where Rocky Gorge Reservoir sits. The surface lies 299 feet up. Roughly 655 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The edge covers about 15 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. Among the waters listed for Howard County, none is wider. Nearest town is Scaggsville, 1.4 miles off. Further out sit Fulton (1.5 miles) and Burtonsville (1.5 miles). This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Rocky Gorge Reservoir

  Recorded depth comes to 74 ft. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Reported across Howard County: bluegill, green sunfish, largemouth bass and redbreast sunfish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Rocky Gorge Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 76°F and January near 32°F on the long-run figures. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. At Rocky Gorge Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The shoreline is public, so the licence is the main requirement. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lake Elkhorn is 5.5 miles distant. The position on Rocky Gorge Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.