# Conowingo Dam



## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

Just sitting at home bored with my fishing withdrawal reaching its peak. So I thought I migh post this since I've been wondering about it for a while. How come nobody on here seems to care for conowingo? I've only seen a post about it here once and it seems like a great place to fish. If you have fished it can you share your experiences/advice. Thanks.


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## dcheng01 (Dec 1, 2010)

lots of dead lines and rocks that can get you snagged. I have seen people breaking lines left and right.


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## dcheng01 (Dec 1, 2010)

You can only fish there during day time. They close when the sun goes down.


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## cducer (May 7, 2010)

Fishing is excellant there.... you have to be careful... lots of rocks and holes, swift water at times especially during release times from the dam. Down stream from the dam is a little better lots of acess areas around the state park.

I fish it during the spring shad runs and occasionally big cow stripers will be chasing your shad as you try to land it.

Give it a try


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

i know a lot of guys are taking their yaks there and slaying the yellow perch in deep water


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## Ralph (Aug 1, 2002)

*what he said...*



cducer said:


> Fishing is excellant there.... you have to be careful... lots of rocks and holes, swift water at times especially during release times from the dam. Down stream from the dam is a little better lots of acess areas around the state park.
> 
> I fish it during the spring shad runs and occasionally big cow stripers will be chasing your shad as you try to land it.
> 
> Give it a try


i understand its been "renovated" to include some type of "pier", so not sure what it looks like now. before the renovation, i have personally caught walleye, but i have seen some cow rock fish being pulled from the waters closest to the damn. also seen guys in boats driftin with bottom bouncers. but as was mentioned above be prepared to lose a bunch of tackle.


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

Its not just a regular pier, I saw the opening on youtube and its made of concrete but doesn't go out far like a regular pier, its kind of like a pavilion. Any nice cats there? I really would like to catch some walleye, what did you catch them on Ralph?


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## cducer (May 7, 2010)

big cats love cut herring up there during the run.... I have caught walleye on twister tails .


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## Ralph (Aug 1, 2002)

*Anything with a tail...*

E


Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> Its not just a regular pier, I saw the opening on youtube and its made of concrete but doesn't go out far like a regular pier, its kind of like a pavilion. Any nice cats there? I really would like to catch some walleye, what did you catch them on Ralph?


1/2 jig head and creature baits like a lizard. The key is color. A green pumpkin with black flake. Keep changing colors until they eat it. Bounce it off the bottom.


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## Ralph (Aug 1, 2002)

*Color*

The suseqhuana (sp) has a color the kills SMB, just can't remember it. Maybe junebug red, not sure.


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## cducer (May 7, 2010)

Ralph said:


> The suseqhuana (sp) has a color the kills SMB, just can't remember it. Maybe junebug red, not sure.


LOL... spelling wont be held againt ya !!! you can use " Susky" . junebug, punkinseed, olive, all work well. somedays its one color, somedays its another.
If the one you are using is not working, try another


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## Green Cart (May 14, 2002)

*It has been a while since I fished in that area,*

but I remember the scary signs warning that when the sirens go off, to retreat quickly to get away from the floodings coming from the dam.


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## thomaswsu (Mar 23, 2010)

I fish the susquehanna through the spring and summer. i put my kayak in at deer creek. It is good smallmouth fishing. Also, has rock fish but your not allowed to fish for them until I believe June 1. I usually fish a fin-s. I tried below the dam this fall. Saw a couple guys catch some schoolie sized rock fish and some small walleye. I personally did not have any luck. Broke off alot in the rocks. Does anyone use a particular rig when fishing below the damn to minimize break offs?


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## cducer (May 7, 2010)

if you are not getting hung up every now and then you are not where the fish are !! best thing to do especially if you are in a yak would be to drop shot instead of casting out. When I used to fish conventional I would tie rigs with the weight on the bottom tied to a very light line so when the weight would get hung up then you would only lose the weight not the rig


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

Seems like if you know how to fish the Rt.50 bridge in OC you'll know how to fish the dam.


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## Gnatman (Sep 15, 2005)

*It's NOTHING like the Rt 50 bridge in OC...*



Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> Seems like if you know how to fish the Rt.50 bridge in OC you'll know how to fish the dam.


...you haven't been allowed to fish from the catwalk since 9/11.


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

I've heard about it being closed but I didn't think it was for that reason. Does the gov't really think that terrorists would target a dam.


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## somewherewarm (Feb 2, 2011)

*Rigs*

The rig most guys use is braid line tied to a 2 or 3 oz. inline sinker then a mono leader. Idea is to cast as far as you can into the moving water when the gates are letting out and let it drift down. You will see most guys using 9-10 ft rods. Grubs, Gulp Minnows whatever is in your tacklebox that you dont mind loosing.

P.S I love fishing the Conowingo. Big Flat Heads in the summer and Lots of Walleye and Stripers come fall.


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> I've heard about it being closed but I didn't think it was for that reason. Does the gov't really think that terrorists would target a dam.


It's a Hydroelectric Plant and unfortunately would make an excellent target for terrorists


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## GreaseTea (Jul 16, 2003)

*Conowingo dam is a great fishery*

I look forward to shad fishing every year at the Conowingo Dam and down pass Deer Creek. Excellent shad fishing and sometimes excellent white perch fishing. You owe it to yourself to give it a try if you've never done it before. Like others mentioned earlier some nice stripers and walleyes can be caught as well.


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

somewherewarm said:


> The rig most guys use is braid line tied to a 2 or 3 oz. inline sinker then a mono leader. Idea is to cast as far as you can into the moving water when the gates are letting out and let it drift down. You will see most guys using 9-10 ft rods. Grubs, Gulp Minnows whatever is in your tacklebox that you dont mind loosing.
> 
> P.S I love fishing the Conowingo. Big Flat Heads in the summer and Lots of Walleye and Stripers come fall.


Any nice channels? Any stripers in the summer?


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## damifinowfish (May 29, 2006)

Its been a long time since I've gone for shad. By far some of the best fishing if you hit it right. Can some one help me with when they start to run up there?

thanks


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## Hysteresis (Oct 20, 2010)

damifinowfish said:


> Its been a long time since I've gone for shad. By far some of the best fishing if you hit it right. Can some one help me with when they start to run up there?
> 
> thanks


I mostly fish at the mouth of Deer Creek and a little upstream along the banks. The Lapidum boat ramp is also a good place for shore fishing. The shad run starts around the beginning of April and lasts till mid May. Most of the shad you can catch are smaller hickory shad. There is a better chance to catch larger American shad just below the dam but be warned that they can easily break 10lb mono or straighten your hook in the fast moving water. White perch run starts around middle of April till about June 1 but there is only about a two-week frame (centering around May 15) when you can catch lots of big WP and only big WP with almost every cast. During other times you will catch too many small ones. 

Right now it may be a good time to go for some yellow perch below the dam, but I have never tried this before. 

As for catfish, you can catch them year-round, mostly channel cats large and small, with occasional flathead mixed in. 

When you plan to fish below the dam and along the river bank downstream, always check with the USGS http://waterdata.usgs.gov/md/nwis/uv?01578310 for water discharge information by using the toll free # for discharge rate during you planned fishing time frame. From the chart you can see water discharge level changes several times in a single day, and based on my experience the river is unfishable when discharge is below 30000 cfp (no water, no fish). The dam has several large and small gates and there will be enough water flow when at least two large gates are open.


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## Hysteresis (Oct 20, 2010)

Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> Any nice channels? Any stripers in the summer?


The good news is that there are lots of channel and flathead cats and good number of stripers. The bad news is that you may catch so many cats and run out of bait before you can catch a striper. 

Casting lure just below the dam can be much more productive for stripers but you have to cast at least 200 feet to reach the fish, and this only works when discharge is low.


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## Mark2448 (Mar 1, 2011)

I heard that the Shad are at the dam, but the bite has not been too good. Any news on if the bite has picked up? or not until the weather warms up?


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