# Pier Fishing near Baltimore



## mikeusru

Hi everyone, I'm new to Maryland and this website. I would love to know what good places there are to fish near Baltimore (I live in Federal Hill, and would like to find a place no farther than an hour away). I'm also pretty new to salt water fishing in general, and would like to do either pier or surf fishing. Also from what I've seen of the water, it seems pretty dangerous to eat anything cought in the inner harbor, is this so?

Cheers
mikeusru


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## cygnus-x1

Welcome aboard. Actually I was just told about a place called Ft Armisteade (sp) that is at the end of Ordinance rd (the road that passes by Wal Mart in Glen Burnie). Take that until it ends and there is ample place to fish (or so I was told)

If you read the MD/DE forum for the past few weeks you will see the typical places around within your reach (SPSP, the Coke, and the Peake)


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## Kwesi W.

you got mail...



mikeusru said:


> Hi everyone, I'm new to Maryland and this website. I would love to know what good places there are to fish near Baltimore (I live in Federal Hill, and would like to find a place no farther than an hour away). I'm also pretty new to salt water fishing in general, and would like to do either pier or surf fishing. Also from what I've seen of the water, it seems pretty dangerous to eat anything cought in the inner harbor, is this so?
> 
> Cheers
> mikeusru


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## fishbait

Welcome to the board Mike,
I don't live in Baltimore, so I'm not sure how long of a drive it is to some of these places for you, but I would imagine that you could make it to Jonas Green SP in an hour if you take 97 to Rt. 50. It's located where Rt 450 crosses the Severn River. There are a bunch of resevoirs in your area the have good freshwater action too. Since the resevoirs provide drinking water to the city, I would image that eating the fish from them would be pretty safe. As far as eating anything that is caught in the inner harbor. Don't do it. I wouldn't even cast my line in there for fear of making the string dirty!!


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## Kwesi W.

*fishbait is right...*

FB is normally totally wrong!!! LOL this time he's right.. I could walk to the inner harbor, but you won't catch me fishing there.. The water stinks....




fishbait said:


> Welcome to the board Mike,
> I don't live in Baltimore, so I'm not sure how long of a drive it is to some of these places for you, but I would imagine that you could make it to Jonas Green SP in an hour if you take 97 to Rt. 50. It's located where Rt 450 crosses the Severn River. There are a bunch of resevoirs in your area the have good freshwater action too. Since the resevoirs provide drinking water to the city, I would image that eating the fish from them would be pretty safe. As far as eating anything that is caught in the inner harbor. Don't do it. I wouldn't even cast my line in there for fear of making the string dirty!!


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## fishbait

Hey Special K,
I think I could probably count 20 times in the last year where you have posted that statement ("this time he's right"). Don't you know by now that I'm always right. I don't think I've ever been wrong, except for this one time when I thought I was wrong. Well it turned out that I was right anyway.    opcorn: opcorn:


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## cygnus-x1

fishbait said:


> Hey Special K,
> I think I could probably count 20 times in the last year where you have posted that statement ("this time he's right"). Don't you know by now that I'm always right. I don't think I've ever been wrong, except for this one time when I thought I was wrong. Well it turned out that I was right anyway.    opcorn: opcorn:


Here we go again ...    

opcorn: opcorn:


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## fingersandclaws

Mike, welcome aboard. I would like to appologize for my fellow MD/DE board mocals (moron locals) who have a tendency to "hijack" threads. Please don't take offense, these guys just aren't socially comfortable like I am.  

As far as your question goes, IH = no good. Your only about 1 hour from Matapeake, Romancoke, or SPSP. Use the "Coastal Explorer" on your top right and you will see it is a great tool to start seeing where you can go. Good luck, and again, don't mind these mocals.

Fishbait is right 50% of the time, which means he's wrong the other half. I always have my bullchit flag ready to fly whenever he opens the flood gates of verbal diarhea.


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## okimavich

fingersandclaws said:


> my fellow MD/DE board mocals (moron locals)


It's synonymous with "Monkey County Locals"  




fingersandclaws said:


> As far as your question goes, IH = no good. Your only about 1 hour from Matapeake, Romancoke, or SPSP. Use the "Coastal Explorer" on your top right and you will see it is a great tool to start seeing where you can go. Good luck, and again, don't mind these mocals.


The RT450 bridge/Jonas Green Park in Annapolis is about 10 min closer than SPSP.

Or you can go North on I95 about 40 min to Havre de Grace. It's at the mouth of the Susquehanna.

There are a few freshwater holes, too. Loch Raven, Liberty Reservoir, plus several smaller lakes.




fingersandclaws said:


> Fishbait is right 50% of the time, which means he's wrong the other half. I always have my bullchit flag ready to fly whenever he opens the flood gates of verbal diarhea.


It's a white flag.


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## fishbait

Mike, 

I hope we answered your question. Pay no attention to the playful banter between us morons. Although I'm proud to call them friends, they don't know how to catch fish.....



okimavich said:


> It's a white flag.


Now that's funny!


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## cygnus-x1

fishbait said:


> ... Pay no attention to the playful banter between us morons. Although I'm proud to call them friends, they don't know how to catch fish.....


The Eastern Shore Contingency of the WBB disputes that last remark. Evidently the WBB secretary has failed to record the fish counts we have been producing on a weekly basis not to mention the fish caught per hour ratio.

 

opcorn: opcorn:


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## stonemason

lol..you guys really do hijack practically every thread in the md/de section...lol


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## fishbait

cygnus-x1 said:


> The Eastern Shore Contingency of the WBB disputes that last remark. Evidently the WBB secretary has failed to record the fish counts we have been producing on a weekly basis not to mention the fish caught per hour ratio.
> 
> 
> 
> opcorn: opcorn:


No need to boast. Everyone knows the WBB drives more than half of all the reports posted here. But I got a feeling it's gonna dry up a little. Once we get the entire plastic navy afloat, we're all gonna hijack the kayak forum!


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## cygnus-x1

We should be ashamed of ourselves 
:redface: :redface: :redface: :redface: 

I do try to answer the poster first before thread jacking ... it is only common courtesy


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## TunaFish

If we didn't, Mikeusru would have had ZERO reply!!


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## cygnus-x1

fishbait said:


> But I got a feeling it's gonna dry up a little. Once we get the entire plastic navy afloat, we're all gonna hijack the kayak forum!


I think the Kayak and MD/DE forum will eventually disown us and we will only be allowed to post in our own forum set aside for us thread jackers. Like a 'forum prison cell'


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## fishbait

cygnus-x1 said:


> I think the Kayak and MD/DE forum will eventually disown us and we will only be allowed to post in our own forum set aside for us thread jackers. Like a 'forum prison cell'


I love that idea!  I used to frequent a restaurant in VA called the Vienna Inn, where Molly, the owner i think, would regularly put us in the "booth of shame" for some infraction of her rules. The booth had a broken bench seat that was slightly angled, making it uncomfortable to sit in for long. Boy, do I miss her and that place.


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## stonemason

the Vienna Inn is a TRADITION!! greatest chilidogs. not to mention the hot girls that work there!


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## fishbait

Chilli Mac was tha bomb! Too bad I don't work near there any more


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## damifinowfish

*you don't need to go that far*

Your in walking distance to the harbor. Check the city parks for what piers you can fish off.
I sometimes hit the mouth of the jones falls. Fort Mchenry was a good spot but I have not fished that in lately. Over Around hanover street. Behind Walmart by the sun paper plant. Harbor hospital has a long sea wall to fish off and a small pier at the end by the boat ramp. Over in canton by the boat ramp. Oh my so many places right in our back yard.

Good luck

Damifinow Fish


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## cygnus-x1

damifinowfish said:


> Your in walking distance to the harbor. Check the city parks for what piers you can fish off.
> I sometimes hit the mouth of the jones falls. Fort Mchenry was a good spot but I have not fished that in lately. Over Around hanover street. Behind Walmart by the sun paper plant. Harbor hospital has a long sea wall to fish off and a small pier at the end by the boat ramp. Over in canton by the boat ramp. Oh my so many places right in our back yard.
> 
> Good luck
> 
> Damifinow Fish


I agree with you ... I just would not eat the fish caught in these locations.


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## terpfan

i live in baltimore, but i haven't really fished here. however, baltimore water full of fish and crabs(less fishing pressure) although i would have reservation about eating any fish caught in this water.


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## okimavich

Didn't the harbor have a fish die-off recently? I believe it was an algae and bacterial bloom that caused the O2 levels to drop and resulted in a lot of suffocated fish.


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## stonemason

how do you know the rock you caught at sandy point wasnt swimming around int he harbor just a few days ago?


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## drhnter

cygnus-x1 said:


> Welcome aboard. Actually I was just told about a place called Ft Armisteade (sp) that is at the end of Ordinance rd (the road that passes by Wal Mart in Glen Burnie). Take that until it ends and there is ample place to fish (or so I was told)
> 
> If you read the MD/DE forum for the past few weeks you will see the typical places around within your reach (SPSP, the Coke, and the Peake)


I wouldn't go to Fort Armistead It is a haven for drugs,prostitutes, and an all around bad criminal eliment..:--|   
Now a couple of places close by (within half hour to 45 minutes would be Fort Smallwood state park at end of fort Smallwood road and Downs park off off Mountain road both have both surf and pier fishing.:fishing:


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## damifinowfish

I'm sorry

I forgot to tell you all that If you through all your fish back then

A) you don't have to take a ruler with you. Can't read one anyway. Only know the metric system

B) you don't need to get dirty cleaning fish. yuk fish guts.

C) There will be more fish for our grand kids

D) What do crabs eat? aren't they the rats of the bay?

Damifinow Fish


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## cygnus-x1

But if you throw all your fish back then you do not get to eat fresh fish and hopefully live a healthier life.

Fish Guts yuk ??

Let me put it this way ... my daughter watches me clean fish and she touches and identifies the parts.

Let's just say that if our gov't/way of life collapses in 10 years I know she will be able to clean a fish to feed herself.

:beer:


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## sand flea

I was just having a beer in your neck of the woods...

Fishing anything in the Patapsco basin is hella' skanky. There's not much there other than perch this time of year.

I'd pay a visit to Fleming Park Pier out past Canton when the weather gets chilly. I used to catch a lot of stripers on topwater out there when I was bored. Here's an old profile of the place from back when I used to run reviews of fishing spots: http://web.archive.org/web/20020507123539/www.pierandsurf.com/onthewater/md/flemingparkpier.shtml

Man, I need to bring that back...


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## bass_master

StupidJet has a very valid point- you think the spots and rocks stay in the harbor all year round? I think Sandy Point is nasty too. They closed the beach down there a couple of times last year bc it was unfit to swim. The water isn't the same as it used to be 20-years ago


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## damifinowfish

Fish guts yuk ?? 

I was joking!

Damifinow Fish


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## mikeusru

Thanks to all for your wonderful replies.
An the forums are kept alive by the useless arguing, so I appreciate it very much. I'm gonna go do some fishing today, hopefully it'll work out!
cheers
mikeusru


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## Blue Heron

mikeusru,

First of all welcome to MD, Baltimore and P&S! 

I'd like to suggest some places that have already been mentioned and two that were not. If you are interested in any of these places, Google them for directions and hours of operation. Good tides can be Googled at MD DNR fisheries. Make sure you have your Tidal Water license with you. It is common to be checked at all these places and know that MD fishing licenses expire on December 31st each year.

1) Fort Armistead Park Pier (FAP) is located on the south shore of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, on the Chesapeake Bay side of the bridge as compared to the Inner Harbor side. 

It used to be quite a big pier with two free boat launches, but Hurricane Isabel wiped it out. It was free and open 24/7. Parking for the pier was a 1 minute walk and there are probably still some places you can drive your car right up to the rocks on the shore right next to the pier. Now it appears a smaller pier has been built. I assume you can fish there. I have not been there yet. 

Some have remarked that Fort Armistead is unsavory and I would agree. But I would not hesitate to fish there - alone, early morning and during the day – but always with a buddy during evening and night times. I have done so many times and I’ve not had 1 problem. The area is scruffy, and rough looking, as are some of the folks (including my friend and me at times). You can catch white perch, spot, croakers, keeper blues & rock fish, and if this drought is anything like the drought of 2002, you may catch some keeper sea trout. In the fall, there are some nice keeper blues and rockfish caught there, some into the 30” range. A high-low rig, 2-4 oz weights using BWFBs (Blood Worm Fish Bites), real blood worms, peeler crabs, cut Ely (pronounced Elwhy – aka Alewife) work fine there, as well as, at the other places I will mention. 

2) Fort Smallwood Park (FSP) is located at the very end of Fort Smallwood Road, (which is the first exit south of the Key Bridge). Head east on Fort Smallwood Road toward the Bay. The park is about ½ hour from the Key Bridge. It is a nice peaceful, pretty clean, place where the Patapsco River (Baltimore Harbor) empties into the bay. It opens around 8-9am, closes at dusk and there is a fee. You can park your car right next to the water. They used to have one Saturday a month when you could fish until 12am. I have fished there a few times (summer) with mediocre results. The type of fish catch is like FAP, but the locals also say in the fall some good sized blues and rockfish can be had, like at FAP. 

3) North Point State Park is located in the town of Edgemere, in eastern Balto. County right on the Bay. The hours and fees are similar to FSP. There’s a pretty good bait shop, Fearl’s, after you enter Edgemere, next to the WaWa. This park is clean, pretty and quiet. It has a long, flat, wide jetty where most people fish. It will take you about about a 10-15 walk from your car to the jetty’s end. The fish catch again is like FAP, but here it seems that the biggest rocks get caught in the spring. Ask Fearl what he thinks. 

4) Rocky Point Park is an eastern Balto. County park located in Essex, right where the Back River meets the Bay. It is open 24/7. But there is a hefty $7 fee per person – between Memorial Day and Labor Day, from around 8am-5pm. If you arrive before or after that, no one is manning the booth, so it’s free. You can fish anywhere in the park but most folks just take the park road all the way to the end and walk down the paved hill to the rocky shore (3 minute walk). Best times are undoubtedly about 1 hour before sun up until the sun rises over Hart/Miller Island, directly across from the shore, or a couple of hours before sunset and into the night. Bring a buddy if you plan to stay there after dark, otherwise it’s ok to fish alone. Most think the best place to fish there is on the actual “rocky point”, on the left of the shore (you can’t miss it). Do not bottom fish the right side of the “rocky point”. It is loaded with snags, from the beginning of the “rocky point”, to about 90’ down to the right, along the shore. After that it’s ok to bottom fish. It’s mostly white perch and spot during the day. Early morning/evening there’s always a chance of a keeper rockfish, generally 18-25”, with some catfish and carp thrown in. Early morning in October can be really good for rockfish using plugs and poppers.

As far as eating any of these fish, all I can say is I have eaten them for years aaaaaaannnnd ititititisss’s NnNnNeevvveR bothththEred [email protected]#%! :--| :--| 

Actually, I do eat the rockfish from all the places I mentioned.

Good luck and be sure to post a report wherever you go!

Blue Heron


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