Patuxent River Fishing Guides
The reach below Brighton Dam, where a water-supply release turns a piedmont creek into a year-round smallmouth and put-and-take trout river inside the Baltimore-Washington corridor.
Guides on the Patuxent River
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About the Patuxent River
The Patuxent below Brighton Dam is the most reliable piece of moving water between Baltimore and Washington, and it exists in that form because of the dam. Brighton impounds Triadelphia Reservoir for water supply, and the release below it keeps the river running through summers that leave neighbouring piedmont streams warm and low. The result is a modest river with dependable flow, easy access and a surprising amount of fishing inside a heavily developed corridor.
Smallmouth bass are the everyday quarry through the warmer months, holding on the ledge and rock structure and in the deeper bends. Redbreast sunfish are abundant and take a popper readily. Channel catfish work the deeper holes. In the cooler months the state stocks trout in designated sections, so the same water carries brown and rainbow trout in spring and autumn and smallmouth in July, which makes it an unusually versatile river for a place its size.
The setting is the Patuxent River State Park corridor, a long ribbon of protected land following the river through farmland and second-growth woods. It is quiet in a way the surrounding geography does not suggest, with dirt parking areas, foot trails and very little development on the banks themselves. Wading is the normal approach; the river is small enough that a canoe is more trouble than it is worth on much of this reach.
Read the current regulations before fishing, because Maryland manages several distinct reaches of the Patuxent with different seasons and gear rules, including put-and-take trout areas with their own requirements. Release patterns from Brighton follow water-supply needs rather than a recreation schedule, so check the gauge instead of assuming, and note that the river can come up quickly after storms in this fast-draining piedmont country.
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Access
Below Brighton Dam - the gauge reach and the top of the release water.
Brighton Dam Recreation Area - developed parking and the reservoir above the dam.
Patuxent River State Park - walk-in access along the protected corridor.
Hipsley Mill Road - the best-known parking and river access in the park.
Annapolis Rock Road crossing - access on the middle reach.
Route 97 crossing - roadside access on the upper river.
Priest Bridge and the lower river - access toward the tidal Patuxent.
Seasons
Spring: trout stocking, strong flows and the busiest fishing of the year.
Summer: the release holds the river up and the smallmouth fishing is at its best.
Fall: a second trout stocking and excellent smallmouth fishing in cooling water.
Winter: cold and slow, with trout in the stocked reaches on mild afternoons.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Patuxent River?
As of Sep 17, 4:45 am, the USGS gauge Patuxent River below Brighton Dam near Brighton MD reads 42 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Patuxent River?
Anglers target American Eel, Bluegill, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Redbreast Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass on the Patuxent River in Maryland.
Where can you access the Patuxent River?
Below Brighton Dam - the gauge reach and the top of the release water. Brighton Dam Recreation Area - developed parking and the reservoir above the dam. Patuxent River State Park - walk-in access along the protected corridor. Hipsley Mill Road - the best-known parking and river access in the park. Annapolis Rock Road crossing - access on the middle reach. Route 97 crossing - roadside access on the upper river. Priest Bridge and the lower river - access toward the tidal Patuxent.
When is the best time to fish the Patuxent River?
Spring: trout stocking, strong flows and the busiest fishing of the year. Summer: the release holds the river up and the smallmouth fishing is at its best. Fall: a second trout stocking and excellent smallmouth fishing in cooling water. Winter: cold and slow, with trout in the stocked reaches on mild afternoons.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Patuxent River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Maryland agency site: https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/regulations/index.aspx