Tonoloway Creek Fishing Guides
A ridge-and-valley limestone creek dropping out of Pennsylvania into the Potomac at Hancock, narrow enough to wade its whole length and holding smallmouth bass through the lower miles.
Guides on the Tonoloway Creek
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About the Tonoloway Creek
Tonoloway Creek drains a little over a hundred square miles of ridge-and-valley country in Fulton County, Pennsylvania and Washington County, Maryland, and enters the Potomac River at Hancock. It is one of a set of parallel creeks along this stretch of the upper Potomac, and like its neighbours it alternates between narrow water gaps cut through sandstone ridges and open limestone valleys between them.
Those limestone reaches are what give the creek its character. The valley sections run over gravel and bedrock ledge with spring influence, and they hold water and moderate temperature better than the drainage area alone would suggest. The gauge near Hancock reads the Maryland end, close to the confluence.
Smallmouth bass are the main fishery in the lower creek, holding in the ledge pools and behind current breaks, and they run to respectable size for water this small. Rock bass are abundant and often more willing than the bass. Redbreast sunfish, bluegill and channel catfish fill out the warmwater mix. The upper Pennsylvania reaches carry stocked brown trout in the cooler sections and fish quite differently.
This is wading water almost everywhere. The creek can be crossed on foot in most places and the productive approach is to work upstream methodically, fishing tubes, small crankbaits and soft plastics through the ledges. Fly anglers do well with poppers through the summer.
Hancock sits at the mouth and gives easy access to the creek, the Potomac and the C and O Canal towpath. Much of the creek corridor is private farmland, so access runs through bridge crossings and the public land near the confluence. Flows drop hard in late summer and the creek can become very low and clear.
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Access
Hancock - the town at the creek mouth, with lodging, food and access to the Potomac.
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park - towpath and public land at the confluence.
Potomac River - the receiving river, with boat access nearby at Hancock.
Western Maryland Rail Trail - a paved trail paralleling the Potomac near the creek mouth.
US Route 522 crossings - bridge accesses following the creek north into Pennsylvania.
Fulton County, Pennsylvania reaches - the upper creek, managed under Pennsylvania regulations.
Interstate 70 corridor - the main route in, crossing at Hancock.
Seasons
Spring: high, stained water early, with smallmouth fishing improving sharply as it drops and warms.
Summer: the prime season for smallmouth on the lower creek, best early and late in the day.
Fall: low, clear water and strong smallmouth fishing before the cold sets in.
Winter: cold and slow, with fish concentrated in the deepest ledge pools.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Tonoloway Creek?
As of Sep 17, 4:45 am, the USGS gauge TONOLOWAY CREEK NEAR HANCOCK, MD reads 3 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Tonoloway Creek?
Anglers target Bluegill, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass on the Tonoloway Creek in Maryland.
Where can you access the Tonoloway Creek?
Hancock - the town at the creek mouth, with lodging, food and access to the Potomac. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park - towpath and public land at the confluence. Potomac River - the receiving river, with boat access nearby at Hancock. Western Maryland Rail Trail - a paved trail paralleling the Potomac near the creek mouth. US Route 522 crossings - bridge accesses following the creek north into Pennsylvania. Fulton County, Pennsylvania reaches - the upper creek, managed under Pennsylvania regulations. Interstate 70 corridor - the main route in, crossing at Hancock.
When is the best time to fish the Tonoloway Creek?
Spring: high, stained water early, with smallmouth fishing improving sharply as it drops and warms. Summer: the prime season for smallmouth on the lower creek, best early and late in the day. Fall: low, clear water and strong smallmouth fishing before the cold sets in. Winter: cold and slow, with fish concentrated in the deepest ledge pools.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Tonoloway Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Maryland agency site: https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/regulations/index.aspx