[Sling]

Some buddies and I go away for a camping/fishing trip each year. We usually fish the upper Potomac or Shenendoah. We wade or tube and camp along the bank. This year, schedules have made it difficult to travel that far. I'm looking for something closer to Baltimore where we can camp (and drink) and wade/fish. Any ideas?

 

[uncle phill]

You can camp at Elk Neck State Park (1 hr from B'more) and scale down the tackle and wet wade the Octoraro River or maybe Big Elk River. Lake Bonnie near Goldsboro is another possibility. Maybe Susquehanna State Park along Deer Creek very close to its confluence with the Susky. Check the MD DNR website for more info.

 

[john ronayne]

Whites Ferry on the Potomac is a great place, very good smallmouth bass fishing. They have a campgroung and also rent canoes. Only about 1 1/2 hours from Balt.

Another nice alternative a little further west is Fort Frederick state park on the Potomac. About 2 1/2 hours from Balt.

 

[bigpat100]

Brunswick Municipal Campgrounds is great.

It is below Harper's Ferry. It is run by the City of Brunswick MD.

I like to call Brunswick "East West Virginia". Quaint little railroad town. Great fishing in both directions on the Potomac River.

Hot showers on site. Restaurants, bars and shopping closeby.
Don't speed up the tow path on the canal to the campgrounds.
A lot of East West Virginia type local city employees and police are closeby. Campground is near the Brunswick Dept. Public Works.
Great ramp (free). it is about one mile below (down river) from the National Park Service Ramp and I think the Campground ramp gives you better access.

 

[Sling]

Thanks for all of the replies. Do you have any information on camping at White's Ferry (phone # or web site) I couldn't find anything about camping.

 

[uncle phill]

The only camping that I know of there is along the C&O towpath. Unimproved "areas" with a porta pot, some may not have potable water so bring your own (in the "adult" form of your choice of course).

 

[john ronayne]

Like uncle phil said, sites are unimproved, you'll be roughing it. There is a store at the ferry. Phone # is 301-349-5200.

 

[bigpat100]

The water near Brunswick is probably better for wading.
Do you guys have a boat or canoe ? White's/Edwards is a better boating area.


You can camp out on a Island. The large Island near Whites is posted by a farmer who leases it. I think Brunswick- Lander area is probably better and a lot more people wade there. Boat traffic is lower at Brunswick Lander also.

The water is clearer and rockier than at white's ferry. The rocks give the ability to wade to mid-river and fish from them.
Nice deep water is available below the midriver rocks.

I spent hours on the mid-river rocks near Lander - fishing nice and slow - and catching nice bass from below them.

You should check water levels before you go. Often the water at White's is muddier. That is because it is below the Monacocy River, which dumps a lot of mud after a rain.

Good luck

 

[Sling]

Thanks for the advise. I'll investigate further and I'll be sure to post a report from wherever we end up. Amount of time fishing will will be inversely proportional he the number of adult beverages consumed.