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Hancock to Williamsport. Classic upper Potomac smallmouth ledges with a growing muskie fishery. The river tops out around 10 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 1,652 acres wrapped in 58.2 miles of bank, with 3 islands in the mix. The 10.2 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Call it 19.8 mi long by 3.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. Washington County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Sleepy Creek Lake, is 12 mi to the southwest.
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. Put Riffle & run (mile 2.5) first on the milk run — a rock pile near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 4.3) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring channel catfish on Potomac River (Upper) hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Dam No. 5 tailrace — creek channel, 8 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 28.3) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Dam No. 5 tailrace (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Dam No. 5 tailrace (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Dam No. 5 tailrace (8 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Williamsport Power Plant Dam tailrace, a dam tailrace in the 9 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Williamsport Power Plant Dam tailrace (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Williamsport Power Plant Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & night | Williamsport Power Plant Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Williamsport Power Plant Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season muskellunge use the shallows, holding in 3 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is Riffle & run (mile 2.5) — rock pile, 4 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 28.3) (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 28.3) (6 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 28.3) (6 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
When the water first warms, common carp slide up into 2 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Tailout eddy (mile 28.3). It's an eddy pocket holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Williamsport Power Plant Dam tailrace (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Williamsport Power Plant Dam tailrace (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Dam No. 5 tailrace (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 28.3) (6 ft) |
The chart marks 16 structure features on Potomac River (Upper); the deepest is Williamsport Power Plant Dam tailrace at about 9 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maryland waters are set by the Maryland DNR — and special regulations can apply to Potomac River (Upper) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maryland fishing regulations →
Potomac River (Upper) is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, muskellunge, common carp on Potomac River (Upper).
Riffle & run (mile 2.5) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Potomac River (Upper) is regulated by the Maryland DNR. Check the official Maryland regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Sleepy Creek Lake 12 mi, WV · Greenbrier Lake 22 mi, MD · Rocky Gap Lake 35 mi, MD · Monocacy River 38 mi, MD · Lake Frederick 42 mi, VA · Shenandoah River 43 mi, VA · Fort Ashby Lake 44 mi, WV · Warden Lake 47 mi, WV · Raystown Lake 48 mi, PA · Little Seneca Lake 49 mi, MD · Clopper Lake 53 mi, MD · Piney Run Lake 57 mi, MD
See how Potomac River (Upper) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Maryland · best walleye lakes in Maryland · best channel catfish lakes in Maryland
Browse all Maryland fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.