Solomons Island, Maryland

Fishing & Travel Destination

Solomons Island is a quiet waterfront fishing village just 55 minutes south of the Washington beltway, where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay, in Maryland’s Calvert County. Featuring unique shops, casual restaurants, beautiful natural beauty and friendly people, this picturesque vacation spot is at once quaint and striking. Aside from these features and some significant history, Solomons Island is not only a great location from which to explore Southern Maryland or Washington, D.C.; but its proximity at the mouth of the Patuxent and the middle Chesapeake Bay region make it home to some of the best sport fishing in the state.

These local waters enjoy a long fishing season, April thru December and Solomons Island is in a prime location to take advantage of every minute. These trips reach not only Chesapeake Bay, but also into the Potomoc and Patuxent Rivers, for big fish that only the locals know about. Point Lookout, once the location of a Civil War prison camp, is now a state park on a picturesque peninsula formed by the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. In addition to outstanding recreational facilities for swimming, boating, and camping, the park has three fishing areas available 24 hours every day, including a 710-foot pier and numerous waterways filled with the local game fish. Solomons Island is a working waterman’s village with excellent fishing, home to Calvert Mariners Musuim, along with a number of fishing charters and guides. These locations are accessible from Solomons Island, and there is a lot of prime fishing in between.

Bottom fishing on a Solomons Island charter fishing trip can keep you busy landing batches of regional species like Croaker, Trout, Flounder, and Striper, among many other saltwater favorites. Croaker make their numbers from June until September and usually run with Spot in the surf, bays, and inlets. Also from May until November Gray Trout are prominent, ranging from pan-size to larger than 10 pounds. Flounder enter the bay around late April to early May and are usually daytime feeders, often caught in these waters around five to ten pounds. Striper enjoy these waters from April through December, getting larger as the calendar year wanes, average over 30 pounds – with some as large as 50 pounds not so far out of the ordinary. Light tackle is the preferred equipment, to enhance the battle after hooking up again and again. Bottom fishing is always good in the bays and rivers surrounding Solomons Island, but some seasonal species may influence your arrival times. The Rockfish trophy season opens in April and runs through mid-May, with larger specimens than any other months. Though Rockfish get smaller in June, Spot and Croaker numbers pick up and limits are easy to fill. July and August are peak season, with huge catches of Spots, Croaker, Trout, Bluefish, White Perch, and Spanish Mackerel. By late October the sizes of Rockfish increase again. Charters from Solomons Island can get you a boat load of great fish with time and patience during the trip trolling the channel edges. For those unwilling to make a commitment, it is a great way to enjoy life by spending your time on quiet waters, fishing to heart’s content, and bringing home the next meal – with leftovers – of Summer Flounder or Gray and Speckled Trout or Striped Bass.

The waters of Chesapeake Bay are rich in marine resources with many quality species that taste great after a long, happy day on the water. Nor are the waterways of the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers any less hospitable. Charter fishing boats based in Solomons Island make a living taking you into schools of the regional species, and if you are ever in this area it would be a shame to miss out. Practically all year long the locals enjoy taking their bounty from this area, and once you get your line wet you should feel practically at home.