Fishing Report For Liberty Reservoir, MD

By Rick Seaman

January 23, 2025

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Fishing Report Liberty Reservoir, MD

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Liberty Reservoir, MD

Largemouth Bass

Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Largemouth bass are being caught in virtually all the arms and creeks on the lake. Bass move into the coves and pockets during Spring, then outside the coves on points and ledges to spend the Summer. Vibrating jigs can be fished shallow or deep, and are a good way to cover lots of water when bass are active. The vibration draws them out of cover to attack. When the fishing slows down, locals report using stick worms, rigged wacky style, to get lethargic bass to bite

Smallmouth Bass

Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

The majority of smallmouth bass in Liberty Reservoir tend to be concentrated from the split at Morgan Run, on the north end to the Liberty Dam on the south end. Once the water warms over 55 degrees in Spring, smallmouth can't resist noisy topwater baits like the Rebel Pop-R. Once the sun is up, and smallies move off the bank, tube baits will catch them at whatever depth they are holding. Many tournament anglers report good success fishing very slow, using light fluorocarbon line for tube baits.

White Crappie

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report: Fair
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Crappie fishing reports have been quite good lately at Liberty Reservoir. Bridge pilings on the Liberty Road Bridge at Lakeview Memorial Park, the Deer Park Rd/Nicodemus Rd Bridge, and the 1-40 bridge are all spots where crappie are being caught in good numbers. Look for brush and debris around the base of the pilings. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water, as crappie in Maryland move into shallow coves to spawn. Brush, wood lay-downs and vegetation are a good targets for casting small crappie jigs or live minnows. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Locals report good success using fish finders to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, white crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, brown trout, bluegill, yellow perch, white perch and striped bass at Liberty Reservoir in Maryland.

Liberty Reservoir, a 3,100-acre lake, with over 80 miles of shoreline offering anglers opportunity to fish for bass, catfish, crappie, walleye, trout, sunfish, perch and striped bass. Locals focus on banks which are strewn with brush and lay-downs, which the fish use for cover. Various access points around the lake are accessible for fishing from the bank, or portage of kayaks and canoes. Liberty Reservoir does not permit motorized boats, except electric motors.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Click here for boat ramps available at this lake.

Fishing License

Click here for a Maryland Fishing License.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".