Fishing the Western Maryland panhandle
- The Trout Bandit
- Aug 2
- 3 min read
Until recently, my one and only excursion to fish for trout in Western Maryland was in the autumn of 2022, when I fished both the Savage River and the North Branch of the Potomac River during an idyllic fall weekend. I recently returned to this area of Maryland, referred to as the Maryland Panhandle, or Mountain Maryland, to revisit these waters as well as explore others in the region known for excellent trout fishing.
Not long ago, CNN featured underrated destinations in the US and included the Maryland Panhandle for its historic landmarks and outdoor experiences. There is definitely an Appalachian vibe which differentiates it from the eastern part of the state, particularly as you drive through the very picturesque City of Cumberland and the surrounding Allegheny Mountain range.
The region is anchored by Deep Creek Lake and features the WISP resort on the northern-most extension of this man-made reservoir. Considering its remoteness, the area is reasonably vibrant with a focus on year-round, outdoor activities. It is also within reach of a line-up of great trout waters, including the aforementioned Savage and North Branch of the Potomac offering 50 miles of fishing opportunities for five trout species along with smallmouth bass. Coupled with these are the Youghiogheny (the Yough, pronounced "yok" or "yuck") and Casselman Rivers, both managed fisheries that are heavily stocked with trout (although wild trout do exist, mainly in the tributaries).
The Savage River is likely the headliner in attracting anglers to this area, with the North Branch of the Potomac being the supporting act. But for those that prefer fly fishing from drift boats, it may be the opposite. These are clearly two different rivers, which I have covered on a previous post. I will add that it is worthwhile taking a gamble at the PhD pool on the lower Savage for a chance at a trophy fish; and possibly wading in at a few laybys downstream in the vicinity of Savage River Outfitters.
It is also worth mentioning the easy wading on the North Branch of the Potomac near to the kayak launch at Barnum. The large boulder upstream of the launch represents the end of the catch and release section and boasts some very nice, fishable pools and runs. On this visit I spent an entire morning in this section trying to entice a few golden rainbow trout to accept my fly offerings. There were many swift follows and inspections by the goldens, but no takers. Thankfully, we hooked up on some stocked rainbows in the process.
One of the challenges of fishing this area is the release schedule of waters from the reservoirs. If you are not keyed into the schedules, you could show up at water that is high and very discolored. This happened to me on the North Branch of the Potomac in Barnum as well as on the Yough. In fact, for the three days I was recently in the region, I was unable to get on the Yough due to high flows. So, I will have to save that water for another visit.
On this excursion, I was lucky to make my first visit to the Casselman, which was the highlight of this trip to Western Maryland. The section of the Casselman worth fishing for stocked rainbow and brown trout stretches from Casselman River Bridge State Park in Grantsville to the border with Pennsylvania, approximately 3 miles downstream (the river flows south to north) of the bridge. While meandering along this stretch of River Road you will pass through Amish farms and witness a bucolic landscape that is very peaceful. I found a few laybys with promising runs and riffles that were filled with stocked trout, and could be fished either from the bank or ankle deep. Meanwhile, I was serenaded by redwing blackbirds, blue birds and goldfinches, and the occasional passing horse and buggy.
Any visit to fish the Western Maryland Panhandle should include a morning or afternoon along the Casselman near Grantsville.
Tight Lines!
Nice piece that introduces the the main Western Maryland streams well. One of the great pluses of both the lower Savage and the North Branch from Barnum downstream is that they are both tailwaters that flow out of large reservoirs, thus they run at constant cold temps and flow year round (except of course for occasional scheduled white water releases you note, which attract kayakers from up and down the Mid-Atlantic; in fact, the U.S. national whitewater championships were formerly held on the lower Savage) and are thus less threatened by drought and summer heat. The North Branch is paralleled by an old railroad grade and is hikeable/bikeable for 10 miles or so downstream from Barnum. It’s a pristine …