I’ve fished for largemouth bass in every tidal river and tributary that enters the Chesapeake Bay over the last 40-years. I cannot over emphasize how fortunate we are to live in such a fish-rich region. The Potomac is a bass factory, the Pocomoke is breath taking and the Chickahominy is wondrous while the Nanticoke is a jewel in her own right.

The nice thing about the many tidal rivers in this complex is the choices you have--and your options include tributaries to those rivers. Without any question is my mind, Mattawoman Creek is the perfect tidal bass fishery, and my decision didn’t take much time to decide.

This creek heads-up in the Waldorf, Maryland, area and enters the Potomac between the Naval Surface Warfare Center on the north side and the Stump Neck Naval Facility on the south side. This is Maryland jurisdiction so you will need a Chesapeake Bay Sportfishing License or a Virginia State License.

There are two boat launching facilities within the creek: (1) Smallwood State Park near the mouth, and (2) Indian Head Park (formerly know as “Slavins,” at mid creek. Reach Slavins by traveling south on Indian Head Highway and just before entering the Navy base, turn left on Mattingly Road. Smallwood State Park may be reached by taking Route 225 east from Indian Head Highway—or west from Route 301 near Waldorf. Both will then take route 224 south and look for signs. You will make a right turn into the park.

The creek is divided into two specific sectors: (1) The upper portion that I refer to as the “6-MPH” Zone, and (2) The lower sector where speed is not restricted. In her entirety, there is approximately eight miles of water that supports largemouth bass and if you began your trip at the route 224 bridge, and fished all the way to the Potomac River, you would not want for habitat to cast to.

I fish tidal water from a 20-foot Ranger Z-20 powered by a Mercury 225 HP Mercury Optimax, but the nice thing about the 6-MPH zone, is, well, the 6-MPH speed restriction. You can fish this sector from just about any craft including kayaks, which, by the way, are available for rent at the Slavins location. A quality electric trolling motor is extremely valuable in order to maintain boat position in the better, fish holding locations, and I recommend the Minn Kota brands.

This tributary is a 12-month fishery although some months/seasons are certainly better than others. A falling tide is preferred but not critical. Mattawoman Creek may be one of the major largemouth bass spawning tributaries in the entire Potomac River and is a nursery for bass, stripers, perch and catfish.
The food sources that are available for our predator fish can be described as massive. The primary bass habitat is vegetation; milfoil, spatterdock and marsh grass. In the absence of vegetation, during cold weather months, there are plenty of deep-water dropoffs, submersed wood and man-made cover to fish.
Mattawoman can be heaven or hell also. There are days when you come away from there believing that bass just don’t live there. There are days when you just can’t do anything wrong. That’s the mystique of this creek. I know that I have caught the largest bass of my life from this water, and I’ve fished some great waters in the US and Mexico.
Let’s look to the rest of the summer and early fall.

The 6-MPH Zone
If I intend to stay in this zone for much of the day, I’ll launch at Slavins. That most often happens during winter, fall and summer months. That does not mean that I will not travel to the Lower End, but I have one rule to govern that decision: “don’t leave fish to find fish.”

From Slavins, the decision to turn right or left after launching isn’t critical, but for the most part, especially these hot months, I will attack the upriver vegetation. Things have changes somewhat over recent years since SAV has taken hold along shorelines and in the shallows adjacent to spatterdock (often mistakenly call lily pads.)

The artificial lures that I will recommend for this time, this habitat, include: Big Mouth buzzbaits (for early morning opportunity,) Penrod Special spinnerbaits (by Big Mouth Lure Company,) Case Magic Stiks and Mizmo tubes. There are the lures I present to grassy cover. I also know that bass will leave vegetation and spend time on dropoffs adjacent to vegetation. I will keep Rapala DT04 crankbaits and Rattlin’ Rapala lipless crankbaits handy, actually, on spare rods. You will also wish to test vegetation with frogs and Case Swimming frogs.

Upriver from Slavins, I usually begin my morning directly across the creek from the launch where a narrow band of SAV holds bass most days. Several hundred yards upcreek, you will see spatterdock on both sides of the creek and you should fish that habitat, often crossing back and forth. You can continue that plan for miles.

Landmarks you will encounter along the way include old barges on the right; a small creek on the left; a pond-like area beyond the sand mound and a steel retaining wall on the left. You have a good-mile of water to fish beyond that steel wall. We have been catching (and killing) snakeheads regularly throughout Mattawoman.

Downriver from the launch, you have much of the same as far as vegetation opportunity, but there are two right-side areas where higher terrain provides steep drops and fallen trees to hold fish. These areas are my early spring, fall and winter preferences. There will be one last “6-MPH” buoy to indicate the end of this sector.

The Lower End

There are days when you never have to leave this sector so launching from Smallwood State Park, or Leesylvania State Park, which is directly across the Potomac from Mattawoman Creek is a good idea. You may want to avoid these sites during tournament weekends—and I actually don’t like to be on the Potomac during weekends because of that fact. If you are at the launch, look to the right and that’s the way to the 6-MPH area. To the left is the main stem Potomac.

The dominant habitat in this sector is SAV (submersed aquatic vegetation) and it’s abundant. For summer months the lures I will depend on will include buzzbaits, Penrod Special spinnerbaits, 6-inch Case Magic Stiks and four-inch Mizmo tubes.

Never fish the heavy grass mats without trying the frog lures and fish grass edges during low water. I use 15-pound test (minimum) for buzz baits and spinnerbaits, but 50-pound test braid line is a good option, especially for frogs and long casts.

There is plenty of opportunity to the right, and much more to the left, but if you dropped your trolling motor in the water at the launch and began to fish those grass beds—you will be doing just fine. Remember, all of those tournaments are “stocking” this area.
Once beyond the “no-wake” area, with intentions to work toward the main stem, you will find a land point on the left. Get beyond that area and find yourself in a very long cove just full of SAV. This is my preferred area, although you will be in productive water all the way to the river. You will find the same habitat directly across the creek from the launch—and that too continues to the Potomac.

I’ve used all my allowable space and have so much more to say, so we will revisit this creek for fall. I caught a largemouth bass from in this area that was nearly 12-pounds and was a ‘Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, World Record, for Catch and Release, on 12-Pound Test line,” that stood for three years. This is the perfect tidal habitat for largemouth bass.

Ken Penrod owns and operates Ken Penrod’s Life Outdoors Guide Service, with 15 guides that serves fresh and tidal waters in MD, PA, DE, VA and DC waters full time. Ken is a “Legendary Guide in the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.” Reach Ken at 240-447-2206 or kenpenrod@comcast.com or visit his website at
www.penrodsguides.com