Fishing Locally?

It’s been a tradition for the last couple of years for my husband to take my older daughter fishing in the summer. This year her younger sister is old enough to join them, and last week the three of them announced they were heading over to Centennial Lake to fish.

I expressed my reservations, which immediately resulted in tears from two out of the three. 

I was nervous because a friend of mine got E.coli from Centennial Lake when competing in a triathlon there in May.  I just didn’t want my little ones knee deep in the lake, and I certainly didn’t want to eat any fish from it.

Wilde Lake was a fine replacement option, and fishing poles in hand, they headed off while I stayed home to work and nap.

But I wondered – were my concerns valid?

I found at least part of the answer on the Maryland Department of the Environment’s website.  They issue “Fish Consumption Advisories” and the latest was updated on June 13, 2011.

They even helpfully break it down into three categories:  general population, women of childbearing age and children up to age of six.  All recommendations refer to “meals per month” and the recommended meal size is eight ounces for the general population and women; three ounces. for children under six. They break the document down by fish type and by river, and it’s extensive.  Visit http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Marylander/CitizensInfoCenterHome/Pages/citizensinfocenter/fishandshellfish/index.aspx for all of the details.

Here’s what they say about some of the fish in our local waters.

First, the fish to completely avoid:

• American Eel from: Back River, Middle River (children only), Patapsco River/Baltimore Harbor, Susquehanna River below Conowingo Dam.
• Blue Crab:  mostly OK but they advise not to eat crab “mustard” at all
• Channel Catfish from: Anacostia River, Back River, Gunpowder River (children only), Middle River, Patapsco River/Baltimore Harbor, Potomac River (tidal)
• Common Carp from: Back River, Potomac River (tidal), Bohemia, Bush, Elk (C&D Canal), Gunpowder, Northeast, Patapsco
• Walleye from: Savage River Reservoir (children only)
• White Catfish from: Patapsco River/Baltimore Harbor, Potomac River
• Yellow Perch from: Middle River
• White Perch from: Middle River (children only), Mid Chesapeake Bay Pooles Island to Bodkin Point (children only)

Secondly, the fish that have no or few restrictions:

• Black Crappie from:  Loch Raven Reservoir (restrictions for children to six servings per month), Tuckahoe Lake (restrictions for women to eight servings per month and children to six servings per month)
• Blue Crab from areas of the bay excluding Back, Middle, or Patapsco Rivers and Baltimore Harbor.
• Channel Catfish from: Conococheague (restrictions for women to eight servings per month and children for five servings per month), Potomac River from Dam #3 to Dam #4 (restrictions for children to seven servings per month)
• Rock Bass from: Conococheague Creek (restrictions for children to seven servings per month)
• Sunfish from all publicly accessible lakes and impoundments statewide except Anacostia River, Antietam River, Cash Lake, Centennial Lake, Lake Lariat, Potomac River, Rock Creek, Susquehanna River above Conowingo Dam, Wilde Lake
• Small and Largemouth Bass from: Greenbelt Lake (restrictions for women to eight servings per month and children to five servings per month), Lake Kittamaqundi (restrictions for children to eight servings per month), Myrtle Grove Lake (restrictions for children to eight servings per month), Piney Run Lake (restrictions for children to six servings per month), Smithville Lake, Stemmers Lake, Susquehanna River above Conowingo Dam, Unicorn Lake, Urieville Community Lake, Wilde Lake, Wye Mills Community Lake
• Trout from: Put-and-Take Trout Fishing Areas
• Yellow Perch from: Piney Run Lake
• Yellow Bullhead Catfish from: Wilde Lake (restrictions for children to seven servings per month), Youghiogheny River Lake (restrictions for children to seven servings per month)
• White Perch from: Eastern Bay: Miles & Wye River (restrictions for children to eight servings per month)