Fish Species

Largemouth Bass	Inhabits the wood and grass from mid way to back ends of coves. Look for this fish in the upper reaches of the lake. Largemouths prefer the shady confines of docks, pontoon boats, wood and stumps near grass. Found in large schools in late fall on main lake points and ledges.
Smallmouth Bass	Distributed throughout the lake. Prefers rocky shoals, points and flats. Look for smallmouths from Turkey Neck and Green Glade Coves all the way to the dam. Smallmouths feed aggressively at the top of the water column in low light conditions.
Walleye	Inhabits rocky areas in proximity to grass. Found in deeper waters throughout the summer, fall and winter. Look for walleyes at the back ends of coves just after ice-out in the spring. Sometimes found in shallow water at night hunting prey.
Yellow Perch	Look for perch in grassy coves throughout the lake. A schooling fish and one of the most prolific panfish in the lake. They eat almost anything, but prefer minnows, insect larvae, plankton, and worms. Spawning normally occurs shortly after ice-out in April or early May at water temperatures of 45-52慚. Yellow perch spawning closely follows that of walleyes. Yellow perch are random spawners, and do not construct nests, nor do they guard their eggs and their young.
Northern Pike	Just after ice-out, the big pike haunt the very back ends of coves during their spawn. Look for pike to distribute themselves throughout the lake as the water warms. Inhabits deeper ledges with wood, stumps, rocks and grass. The biggest fish in Deep Creek Lake.
Chain Pickerel	Prefers grass and shallow water. Look for pickerel in and around shoreline grass from May until June. As summer progresses and the water level drops, this fish will move to the center of grassy coves. Some anglers confuse the pickerel with the northern pike. The gold chained spots running laterally is the key here in identification.
Brown Trout	Tolerates slightly warmer water then the rainbow trout. An aggressive trout which feeds on minnows and other small fishes. Suspends with rainbow trout near the dam in the summer.
Rainbow Trout	Found in the cooler deeper waters near the dam. Sometimes suspended in 15 to 30 feet of water.
Black Crappie	Inhabits wood and dock pilings. A schooling fish that favors deeper structure as the water warms.In the summer and fall, crappies suspend near bridge pilings, stumps and deep brush piles.
Rock Bass	Found on rocks and wood from mid-lake down to the dam. Rock bass are usually 6 to 8 inches in length. They sometimes reach lengths of 10 to 12 inches and weigh 1 pound or more. These fish readily take lures and natural bait; they are scrappy fighters and fine panfish.

Bluegill	More citation bluegill are caught in Deep Creek Lake then any other impoundment in Maryland. Prefers shallower coves in spring, then migrates to rocky shoreline and stumps during summer.
Red Eared Sunfish	Found through out the lake in spring, summer and fall. Unlike some other sunfish species, redears rarely approach the surface to take flies or other artificial top baits. They may, however, be readily captured using natural bait such as earthworms and grubs. Redear are often taken in early summer when they are concentrated on spawning beds. Redear sunfish often utilize snails as a major food item, hence the commonname "shellcracker." However, insect larvae and cladocerans may also be found in their diet. The species is usually found near the bottom in warm water with little current and abundant aquatic vegetation. Nests are saucer-shaped depressions in gravel or silt, and are sometimes so close they almost touch.
Yellow Bullhead	Found in the upper reaches of the lake in coves with mud, grass and rocks. Look for these fish in the extreme shallow grasses during June as they guard eggs and fry.
Common Carp	Found though out the lake, especially near submerged grasses. During the summer, and in the early mornings, carp will roll and splash on the surface over deeper water. June fines these fish spawning in the upper reaches of the lake and under willow trees where the males chase the females, causing quite a commotion.
Golden Shiner	Found in shallow grassy areas toward the back ends of coves. Both young and adult fish show schooling behavior. Golden shiners spawn over an extended period from May to July. Females deposit adhesive eggs over filamentous algae and submerged weed beds. After spawning, the eggs are abandoned. Adults are usually less than 6 inches long. Golden shiners feed on planktonic crustaceans, aquatic insects, and algae. They are important forage fish for the more popular game fish in Deep Creek Lake and are used extensively as bait.