Intern Works with Survey Crew on Savage River

Type: Nontidal
Region: Central
Location: Savage River Tailwater

This week I spent three days electroshocking with the DNR on the Savage River in Western Maryland. There has been much concern about the river since the repair work on the reservoir last winter. However, the river is in fantastic shape and the fishing is better than ever. We took samples at three different stations from Monday through Wednesday. One station was along the campsite, another station was above the iron bridge, and the last station was near the mouth. At each station, we made three passes to be thorough. The river was dropped from 50cfs to 28cfs for the survey.

The lower water creates easier conditions for electrofishing. The survey went very well and we found an estimated trout population of nearly 800 trout per mile, according to Alan Klotz. Brown trout dominated the population. There were a solid amount of native brook trout found up to 12 inches in length. Some stocked rainbows and browns were also found near the mouth, most likely coming from the North Branch of the Potomac River. All in all, the Savage River is still a fantastic wild trout stream.