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Regional spawn calendar

Mid-Atlantic / Appalachian Watersheds spawn calendar.

17 species with documented spawn timing in Mid-Atlantic / Appalachian Watersheds. Spawn timing is driven by water temperature — these calendar windows reflect the typical years when water reaches each species' threshold.

Spawning now — May

  • Largemouth Bass
    Mid-April – Late May

    Bedding largemouth bass are highly vulnerable to angling stress — they are physiologically committed to nest defense and will continue to attack lures even when exhausted. Catch an…

  • Smallmouth Bass
    Late April – Late May

    Smallmouth bass nest abandonment causes complete egg/fry mortality from invertebrate predation within hours. Repeated catch and release of nest-guarding males during peak spawn can…

  • Muskellunge
    Mid-April – Mid-May

    Muskellunge are large, slow-growing apex predators — their conservation depends on careful catch and release year-round. Most states close muskie season during spawn (April–May in …

  • Bluegill
    Mid-May – Late July

    Bluegill populations are robust and reproduce prolifically — overharvest is rarely a concern in public waters. Farm pond context differs significantly: in private ponds, bluegill o…

  • Black Crappie
    Mid-April – Late May

    Crappie are highly catchable during spawn — visible bedding fish in 1–3 ft of water are easy to target. Many anglers practice voluntary harvest restraint during peak spawn weeks; s…

  • White Crappie
    Mid-April – Late May

    Same conservation context as black crappie — high catchability during spawn warrants angler restraint during peak weeks.…

  • Channel Catfish
    Late May – Late July

    Channel catfish reproduce successfully in most waters and populations are robust. No widespread spawn-period closures.…

  • Blue Catfish
    Late May – Late July

    Blue catfish populations have expanded in some Eastern systems where they are non-native (Chesapeake Bay tributaries). Some agencies actively encourage harvest there. In native ran…

  • Striped Bass (Inland)
    Mid-April – Late May

    Inland striped bass populations are entirely supported by stocking in most southern reservoirs because natural reproduction requires specific river systems. Where natural reproduct…

All species — Mid-Atlantic / Appalachian Watersheds

  • Largemouth BassMicropterus salmoides
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May

    Mid-Atlantic reservoirs and rivers show classic peak through May.

  • Smallmouth BassMicropterus dolomieu
    Typical window: Late April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 55°FAprApr — Peak spawn (60–65°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (60–65°F)JunJun — Post-spawn — water at 70°F+JulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late April – Late May

    Mid-Atlantic rivers (Susquehanna, Potomac) peak mid-May.

  • WalleyeSander vitreus
    Typical window: Late March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 38°FMarMar — Peak spawn (42–48°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (42–48°F)MayMay — Post-spawn — water at 52°F+JunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Late April

    Susquehanna and Potomac walleye peak April.

  • SaugerSander canadensis
    Typical window: Late March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 38°FMarMar — Peak spawn (43–48°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (43–48°F)MayMay — Post-spawn — water at 52°F+JunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Late April

    Susquehanna sauger run peaks April.

  • MuskellungeEsox masquinongy
    Typical window: Mid-April – Mid-May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Mid-May

    Susquehanna and other Mid-Atlantic muskie waters peak in early May.

  • Yellow PerchPerca flavescens
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-April

    Mid-Atlantic reservoirs and lakes peak in early April.

  • BluegillLepomis macrochirus
    Typical window: Mid-May – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-May – Late July

    Mid-Atlantic waters peak from late May into June.

  • Black CrappiePomoxis nigromaculatus
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May

    Mid-Atlantic reservoirs peak in early to mid-May.

  • White CrappiePomoxis annularis
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May

    Mid-Atlantic reservoirs peak May.

  • Channel CatfishIctalurus punctatus
    Typical window: Late May – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 70°FMayMay — Peak spawn (75–82°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (75–82°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (75–82°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 84°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late July

    Mid-Atlantic rivers and reservoirs peak June.

  • Flathead CatfishPylodictis olivaris
    Typical window: Mid-June – Mid-July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-June – Mid-July

    Susquehanna and Potomac rivers peak late June.

  • Blue CatfishIctalurus furcatus
    Typical window: Late May – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 70°FMayMay — Peak spawn (75–80°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (75–80°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (75–80°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 84°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late July

    Chesapeake tributary blue cats (Potomac, James, Rappahannock) peak June; non-native population.

  • White BassMorone chrysops
    Typical window: Late March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 54°FMarMar — Peak spawn (58–64°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (58–64°F)MayMay — Post-spawn — water at 68°F+JunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Late April

    Susquehanna and other Mid-Atlantic rivers peak April.

  • Striped Bass (Inland)Morone saxatilis
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May

    Roanoke River striped bass run is iconic; peaks mid-April through May.

  • Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykiss
    Typical window: Late February – Late April
    JanJan — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 42°FFebFeb — Peak spawn (45–52°F)MarMar — Peak spawn (45–52°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (45–52°F)MayMay — Post-spawn — water at 55°F+JunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late February – Late April

    Mid-Atlantic wild rainbow streams peak in March–April.

  • Brown TroutSalmo trutta
    Typical window: Mid-October – Late November
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-October – Late November

    Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia limestone streams peak late October–early November.

  • Brook TroutSalvelinus fontinalis
    Typical window: Late September – Late November
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 40°FSepSep — Peak spawn (44–46°F)OctOct — Peak spawn (44–46°F)NovNov — Peak spawn (44–46°F)DecDec — Post-spawn — water at 55°F+
    Typical window: Late September – Late November

    Appalachian native brook trout (Shenandoah NP, WV) peak October–November.

Mid-Atlantic / Appalachian Watersheds spawn alerts.

Bield: Fish ties USGS gauges in your area to species spawn thresholds — get notified the day water temperature hits pre-spawn for your target.

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