The Best Fishing Spots in District of Columbia
In the United States District of Columbia, recreational fishing centers on the tidal Potomac River, the Anacostia River and urban streams, with anglers fishing from shore, piers and small boats. Popular species include largemouth bass, spring-run American shad, striped bass and hybrids, abundant white perch, hardy channel and blue catfish, panfish such as bluegill and crappie, and carp. Fishing is active year-round with spring and fall peaks for migratory fish, and many urban access points make it easy to target species with bait, light tackle or topwater lures.
Top Cities For Fishing
Sea Fishing
Adams Morgan
(4 km to coast)
Anacostia
(4 km to coast)
Barracks Row
(4 km to coast)
Barry Farms
(3 km to coast)
Bellevue
(1 km to coast)
Benning
(9 km to coast)
Benning Road
(10 km to coast)
Bloomingdale
(6 km to coast)
Brentwood Village
(8 km to coast)
Brightwood
(10 km to coast)
Brookland
(10 km to coast)
Capitol Gateway
(12 km to coast)
Capitol Hill
(4 km to coast)
Capitol Riverfront
(3 km to coast)
Central 14th Street / Spring Road
(6 km to coast)
Central 14th Street / WMATA Northern Bus Barn
(7 km to coast)
Chevy Chase
(11 km to coast)
Cleveland Park
(5 km to coast)
Colorado Triangle
(9 km to coast)
Columbia Heights
(5 km to coast)
Congress Heights
(2 km to coast)
Deanwood
(11 km to coast)
Downtown DC
(3 km to coast)
Dupont Circle
(2 km to coast)
Foggy Bottom
(0 km to coast)
Fort Lincoln
(11 km to coast)
Georgetown
(1 km to coast)
Georgia Avenue / Walter Reed
(12 km to coast)
Glover Park
(3 km to coast)
Golden Triangle
(2 km to coast)
Hillcrest
(7 km to coast)
H Street NE
(5 km to coast)
Ivy City
(7 km to coast)
Kenilworth
(11 km to coast)
Kennedy Street
(9 km to coast)
Lincoln Heights
(11 km to coast)
Mount Pleasant
(5 km to coast)
Mount Vernon Triangle
(4 km to coast)
NoMa
(5 km to coast)
Northwest One
(4 km to coast)
Park View
(6 km to coast)
Pennsylvania Avenue SE
(7 km to coast)
Petworth
(8 km to coast)
Pleasant Plains
(6 km to coast)
Riggs Park
(11 km to coast)
Shaw
(5 km to coast)
Southwest Waterfront
(1 km to coast)
Tenleytown
(7 km to coast)
The Parks At Walter Reed
(11 km to coast)
The Wharf
(1 km to coast)
Union Market
(6 km to coast)
Van Ness
(6 km to coast)
Washington
(2 km to coast)
Woodley Park
(4 km to coast)
Woodridge
(10 km to coast)
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Anacostia River
A productive urban tidal river, the Anacostia River offers excellent fishing for snakehead, largemouth bass, white perch, catfish, and seasonal shad. Shore access is plentiful along Anacostia Park and around Kingman Island and Heritage Island , while small boats and kayaks work the edges, marsh cuts, and bridge pilings for ambush-oriented predators.
Arlington Memorial Bridge
Spanning the Potomac River near the monuments, the waters around Arlington Memorial Bridge hold seasonal striped bass, schooling white perch, and steady catfish action. Boaters target pilings and current lanes, while nearby promenades on the D.C. side offer convenient shoreline access.
Buzzard Point
At the confluence of the Anacostia River and Potomac River , Buzzard Point features tidal rips, seams, and deep edges that attract striped bass, catfish, and white perch. Shorelines and nearby piers offer access, while boats patrol current lines and structure along the point.
Chain Bridge
The area around Chain Bridge marks a productive transition zone on the Potomac River , with fast water that draws spring shad and roaming striped bass, plus year-round smallmouth, catfish, and carp. Boaters drift eddies and seams below the bridge, while wading and shoreline access target rock gardens and current breaks.
Constitution Gardens Lake
Set on the National Mall, Constitution Gardens Lake is a scenic urban pond where anglers pick off sunfish, crappie, and the occasional largemouth bass. Work shaded edges, overhanging trees, and drop-offs along the walking paths, with quick access to the Tidal Basin nearby.
Hains Point
At the southern tip of East Potomac Park , Hains Point sits at the confluence of the Potomac River and Washington Channel , drawing striped bass during runs, abundant blue catfish, white perch, and schoolie largemouth bass. Strong tidal flow and eddies around the point create ambush lanes for both shore and boat anglers.
Kingman Lake
Adjacent to the Anacostia River , Kingman Lake is a shallow tidal lake with weedbeds and marsh edges that hold snakehead, largemouth bass, crappie, and sunfish. Shore anglers work coves and cuts around Kingman Island for topwater action in warm months.
Oxon Creek
Forming a tidal arm off the Potomac River near the D.C.–Maryland line, Oxon Creek offers sheltered fishing for snakehead, largemouth bass, white perch, and catfish. Boats and kayaks prowl marsh cuts and docks, while shore anglers work accessible banks near the creek mouth.
Rock Creek
Threading through woodland in the heart of the city, Rock Creek offers pocket-water fishing for sunfish, fallfish, and urban-tolerant bass, with seasonal visitors from the Potomac River . Focus on pools below riffles, bridge abutments, and undercut banks within Rock Creek Park .
Theodore Roosevelt Island
Surrounded by the Potomac River , Theodore Roosevelt Island provides shoreline access to tidal eddies and flats that attract largemouth bass, striped bass in season, catfish, and white perch. Anglers work currents along the island’s perimeter and channels toward the Virginia shoreline.
Tidal Basin
Framed by the city’s monuments, the Tidal Basin offers accessible fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish, and seasonal shad nearby. Anglers work the riprapped shorelines, shade from cherry trees, and current near the inlet/outlet to the Washington Channel during moving water.
Washington Channel
Running between East Potomac Park and the Southwest waterfront, the Washington Channel holds striped bass in spring and fall, strong numbers of catfish, plus white perch and largemouth bass. Shore anglers line the promenades and piers, while boaters probe drop-offs and structure along sea walls and marina edges.
Little Falls
Upstream of Chain Bridge , the Little Falls reach concentrates gamefish moving with tides and flow on the Potomac River . Expect spring shad activity, opportunistic striped bass, and strong smallmouth bass fishing around boulders and chutes, with catfish prowling deeper pockets.
Fletchers Cove
A historic Potomac hotspot, Fletchers Cove is famed for the spring American and hickory shad run, plus shots at striped bass, smallmouth bass, and persistent catfish. Rowboats and kayaks work current seams and eddies below Chain Bridge , while shore anglers fish from paths and walls along the cove.