Antietam Creek (Devils Backbone)
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Stocked March to October in 2026, heaviest in April: trout, 13 plants in all. The most-stocked water on the Washington County record for 2026. The Maryland state record rainbow trout, 17.4 lbs., came from this water in 2024. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Washington County · Maryland · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Trout
State record fish caught here
Certified by Maryland DNR; weights shown exactly as the agency publishes them. Record book read October 2026.
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1mo | Trout | catchable | 1,200 | stocked |
| Mar 6 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| Mar 12 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| Mar 23 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| Apr 1mo | Trout | catchable | 1,600 | stocked |
| Apr 1 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| Apr 10 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| Apr 15 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| Apr 22 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| May 1mo | Trout | catchable | 800 | stocked |
| May 1 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| May 6 | Trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
| Oct 15 | Trout | catchable | 500 | completed |
When to fish Antietam Creek (Devils Backbone)
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:48-11:48 am and 10:11 pm-12:11 am | 4:04-5:04 am and 4:21-5:21 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:34 am-12:34 pm and 10:58 pm-12:58 am | 5:12-6:12 am and 4:46-5:46 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked 8 days ago (Oct 15)
- Flow 82% of the seasonal median
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Maryland fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (trout stocked 13 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Inline spinners | 1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams |
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Marsh Run WV | 6.0 mi | May 21 |
| Israel Creek | 7.1 mi | Apr 15 |
| Beaver Creek | 8.3 mi | May 8 |
| Opequon Creek WV | 11 mi | Oct 19 |
| Evitts Run WV | 11 mi | Oct 19 |
Follow Washington County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule