StockingMap

Big Elk Creek

Fishing, stocking, and current conditions

Stocked monthly February through May in 2026, heaviest in March: trout, 9 plants in all. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.

Cecil County · Maryland · see it on the national map

last stocked May 6 170 days ago
flow 155% of seasonal normal
best window 10:03 pm-12:03 am solunar major today
Water right now 3.38 ft gage height flow 48 cfs, 155% of the Oct 23 median 30 days: 40.4 to 334 USGS gauge 01495000 (BIG ELK CREEK AT ELK MILLS, MD) · read 8:45 pm this evening
9 stockings 2026
11,400 fish reported

The year here

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecFebruary 2026 Trout (catchable) 700 fish stockedFebruary 25, 2026 Trout (catchable) 700 fish stockedMarch 2026 Trout (catchable) 2,500 fish stockedMarch 18, 2026 Trout (catchable) 800 fish stockedMarch 26, 2026 Trout (catchable) 1,500 fish stockedApril 2026 Trout (catchable) 2,000 fish stockedApril 13, 2026 Trout (catchable) 2,000 fish stockedMay 2026 Trout (catchable) 600 fish stockedMay 6, 2026 Trout (catchable) 600 fish stocked

stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details

What swims here

Trout illustration Trout 9 stockings

Stocking record 2026

Agency feed checked today.

DateSpeciesSize FishStatus
Feb 1mo Trout catchable 700 stocked
Feb 25 Trout catchable 700 completed
Mar 1mo Trout catchable 2,500 stocked
Mar 18 Trout catchable 800 completed
Mar 26 Trout catchable 1,500 completed
Apr 1mo Trout catchable 2,000 stocked
Apr 13 Trout catchable 2,000 completed
May 1mo Trout catchable 600 stocked
May 6 Trout catchable 600 completed

When to fish Big Elk Creek

Major periods (~2 h) Minor periods (~1 h)
Today 9:40-11:40 am and 10:03 pm-12:03 am 3:57-4:57 am and 4:13-5:13 pm
Tomorrow 10:26 am-12:26 pm and 10:50 pm-12:50 am 5:04-6:04 am and 4:37-5:37 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

Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Maryland fishing forecast

Gear for this water

It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.

For the trout (trout stocked 9 times here in 2026, moving water)

Small jerkbaits floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends
Waders or wet-wading boots stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge
Light spinning rod 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches

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.

WaterDistance Most recent
Principio Creek 11 mi Apr 1
Pike Creek DE 11 mi Apr 9
East Branch White Clay Creek PA 11 mi May 4
Middle Branch White Clay Creek PA 12 mi Apr 15
Red Clay Creek DE 13 mi Apr 30

Follow Maryland stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule

Records from Maryland DNR (official page). Placement from USGS GNIS. Schedules change without notice. Seasons, limits, and licenses: Maryland fishing regulations.