Liberty Reservoir

Baltimore & Carroll Counties, Maryland

Liberty Reservoir is Baltimore's largest water supply lake, west of the city on the North Branch of the Patapsco River. It is known for self-sustaining striped bass, walleye and trophy crappie.

Air temp in Sykesville, MD Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Liberty Reservoir (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area3,100 acres

Max depth144 ft

Shoreline81 mi

Boat motorsElectric motors only (city boat permit required)

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Striped Bass●●●●○

Troll planer boards with jigs or live shad like on the Chesapeake.

Largemouth Bass●●●●○

Big swimbaits and flutter spoons match the shad forage.

Walleye●●●○○

Cast blade baits in the spring shallows, then move to drop-offs.

Crappie●●●●○

Brush piles, docks and standing timber. Minnows or small jigs.

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

Rock, gravel and points. Tubes, jerkbaits and drop-shots.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Striped Bass
Largemouth Bass
Walleye
Crappie

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

2 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Route 26 Boat Launch AreasFee
Two paved Baltimore City launch areas off Route 26; city permit required ($60), no gas motorsDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See Maryland DNR or the lake manager's website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Liberty Reservoir are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: Maryland Department of Natural Resources ↗

Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Dangle Live Bait & TackleNearby
5320 Phelps Luck Dr, Columbia, MD(443) 542-2208 Directions ↗
Tochterman's Fishing TackleNearby
1925 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD(410) 327-6942 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Liberty Reservoir ↗

Local tips

Boats need a Baltimore City reservoir permit and can use only oars, paddles or electric motors.
Fall is best when the water cools to 50 to 55 degrees and fish move shallow.
Shore anglers can cast jumbo shiners near steep drop-offs for walleye.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Liberty Reservoir.

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View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.