Guest Post by Robert Carpenter
As the sun struggled to break through the clouds on February 24, 2026, Little Black Stoneflies of Maryland’s Big Gunpowder Falls started to migrate toward shallower water, waiting for a sunnier day. They would find their journey shorter and easier. The same day, the Baltimore Department of Public Works reduced releases from Prettyboy Reservoir into this Blue Ribbon trout stream by nearly 80 percent, from 138 to 30 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Since then, the river has been at its lowest sustained level in more than a quarter century. This decision, the result of a sustained severe drought, ravaged the spring fishing season. Its impact could persist a year or more, even if conditions improve.
The Structure of the Watershed
Big Gunpowder Falls, known locally as “the Gunpowder,” is a catch-and-release artificial-lures-only section of wild troutwater about 30 miles from downtown Baltimore. It’s a beautiful place to fish, with long riffles, boulder gardens, runs, and pools. The steep valley walls and lack of development along the banks feels isolated and wild and makes it easy to forget that you’re in the densely populated Baltimore/Washington region…