What is this structure off the Calvert Cliffs?

[chex]

[CB kayak 02]

The GAS DOCKS...

[tufnik]

Looks like a comfy honeyhole for big stripers.

[chex]

Thanks.

Looks relatively kayak accessible on a calm day. Probably not tomorrow though.

[chex]

Hmm, are they still off-limits to fishing?

[Reelaxin10]

It's the gas docks, there is a perimeter around there that is off limits to any boat traffic and was set up after 9/11. You can still fish right on the perimeter and catch stripers live lining but can't get anywhere near the pilings.

[J.A. Veil]

I took a tour of the Cove Pt liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in 1999. There is a gas warming and storage facility onshore (the LNG arrives at a very cold temperature). The dock structure is connected by an underwater tunnel nearly a mile long. All the people on my tour used bicycles to ride out through the tunnel to the dock. Here are a few photos.

[Rockchaser]

Just North of the docks is the warm water discharge from the power plant. I don't know of any kayak launches close to it but it's a hell of a ride in a boat. Good for Specks and Stripers in colder months.

Also good Flounder fishing between the docks and Cove Point light when you can get a good drift. You just have to dodge the field of crab pots.

[jet]

that view totally looks like the cliffs going into the depths of the drink doesnt it? only goes into depths of 3' to 20' or so...(right?)

[ictalurus]

Around the perimeter of the gas docks, it's around 20-25ft, or so. Deeper on the eastern side. It's a pretty steep drop off--going from 6-9ft to over 20ft in about 10yds ore less. There really isn't a good launch nearby unless you know somebody in one of the waterfront communities. The southwest corner can be good for jigging. Cove Point can be good for topwater, too.

[kevinfry]

yes we need to continue to recruit members from Chesapeake Ranch club and cove point!! We are missing yout on some good fishing for lack of a launch. Maybe there are some ranch club guys lurking out there....HELLO! if you read this identify yourselves!!! a RANCH CLUB OR CALVERT BEACH LAUNCH WOULD OPEN UP A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES TO YAKKERS

[Slackdaddy]

Hmm,
I know a guy in CRE,, I have let him hunt my property in the past,, is there a community access in the Ranch Estates?
And is the fishing any different off there, as opposed to NB or CB ?

Slack

[ictalurus]

There are two launches (that I know of) in CRE, but the closest one would be on the order of 5 miles to the gas docks (assuming I'm measuring from the correct location on Google Earth). The current around Cove Point can sometimes be a bit squirrelly, but I'm not sure what kind of wind/current combination causes it. I've been surprised a couple of times when fishing from a small boat and we turned the corner at Cove Point on the way back to Solomons and found some big waves. That's not to say that it's not worth trying. The area from the CRE launch to Cove Point can be pretty fishy, though, and I've caught some nice blues, spot, croaker, and occasional (undersized) flounder in that area when I first started kayak fishing. If you don't want to paddle that far, you could charter a kayak ferry trip with Captain Brady. That way, you could hit the gas docks and the power plant discharge without having to paddle out there or paddle between the two spots. I haven't fished the discharge from a yak when it was going at full capacity, but I know two guys that have. I don't know if I would fish in the main current at full capacity, but there are fish to be caught along the edges, and trolling in that area can produce nice fish.

[Capt Brady Bounds]

STOP , stop right now ! The area around the Cove Pt Gas Docks is a high security zone for a distance of 500yds. There are four white buoys delineating the corners of a rectangular security zone and you better not be caught in there....federally protected. They videotape intrusions and order you to depart, if you don't leave immediately, they call the US Coast Guard . After that, bad things happen.

Just forget trying to get in there. The shoreward borderline of the zone is roughly the ten foot contour line running N-S.

[chex]

STOP , stop right now ! The area around the Cove Pt Gas Docks is a high security zone for a distance of 500yds.

Let's go spear fishing then. Nobody will see us.

I'm guessing the fishing was pretty good there before they locked it down?