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See all 6 routes on Calvert County Water Trails

Maryland | Calvert County / Southern Maryland

Calvert County Water Trails

Marina West at Kellam’s Park Fishing Creek loop

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

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DistanceApproximately 5.5 miles round trip along Fishing Creek, shorter turnarounds permitted
DifficultyModerate
Typical time2–5 hours depending on tide
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Patuxent River near Bowie, Maryland.
River contextPatuxent River near Bowie; same-river context only — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by U.S. Geological Survey via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Gauge

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Weather

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Route overview

Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

Quick facts

On-water distanceApproximately 5.5 miles round trip along Fishing Creek, shorter turnarounds permittedMarina West at Kellam’s Park Fishing Creek loop
DifficultymoderateThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleNo shuttle is required; launch and return at Marina West/Kellam’s Park after confirming the honor-box fee, parking, soft-launch location, and marina hours.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current Calvert County, Maryland DNR, park, marina, launch-fee, parking, tide, marine-weather, and Maryland boating/PFD rules. No route-specific permit beyond the named endpoint rules is claimed.
CampingOptions nearbyMarina West/Kellam’s Park is day-use access. Arrange separate legal lodging or campground; no creek-bank camping is claimed.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season, but Maryland water levels, recent rain, temperature, debris, and daylight control every launch decision.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A sheltered Fishing Creek loop from Marina West at Kellam’s Park through working waterfront, marsh, and upland forest, with the creek’s same-launch return as the hard boundary.

DirectionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Prepare this trip

Take the plan with you

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Start

Put-in

Chesapeake Beach Marina West / Kellam’s Park soft access
Open map

The official guide identifies a soft launch across from the marina office and an honor-box launch fee; call ahead for current operations and rental/access rules.

Finish

Take-out

Chesapeake Beach Marina West / Kellam’s Park soft access return
Open map

The 5.5-mile figure is a full-length round trip, not a promise of safe depth or a fixed current condition.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • The official guide identifies a soft launch across from the marina office and an honor-box launch fee; call ahead for current operations and rental/access rules.
  • The 5.5-mile figure is a full-length round trip, not a promise of safe depth or a fixed current condition.
  • Do not use working waterfronts, private docks, or marsh margins as informal exits.

Watch for

  • USGS 01594440 Patuxent watershed proxy and current marine/tide forecast
  • wind, waves, current, wakes, shallow creek turns, debris, thunderstorms, cold water, cliffs, and private shoreline
  • park hours, parking, launch carries/fees, marina traffic, fishing lines, and hard named endpoints
  • Marina West soft launch, marina traffic, Fishing Creek turns, shallow marsh, railway-trail corridor, tide, wind, and daylight

Route gallery

See this route on the water

Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.

Two paddlers move downstream on the Monocacy River beneath wooded banks in Maryland.
Monocacy River Water Trail paddling contextPhoto by Saki / National Park Service
National Park Service public-agency image

Score & sources

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
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Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking

Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge sitePatuxent River near Bowie, MD
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floorNot calibrated yet
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreMaryland DNR/Calvert County water-trail tide, wind, and access guidance
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Named moving-water corridorMaryland DNR/Calvert County Fishing Creek Trail, Approximately 5.5 miles round trip along Fishing Creek, shorter turnarounds permitted

    The official county guide describes the named route, route-specific distance or bounded option, access facility, and local hazards.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessChesapeake Beach Marina West / Kellam’s Park soft access and Chesapeake Beach Marina West / Kellam’s Park soft access return

    Current Maryland DNR public-access records and the county guide identify the access facility. Coordinates are on/near-water anchors; verify current operations, fees, and carry.

    Source

  • Proxy flow and tidal evidenceUSGS 01594440 Patuxent River near Bowie, clearly labeled watershed proxy

    The station is not local to these tidal routes and supplies no safe-depth or tide cutoff. Use current marine/tide conditions and observed water.

    Source

  • Camping postureMarina West/Kellam’s Park is day-use access. Arrange separate legal lodging or campground; no creek-bank camping is claimed.

    Camping is separate from day-use launch access and must follow the named park, marina, or county rules.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01594440, Patuxent River near Bowie, MD

    This is a clearly labeled proxy or route-context station; local water, tributaries, releases, and weather can differ materially.

    Source

  • Approved route imageryRights-cleared public-agency or public-domain corridor image

    Rights-cleared Maryland public-river image used as regional context; it does not certify Calvert County tide, wind, access, or route hazards.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Maryland

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Maryland route guideBrowse every tracked Maryland route.Calvert County / Southern MarylandJump to routes in this region.

More on Calvert County Water Trails

All 6
Hallowing Point to Caney Creek and Benedict Community ParkCalvert County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 4 miles round trip into Caney Creek; the Hallowing Point to Benedict crossing is just over 1 mile round tripJefferson Patterson Park to St. Leonard Creek bounded routeCalvert County / Southern MarylandModerate · Bounded St. Leonard Creek route from the JPPM south access; confirm the current creek option distance on the park mapKings Landing Park to Cocktown Creek loopCalvert County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 3 miles round trip, shorter turnarounds permittedNan’s Cove to Rock Creek and Broomes Island bounded loopCalvert County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 1 mile for adjacent coves, 2 miles round trip to Rock Creek, or 5 miles round trip to the mouth of Island Creek

Nearby routes by distance

Patuxent RiverSelby’s Landing to Clyde Watson Boating Area · about 10 mi awayEasy · Approximately 13.5 river miles from Selby’s Landing to Clyde WatsonTilghman Island and Bay Hundred Water TrailsBlack Walnut Cove and Bar Neck shoreline loop · about 11 mi awayModerate · Approximately 3.5 miles round trip from Black Walnut Cove around the shorelinePatuxent RiverJackson’s Landing to Selby’s Landing · about 11 mi awayEasy · Approximately 2.7 river miles from Jackson’s Landing to Selby’s LandingTilghman Island and Bay Hundred Water TrailsPhillips Wharf Environmental Center to Front Creek loop · about 11 mi awayHard · Approximately 3 miles round trip from Phillips Wharf Environmental Center to Front Creek

Quick answers

Calvert County Water Trails paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Calvert County Water Trails?

Paddle Today watches Patuxent River near Bowie, MD and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Calvert County Water Trails route start and end?

This route starts at Chesapeake Beach Marina West / Kellam’s Park soft access and ends at Chesapeake Beach Marina West / Kellam’s Park soft access return, about Approximately 5.5 miles round trip along Fishing Creek, shorter turnarounds permitted on the water.

Is this Calvert County Water Trails route good for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.

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