Conowing Dam Maryland Photography five eagles flying with one holding a fish and the others chasing the food.

Conowingo Dam Maryland Eagle Photography

Conowingo Dam Photography Location

Photo Tours

Photography Magazine Extra and Extra Eyes Photo Tours visit Conowingo Dam in Maryland every year. This is what we refer to as “Nature at its best.” The Conowingo Dam is one of the largest hydroelectric dams. This dam generates electricity for the Baltimore area.

The Eagles at Conowingo Dam

The eagle population at this location peaks between November and December. Well over 100 Bald Eagles gather at Conowingo Dam, along the lower Susquehanna River in northern Maryland, to feast on fish every winter. When the sirens go off, the gates will open, and the fish are then sucked through the giant turbines, and it’s time for the feeding frenzy. You do not want to miss an opportunity to enjoy this incredible nature. Photographers come from all over to get their best eagle images. Extra Eyes Photo Tours has a great weekend tour during peak eagle time every November. Dress warm and buy hot pockets from the sporting goods store to put in your gloves and shoes. Sign up for the Extra Eyes Photo Tour here. They go every November.

On many occasions, you will hear photographers yell things such as “incoming” to let the other photographer know an eagle is about to approach — the eagles circle around, looking down at the waters and potting their fish. When an eagle dives, they hang its claws down, swoops down, stretches its claws out and grabs a fish. After this, the action starts. All other birds in the area will try to steal the fish from the eagle. Sometimes you will see two birds attached to one fish and swinging around in a battle for the meal.

Click on the image and scroll to see the full-screen slideshow.

Where to photograph Eagles – Conowingo Dam Maryland

Conowingo Dam Maryland Photography Location

Conowingo Dam Photography Information:

A 400mm lens at this location will make you the little fish in the big pond. No pun intended. 400mm is sufficient, but the bigger, the better here. You should rent a lens if you lack the necessary equipment.

You will shoot in shutter priority on a sunny day at 1/1200th of a second. These eagles are moving!! There are other ways to shoot, but that is the easiest way for beginners. Use ISO 100 on sunny days with a high shutter speed. You can pop your ISO up to 400 or 800 as needed on cloudy days. Never go over 800 ISO to avoid grain. Keep your shutter speed at a minimum of 1/1000th for this location to keep the birds crisp in your images. Almost every picture you see on this page is shot at 1/1000th sec. You can go lower to show some movement in the wings. You shouldn’t go any lower than 1/500th sec.

TIP: You can easily overexpose the white parts of the eagles on sunny days. We use exposure compensation to go down one stop -1 to prevent this.

When to Photograph Eagles at Conowingo Dam

During November through the beginning of January. Mid-November is known to be peak Eagle time.
Bring chairs. You will be waiting for the action to happen.
Check on the Conowingo Dam Release Schedule – See when the gates open and fish flood. 1-888-457-4076.
TIP: Get there around 6:30 a.m. if you want upfront parking on the weekends. It doesn’t matter which spot you choose; each location has pros and cons. We like to be near my truck, especially when it gets frigid. Only Nature knows which section will get the most activity that day. You can determine which dam area will open and where the water will come through. That pretty much dictates where the birds will fly. Call the number above to find out.

The Conowingo Dam

It is one of the largest hydroelectric dams in Conowingo, Maryland. The eagles flock to the dam every year in the Fall, sometimes reaching as many as 100 plus eagles in a tiny location. During this season, photographers come from all over to photograph the action of the eagles feeding on the fish that flow through the dam. As far as we know, it is one of the best eagle photography locations in the lower 48.

Hundreds of eagles are attracted to the location due to the many fish that come through the dam when it opens. When the sirens go off advising that the dam will soon open, you often hear the photographers cheering since it signals that the action is about to happen. On many occasions, you will listen to photographers yell things such as “incoming” to let the other photographer know an eagle is about to approach. The action is what we call nature at its best—the eagles’ circle, looking down at the waters and spotting their fish. When an eagle dives, they hang their claws down, swoop down, stretch their claws out and grab a fish. After this, the action starts. All of the other birds in the area will try to steal the fish from the eagle. Sometimes you will even see two birds attached to one fish and swing around in a battle for the meal.

When the eagles catch a smaller fish, they will fly and eat the fish, as seen in the image above, with the two eagles eating simultaneously. Extra Eyes Photo Tours runs a tour here every year before Thanksgiving, prime time for action. You can see the information here.

Over a hundred other birds have been documented to migrate here, but the eagle action is the focal point.

Extra Eyes Photo Tours – Conowingo Dam November Workshop

Don’t go alone. Join our group. Learn photography and get lessons while when waiting on the eagles to fly. You will be sure to come home with incredible eagle photography if you go on the Conowining Dam Photography Tour.

Check for Special Discounts on Instructions

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Conwingo Dame Area Information

Hotels—Restaurants—Camping—Weather

AREA

INFORMATION

Conowingo Dam Information

The Conowingo Dam (also Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant, Conowingo Hydroelectric Station) is a large hydroelectric dam in the lower Susquehanna River near the town of Conowingo, Maryland. Conowingo Road, Conowingo, Maryland.

CAMPING

Camping at Conowingo Dam Maryland

You can list your campground here. Call us to advertise.

Where to camp

Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your campground to stay during their ghost-hunting trip? Put your campground information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number, and the information on your campground to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are good at getting there in the dark.

Would you like to be featured in an article as a place to stay while doing photography or ghost hunting? If so, please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.

FOOD & DINING

Restaurants Near Conowingo Dam – Maryland

Chesapeake Bay Gold Club – Scallops to die for. The portion is not huge but unbelievably delicious.

28 Karen Dr
Rising Sun, MD 21911
410-658-4343

Add your Restaurant here!

Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your restaurant after their ghost-hunting trip? Put your restaurant information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number, and your information on your restaurant to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you.

HOTEL

INFORMATION

Add Your Hotel Near Conowingo Dam Here

Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your hotel for their photography or ghost-hunting trip? Put your hotel information here. We will put pictures of your hotel, the website link, the phone number, and your hotel information.

Would you like to be a featured hotel like this article or this one? Please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.

Contact us to add your hotel here!