Remember, folks, this is a forecast as opposed to a current report, which is built from looking back at the past eight years of FishTalk's reports, so for current reports please visit our Reports section which is updated weekly. Current reports will be published every Friday by noon and you can sign up for our email list to get an alert as they publish (it's free), should you so desire.
COASTAL FISHING FORECAST
With warmer temperatures and more predictable weather, expect offshore fishing to kick into high gear this month. Tuna and mahi are both sure to be around during June and with a little luck a billfish or two, too. Back along the coast, meanwhile, flounder should be biting in full summer form so work those oceanic wrecks and coastal bay channel edges with minnow ‘n squid sandwiches or by bouncing jigs right on bottom. At some point this month we should begin seeing sheepshead in the inlets, kingfish will be biting in the surf, and with a little luck those chopper blues won’t have turned tail and headed north just yet.
FRESHWATER FISHING FORECAST
June is prime time for sweetwater, and rather than list out all the species that should be biting this month we’ll just name the ones that stop biting: ummm… never mind. Look for bass to be in post-spawn mode, feeding hard around shoreline structure to regain weight. Crappie will be done doing their thing, too, and we can expect them to start collecting and suspending around mid-depth structure like standing timber. Snakehead fishing might get a bit tougher when spawning action kicks in, but shortly after that hunting fry balls will again become a thing.
WAY NORTH CHESAPEAKE FISHING FORECAST
The Flats often get red hot at this point in the season, with a mix of rockfish and bass willing to hit topwater at daybreak and sunset. Also look for good action when the dam opens up and boosts flows a bit, especially if it’s been dry. And, what about those blue catfish? Break out your Cat Slayers and go on the hunt because they should be in full-on eating mode—last June we were hearing about 40-plus-pounders in this zone.
UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY FISHING FORECAST
White perch and snakeheads should be biting in the Upper Bay creeks right about now, but you know what the main target is these days: rockfish. If the recent past provides any clues the best striper fishing on the Bay will likely be taking place in the Upper zone, either in the Patapsco or on the east side somewhere between Love Point and Tolchester.
MIDDLE BAY FORECAST
With stripers in season we know what’s on your mind this June. By this time last year they’d already moved shallow—and by the middle of the month there were already some slot redfish mixed in with them. Fingers are crossed…
LOWER BAY FORECAST
When cobia season opens up mid-month that’s sure to steal the limelight, but up to then all bets are off for the Lower Bay tribs at this point in the season. Rockfish, redfish, specks, blues, and flounder could all be, and should all be, in the mix by now. Note that last year at this time there was a push of keeper-sized flounder around the river mouths from Smith Point south; prospecting for ‘em could prove very, very interesting if that trend continues to grow.
TANGIER, POCOMOKE, AND LOWER SHORE FORECAST
All of the southern Chesapeake species are now on the menu in this neck of the woods. Best of all, you can expect that shallow water fishing is now in prime form. Just remember that when a south wind blows, as it did much of last June, finding clean water will be the key to success. Get in on the action before it turns into an oven out there—that is, if the opening of cobia season doesn’t grab all of your attention.
WAY SOUTH AND VA FORECAST
Welcome to cobia central! When the 15th arrives there will still be bull reds, sheepshead, flounder, and more around the CBBT, but in these parts cobia are king. Remember that the new minimum is 43” but if you catch and keep two the second one can now be over 50”. Also remember that last season the cobia were quite finicky at times, and casting an assortment of swimbaits, plugs, and live baits was sometimes necessary to figure out what they’d strike on any given day.
Don't forget to sign up for the FishTalk Fishing Reports to get the latest intel on the bites in all these zones every week, by noon on Friday.