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Fishing Reports
Weekly fishing reports for the Chesapeake Bay and Mid-Atlantic and surrounding region. If you would like to be notified via e-mail when our weekly fishing reports are updated, click here to sign up.
FishTalk fishing reports are presented by Anchor Boats, Brown Dog Marine, CCA MD, Riverside Marine, Suzuki Marine, and Tri-State-Marine
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. It has been very cold this week, and the wind has been relentless, so not much fishing is going on. While the weather has been keeping many boats in port recently, a couple readers who snuck out off the VA coast recently reported having luck on tautog plus a few flounder. Fish In OC reports that the crew of the Ocean Princess had… Read more from Coastal...
Freshwater Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. FishTalk’s kayak sharpie, Zach Ditmars, says he launched at the Smithville millpond in search of pickerel this week, but only lasted for a few hours before turning numb. For the effort, he had three bites, resulting in one pickerel landed. In many areas, ice is likely to become a problem in the coming days, while in others anglers are… Read more from Freshwater...
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. Fishing is relatively slow this time of year. The Way North region has no shortage of blue catfish that can be caught throughout the year. Most of these fish have retreated to the deeper waters at the mouth of the Susquehanna River, but there are still some areas where they can be caught from shore. This includes areas around… Read more from Way North...
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. The wind was howling this week, and the weather was very cold, so there was not much fishing going on. The Upper Bay tidal rivers provide some protection from the wind for anglers targeting pickerel, but sub-freezing temperatures and blowout tides have made it difficult to fish productive waters recently. The forecasted… Read more from Upper Bay...
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. Most of the striped bass action has been in the southern reaches of the Middle Bay zone, but there have been a few fish caught further north. We had a report this week from a boat trolling near Bloody Point that caught a half dozen striped bass ranging from 32” to 43”. They said that the bite was slow, but they were marking a… Read more from Middle Bay...
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. Striped bass season has officially come to an end in the Potomac River and Virginia waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Fishing for stripers will be strictly catch and release from here on out until the season opens later this year. In Virginia Waters, anglers fishing at the mouth of the Rappahannock are catching migratory striped bass… Read more from Lower Bay...
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. Anglers willing to brave the cold can get an early start on this year’s fishing season, but it won’t be easy. The wind has been relentless, and the cold temperatures have made it downright brutal to be on the water this week. Fishing for Pocomoke River panfish is an excellent option during the winter, and most of… Read more from Tangier and Lower Shore...
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. Those that did can get out and start fishing right away as there are several bites to explore in the Way South region. Migratory striped bass are still running up the Bay chasing bait. The best action has been on the lower Eastern Shore of Virginia along the main shipping channel ledge. The fish have been scattered and are… Read more from Way South...