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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, August 8 Update:
Coastal fishing has been good since the mid-summer heat waves backed off. A smattering of reader reports indicate good action for a variety of species along the inshore coastal waters and in the surf. A couple fishing Wachapreage reported putting flounder into the cooler with one hitting the 23” mark, we had another report of flounder action in the surf on Gulp! at Assateague (though the action was slower than it has been and the fish weren… Read more from Coastal...
Freshwater Fishing Report, August 8 Update:
Most anglers have been enjoying the cooler weather after the July heat waves. The mild temperatures have been extending bite windows and many of our freshwater fish have become more active. FishTalk’s Eric Packard found that the cooler weather provided better midday action than we’ve been seeing recently, and on an afternoon of fishing at St. Mary’s Lake he caught nine largemouth bass up to 22.5” despite starting at 1:30. He noted that most of the… Read more from Freshwater...
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 8 Update:
Since the striped bass season has reopened, the bite has been on the slower side in the Way North region. The larger schools of fish have retreated to deeper water in the Upper Bay, but there are still some fish around. Warm water temperatures mean that the bite will be best in the low light hours. Areas with more current will also be key areas to focus on, and those zones will also hold multiple species. The Conowingo Dam has been… Read more from Way North...
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 8 Update:
Blue catfish have been more active since the cooler weather moved in. We had a reader check in who caught eight blue catfish last weekend near Abbey Point while fishing with cut bunker chunks. They were successful using both bottom rigs and fish finder rigs. The lumps around Pooles Island are another great area to target blue catfish throughout the year. Bottom fishing with your any type of meaty bait can work, but the blue catfish in this… Read more from Upper Bay...
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 8 Update:
The Angler in Chief says rockfish aren’t exactly chewing the bottom of the boat off in the Middle Bay zone, but a few slot fish are around on shallow structure and willing to hit white paddletails late in the evening. He also noted, however, that some of the fish he’s seen this week are in rough shape and very skinny, and a 23” he caught on Tuesday looked like it had about as much meat as a 17” fish. FishTalk contributor Zach Ditmars… Read more from Middle Bay...
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 8 Update:
The Lower Bay fishing scene that we usually enjoy during the late summer is starting to shape up. The Tackle Box reports that trollers have been finding an excellent bluefish bite in the waters around the Target Ship. They have taken a liking for both metal spoons and rubber hoses. In recent weeks, there have been several occasions where the bluefish have been giving away their location by blitzing on the surface of the water. Trollers will… Read more from Lower Bay...
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, August 8 Update:
The cooler weather created better fishing conditions for Chesapeake Bay anglers, especially in the Tangier region. The expansive grass flats offer excellent habitat for several species including striped bass, speckled trout, and red drum, but when water temperatures surpass the mid-80s, fish often vacate the shallows to move into deeper water. Water temperatures spiked into the 90s in July, and fishing success dropped off… Read more from Tangier and Lower Shore...
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 8 Update:
Bull red drum have been a highlight around the first and second islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. A lot of boats have been targeting them, but weekdays are usually less crowded. Live croaker has been the hot bait, but boats locating them with livescope are having success with soft plastics when placing the bait into the drum school. Sheepshead fishing has been so-so recently. By this point in the year, they have been… Read more from Way South...