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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 Costa Tequila, Anchor Boats, Brown Dog Marine, CCA MD, Riverside Marine, Suzuki Marine, and Tri-State-Marine
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
The coastal bite is cutting loose as water temperatures are finally warm enough for migratory fish to start returning to inshore and nearshore waters. Last year’s flounder fishing was some of the best we have seen in many years, and this year is also off to a hot start. The bite is still best in and around the Virginia coastal inlets, but fish are also being caught well north of there. Both Sea Hawk Sports Center and Captain Steve’s Bait… Read more from Coastal...
Freshwater Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
Contributor Eric Packard says the bite in the Pax remains strong north of Jug Bay. Bass were hitting a flat-side crayfish pattern crankbait and remained pinned in close to deadfall. Small brown underspin/twister tails drew strikes from a few crappie, white perch, and bluegills. He also mentioned seeing a pair of snakeheads and had his first hookup of the season with one, but it came unbuttoned. Mollie Rudow reported a strong bluegill bite at a Silver… Read more from Freshwater...
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
Striped bass fishing is off limits in the Way North region of the Chesapeake Bay, so anglers will have to focus on other species. The good news is that as water temperatures are warming, more species are offering opportunities. Hickory shad have arrived in the lower Susquehanna River where they are being caught around Deer Creek and Octoraro Creek. Water clarity in these areas was dirty earlier in the week, but should be cleaning up as… Read more from Way North...
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
Now is a good time to start trying the Upper Bay tidal rivers for blue catfish. The mouth of the Magothy River, Patapsco River, and upper section of the Chester River are all good locations to catch blue catfish in the spring. Anglers typically find good success fishing from the beach at Sandy Point in April and May, but salinity levels are up right now due to lack of rainfall, so the catfish may not be roaming the area yet. We haven’t… Read more from Upper Bay...
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
We have enjoyed some beautiful weather this spring, but a cold front this week brought us back to the reality that we aren’t even halfway through April yet. Despite the colder weather, fishing opportunities are still abundant. A reader reported that the white perch were in the salt ponds and biting strong. At this time of year, grass shrimp are usually the ticket, but he got the job done by floating small minnow under a bobber. Contributor… Read more from Middle Bay...
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
The Tackle Box reports that white perch are coming back to the shallows on warmer days, and they had several anglers report catching them on both bait and lures this week, but they are not in strong numbers yet. They also mentioned that catfishing has been excellent in the tidal Potomac River. They are very active from the Quantico up to Washington, D.C., but are starting to spread downriver. They expect blue catfish to be available to… Read more from Lower Bay...
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
Black drum are beginning to arrive in the Chesapeake Bay as water temperatures approach the 60-degree mark. We have good reports of black drum being caught near Cape Charles and the mouth of the Bay, so the drum should be arriving in the Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds any day now. These fish tend to hangout near shoals and reef locations where they can be tempted with chunks of crab. If you can find peeler crab, that is often… Read more from Tangier and Lower Shore...
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
Black drum are returning to the Chesapeake Bay for their annual spawning run. Boats heading out of Cape Charles are making the run to the mouth of the Bay where they are finding black drum near the surf. These fish can be caught in the surf along the coastal beaches, but are also found at several locations in the Bay. Reef sites and the bridge pilings at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel are other locations that have historically… Read more from Way South...