Lower Bay Fishing Reports

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 8 Update:

The Lower Bay catch and release striped bass bite has been inconsistent. Some days, the fishing is great, while other days boats are running many miles before finding any life. The mouth of the Potomac has had some action this past week. The warmer temperatures have ticked up water temperatures a few degrees, and the fish seem to be responding accordingly. A few bird shows have popped up at the mouth of the river. One angler said that there were multiple bird shows last weekend with very few boats around, which helped keep them going. They caught several fish between 24” to 28”, and their largest was 38”.  Working the main channels at the mouth of the river and in the main stem of the Bay is a good strategy while searching for fish. The name of the game right now is covering water, keeping a close eye on your electronics, and hoping that birds lead the way.

On the Rappahannock River in Virginia, the striper bite has been similar. Anglers fishing in the river are not having much success right now, but those venturing out to the mouth on the main stem of the Bay are having slightly better luck. The fish have been very scattered but are still following closely to bait. Trollers are doing the best right now as the fish are suspended in the water column most of the time in water depths of 30’ to 60’. Chartreuse has been a hot color this winter, but other reliable colors have been white, bone, and pearl. If you don’t want to chase around rockfish, catfish are a reliable winter target in the Lower Bay tidal rivers. The upper Potomac, Rappahannock, and James are all productive areas for big blue catfish in the winter. The hot bite right now is on the James, and Goober Time Guide Service is taking full advantage of it. Transition zones going from five feet to 20 feet are a good bet right now. The catfish are hanging close to schools of shad, which makes sense because fresh cut gizzard shad seems to be the hot bait in all the rivers.

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. The bite has not been on fire, but covering water and keeping a close eye on electronics has produced some very big fish. One reader said that they have been doing well while live-lining live eels near the main channel. Trolling has also been an effective method as the fish are usually in small wolf packs suspended in the water column and moving quickly.

On the Potomac River, trollers took full advantage of the last few days of catch and keep season. We heard of several reports of boat limits in the lower Potomac with several big fish mixed in as well. One recreational boat reported catching around a dozen slot fish and kept their six-man limit. Another boat said it only took them an hour to catch their limit, then they enjoyed catch and release fishing for fish into the mid 30” range. Farther up the Lower Bay tidal rivers, blue catfish are in their wintering zones, which include the deeper holes and channels on the main stems of the rivers. The Potomac, Rappahannock, and James River are all premier destinations for trophy blue catfish. Recent reports show that fresh cut eel has been the hot bait, and small chunks seem to be outperforming big baits. Fish are also most active during a moving tide, so make sure to check those tide charts before heading out.