Lower Bay Fishing Reports

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 22 Update:

Fishing in the Lower Bay has been centered around striped bass, white perch, and the arrival of summer species like spot and croaker. Anglers are finding striped bass around structure ranging from shallow grass to deeper rock piles and drop-offs, while perch fishing has been improving in several tributaries. Bull red drum are beginning to show up around shallow flats and ledges, although speckled trout fishing remains slow following the harsh winter. Crabbing has been steady but somewhat slow, but warmer temperatures should improve catches moving into late May and June.

FishTalk contributor Eric Packard was out on the water again this week (surprise surprise), fishing on the lower Potomac River. One trip on the kayak at Point Lookout was slow. Packard said the channel heading out to Cornfield Harbour was mobbed up with cownose rays, as were the waters heading towards the lighthouse. He talked with a few other anglers that caught scratch, zip, and nada. He did manage to catch a dink striped bass, but not before losing five jigs to the cownose armada. Later in the week, Eric and friends fished from Nanjemoy down to Cobb Island, catching fish at several spots on Rapala X-Raps and three quarter ounce jigs paired with various soft plastics. Eric’s hot bait was a Hardhead Custom Baits jig in pearl with a chartreuse tip. Their crew found fish in depths of less than eight feet all the way down to 40 feet. The common factor was that they were all near structure, humps, lumps, drop-offs, and riprap. Over 40 fish were landed, and Packard caught 17 himself. This stretch of the Potomac has several areas of rock piles, wrecks, and reefs that are hotspots for striped bass and other species throughout the spring, summer, and fall. If you are fishing the shallows in the early morning hours and the bite slows down, try searching for some of these deeper water areas with structure. Fish often retreat to them once the sun gets high in the sky. Striped bass season is now open in the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland waters, Virginia, Washington D.C., and waters governed by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission.

The Tackle Box reports that spot were caught this week on the lower Potomac River, specifically in the St. Mary’s River. They will continue to migrate up the Bay and fill in the creeks and rivers throughout the summer. The shop also had some good reports of bottom fishermen catching white perch near Ragged Point. There have been very few speckled trout reports from the Lower Bay this year. By late May, we usually hear of trout being caught in the Rappahannock, Piankatank, and York Rivers. Unfortunately, we have only heard a few rumors of the occasional speck being caught in these tributaries. The past two brutally cold winters undoubtedly took a tool on them, so be prepared for a slower year of speck fishing. There should be some around shallow grass flats, but it will take some searching to find them. 

Anglers in the Lower Bay will have to rely on stripers and white perch to keep their lines tight until later in the year. The perch reports have been slow too, but we did have a report from an angler fishing in the Piankatank that caught close to three dozen while throwing small panfish jigs. Another pair of fly anglers fishing off the Rappahannock had a good day fishing, catching over 20 stripers, one speckled trout, over 50 white perch, and some spot and croaker. Fly fishing allows anglers to give a more subtle presentation and keep flies in the strike zone longer, so it can be very effective when fishing the shallows. Puppy drum are in the same boat as speckled trout, and we have not heard any pups moving up the Bay yet, but there are some big bulls around. Several reports of bull redfish have been reported from the mouth of the Rappahannock down to Mobjack Bay. These fish are cruising around the shallow grass flats and ledges. They can be hard to track down, so catching them is often a game of covering a lot of water in hopes of finding one bite, but that one bite can turn into an epic day if you locate a large school. 

Crabbing Report: A pair of subscribers checked in after crabbing on the St. Mary’s River last weekend. They were using 30 open-top drop traps baited with white perch. The crabbing was slow but steady, and they ended up catching a bushel of crabs, but it took them close to five hours. The slow crabbing was likely attributed to slow moving tides throughout their trip. When they got on the water in the morning, the tide was trickling out, and even when the tide switched, it was a very weak incoming. Their crabs were a mix of sizes ranging from barely legal to extra-large. The recent warm temperatures should kick the grabs into gear as we round out the month. 

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 15 Update:

Windy conditions have made fishing difficult across the Lower Bay and Potomac region, though anglers are still finding striped bass, black drum, and speckled trout in scattered areas from Point Lookout to Virginia tributaries. Blue catfish action on the Potomac has been excellent, with anglers catching large numbers of fish while jigging soft plastics in the river’s unusually low and favorable flows. Snakehead fishing has been slower due to cooler weather and delayed grass growth, but anglers are still finding quality fish on swimbaits, chatterbaits, and topwater frogs as warmer conditions begin to settle in.

The wind has not made it easy to take fishing trips this week. FishTalk contributor Eric Packard Checked in after fishing at Point Lookout for a few hours recently. He started by heading all the way out to the lighthouse but didn’t mark any fish out there. He did catch a nice-sized rockfish in the channel by the boat ramp. Packard also mentioned he saw what he believes was a large school of cownose rays on the side scan. He marked some other fish in the area, but the tide dropped out, and he did not get any other bites. Down in Virginia waters, speckled trout reports have been very slim. We did see one report from an angler fishing a smaller tributary off the Rappahannock who caught a 25-inch speckled trout last week. (Remember that Virginia waters are closed for harvest for this species until June). Another angler reported catching slot-sized striped bass in the Whitestone area this past weekend. Striped bass season for Virginia and the Potomac River opens this Saturday, May 16th. They also encountered some black drum and many schools of cow nose rays. The rays are a nuisance this time of year and can shut down a bite when they move through an area by scaring off fish and making the water muddy, so it's best to move areas to avoid them if you encounter them.

Contributor Adam Greenberg checked in after fishing at Fletcher’s Cove with a friend last week. Their plan was to jig for whatever would bite, and he said they caught fish almost every cast for close to three hours. Blue catfish were the majority of the catch, but they also caught a couple flathead catfish and a few schoolie striped bass. The catfish ranged anywhere from five pounds up to 30 pounds. Pink and Chartreuse seven-inch curly tail soft plastics paired with one and a half ounce jigheads slathered in procure was very effective. The Potomac, and other Lower Bay rivers, are experiencing historically low flows for this time of year. Needless to say, the river conditions are favorable for boating and kayaking. You likely won’t see a slower flow on that portion of the upper Potomac than what is occurring right now, so if you have the means to get out on the river, the conditions are favorable for fishing.

Snakehead fishing across the region has been off to a slower start due to cooler weather the past few weeks. We are also getting reports that the grass has been slow to come up in some areas such as the Potomac and some places on the Eastern Shore. This may be due to the brutally cold winter causing the grasses to take longer to come up. It looks like we are finally going to make the turn this weekend and get into a more consistent pattern of warmer weather. Captain Mike from Apex Predators checked in with us and let us know that despite the unpredictable weather, his clients have landed several 30-inch snakeheads this spring. The largest fish they have caught so far was a 16-pound behemoth. Swimbaits and chatterbaits are working well along the edges of grass. In areas of thicker vegetation and pad fields, topwater frogs have been producing on warm sunny days.

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 8 Update:

Warming water temperatures in the Lower Bay have sparked improving shallow-water striped bass action, with anglers finding fish along drop-offs, channels, shorelines, and under working birds throughout the Potomac region. Slot fish are being caught consistently, although many anglers are also encountering large numbers of over-slot stripers as baitfish move into the rivers. Ongoing drought conditions and unusually low river flows continue to impact traditional spring patterns across the region, slowing shad runs while concentrating blue catfish in tidal rivers and current-heavy areas. Blue catfish action remains one of the most reliable bites in the Lower Bay, with anglers reporting everything from eater-sized fish to trophy-class giants from both shore and boat.

Water temperatures were consistently in the low to mid 60s in the Lower Bay this week. This means that the shallows should be coming alive with striped bass, and that’s exactly what we saw in the reports this week. A reader checked in to mention he had some great action on slot rockfish between gusts of wind, while out on the Potomac. Six-inch bunker-color paddletails on three-quarter ounce heads got them biting. The Tackle Box checked in and reported that rockfish are hitting jigs on the channels and drop-offs around Piney Point on the Potomac. This area is still catch and release until May 16th. They also reported that anglers fishing from shore have been keeping keeper-sized rockfish in the St. Mary’s River by casting jigs and lures such as Rapalas, Yo-Zuris, and Bomber Windcheaters. There are a lot of fish being caught in the 26-to-32-inch range, which is over the slot of 19 to 24 inches. We also saw a report from an angler fishing on the lower Potomac that found working birds and fish one afternoon this week. They had a hot bite on the fly rod catching fish between 18 and 25 inches. The striped bass regulations in the lower Bay are complicated right now with the different jurisdictions of Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac River, so make sure to check each jurisdiction’s regulations before your fishing trip. The Maryland DNR striped bass regulation maps are a great resource for waters governed by the state of Maryland.

Our region has been experiencing significant drought conditions over the past year and a half. This year is off to a dry start as well, and the recent rains have been lackluster at best. This is causing record low flows for the larger rivers in the Lower Bay. The Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James are all running very low near their fall lines. The low flows have caused the shad runs to slow down a lot earlier than normal. The blue catfish bite in the upper portions of these tidal rivers is still going strong, but anglers searching for flathead catfish are having trouble finding them as of late. One theory is that the fish are pushed as far up to the fall line as they can go because that is where the faster moving water is. Down on the James River, blue catfish ranging from three to 40 pounds were reported this week. Fresh cut gizzard shad and bunker work well for these fish that can turn into tidal behemoths. Anglers fishing on the Potomac River are having good luck fishing around Three Sisters Island. We also talked to an angler fishing from shore near Chain Bridge who said fresh chunks of gizzard shot tossed out into the current on fish finder rigs is getting bit quickly by blue catfish. They caught several fish in the five-to-10-pound range, and also landed a giant fish measuring 41 inches and weighing 42 pounds.

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 1 Update:

With striped bass season now open in parts of Maryland and Virginia waters set to follow shortly, anglers are finding a promising early bite around structure in the Potomac and Bay, with fish holding in the shallows and responding to jigs, soft plastics, and topwater during low-light conditions. Blue catfish are providing steady action throughout the river system, while low water levels are making shad fishing a challenge and could shorten the run without a significant rain boost. Overall, improving water temperatures are fueling a transition into a more active late-spring fishery, with multiple species in play despite fluctuating conditions.

Striped bass season is now open in some Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The slot is 19 to 24 inches, and anglers can keep one fish per person per day. There are still certain tributaries that are closed to targeting striped bass, so make sure to take a look at the striped bass regulation maps to when and where areas open for striped bass fishing. Striped bass season in the Potomac River and Virginia waters will open on May 16th with the same creel and slot limit. FishTalk contributor Eric Packard checked in after fishing the Potomac River near Piney Point this week. Packard fished on the Potomac side of the bridge and said he only got to fish for an hour before being blown off the water. Fishing was good during that hour, and he landed six striped bass between 19 and 26 inches while throwing three-quarter ounce jigs with Rapala CrushCity four-inch “The Mayor” gizzard shad soft plastics. The shallows should be teeming with life now that water temperatures are at the 60-degree mark. Points of interest for striped bass anglers should be docks, bridges, rip-rap shoreline, and marsh points. Focus on areas with current and ambush spots like creek mouths. Topwater lures should also be rigged and ready to go for low light and overcast conditions.

Packard also took a trip up north on the Potomac to the area around Fletcher’s Cove to fish with Dennis Fleming. They were targeting flathead catfish with artificial lures but had no luck. Instead, they caught seven blue catfish on five and a half inch pro blue colored paddletails on one and one and a half ounce jigheads. Other anglers fishing up the tribs for blue cats are having a great bite right now, and this week we heard from a pair who enjoyed excellent action on eating-size blues to 27” in the Potomac near Fletchers. Bunker chunks on FatKat float rigs in 10’ of water were the ticket. The historically low flow on the Potomac for this time of year seems to be causing a slower bite for several species in the D.C. portion of the river. Shad anglers have been struggling while fishing from the banks because of the low water. Anglers fishing from boats or kayaks have to fish the deeper holes and channels in the river to find where the schools of shad are staging. Our recent rain events have been lackluster, and if that trend continues, the shad run will likely wrap up earlier than normal. If we do get a bigger rain event, that usually provides the ingredients to get a late season push of shad up the river, which can extend angling opportunities by a few weeks.