Lower Bay Fishing Reports
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 23 Update:
The Lower Bay continues to offer diverse summer fishing, with bluefish, croaker, spot, cobia, and speckled trout all providing opportunities. Cobia fishing remains inconsistent but is expected to improve as more fish arrive through August, while bluefish schools are producing fast action throughout the lower Potomac and nearby Bay waters. Bottom fishing remains one of the region's most reliable patterns, with keeper-sized croaker and spot showing up around oyster reefs and hard-bottom areas.
Reports of cobia in the Lower Bay continue to roll in. However, the bulk of the fish we’re hearing about are throw-backs in the 36” to 40” range. Most are being taken either sight fishing or chumming bunker while baiting with eels, with Windmill Point and the Targets standout areas being mentioned. August is typically when we see the best cobia fishing of the year in the Lower Bay and the migration is still moving our way, so gear up for an action-packed month ahead on the cobia grounds. We had subscribers check in with success on bluefish in the lower Potomac, at the Target Ship, at Smith Point, and at Point Lookout in the vicinity of the black can in 20’ to 40’. Reports on the action varied, with some days triggering frenzies on the surface under birds, and other days when the fish stayed deeper but were more than willing to hit Gotcha plugs worked lower in the water column. We also heard from some anglers who experienced a lack of action, including from trollers at the Targets coming up blank some days and scoring a mix of bluefish and (mostly small) cobia while trolling hoses.
Subscribers who have tried some summertime bottom fishing in the mouths of various lower Western Shore tribs report good action on croaker and spot on bottom rigs baited with either Fishbites bloodworm or the real thing. Reports came in from Cornfield Harbor south that finding a patch of oyster reef or hard bottom does the trick. Many of the croaker and spot swinging over the rails are keeper size. The Tackle Box reports that several of the creeks on the Potomac River are offering mixed action for white perch. One day, the bite can be on fire, while the next, the perch are nowhere to be found. When storms muddy the water, the perch will often retreat to the main stems of the rivers but will return to the creeks when the water cleans up. Sea nettles have also been an issue at times, so if you run into an area that is thick with them, it is best to try and find cleaner water because fish rarely hit with jellyfish slime on the line.
Speckled trout reports are still very scattered, and the best outings we have heard numbers wise are one to three fish. That being said, contributor Eric Packard told us that he had a friend send him a picture of a 27.5” trout caught recently in the Lower Bay. They also caught two other trout and schoolie stripers on their trip. While the lack of specks has been frustrating, the ones that are being caught are on the larger side, often measuring over 20 inches. If you want to try and catch one of the elusive trout, hotspots in years past have been St. Jerome Creek, Cornfield Harbor, The Corrotoman River, and grass flats in the Piankatank River. Now that we are in the heat of summer, the best time of day to fish will be the first and last hour of daylight. Topwater, popping corks, paddletails, and shrimp imitations are all speck favorites.
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Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 17 Update:
Summer fishing continues to diversify in the Lower Bay, where bluefish, bull red drum, cobia, spot, croaker, and white perch are keeping anglers busy. Bluefish schools are feeding aggressively around Point Lookout, while bull reds continue to roam open water near shoals and channel edges in search of bait. Cobia fishing remains unpredictable, but persistent anglers are still finding keeper fish around traditional hotspots.
Schools of bluefish feeding on bait at the surface and some bird activity has come up periodically in the Point Lookout area over the past week. Anglers aren’t observing this every day, but it is something to keep an eye out for when on the water. Big schools of bull red drum have also been found feeding on menhaden at the surface, though it takes a lot more luck to come across that type of feeding frenzy in the open Bay. The schools of reds are roaming around open water from Solomons down to the mouth of the Bay and just about everywhere in between. If you want to dedicate a day looking for them, be prepared to burn a lot of fuel. In the summer months, these fish tend to hang around shoals, channel edges, and occasionally wrecks or reefs, so nautical charts are a helpful tool for formulating a plan of attack before you head out in search of them.
The Tackle Box reports that the pier fishermen at Point Lookout State Park are catching spot and bluefish in good numbers. Bloodworms and lug worms are working very well while bottom fishing. Bluefish are willing to bite live-lined spot or fresh chunks of spot thrown out on fish finder rigs. Out on the open Bay and inside the Potomac, bluefish in the four-to-eight-pound range are chasing down bait in depths of 15 to 40 feet of water. Boats are catching these fish by trolling spoons and hoses, casting artificial soft plastics on jigs, or chumming with fresh cut bait. A few Spanish mackerel are showing up around the Maryland and Virginia line, but the reports have been scattered. Late July and August is typically when we have the best chance to catch Spanish mackerel in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. A better bite has been near the mouth of the Rappahannock, where trollers are catching them in 25 to 35 feet of water while pulling metal spoons behind number one or two planers.
Cobia reports are still mixed in the Lower Bay. Boats are catching them by sight casting, chumming with bunker, and soaking live eels, but there are still a lot of skunk trips being reported. FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg checked in after spending a day searching for cobia near the Target Ship but came up empty. Adam said there was plenty of bait and other life around, but they didn’t see any cobia or run across blues or reds. We saw a few reports of keeper cobia caught near Windmill Point by boats using live eels. Cobia fishing this year has been all about putting in the hours to hopefully be rewarded by a visit from the man in the big brown suit.
FishTalk contributor Eric Packard spent a day at Mallows Bay jug fishing for catfish for a Heroes On The Water event in cooperation with the National Park Trust, CCA Maryland, and Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. Packard reports that there were 29 participants at the event, and 28 blue catfish were caught. Further up the Potomac, a reader reported catching a few smallmouth bass in the Tidal Basin of Washington D.C. this week. Anglers in the area have also been catching striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie, and even a few walleye while fishing around the basin and the Washington Channel. Washington D.C. is a great place to visit some historic monuments and also catch several different species of fish within sight of the historic landmarks.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 10 Update:
The Lower Bay is producing excellent mixed-bag opportunities, with white perch, speckled trout, striped bass, bluefish, spot, and croaker all keeping anglers busy. Dock fishing and shaded shorelines are providing excellent perch action, while speckled trout reports continue to improve around shallow structure. Cobia fishing remains inconsistent, but anglers willing to put in the time are still finding keeper fish around the Target Ship, Smith Point, and surrounding shoals.
Reports Editor Dillon Waters and his brother took a trip down to the lower Potomac last week to try and find some white perch. They started their day early in the morning looking for action along shaded shorelines. In one area, they found perch popping bait on the surface in the shade. They threw out some 1/8th ounce jighead tipped with grass shrimp, which produced a few perch and a couple small rockfish in the 12” range. However, they weren’t getting as many bites as they hoped with all the action in the area. After fishing that zone, they transitioned to fishing docks. They fished around a dozen docks and found fish at four of them. Interestingly, all the docks that had perch, also had rockfish. Over the course of the next few hours, they caught close to 75 perch and two dozen rockfish. The perch were a good class of fish with most in the nine to 11-inch range. The rockfish were a mix of sizes ranging from 10” up to 25”. The bulk of the action came along shaded dock pilings in eight to 10 feet of water. When a school of fish was located, they were willing to hit both grass shrimp tipped on jigheads and small two-inch soft plastic paddletails.
FishTalk Contributor Eric Packard checked in after spending a morning kayak fishing near Cornfield Harbor in search of speckled trout. He caught his first few fish casting around rock jetties where he landed two trout and a rockfish. He then went out towards the lighthouse and caught an additional trout and two more rockfish. He caught one more trout on his way in. His biggest trout was 26.5”. The stripers were in the slot with one slightly over the slot. Packard caught his fish on ¼ ounce and ½ ounce jigs with four- and five-inch electric chicken and white soft plastics. One fish was also caught on a Berkley Gulp! chartreuse jerk shad. The Tackle Box reported that the rockfish bite in the creeks and rivers rebounded after the holiday weekend heat. Anglers should note that striped bass season is currently closed PRFC waters of the Potomac River, with a no target closure in effect until August 21st. In Virginia, striped bass season is also closed, but still open for catch and release fishing. Striped bass and bluefish have been mixed in together from St. Georges Island down to Point Lookout. The best activity has been near Ragged Point. They also mentioned that the bottom fishing bite has been very good near the St. Mary’s River where anglers are catching a mix of spot, croaker, and white perch. Bloodworms, Fishbites, lug worms, and grass shrimp are all working well.
Cobia reports have been mixed so far this season. Some keepers have been hauled in near the Target Ship, Middle Grounds, Smith Point, and Windmill Point, but more anglers are striking out than having success. An effective method has been to anchor and set out chum blocks to attract the fish, then toss out fresh bunker chunks or live eels to get them to bite. We had one report this week from an angler who went looking for cobia near the Target Ship but did not find any signs of life. Another boat fished around Smith Point and Tangier Island but also found nothing. That tends to be the name of the game with cobia fishing. Some days downright suck, while others can be fantastic. Regardless, you can’t catch them from the couch.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 2 Update:
The Lower Bay continues to offer outstanding summer fishing with improving cobia action, abundant bluefish, and excellent bottom fishing opportunities. Striped bass are feeding during low-light periods, while spot, croaker, and white perch are providing excellent action throughout the tidal rivers. Bull red drum and cobia remain headline species around the Target Ship and nearby shoals, giving anglers plenty of opportunities for memorable catches.
The Tackle Box reports that the rockfish bite is becoming more difficult in the rivers and creeks on the Potomac as water temperatures are in the low to mid 80s. Low light hours are the best time to catch rockfish feeding in the shallows. Several anglers have also checked in after successful night fishing trips fishing with baits such as alewife, clam, and peeler crabs. They also report that cobia are becoming more numerous in the Lower Bay from the Target Ship down to the Middle Grounds. Some reports of undersize cobia have also come in from the Point Lookout area. The best zones have been Windmill Point, Smith Point, and the lumps around the Target Ship, but be ready for a fleet of boats to be present at each location most days. These zones also offer some nice sized bluefish up to 30 inches. Trollers pulling hoses and spoons, along with boats chunking baits, are catching bluefish mostly from 16” to 24”.
FishTalk contributor Eric Packard checked in after a few trips on the Lower Bay this week. One trip at Piney Point produced striped bass and bluefish around the bridge. Packard caught them on ¼ ounce and ½ ounce jigs with pearl four-inch Bass Assassin plastics and chartreuse Gulp! jerk shads. Later in the morning, he went out to the docks on the Potomac side of St. Georges Island and caught a few very small stripers. Back at the ramp, he spoke to a kayak angler who caught his limit of spot using Fishbites. The kayaker also said he caught a very small red drum and heard of a slot puppy drum caught near Piney Point last week. On another trip, Packard headed down to Point Lookout where he couldn’t produce a bite. However, there were plenty of cownose rays around. That same day, he spoke to a few friends that caught 25” to 27” bluefish near St. Jerome Creek.
A subscriber checked in after an eventful overnight angling adventure at the Target Ship. They fished fresh cut alewife and caught a pile of bluefish ranging from snappers to choppers, plus a cobia (first-timer Ian from LA says “Yes—I love that!”). Spot and croaker were also around and willing to bite baits dropped to bottom. Another angler who visited the Target Ship during daylight reported that trolling hoses and spoonbrellas produced a half-dozen bluefish in the three- to five-pound range. Down in the Virginia tributaries, the white perch fishing has remained good in the Corrotoman, Rappahannock, and York Rivers. We also saw a few reports of small puppy drum in the 12” range being caught in a few locations, but each report was just one or two fish. Croaker and spot are abundant at the mouths of these rivers in 10’ to 20’. The croaker have been a mix of sizes ranging from 6” up to 12”. Most of the spot being caught are keeper size and should be jumbos by the end of summer.
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