Fishing Charters in The Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is a unique fishery due to its size and the difference between some of the regions within the Bay. Many will separate the Bay into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Chesapeake Bay, and you can divide this even further if you compare fishing the bay to fishing the rivers and tributaries that feed into it.

Trolling for Rockfish

While the Chesapeake Bay is home to many species, including bluefish, redfish, speckled trout, perch, and fluke, it is the striped bass (or striper, or most commonly in the area the rockfish) that takes the cake as the signature fish of the Bay. It is the one of the state fishes of both Maryland and Virginia for good reason - they're popular to catch and great to eat.

Trolling the Chesapeake Bay for rockfish is a great way to spend the day - head out with an umbrella lure in the upper bay during trophy season in May for your chance to land a beast. October (or Rocktober) is when the main season is rocking and rolling and the fish feed like crazy right when it starts to get colder. If trolling isnt for you, rockfish arent to picky - you can fish with spoons as well, and many locals swear by nighcrawlers and bloodworms.

Other Fishing in the Chesapeake Bay

Aside from the striper fishing, hit the Bay in early summer for black drum, perch, and spot fishing and late Summer into Fall can be good for cobia, redfish, and even spanish mackerel. The shad run on the Virginia side in the spring can be particularly fun as well. And aside from the fishing, don't miss the opportunity to stay in this beautiful part of the country - awesome fishing a stone's throw from the nation's capital.

Chesapeake Bay Tides and Weather

View Chesapeake Bay tide times and charts here and Chesapeake Bay weather forecasts here.