As the summer heart intensifies, so does the saltwater fishing in Virginia.
Flounder fishing is starting to take off with more fish and bigger fish taking baits. The increased catches are coming from along bridges, inshore wrecks, and artificial reefs throughout the lower bay and along the coast. Flounder are ambush predators, favoring hard structures, drop-offs, and creek entrances—ideal spots for lying in wait for their prey.
Anglers are gearing up for what is anticipated to be the peak season in July and August for offshore blue water action. The recent reports have boats heading north and returning with tuna, while those venturing south are reporting an exciting billfish bite. The waters are also flush with white marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and gaffer dolphin.
Last week the Spanish mackerel fishing along the oceanfront faced a challenge due to several days of strong winds. These winds caused an upwelling, resulting in colder oceanfront waters, with temperatures dropping to 67 degrees as recorded by the Virginia Beach Pier.
The lower Bay continues to be a hotspot for big red drum, with anglers enjoying success both bottom fishing and sight casting to schools on the surface.
The cobia action is equally good, with live baits such as spot, croaker, or eels productive when fished in chum slicks. Notably, as the season advances, cobia are migrating further up the bay,.
Around the buoys and pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel as well as under the Chesapeake Light Tower, spadefish are active. Sheepshead anglers using crabs, clams, and sand fleas are having good success.
Black drum from 6 to 10-lbs. are being caught around structures that typically attract flounder and sheepshead. These drum prefer crabs, making them a prime target for those fishing in these areas.
Coastal wrecks are the go-to spots, currently for bluefish, amberjacks, triggerfish, and sea bass. Pier and surf fishing enthusiasts are finding lots of spot, roundheads, flounder, rays, and skates, as well as Spanish mackerel and bluefish. The surf has been particularly generous, offering up puppy drum, nice size spot, and bluefish.
The stretch from Buckroe to Deltaville has been producing good numbers of spot and croaker, much to the delight of local anglers. Meanwhile, speckled trout have been thriving in the creeks and marshes, responding well to paddle tail swim baits, popping corks with shrimp, and topwater baits. These fish are widely available, ranging from the bay’s entrance all the way to the Potomac River.
OBX
The last few days the fishing has been good with plenty of mullet and croakers. Surf and pier fishermen were catching as many bluefish and Spanish as they wanted with lures. There were a few schooling drum school caught on the shoreline. Trout, blues and puppy drum continue to bite back in the sounds. It was rough offshore on Wednesday but the boats who sailed filled their coolers with mahi and tilefish while the nearshore fleet found ribbons and moonfish. The piers had sheepshead, croakers, and pigfish on Thursday morning.
Freshwater
The rivers are super low making floats difficult. Boat traffic on the major lakes has made fishing difficult except for early and late trips. The Potomac and Rappahannock rivers are very good now for largemouth. The Chick River is also producing bass and crappie on the right tides.
The mountain streams are so low that the Park has closed shop for fishing.
