Best Fishing Spots in the Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is accessible from both Maryland and Virginia. It is the largest estuary in North America and the third largest in the world, undoubtedly considered one of the richest waters any angler could hope to fish. The mixture of the Atlantic Ocean’s salty waters and the fresh waters from the Susquehanna River, Potomac River, and Rappahannock River combine to form brackish waters that attract plenty of top game fish, including striped bass, bluefish, spotted sea trout, summer flounder or fluke, red drum, and more. 

While the bay holds a diverse array of fish, it is most renowned for its striped bass fishing and striped bass charters. Also known locally as rockfish, this game fish is Maryland’s official state fish and Virginia’s state saltwater fish. It is every bass angler’s dream catch — a hard fighter that tastes excellent as table fare. Stripers are so bountiful in this area that they make up about 70 % of striped bass caught in the Eastern Seaboard. 

Looking for spots to fill your fishing trips in Maryland or listing suggestions on Virginia fishing charters you can book for fishing tours? Read this list to learn about the best fishing spots in the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and the fish species that await your cast.

1. Ocean View Fishing Pier

Ocean View Fishing Pier is a well-appointed fishing pier in Norfolk, Virginia. You can enjoy access to the super-long pier and its facilities for a minimal fee. It is a well-lit pier open from 8 am to midnight, making it the perfect night fishing spot.

2. Bloody Point Light Station

Bloody Point Light Station near Maryland’s Kent Island gives anglers access to the mouth of the eastern bay. It is a hot spot for species like red drum, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and striped bass. 

3. Mallows Bay Park

Situated along the lower region of the Potomac River off Nanjemoy Peninsula in Maryland, Mallows Bay Park is an excellent place to go wreck-fishing. Its shipwrecks, one of the biggest in the region, attract striped bass, channel catfish, white perch, and blue crab. 

4. Sandy Point State Park

Sandy Point State Park, one of Maryland’s most scenic parks in Anne Arundel County, is an excellent place to access the Chesapeake Bay. It has a marina open from the middle of April to the middle of October. The marina offers a range of fishing and boating supplies for anglers. You can rent rowboats and motorboats and launch your boat on one of the 22 launching ramps.

5. Elizabeth River Park

Located in Chesapeake, Virginia, on the southern branch of the river it was named after, Elizabeth River Park has a 125-foot pier, convenient boat access, and other fishing facilities, including tackle and bait shops, a fish cleaning station, and refreshments. It is an excellent place to fish spot, sand perch, black sea bass, and pigfish.

6. Pooles Island

Between Pooles Island and Bay Bridge, anglers will have a busy time targeting bluefish and striped bass. The island is situated in the upper parts of the bay, near the Gunpower River’s mouth. You’ll find fish near the surface chasing anchovies or hiding in the channel edges near underwater structures. 

7. First Landing State Park

First Landing State Park, Virginia’s most visited, is right in the middle of busy Virginia Beach. It offers 1.5 miles of sandy beach access directly to the Chesapeake Bay, where anglers can catch striped bass, summer flounder, spadefish, cobia, and many more.

8. Kiptopeke State Park

Sitting on Virginia’s eastern shore, Kiptopeke State Park is another state park with direct access to the Chesapeake Bay. It has a boat ramp and a well-lit fishing pier, offering land-bound access to striped bass, cobia, and summer flounder.

9. Caledon State Park

Overlooking the brackish part of the Potomac River, Caledon State Park is mostly known as a bald eagle-watching spot. However, its open shoreline is a worthy fishing spot with great access to the bay’s major tributary.

10. Middle Grounds

The Middle Grounds is a known croaker hot spot in the lower part of the bay. It has a healthy number of large- and small-sized croakers for the taking and is quite a magnet for bluefish. Its deeper channels are the best place to fish. Right by the Tangier and Pocomoke Sound, you’ll find even better bottom fishing opportunities for species like fluke, bluefish, sea trout, and spot.

11. Westmoreland State Park

Westmoreland State Park sits on the Potomac’s Northern Neck and is a family favorite in the region. It has plenty of recreational facilities for visitors. Anglers love this park for its fishing pier, where they can catch plenty of striper, croaker, spot, and white perch. It also has boat rentals and a power-boat ramp for you to access its excellent offshore breakwater fishing opportunities.  

Fishing Charters Near Chesapeake Bay

If you’re exploring the Chesapeake Bay for the first time or want to maximize your fishing trip in the area, booking a fishing charter is a must. Class Act Charters in Grimstead, Virginia, Never Enough Sportfishing in Virginia Beach, and Atomic Fishing Charters in Stafford, Virginia, are three top fishing charters plying the bay and its tributaries. Book ahead to get a spot on their boats to ensure a safe, comfortable, and legal fishing trip in the fantastic Chesapeake Bay.

A Few Striped Bass Resources:

-Striped Bass Fishing, fishing tips, techniques, and best destinations

-Striped Bass Migration, article tracking the Striped Bass Atlantic Coast migration

-Striped Bass Lures, expert guides weigh in with the best striped bass lures

-Striped Bass Bait, top 10 striped bass baits

-Striped Bass Cape Cod, expert guides discuss catching striped bass on Cape Cod 

-Striped Bass Fish, learn about the striped bass, habitat, fishing, migration, and more