Updated: Thursday, September 24, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, October 1, 2026
This Chesapeake Bay fishing report covers the last week of September, when the fall pattern really gets going. I spent enough fall seasons on this Bay to know what this stretch means: the water temperature starts to drop, the bay anchovies and peanut bunker move, and the striped bass come out of their summer funk. Stripers feeding on breaking bait are the lead target. Plan around the strong tides of the Saturday full moon, which move a lot of water and concentrate bait and fish.
What’s Hitting
Striped bass feed on breaking bait in the middle and upper Bay, and the topwater bite at dawn and dusk improves day by day. In the lower Bay, speckled trout work the shallows and grass beds, and puppy drum and slot redfish are active around the shorelines and structure. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still around, but not for long, and spot and croaker thin out as the water cools.
Where to Find Them
Look for stripers under the birds in the middle Bay, from the Bay Bridge south to the Choptank River and the mouth of the Patuxent. Diving birds mark bait pushed to the surface, so they are the fastest way to locate feeding fish in open water. The shallow-water bite along the rocky shorelines and points is also improving.
In the lower Bay, target speckled trout in the grass beds and shallows around the Eastern Shore of Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. Reds work the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and the shorelines of the lower Bay.
Tides & Conditions
Strong full-moon tides move a lot of water, which concentrates bait and fish along points, channel edges and structure. Expect water temperatures in the low to mid-70s and falling, with the first cool nights of fall starting to show up.
Tackle & Tactics
- Breaking stripers: cast a soft plastic on a jig head or a small metal lure into the action.
- Shoreline stripers: topwater plugs at dawn and dusk, when low light lets bass push bait tight to the shallows.
- Speckled trout: a soft plastic on a light jig head or a live shrimp under a popping cork.
- Reds: a soft plastic or cut bait fished around structure.
Local Intel This Week
In Maryland, the Sandy Point State Park ramp and the Kent Narrows ramp are good launches for the middle Bay birds, and the Matapeake Fishing Pier and Point Lookout State Park give shore anglers a shot. In Virginia, the Kiptopeke State Park and Lynnhaven Inlet ramps provide good access to the lower Bay trout and reds. Fish concentrate under the birds and along the shorelines, so launch close to the zone you plan to search.
Striped bass rules on the Bay change frequently and differ between Maryland and Virginia waters. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
When the stripers are feeding on bay anchovies under the birds, match the hatch. A small, slender soft plastic on a light jig head often out-fishes larger lures. Anchovies are thin and only a few inches long, so a bait that matches that profile looks right to fish keyed in on them.
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