Updated: Historical report for the week of August 13, 2026 (original publication date preserved; reorganized October 29, 2026) · Next update: None. This archived week will not be updated again; for current conditions, read the latest Ocean City MD fishing report.
This Ocean City MD fishing report covers the week of August 13, 2026, the deepest part of the season, when flounder in the back bays had shifted toward the inlet and the deeper channels. The bays were warm, the offshore fleet was finding fish at the canyons on the flat days, and the surf was steady for anglers who fished the first hour of light. A new moon at the end of the week was set to put strong current through the inlet.
What’s Hitting
Flounder remained the bread-and-butter fishery, holding in the East Channel, the Thorofare and around the inlet structure. Offshore, yellowfin tuna, mahi and white marlin were being caught at the Baltimore, Poor Man’s and Washington canyons on the calm days, with good numbers of gaffer mahi around the lobster pot lines on the way out. Sea bass and triggerfish were stacked on the wrecks and reef sites in 60 to 100 feet. In the surf, kingfish, small bluefish and the occasional flounder came from the troughs at first light.
Where to Find Them
The Route 50 bridge, the inlet jetty rocks and the East Channel held flounder on the moving tide. The Thorofare and the deeper cuts behind Assateague were the back-bay play. Offshore, the canyon edge in 500 to 1,000 fathoms was the tuna and billfish water, with the pot lines producing mahi inshore of it. Surf anglers did best at the cuts and troughs on Assateague at dawn.
Tides & Conditions
Bay water ran 78 to 82 degrees, with the ocean in the low to mid-70s inshore and warmer offshore. New-moon tides brought a hard exchange through the inlet, and the flounder fed best on the last of the incoming and the first of the outgoing. Seas ran 2 to 3 feet with a southwest breeze building most afternoons, so offshore trips were early departures. Water clarity in the bays was fair.
Tackle & Tactics
Flounder anglers did best drifting live minnows and squid strips on a bucktail-and-teaser rig with just enough weight to hold bottom, 2 to 4 ounces in the inlet current. Offshore, trolling ballyhoo and spreader bars covered the tuna, and a pitch rod with a rigged ballyhoo handled the billfish. Sea bass on the wrecks wanted a high-low rig with squid or clam. Surf anglers stuck with bloodworms or FishBites on a two-hook bottom rig.
Local Intel This Week
The West Ocean City public ramp was the main launch and was busy from dawn on weekends, and the Route 50 boat ramp gave quick bay access. Shore anglers caught flounder and stripers from the inlet jetty and the Route 50 bridge pilings. Fish were concentrating around the inlet and the deeper channels rather than the shallow back bay. Flounder, sea bass and tuna all carry size, bag and season restrictions. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
In the inlet, use enough weight to stay in contact but not so much that you anchor. The flounder bite happens when your bucktail is tapping along the bottom at roughly the speed of the drift. If you cannot feel bottom, add a half-ounce; if you are hanging up every drift, take one off.
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