Updated: Thursday, October 22, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, October 29, 2026
This Ocean City MD fishing report covers late October, the changing of the guard around the inlet. Tautog take over as the lead target on the jetty rocks, bridge pilings and offshore wrecks, stripers arrive along the beach and the inlet, and summer flounder taper off. The main condition to plan around is the building moon: tides strengthen toward full, inlet currents run harder, and the falling tide at the inlet is the best window to fish.
What’s Hitting
Tautog hold on the jetty rocks, bridge pilings and offshore wrecks, and stripers show along the beach and the inlet. Flounder are still around the channel edges, though fewer. Bluefish and speckled trout work the back bays, and sea bass sit on the reefs.
Expect the next two weeks to bring more stripers into the surf and inlet, and tautog fishing to keep improving as the water cools.
Where to Find Them
Fish the inlet rocks and the Route 50 bridge pilings for tautog. Work the channel edges for flounder on the falling tide, when bait gets swept off the flats. Hit the surf at Assateague for early stripers and blues, and the back bays near West Ocean City for trout.
Tides & Conditions
With the moon building toward full, tides strengthen and inlet currents run stronger. The falling tide at the inlet is the best window, and early morning has the calmest water. Stronger current means heavier weights near the rocks. Check a current tide chart and the marine forecast before you go. Slack and early falling water make it easier to hold a bait in the rocks without snagging every drop.
Tackle & Tactics
- Tautog: green crabs and fiddler crabs on a tautog jig.
- Flounder: a Gulp bait or live minnow on a bucktail.
- Stripers and blues: a bucktail or swim shad from the surf.
Keep the bait tight to structure for tautog and bring extra rigs. Tautog crush crabs with their teeth, so let the fish settle on the bait before you lift. For flounder, drag the bucktail slowly down the channel edge, keeping it in contact with the bottom.
Local Intel This Week
Fish the inlet area at the south end of the boardwalk on foot for tautog and stripers, launch from the ramps along Shantytown Road in West Ocean City to reach the Route 50 bridge and back bays, and use Assateague State Park for surf fishing. Northside Park and West Ocean City Harbor are other access points. Tautog and flounder rules deserve particular attention. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
Be patient on tautog. They stay tight to structure, so fish right in the rocks and expect to lose a few rigs. A bait parked on clean bottom away from the structure rarely draws a strike.
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