Virginia fishing forecast
Tides, wind and the best bite windows for 11 saltwater spots. The Eastern Shore, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and Virginia Beach.
Striped bass, speckled trout and red drum around the Bay Bridge-Tunnel and inlets; tautog move onto structure.
Other seasons
- Winter: Striped bass in the lower bay, tautog on wrecks and rocks.
- Spring: Black drum and red drum arrive near the Eastern Shore; flounder start in the inlets.
- Summer: Cobia, flounder and Spanish mackerel; sheepshead around the Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
General seasonal patterns - always check local reports and the official rules.
Eastern Shore
Hampton Roads
Chesapeake Bay (Virginia)
About fishing in Virginia
Eastern Shore
Chincoteague to Cape Charles: barrier islands, seaside inlets and quiet bayside piers on the Delmarva peninsula.
Common catches: Flounder, red drum, speckled trout, black drum, sea bass and tautog.
Hampton Roads
Virginia Beach, Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets and the famous Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, where the bay meets the ocean.
Common catches: Striped bass, speckled trout, red drum, flounder, cobia, sheepshead and tautog.
Chesapeake Bay (Virginia)
Yorktown and the Northern Neck: river mouths and bay shoreline on the Virginia side of the Chesapeake.
Common catches: Striped bass, croaker, spot, speckled trout and red drum.
Always check the official rules before you keep any fish: Virginia saltwater license (VMRC), Virginia saltwater size and bag limits (VMRC).
