Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report – September 26th, 2025!

The best fishing for rockfish in the Upper Bay remains during sunrise or sunset hours on a moving tide. Areas like Pooles Island, Love Point, and the Bay Bridge have all been holding fish. Live lining is still working well, but as we move further into fall those spot will begin to head back down the Bay. Topwater plugs along rocky shorelines have been doing well at first and last light, and in mid morning or late afternoon it has been a paddletail bite. Note that there was a significant fish kill in the Patapsco River near the Baltimore Harbor, so this may be an area to avoid this week. Spot and croaker are still available for bottom fishing over hard bottom or around structure like bridge pilings. A sabiki rig tipped with bloodworms or Fishbites is always the go to. White perch fishing is still less than stellar, with those targeting shallow water structure finding fish but only after a lot of looking. The better bite has been out deep, with anglers targeting hard bottom or bridge pilings with bottom rigs tipped with soft crab bits or grass shrimp.

Rockfish in the Middle Bay are being caught around Thomas Point, the Severn River, Eastern Bay, and the Choptank River. The bite continues to be best during low light and on moving tides. Live lining is working well, as well as jigging plastics over structure and casting topwater plugs at shorelines. Bluefish can be found from Poplar Island all the way down to Point Lookout. Trolling spoons, hoses, and spoonbrellas along channel edges can be very effective. If fish are found stacked up or breaking, metal jigs are the way to go. Shallow water structure has been more productive for white perch in this zone, with anglers casting spinners or micro jigs tipped with grass shrimp during low light hours finding the most success. Bottom fishing is still excellent, with some anglers reporting catching ten or more species when dropping down bottom rigs or sabikis tipped with bait.

Big bluefish are the main story in the lower Bay, with tons of them being caught in the vicinity of the Target Ships. Trolling spoonbrellas, hoses, and spoons is effective, as well as casting metal jigs and bite proof plastics. Most of the mackerel seemed to have left by this point. Shallow water fishing in the rivers like the Potomac for rockfish, speckled trout, and the occasional puppy drum has been solid as well. Low light hours and a moving tide paired with rock, vegetation, or man made structure is a recipe for success. Topwater plugs, diving plugs, and scented soft plastics are getting bit. Bull reds are still cruising but have definitely begun heading south. Look for them on side scan, or set up on a shoal and send out chunks of spot or peeler crab.

Largemouth are biting well in all of our ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. The best lures to stick a bucketmouth this time of year are chatterbaits, topwater frogs, and jigs paired with soft plastic craws. A Texas rigged or wacky rigged stick worm is always a classic, too. Smallmouth are active in the Upper Potomac and Monocacy Rivers as the water remains clear and low. Target them with soft plastic swimbaits, plopper topwaters, ned rigs, and jerkbaits. Snakehead are still feeding in Blackwater and along the Potomac. They are holding close to vegetation and can be caught using topwater frogs, weedless swimbaits or flukes, and live minnows under bobbers.

Surf fishing is excellent right now, with big bluefish and bull red drum being caught on cut mullet and cut spot. Smaller species like kingfish, spot, and pompano are being caught on sand fleas, and flounder are still being caught on bucktail/teaser rigs tipped with Gulp or shiners. The inlet jetties are still producing tautog and sheepshead on fiddler crabs or sand fleas. The RT 50 bridge remains reliable for bluefish and rockfish. Out in the canyons, things have heated up with more tuna and mahi being caught than in recent weeks, as well as a fair number of marlin still being released. Bottom fishing for tilefish remains reliable as well in 300 to 500 feet of water.

Crabbing has begun to slow down just a bit, but there is still plenty of action. Look in depths of 12 to 15 feet for the largest crabs. All of the regions rivers have been reported as holding lots of crabs.