Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Sheepshead, Cobia, and More in Early Summer Conditions

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Chesapeake Bay, Virginia fishing report for Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

We’re kicking off the day with classic early summer weather—expect mild temperatures, light winds, and partly sunny skies across the Bay. For those heading out early, sunrise clocked in at 5:45 AM, and you’ll have good light until around 8:21 PM. The tide at Windmill Point started with a 3:44 AM high, hitting low at 10:35 AM, then swinging back up for a 4:21 PM high. Moderate tidal swings today mean solid current activity, so the bite should be best around those moving tide windows.

Fishing action is firing on all cylinders this June. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) is living up to its reputation as the southern Bay’s go-to spot. Sheepshead have moved into prime form—anglers at the CBBT pilings, especially closer to the Virginia side, are catching limits using live and frozen fiddler crabs on bottom sweeper jigs. One kayak angler pulled a full limit plus extras, while jet ski anglers reported steady action with both sheepshead and tautog. Black drum and red drum are also biting around the bridge pilings, with bull reds still found on the shallow flats though some schools are sliding out to deeper structure. Look for spadefish congregating around CBBT structure and even out to Chesapeake Light Tower for a shot at larger fish. Flounder are starting to show up along the CBBT, the HRBT, and inside all three southside inlets, with Gulp baits tipped with squid or minnow working best.

For you drum chasers, the northern sections of the CBBT and the shoals near Fisherman’s Island have been a steady producer, with bulls up to 44 inches reported just last week. Striped bass (rockfish) remain strong near the Potomac—trollers and jigging anglers are finding schoolies from the 301 Bridge down to St. Clements Island, and the Rappahannock is holding drum, rockfish, and the odd speckled trout, especially over grass flats and shallow structure. The inlets—Rudee, Lynnhaven, and the Elizabeth—are still loaded with speckled trout, with several trophy fish topping 10 pounds in recent catches.

June always brings anticipation for Virginia’s cobia season. Though it opens on June 15th, fish are already showing in better numbers at the mouth of the Bay and along the oceanfront. Boats searching the shoals and surface around the CBBT islands are finding willing takers—try large paddletails, bucktails, or shallow diving twitchbaits now, then switch to live eels as the season kicks off for the surest bite.

If you’re looking for hot spots, hit the CBBT pilings for multi-species action or try the shoals off Cape Charles and Fisherman’s Island for bull reds and the first wave of cobia. Flounder fans should check the HRBT or Lynnhaven Inlet during the moving tide for best results.

That’s your report for today—thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a bite!

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