Chesapeake Bay Fall Fishing Report: Bluefish Blitz, Reds on the Flats, and Stripers Waking Up

Artificial Lure here, checking in with your Chesapeake Bay Virginia fishing report for Saturday, September 27, 2025. The fall bite is rolling in! Let’s get into the conditions and what’s on tap for anglers today.

**Tidal Report:** According to Tide-Forecast.com, we’re expecting high tide this morning around 5:23 AM, a low at 11:41 AM, then another high tide near 5:50 PM. Water movement’s moderate—tidal coefficients are on the lower end, so expect gentler currents and smaller tidal swings than last week. Best fishing will be right around those changeovers, especially early and late.

**Weather and Sunrise/Sunset:** Sunrise came at 6:56 AM, and sunset won’t hit until 6:52 PM, so we’ve got nearly 12 hours of daylight to work with. Local forecasts call for light NE breezes and partly cloudy skies—pleasant but not too hot. Water temps are starting their autumn drop, sitting in the mid to upper 70s. That’s prime time for most bay species to feed.

**Fish Activity & Recent Catches:** This week, the inshore bite’s been lively. The bluefish are still tearing through bait balls across the bay—especially early in the morning and around dusk. Reds (puppy drum) are showing up strong in shallows and marsh edges. Stripers (rockfish) are picking up along the bridges and deeper channels, though many are smaller "teen size," mixing in with lingering residents. Flounder catches peaked earlier but some keepers are still being pulled from the deeper holes and inlet drop-offs. Speckled trout are biting around Lynnhaven Inlet and Rudee Inlet, especially using shrimp and small soft plastics. According to anglers in the Spreaker “Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Daily Fishing Report,” late summer’s ending with consistent bluefish, reds, and stripers, with best action on moving tide.

**Best Lures and Baits:** The playbook for today:
- Bluefish: 1–2 oz. metal spoons, shallow-diving plugs, and bucktails with cut bait.
- Puppy drum & speckled trout: DOA shrimp under a popping cork, Gulp! swimming mullets, and live shrimp or minnows. Don’t forget that popping cork every 5–6 seconds—draws trout fast in clear water.
- Stripers: White soft plastic swimbaits, chartreuse bucktails, and live spot or peeler crab. Tube baits in darker colors hold up well, especially from Cast Again Tackle.
- Flounder: Scented Gulp! grubs on a two-hook bottom rig, with squid or cut spot.
- Remember, the recreational red snapper season is closed as of July, per NOAA, so release any snapper immediately.

**Hot Spots:**
- Lynnhaven Inlet beneath Lesner Bridge is where speckled trout and puppy drum are stacking up. Try just upstream at the marsh edges for active reds.
- Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings and adjacent rock piles are good bets for stripers after dark and blues most of the day.
- The sandbar near the mouth of Lynnhaven is perfect for flounder at low tide, plus it’s great for families to wade and enjoy.
- Rudee Inlet’s deeper holes and drop-offs are producing trout and slot reds with live bait.

**Regulations:** Slot limits for stripers are enforced—28 to 31 inches for shore and boat anglers, but regulations are changing, and new seasonal closures may come into play. Always check the latest before heading out.

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