Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report - Drum, Blues, Specks and More on a Muggy August Day

Good morning, this is Artificial Lure coming to you with your Chesapeake Bay, Virginia fishing report for Sunday, August 10, 2025.

The sun’s up at 6:13 AM and we’ll see it set over the water at 8:04 PM—so there’s a solid window for fishing all day today. Local weather is calling for a typical muggy August morning in the upper seventies climbing to mid-eighties by afternoon, with a southerly breeze picking up through the day. That’ll keep the chop manageable, but keep an eye out mid-bay later as thunderstorms can pop up quick this time of year.

Tides are working in our favor. At Fleet Point, we saw a high tide right around midnight with low at 7:04 AM, then the next high will be about 1:45 PM. Meanwhile, at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, expect low at 5:39 AM and a push toward the next high right in the middle of the day. Peak tidal movement will be late morning into that lunch hour—prime time for big fish to feed according to Tides4Fishing and Tide-Forecast.

Water temps are holding warm, making the fish feisty but pushing them toward deeper holes or channels as the heat builds. Fish are chasing comfort zones, so focus your efforts near drop-offs, artificial reefs, and shaded structures. Creeks and shallows will be best early and late.

What’s biting? Inshore has been on fire for Red Drum and Bluefish. Reports from up and down the Virginia stretch say the big drum are still hanging along the bars and flats—several catches over 40 inches were reported this past week by Hatteras Harbor Marina, and there’s a solid mix of slot fish, too. Bluefish are tearing up just about anything shiny, especially during the moving tide. Speckled Trout are popping up with the lower light, especially around grassy points and creek mouths. If you’re out after sunrise or sunset, target those areas for your best shot at a trophy.

Offshore action’s a little pickier, but when folks have made it out, they’re finding limits of Dolphin (mahi), the odd Wahoo, and some Blackfin Tuna. Tidal Fish Forum reports also mention some solid Spanish Mackerel action right off Cape Henry and over the lumps, so keep those spoons and gotchas handy.

Top baits and lures right now:
- For Reds and Blues, you can’t beat a gold spoon or a chartreuse 4-inch paddletail on a jig head. Soft plastics like ZMans and Gulp have been putting in the work, especially in New Penny and Electric Chicken colorways.
- Live Menhaden and spot are gold for the bigger drum. Cut mullet is a classic—don’t overthink it.
- For specks, low and slow with MirrOlures or popping cork rigs rigged with shrimp imitations seem to be the ticket at dawn or dusk.
- Topwater action right at first light will bring explosive bites, whether you’re throwing a Super Spook or a smaller popping plug near grass or oyster bars.

If you’re after something a little different, August is peak time for crabbing and the Chesapeake’s blue crabs are thick. Folks down near Lynnhaven and around the mouth of the York River are hauling in full baskets—get yourself a trotline or a couple of collapsible traps and don’t forget the chicken necks.

A couple of hot spots you don’t want to miss today:
- **Lynnhaven Inlet oyster reefs**—great numbers of trout and the occasional flounder drifting soft plastics on the outgoing tide.
- **Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings**—always a classic, with big Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel slashing bait on moving water; drop a bucktail or vertical jig for a shot at a late-summer Cobia too.

Don’t forget, local tackle shops like Wilkins Brothers Bait & Tackle in Chesapeake Beach can set you up with the freshest bait and a little homespun advice to keep your cooler full.

Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s report. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the action, and remember—tight lines and smooth waters out there, anglers.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn