Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Fall Patterns Sizzle with Bluefish, Reds, Specks, and More

Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Sunday, September 28, 2025—dialed in straight from the water’s edge. Fall patterns are coming in strong, and the bay’s plenty lively for anglers willing to wake up early or stay late.

Tides are in your favor today. High tide hit early, just before sunrise around 5:23 AM, with the next low rolling in at 11:41 AM and a second high tide tonight about 5:50 PM. You’ll find the most movement—and hottest action—right around those slots. Sunrise was at 6:56 AM, and you’ve got until 6:52 PM before dark rolls in, making for a full day’s worth of casting.

Weather’s nearly perfect for a fall bite. Expect light northeast winds, temps climbing into the upper 70s, and skies hanging partly cloudy. Water’s cooling off, sitting pretty in the mid to upper 70s, which has spurred a feeding surge up and down the bay, as reported yesterday by Spreaker’s Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Daily Fishing Report.

Fish bite’s been busy. Bluefish are blitzing bait balls across the bay, chomping hardest just after sunrise and again before dusk. If you’re targeting blues, break out 1–2 oz. metal spoons or shallow-diving plugs—an absolute must for near-surface chaos. Bucktails sweetened with a thin strip of cut bait will land bites as well.

Puppy drum—reds just under slot—are in thick around marsh points and oyster beds, especially in that 8–10 feet of muddy bottom near docks. Heavy mono or fluoro leader in the 40–60 lb range is a must; those fish know how to wrap around anything. Best bet? Shrimp imitators under a popping cork—keep that float moving every few seconds, especially on clear, calm water, and toss out Gulp mullets or super flukes in pearl or new penny.

Speckled trout are showing up strong in both Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets. Look for frothy current sweeps and grass banks; popping corks with soft plastics are luring nice trout in the 16–20 inch class, and live shrimp or finger mullet work too. Trout came in weeks earlier than usual and are biting all day, particularly with cloud cover.

Stripers (rockfish) are appearing in more numbers along the bridges and deeper channels—though most are teens and just shy of slot. They’re nailing white swimbaits and chartreuse bucktails, but switching to live spot or peeler crab close to structure ups your odds for bigger fish. Remember, regulations call for rock between 28–31 inches if you’re keeping any and check for the latest closures before keeping fish.

Flounder have been a pleasant surprise, with some bigger 6–7 pounders pulled out of shallower flats and sandbars near the mouth of Lynnhaven. Try drifting Gulp grubs or curly tails on a two-hook rig loaded with fresh squid. Adjust your leader length to keep your bait just brushing the bottom.

For wreck and offshore anglers, jumbo black sea bass are loaded up offshore—anglers have limited out quickly on fish up to 4 pounds, especially where sonar marks stacked fish tight to the structure, according to Capt. Kenny Mills on Great Days Outdoors.

Hot spots you’ll want to hit:
- Lynnhaven Inlet under Lesner Bridge: Specks and reds by the grass and marsh, with bonus flounder at low tide.
- Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings: Rockfish after dark, bluefish on moving water, plus surprise drum.
- Rudee Inlet: Deeper holes for trout and slot reds, live bait best.
- The sandbar at Lynnhaven’s mouth: Flounder and puppy drum, especially for waders at low.

For bait and lure, Gulp swimming mullets, DOA or Power Prawn USA shrimp lures, and bucktails are pulling most species. Live shrimp or finger mullet are dynamite for both specks and reds.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI