Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Striper Season Opener, Catfish and Snakehead Action

Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Wednesday, May 14, 2025, covering the Baltimore and Washington D.C. waters.

First light showed up at 5:51 am, and we'll see the sun dip at 8:11 pm tonight. Weatherwise, we're in the mid-60s early, climbing into the 70s by afternoon, with light winds and partly cloudy skies—great conditions for a day on the Bay or the surrounding rivers.

Tide today is running high for much of the morning, with a solid outgoing current settling in by mid-afternoon. Fish have been most active on these moving tides, especially in rivers and creek mouths.

Anglers are gearing up for the striped bass season opener on May 16th, and early action has been promising. There have been a few good days recently with keeper stripers reported in the main stem of the Bay, especially south of Hart-Miller Island to Tolchester. Most are being taken trolling large tandem rigs, bucktails, and classic chartreuse shads. Topwater and soft plastic paddle tails are also producing, especially early and late in the day near structure and channel edges[2][1].

Blue catfish and invasive northern snakehead are providing steady action in the upper Bay tribs. The blue cats are thick in the Patapsco, Gunpowder, and Chester Rivers. Cut bait like menhaden or chicken breast is the ticket for blue catfish, and you’ll find them stacked up around deeper holes and channel ledges[2]. Look for snakehead in Back River and the upper Patuxent, where chatterbaits, white paddletails, and topwater frogs have been scoring well.

White perch are still biting strong, especially on grass shrimp, bloodworms, and small beetle spins fished around docks and submerged timber in the rivers. Some yellow perch are still lingering in the creeks, best caught on small jigs or live minnows, though that run is tapering off for the season[3].

Hot spots to check today include Sandy Point State Park for stripers and perch, and the Susquehanna Flats for a shot at larger stripers and early-season catfish. Also, the mouth of the Magothy River and the area around Tolchester for a mixed bag of species on moving tides.

In summary, focus on the outgoing tide for the best bite, gear up for the striped bass opener with big lures or fresh bait, and don’t overlook the cats and snakeheads for a fun tug on the line. Tight lines and enjoy the May action out on the Bay!