This is Artificial Lure with your Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore/Washington D.C. fishing report for Saturday, September 20th, 2025.

First light hit the water at 6:50AM with a pastel sunrise, and anglers got a little over 12 hours on the water before sunset at 7:03PM. Tides today favored early risers: low at 4:32AM, peaking high at 9:48AM, dropping again low at 4:49PM, then pushing back to high around 10:06PM. That morning high paired with the sunrise has been prime for active fish movements, especially with light southeast winds and stable conditions settling in after midweek storms, making for solid inshore and nearshore action according to local tide-forecast sources.

Fish activity in the Upper and Middle Bay is ramping up. On The Water reports bluefish schools blitzing bait all through the Bay and coastal tributaries, with packs of 2-4 pounders chasing peanut bunker and silversides, especially under birds. Shore and boat anglers are picking up bluefish on topwater spooks and spoons during the morning tide swing; switch to soft plastics and subsurface twitchbaits after the schools settle down.

Striped bass are dialed in on topwaters at dawn and dusk in the rivers and along main channel edges. Pop-Rs, Zara Spooks, and paddletails are all producing. Target grass lines and current rips around the Patapsco River mouth, Love Point, and Poplar Island for keeper-size fish, with many anglers reporting steady action on fish 20-26 inches—though a few larger ones have been caught up near the surface on the ebbing tide.

Bottom fishing has been rewarding too. Sheepshead are still chewing around bridge pilings from the Target Ship down to the Bay Bridge Tunnel, with fat fish hitting green crab and fiddler baits fished tight to structure. Spot and white perch are thick near dock pilings and creek mouths, biting pieces of bloodworm and shrimp. According to recent trip reports from On The Water, catches have been good—double-digit hauls of perch and spot are common when you find the right depth on the outgoing tide.

Albies and bonito have appeared in open bay waters between the mouth of the Chester River and Bloody Point. Fast-moving metals like Deadly Dicks and Epoxy Jigs are your best bet for these speedsters—keep an eye out for surface feeds kicked up by terns.

If you’re looking for a couple of reliable hot spots today:
- **Key Bridge area on the Patapsco:** Good topwater striper bite at first light, plus bluefish blitzes mid-morning.
- **Poplar Island edges:** Consistent for stripers, spot, and the occasional surprise flounder.
- **Bay Bridge pilings:** Sheepshead, white perch, and spot—work the deepest pilings as the outgoing tide gains speed.

The bite offshore is still strong if you get a weather window. Recent Northeast Offshore Reports mention canyon hauls of yellowfin and some bigeye tuna. Tuna anglers chunking butterfish and trolling ballyhoo saw excellent success. But if you’re sticking near the Bay Bridge or Thomas Point, mess with soft plastics for resident stripers or try cut menhaden for blue.

Best lures right now:
- **Topwaters (bone or silver) for striped bass and bluefish**
- **1/2 to 1 oz jigheads with paddletail swimbaits for schoolie stripers**
- **Metals (Deadly Dick, Kastmaster) for albies and bonito**
- **Fiddler crabs or green crab for sheepshead**

Best bait:
- **Live spot** for trophy stripers if regulations permit
- **Bloodworms and shrimp** for spot and perch
- **Cut menhaden** for bluefish on the drift

That’s your wrap for this breezy September morning on the Bay. Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next local bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here with your Friday, September 19, Chesapeake Bay fishing report focused on Baltimore and the D.C. area. Let’s get right to it.

We’ve got sunrise at 6:50 AM and sunset set for 7:05 PM today, with above-average tidal swings due to the new moon coming up on the 22nd. This morning’s low tide rolled through at 3:51 AM, with the next high tide peaking at 9:03 AM. You’ll catch another low at 4:01 this afternoon and the evening high at 9:25 PM. That means moving water all day—exactly what you want to fire up the bite according to Tide-Forecast.

After a crisp start, expect mild late summer weather: partly cloudy, steady temps in the upper 60s to mid-70s, and a touch of northwest wind. Water clarity is good, and you’ll see some of that fall turnover just starting—fish know change is coming and are on the feed.

On the water, the big story this week is bluefish terrorizing bait schools from the Bay Bridge down past Cedar Point. Most are in the two- to five-pound class, and the boats trolling surgical tubes and spoons have been loading up. These blues are slashing at anything shiny, so bring wire leaders and be ready for some chopped off tails. The Target Ship area has been especially hot for both bluefish and for those looking for a shot at sheepshead with peeler crab or fiddler crab on a bottom rig—The Maryland DNR says catches there have been consistent.

Striped bass action is picking up—good numbers reported around Baltimore Harbor’s piers and piling fields in the early mornings and evenings. Folks throwing poppers, paddletails, and soft plastic jigs have found keepers and lots of schoolies. The power plant and bulkhead zones continue to produce as well, especially close to dawn. Live-lining spot remains the ticket at the Bay Bridge pilings, Love Point, and the Patapsco. Likewise, sharpies are catching bass on jigs and live spot in the Patuxent and Potomac, especially from the 301 Bridge to Fort Washington. Jigging the eastern grass flats will also put you in line for speckled trout and red drum.

Spot and white perch are still hanging around the knolls and reefs in the upper bay—try dropper rigs dressed with grass shrimp or bloodworm by deeper docks and oyster bars. If you’re after something hard-fighting and invasive, Chesapeake Channa—northern snakehead—are still active in western tidal rivers. Frogs, paddletails, and chatterbaits all get bit.

Tangier Sound and the lower Patuxent are producing good catches of spot, croaker, and flounder. Spanish mackerel are winding down, with far fewer showing. Crabbing remains excellent in all tidal rivers, so bring some chicken necks.

For lures, stick with proven fall patterns:
- Topwaters like poppers at dawn
- 4- to 5-inch paddletails and jerkbaits for stripers and trout
- Metal spoons or surgical tube lures for bluefish
- Dropper rigs tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworm for perch/spot
- Fiddler or peeler crab for sheepshead

Hotspots worth hitting this weekend:
- The Bay Bridge Piers—steady for stripers and white perch
- Target Ship and main channel near Cedar Point—for bluefish and sheepshead
- Baltimore Harbor’s industrial shoreline—especially at first light for stripers
- Lower Patuxent River bridge pilings—for spot, stripers, and a shot at flounder

That’s your on-the-water scoop for today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for the latest from Chesapeake country. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Wednesday, September 17th, 2025—covering Baltimore and DC waters with a local’s touch.

Today starts with **sunrise at 6:47AM** and wraps up with **sunset at 7:08PM**. We're blessed with prime fall fishing as cooling temps kick up bait movement. The **tides are rolling in with a high at 7:11AM and 7:45PM, and lows at 2:09AM and 2:06PM** for the Baltimore side; Eastern Bay’s got its own rhythm, hitting low at 5:22AM, highs at 11:05AM and 11:38PM, and the afternoon slack at 5:20PM. These tide swings set up great bite windows around first light, midday and into dusk—for the working angler and the sunrise regular both.

**Weather’s been brisk, winds steady overnight and spritzing up minor flooding in spots yesterday, but today looks clearer with light breezes—ideal for those working the shoreline or pushing out to the mid-Bay structure.** According to recent bay reports, these conditions spell action, especially for fall bull red drum and bluefish. Windy days fuel the drum bite and keep bluefish frisky along the drop-offs and jetties.

**Recent catches** out of the Bay tell the story: anglers are seeing daily limits of **bluefish**—schoolies up to keepers mixed with choppers—and regular catches of **red drum**, ranging from slot fish to citation-sized bulls over 40 inches, plus a few surprise flounder and Spanish mackerel. Last week saw a handful of monster drum landed near the shallows, inspired by that autumn push. Weekend boats reported keeper cobia and sheepshead around the pilings, with Spanish mackerel running the current edges.

**Top baits and lures:**
- For **red drum and bluefish**, nothing beats fresh bunker or cut menhaden. Bucktail jigs tipped with curl tails or Gulp! swim baits are hot, especially in moving water.
- **Epoxy jigs** and metal spoons are pulling Spanish mackerel and albies for those chasing flashes on the surface, as reported by On The Water magazine—pick ‘em in silver or bright green for maximum strikes.
- Folks targeting flounder are doing well with live minnows on bottom rigs or thin-cut squid strips.
- Sheepshead are hugging structure; drop fiddler crabs or sand fleas tight against piers or rock piles.

Bait shops are still well-stocked—sand worms, meal worms, green crabs, and night crawlers are all available for mixing up your rig, according to Hillyer's Tackle.

**Hot spots to hit today:**
- *Sandy Point State Park Pier* is holding both schoolie stripers and bigger bluefish, especially on incoming tides. Early morning and late afternoon bites have been outstanding this week.
- The *Mouth of the Patapsco*, right at the Key Bridge or turning basin, is a drum magnet now—try chunking cut bait right as the tide turns.
- If you’re southbound, the *Eastern Bay oyster reefs* are always a fall classic for a mixed bag—try fishing the drop-off edges as bait schools pile up.

With daylight stretching each cast and the first leaves turning over the water, it’s a good time to troll the channel edges or drift bait anywhere fish are working the current.

Thanks for tuning in to your local Chesapeake Bay fishing report—don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Sunday, September 14th, 2025, serving up the latest from Baltimore to Washington D.C.

Weather today is stable—expect mild temps in the upper 60s to mid-70s, light variable winds, and partly cloudy skies. Water temps remain prime for late summer, sitting around the upper 60s to low 70s. According to Tide-Forecast.com, sunrise in the Bay is right at 6:46AM, with sunset tonight at 7:13PM. The high tide’s rolling in at 3:38AM and 4:18PM, while lows dip at 10:32AM and just before midnight. That means you’re looking at solid moving water through the morning, which should get the bite going especially around the flats and channel edges.

Fishing action’s been hot for Chesapeake standards. For the light-tackle crowd, rockfish (striped bass) remain the main draw. Fisherman's Landing's latest counts show rockfish taking center stage, and local charters are consistently reporting limits using soft plastics and topwater around dawn and dusk. A couple of folks working structure with 5-inch green pumpkin Yum Dingers—yes, even in brackish pockets—have landed upward of 25 fish in a session. These stickbaits work wonders when bass are finicky, and don’t sleep on jerkbaits early when the water’s calm. Soft plastic paddle tails in white or chartreuse and bucktail jigs tipped with twister tails have also boated consistent stripers right at the drop-offs.

Sheepshead are getting love around the pilings of the Bay Bridge and Key Bridge—crabs and sand fleas are the golden ticket for bait, with a few bigger fish reported on fiddler crabs. Flounder are lurking near channel edges and drop-offs south of the bridge—hit ’em on incoming tide with Gulp! swimming mullet or live minnows bounced close to bottom.

White perch are grouping up in the creeks and around oyster beds. A double-drop rig with bloodworms or grass shrimp will fill a bucket quick, but plenty of locals are catching on small spinnerbaits and shad darts fished on light gear.

If you’re after variety, the Patapsco River near Fort McHenry has been producing mixed bags of perch, spot, and a couple of bonus red drum. The Severn River is another sleeper pick—folks are reporting a solid evening bite on topwater for schoolie stripers and even a few chunky largemouths.

Your hot spots today:

- **Bay Bridge Piers** – classic for sheepshead and stripers, especially on moving water with crabs, soft plastics, or bucktails.
- **Eastern Bay Rips** – work the current seams for stripers on soft plastics, swimming plugs, or jig heads tipped with Z-Man paddletails.
- **Severn River Mouth** – strong reports of perch and schoolie stripers on ultralight jigs and spinners.

Best baits right now: live spot, bloodworms, grass shrimp, soft plastics, and green pumpkin or white stickbaits. For artificial fans, nothing’s beating a Rapala crankbait or a 3-inch grub fished just off the bottom early and late in the day.

Don’t forget—moving water is your friend this time of year. Fish structure, edges, and breaks where bait is pushed by tide. Early risers are getting rewarded and the evening bite just before sunset is dynamite.

Thanks for tuning in to your local Chesapeake Bay fishing report. Remember to subscribe so you never miss out on the latest scoop and the hottest hot spots.

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Artificial Lure here with your Saturday, September 13th Chesapeake Bay fishing report for the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area.

Sunrise hit us at 6:45 this morning and we’ll see sunset right around 7:14 tonight. Weather’s shaping up nicely—mild start in the 60s, warming to the mid-70s with light northeast winds, perfect for a Saturday on the water. Tides are favorable today: high at 2:35 a.m., low at 9:30 a.m., another high at 3:12 p.m., and then the tide drops again to a low at 10:44 tonight. That mid-morning falling tide and the afternoon incoming are prime for most species, especially around structure and creek mouths according to Tide-Forecast.com.

Fish activity is hot for mid-September. White perch are stacking up off docks and bridge pilings in spots like the Magothy, Sever, and South Rivers, as well as the Chester and Eastern Bay. Word from FishTalk’s recent video is that folks are hammering jumbo perch—many running 10 to 12 inches—using Z-Man Flashback Mini Chatterbaits. Small beetle spins and grass shrimp are also taking fish if perch are a little shy.

Rockfish—striped bass for you out-of-towners—are going strong. They’re shifting from scattered summer patterns to schooling tighter, often near the Bay Bridge pilings early, then moving shallow during lower light. Most anglers are scoring well jigging soft plastics like BKDs or Bass Assassin Sea Shads, and you’ll do well to toss bucktails tipped with Gulp, especially around the bridge, Poplar Island, and Love Point. Live-lining spot is classic if you can find them, but keep an eye on new regs; always check before you head out.

Further south between Little Choptank and Point Lookout, trolling for Spanish mackerel is putting up big numbers. Anglers are pulling #1 or #2 planers with small, bright spoons—chartreuse or pink is the hot ticket—and finding packs of mackerel chasing bait. Burning heavy jigs like Yoi Hydra Shots across the surface is also producing for both macks and bluefish.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass are active too, with local shop staff reporting good catches on paddle tails and topwater lures like the DeraBuzz buzzbait, particularly at first and last light in the upper tidal rivers. Don’t miss the snakeheads—still strong in the thick remaining pads and dying grasses. Toss a hollow-bodied frog such as the Kapperlin Frog over that vegetation to draw savage strikes.

Hot bay oddities: Stone crabs, usually a Florida specialty, are now showing up in blue crab traps as far north as the Mid-Bay—likely no big numbers, but something to keep an eye on if you’re crabbing, as reported by The Bradenton Times. There’s also been a growing white shrimp presence, another sign of changing conditions in the bay.

For newcomers, a couple of area hot spots:
- **Hackett’s Bar and Thomas Point:** Perch and stripers biting, especially near sunrise.
- **Severn River bridge pilings and docks:** Larger perch and occasional stripers, best on small chatterbaits or live grass shrimp.

Best baits today: live spot or small white perch for rockfish if you can find them, grass shrimp for perch, and weedless frogs or chatterbaits for snakehead and bass. For artificials, stick to bright spoons for mackerel, heavy jigs for blues, and Gulp or scented soft plastics when jigging structure.

That wraps your September 13th bite update for the Chesapeake Bay and D.C./Baltimore waters. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure—if you want more reports and local tackle tips, don’t forget to subscribe! This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.

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Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Friday, September 12, 2025—bringing you the latest from Baltimore, Washington D.C., and the Middle Bay.

The tide is running high at 1:40 AM (1.91 ft), a slow low at 8:37 AM (0.07 ft), high again at 2:12 PM (2.3 ft), and ebbing out by 9:40 PM (0.24 ft). Sunrise hit the water at 6:44 AM and you’ll see the sunset fade at 7:16 PM. Moonset is at 12:28 PM, with the moon rising tonight at 10:09 PM, so expect prime low light action during these periods according to Tide-Forecast.

Weatherwise, it’s classic early fall—cool mornings, warming through the afternoon, plus descending water temps. That’s setting up a “second season” effect where fish are ramping up their feeding. A bit of overcast is stretching out bite windows on days like these—and anglers everywhere, from Sandy Point down to Tangier Sound, are getting active.

The fish activity has really picked up. Early today, striper bites stay tight to structure: Conowingo Dam, Patapsco River channel edges, and the piers near Inner Harbor are best fished at dawn and dusk. Some anglers are still live-lining spot or casting paddletails—we’re talking classic 4–5 inch white, chartreuse, and darker shad profiles. Poppers are moving bigger fish in low light. Out at the Bay Bridge piers, morning tides and any moving water give the best chance. Don’t sleep on fresh cut spot or soft crab if you’re drift rigging.

Blue catfish are running heavy in the Susquehanna and Chester Rivers. Those deep holes below the railroad bridges and Pooles Island are solid right now—cut bunker, chicken breast, and stink baits are delivering some real slabs. Large blue cats are the bonus catch for patient bottom fishermen.

Bluefish and Spanish mackerel are blitzing in the lower and middle Bay—especially near Sharps Island Light, False Channel, and the Target Ship. If you’re trolling for these, small Drone and Clark spoons, gold colorways, and surgical tube lures behind planers are top-producing this week. Cedar Point and Point No Point are good bets for both. Some Spanish mackerel are hitting 18–20 inches, coming up with stripers and blues in the mix.

Sheepshead are still around near the Target Ship, especially on fiddler or peeler crab. Spot and croaker action has been steady—mouth of the Patuxent, Tangier Sound, Point Lookout, and Hoopers Island are hot right now. Pan-sized spot are taking bloodworms or small pieces of shrimp; croaker are eager for squid strips.

Don’t overlook white perch in the knolls and shoals—small soft plastics on a dropper rig or Sabiki setup tipped with grass shrimp is catching enough for a fry-up, with bonus kingfish and the occasional black sea bass mixed in.

Hot locations today:
- **Bay Bridge piers and channel edges near Sandy Point** (stripers, perch, catfish)
- **Susquehanna River below railroad bridges and Pooles Island** (catfish)
- **Sharps Island Light, False Channel, and Target Ship** (bluefish, mackerel, sheepshead)
- **Tangier Sound and Point Lookout** (spot, croaker, drum)

For top lures and baits: soft plastics and paddletails for stripers, small spoons and tubes for blues and mackerel, cut bunker for catfish, and crabs or bloodworms for bottom action.

Crabbing’s still excellent—big jimmies moving to deeper water, best pots set at 12–15 feet according to local crabbers.

That’s your Chesapeake Bay report for Friday. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more fishing updates—this has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.

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This is Artificial Lure with your mid-September Chesapeake Bay fishing report for the Baltimore and D.C. region. Conditions have been classic late summer: nights cooling, days still sticking with that muggy early fall humidity, and the Bay showing off with some classic Chesapeake unpredictability.

Sunrise came at 6:42 AM this morning, with sunset due at 7:19 PM. If you’re planning to chase the bite, get out early or save some energy for the dusk window – both are prime time right now.

Tidal movement today is solid: high tide hit around 2:43 AM and will swing back up at 3:10 PM, with lows around 8:51 AM and 9:34 PM, based on Smith Point Light data. Remember, with this week’s persistent onshore flow, the National Weather Service warns of minor tidal flooding in the shallows, so keep one eye on the waterline if you’re wading or launching from low banks. A half foot of nuisance flooding may spike around high tides but shouldn’t ruin your plans if you’re prepared. Fish tend to push up into the grasses and cover with this kind of flow, especially around midday.

Recent catches have been a strong mixed bag. The region’s local tournaments and club reports tell the tale: Onancock Bay’s challenge logged standout speckled trout, with Anna Yurken topping the board at nearly 4 lbs, and youth anglers bringing in slot reds, flounder to 5.7 lbs, lively bluefish, hefty sand mullet, croaker, and a host of spot. Dwayne McCullagh’s 3.7 lb bluefish was another highlight. Flounder and specks have been running true to recent years – fat, aggressive, and eager as the bait flushes into the Bay.

For the lure crowd, this week’s patterns have been textbook – soft plastics and paddle tails in natural colors (think bunker, white, and chartreuse) are producing for specks, especially near grass beds and creek mouths at sunrise and sunset. GULP! swimming mullet or Z-Man MinnowZ on quarter-ounce jigs are consistent winners.

If you want topwater action, now’s your window. Early mornings are seeing some explosive blow-ups on spook-style baits and popping corks. Adjust to a subsurface twitchbait or small paddletail as the sun hits the water. For stripers and blues, nothing beats a classic 4–5" paddletail or bucktail jig, especially in rips and over oyster bars.

Live bait fishers are cashing in on live spot and small menhaden fished on bottom rigs for flounder and trout, while bloodworms and peeler crab are pulling in spot, croaker, and perch for both bank and pier anglers. If you’re after numbers, bring plenty of bait—these panfish move fast on a good tide.

Hot spots worth a mention this week:
- The mouth of the Magothy River and Podickory Point: consistent specks, scattered stripers on the outgoing tide, blues on the chase.
- Eastern Bay’s shallow flats: solid flounder, red drum showing up shallow on warm afternoons, plenty of schoolie rockfish, and active perch.
- Francis Scott Key Bridge pilings and Patapsco River points: classic late-season striper stomping grounds at dawn and dusk, especially near bait schools pushed by the wind.

With the changing season, remember that fish are keying in on bait flushes. Watch for birds, rolling bait balls, and the subtle swirls that mean predators are staging below. Don’t neglect simple chartreuse cranks, either—a steady retrieve just over deep shell can surprise with a flattie or trout according to local tackle shops and BBC Boards.

That’s what’s biting in Baltimore and the northern Bay this week. Thanks for tuning in to your daily Chesapeake update from Artificial Lure—don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Artificial Lure with your Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore/Washington D.C. report for Sunday, September 7, 2025.

Sun rose this morning at 6:40, giving us a calm, hazy start and temps in the upper 60s, climbing steadily with an expected mix of sun and clouds and light southerly breezes—dang near perfect for an early fall bite. Tidal action’s promising: we’ve got a high tide hitting around 7:08 AM, bottoming out with a low at 1:39 PM, and then rising up again to a 1.74-foot high at 7:34 this evening, according to the Baltimore tide charts. That early incoming tide flush should get fish moving tight to shoreline structure and points, prime for targeting stripers around first light.

Speaking of striped bass, chatter on the Tidal Fish forums and dock talk up and down the Western Shore is that the bite's been decent in the early morning, though most are reporting more shorts than keepers. Big schools are holding near the mouths of the Patapsco and Magothy, especially around the channel edges and bridge pilings. There’s been some news about tighter harvest restrictions coming next year, so folks are working those slot fish hard while the season’s still open. For numbers, most boats are picking up a half-dozen to a dozen legal fish per trip, with plenty more throwbacks. Striper activity’s best on that pre-dawn to mid-morning tide swing.

Other reports say bluefish, in the 6–8 pound class, have been blitzing south of the Bay Bridge and off Sandy Point—the kind of action that’ll chew through soft plastics quick, so beef up to topwater plugs or heavy spoons. Spanish mackerel are still hanging around the shipping channel edges, with a few showing in the upper Bay on fast retrieves with flashy metal jigs. In the skinny water, white perch are schooled up thick along rip-rap and creek mouths, and croaker are still biting around deeper holes.

Best lures right now: 4–5 inch paddletail swimbaits in chartreuse or pearl for stripers, especially rigged on ½-oz jigheads for the deeper bridge structure. Topwater walking baits and poppers right at sunrise can draw some explosive strikes. For bluefish and mackerel, cast silver Kastmasters or Got-Cha plugs—burn ‘em fast. If you’re going with bait, fresh alewife chunks for stripers or peeler crab for perch will get quick results.

Two hot spots popping on the boards this week:
- Six Foot Knoll (just east of the Inner Harbor) is seeing steady action for schoolie stripers and the occasional keeper.
- Eastern Bay outflow off Bloody Point Light, where trolling tandem rigs or casting jigs on the outgoing tide is paying off with both stripers and bluefish.

If you’re itching for variety, South River creeks are loaded with decent white perch, and the Chester River mouth is reliable for an evening croaker haul.

That’s the picture for today—watch those tides, adjust your lure color with the light, and keep your leaders thick with those toothy bluefish around. Thanks for tuning in to today’s report. Remember to subscribe for all your local fishing updates.

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Artificial Lure here, bringing you the September 6, 2025 Chesapeake Bay fishing report, covering the Baltimore and Washington D.C. stretch and targeting both new and seasoned anglers in the region.

First, a quick look at today’s conditions. According to Tide-Forecast, sunrise was at 6:16 AM and sunset will be at 8:02 PM. Tidal movement is prime this morning: high tide peaked just before 9 AM, with a low set for about 2:54 PM and another high in the evening at 9:19 PM. That morning high tide promises decent current, pushing baitfish up and triggering active bites as water floods the shallows.

The weather’s cooperating, with south winds around 10 knots shifting southeast and gusting to 20 knots by afternoon, waves 2 to 3 feet—manageable for most bay boats, but take note if you’re thinking of venturing out toward open water. The barometric pressure’s steady, so the fish should stick on their patterns, making this a solid day for exploring deeper reefs or current breaks, especially on outgoing tides per MarineWeather.net.

The action heating up this month centers on striped bass, bluefish, red drum, and a few bonus Spanish mackerel lingering around the lower bay and river mouths. Big bluefish and keeper striper are coming in strong just off points and rip lines near Love Point and Thomas Point Light. Reports from Anglers Sport Center highlight mornings and late evenings as your best bet—use walk-the-dog topwaters at dawn, then switch to paddletail swimbaits or bucktail jigs once the sun’s up. If you’re going live, bunker or spot on circle hooks drifted in deeper holes are pulling in the cows.

Red drum are staging hard along shallow flats near the mouth of the Patuxent and Western Shore shorelines. Local captains and recent YouTube reports are showing steady catches of bull reds using chunked menhaden or fresh peeler crab, especially during the falling tide. If you want a shot at citation-size fish, fan-cast cut bait from shallow-water anchors, and try a few heavier Carolina rigs as shown by Chesapeake tutorial channels.

Mackerel and small bonito can still be found blitzing on bait balls mid-bay. Silver spoons and fast-retrieved epoxy jigs will get you tight when the birds are working—keep your eyes open and be ready to run-and-gun. Recent catches have had limits of bluefish mixed in, especially from Sandy Point down to Bloody Point. Trolling small planers with spoons will fill the cooler fast when the sun gets high.

For bass heads, the Upper Potomac bite is decent, with fish hugging grass and structure; spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged soft plastics are working when things get tough, according to Major League Bass Anglers recaps.

Want two hotspots? Don’t miss the Bay Bridge pilings—they’re loaded with mixed-size stripers this week, especially right around slack to outgoing tide. For a more scenic, less crowded option, the mouth of Eastern Bay is holding schools of breaking bluefish and several reports of mackerel slashing through peanut bunker.

Remember, the late summer push is on, and the “second season” is officially here. Stock up on soft plastic paddletails in white and chartreuse, classic metal spoons, and don’t forget that a live spot or a chunk of fresh menhaden can out-produce artificials when the big girls come through.

Thanks for tuning in to the Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report from Artificial Lure—don’t forget to subscribe, stay safe, and tight lines!

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Artificial Lure here with your early September fishing report for Chesapeake Bay, bringing you the local scoop from Baltimore to the Washington D.C. corridor.

At daybreak, expect sunrise around 6:02 AM, with sunset just shy of 8:00 PM. Tides are running strong this week, boosted by the full moon coming up on the 8th, so keep an eye out for those above-average tidal currents and plan your trips around them. This morning’s low tide hit around 5:30 AM with the next high swing at about 8:30 AM, making the early hours prime for casting along the shorelines and structure.

Weather today brings seasonable temps with a light NE breeze, clouds early giving way to sun—comfortable conditions to be on the water.

Now to the fish talk: Striped bass are the stars, especially in shallower zones where cooling water temps have brought them in tighter to shore. The Conowingo Dam pool remains a top spot—locals are catching nice stripers on swimbaits and paddletails, especially around the turbine wash where the bait is stacked. The Patapsco River bite cooled off near the traditional spots, but within Baltimore Harbor, tossing topwater lures and paddletails around dawn or dusk is the ticket. Try the inside bends and pier lines at sunrise when the oxygen levels are still decent. Eastern Bay, the lower Choptank, and Taylors Island are also producing; topwater lures in the morning and evening hours have been drawing aggressive hits.

Blue catfish are showing strong in the upper tidal rivers and farther up Chester River due to higher salinity and lower rainfall. These bruisers are chewing steadily—chunk cut bait or fresh panfish will do the trick. Flathead catfish remain a reliable bet below Conowingo.

Spot and croakers are still active at hard-bottom haunts like Eastern Bay and Tolly Point. Sandy Point near Annapolis is holding steady numbers of spot; a cold snap could move them out fast, so get in while it’s good. For white perch, action’s been fair—try fishing around deep piers or docks with grass shrimp. Dropper rigs work well on knolls in open Bay for perch still hanging around.

Lower Bay anglers trolling surge tubes and small spoons behind inline weights and planers have scored Spanish mackerel and bluefish. At times you’ll find surface-breaking fish chasing bay anchovies—a well-placed metal jig gets right into the bite. Main channels near Tangier Sound and south toward the Virginia line are producing steady numbers.

Flounder reports have picked up, especially near channel edges and reefs throughout the middle and lower Bay. Try drifting with live minnows or Gulp-style soft plastics.

Best baits and lures right now:
- **Striped bass:** Paddletails, topwater plugs, swimbaits, live spot, live eels, soft crab
- **Bluefish & Spanish mackerel:** Metal jigs, surge tube lures, small spoons
- **Catfish:** Cut bait, sunfish
- **Spot & croaker:** Bloodworms, squid, grass shrimp
- **White perch:** Grass shrimp, small jigs near pilings

Local hot spots worth hitting:
- *Conowingo Dam Pool* for stripers and big cats
- *Eastern Bay* and the east side of the Bay Bridge near the 30-foot contour for bass and spot
- *Thomas Point* for bridge pier striper action
- *Baltimore Harbor piers and shorelines* for early morning topwater bites

Keep your eyes open for those breaking schools of blues and mackerel up and down the main channel, and don’t overlook the shallow flats at sunrise as striper feeding windows are tight but productive.

Thanks for tuning in to this Chesapeake Bay fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the best days on the water.

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