Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Friday, October 17, 2025. Lines in early this morning bring us brisk, classic October conditions across the lower Bay—so here’s how it’s shaping up so far.

**Weather, Tide, and Sun**
Sunrise greeted us at 7:15 AM, with sunset set for 6:21 PM tonight. Breezy north winds 10-15 knots with gusts pushing 20 mean there’s a **Small Craft Advisory**, so be cautious on open water, and expect 2 to 3-foot waves, according to WBOC and the National Weather Service. The first low tide rolled in just before dawn, with a high at 10:51 AM—there’ll be another low about 5 p.m. Ideal windows today are around the top or bottom of the swing when those tidal currents are moving.

**Current Fishing Activity**
October’s chill has the **striped bass bite firing up** all across the Bay. Schoolie stripers are pushing bait along channel edges and points, especially at dawn and dusk. According to FishingReminder and The Fisherman, this is a prime time to work topwater plugs or walk-the-dog style baits early, then switch to 4- to 6-inch paddle tails, bucktail jigs, or swimbaits as the sun rises and fish move off the banks. The historic survey from William & Mary and VIMS just reported average numbers for this year’s juvenile striped bass, an improvement over the past two years—a good sign for coming seasons.

**Bluefish remain thick** in the lower Bay and around the mouths of the Potomac and Patuxent, slashing bait at the surface near the Target Ship and main channel edges. When fish break, toss metal spoons or fast-moving soft plastics for quick limits. Red drum and speckled trout are active on the shallow grass flats around Tangier Sound and Hoopers Island; try popping corks with shrimp imitations or suspending twitchbaits. Big bull reds are still prowling the eastern flats.

**White perch** are starting to school up on oyster lumps in the lower rivers—small pieces of bloodworm, grass shrimp, or two-inch jigs do the trick here. **Blue catfish** are biting well in the tidal Potomac on cut shad or bunker.

**Recent Catches and Hot Baits**
Locals around the Bay Bridge piers are finding steady action drifting live spot or eels on moving tides. In Baltimore Harbor, anglers have scored stripers by working soft plastics tight to docks and riprap in the mornings. The deeper channel edge from Bloody Point to Buoy 83 is still hot for those trolling umbrella rigs or jigging.

False albacore are showing on area rips, especially if you see birds working—match the hatch with fast-moving metals. For trout and drum, natural-colored soft baits on the flats or under a cork have produced most consistently.

**Best Bets and Hot Spots**
- **Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel**: Excellent for stripers and blues on the pilings; work bucktails or live bait near structure.
- **Tangier Sound and Hoopers Island Flats**: Speckled trout and red drum on grass edges, sunrise and sunset best.
- **Eastern Bay and Bloody Point**: Try trolling for mixed schools of stripers and blues along the deep edge.
- **Bay Bridge Piers and Baltimore Harbor rocks**: Reliable for early-morning casting with soft plastics.
- **Lower Potomac River and Target Ship area**: Fast bluefish action and a shot at bull reds.

**Tips**
With the water temperature sliding into the low to mid-60s, look for fish to move deeper as the sun gets higher. If we get a string of nights above 50°F, that shallow bite hangs on longer. Be ready to switch from bright profiles in stained water to natural hues in clearer conditions, especially after yesterday’s breezy weather.

Thanks for tuning in. Remember, always check the latest marine and weather forecasts before heading out, and be mindful of those moving tides for the best action. For more Chesapeake Bay tips, don’t forget to subscribe!

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