Chesapeake (MD/VA) Fishing Guide
The Chesapeake is striped bass water — the East Coast's rockfish nursery and its best light-tackle fishery, joined by speckled trout, redfish, and a croaker-and-spot scene that keeps piers busy all summer. Work the bridgeworks and grass lines on moving tides.
23 species in our database list Chesapeake (MD/VA) among their fisheries. Use the species list below to plan what to target, then open any profile for identification features, bait, and season.
How to use this page: pick a species, check its habitat and seasonal notes, and match your gear to the environment. Local regulations always apply — verify current rules with the responsible agency before fishing.
Saltwater species
- Atlantic Croaker
- Atlantic Herring
- Atlantic Menhaden
- California Corbina
- Cobia
- Conger Eel
- Corb (Shi Drum)
- Fat Snook
- Gulf Menhaden
- Northern Stargazer
- Pacific Herring
- Reef Croaker
- Scup (Porgy)
- Spot
- Striped Bass (Coastal)
- Swordspine Snook
- Weakfish
- Whiting
Freshwater species
Best months to fish Chesapeake (MD/VA)
March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November
Months where the most of this fishery's species are in season, from our database. Full calendar: What's Biting.