Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report for September 17th, 2025: Tides, Weather, and Migrating Predators

Good morning, anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for September 17th, 2025. We’re starting off with the day’s **tide and solunar details**. According to Tides4Fishing, sunrise hit at 6:48 AM and sunset comes in at 7:08 PM, giving us just under 12 and a half hours of daylight. Tidal coefficients are on the rise—today’s at 59, so expect average current and tidal movement. High tides for Virginia Beach near the mouth of the Bay run at 4:53 AM (3.3 ft), 10:53 AM (0.6 ft), and 5:22 PM (4.1 ft), with a minor low at 11:55 PM (0.5 ft). That means mid-morning and the evening slack should give you solid shot windows, especially around creek mouths and oyster bars. **Weather’s on your side today:** expect partly cloudy skies, mild humidity, temperatures swinging between the upper 60s in the morning to the high 70s by midday. Winds are light out of the northwest, but check your local forecast before you launch—sudden fall breezes can still pop up with little warning. **Fish activity’s picking up** as bay water temperatures drop and daylight shortens. Reports from On The Water and Hatteras Harbor Marina show the fall run is turning on. **Striped bass** are starting to move upriver, feeding on schools of peanut bunker and menhaden. The Bridge Tunnel, HRBT lights, and the pilings around Thimble Shoals are seeing better bites early and late. **Spanish mackerel** and **bluefish** continue strong through the shipping channels and along both the Cape Charles and Kiptopeke stretches, especially where birds are working bait. **Red drum** remain scattered but solid, especially around the southern islands of the Bay Bridge-Tunnel and up inside Lynnhaven and Mobjack Bay. There've even been some **citation-sized reds** mixed in with the slot fish this past week, as Hatteras Harbor Marina shared. Further offshore, the word is **false albacore** (albies) and a few **king mackerel** are blitzing mid-bay rips, with some nice catches reported near the mouth and up toward the Tangier Sound. Bottom dwellers are still active: **flounder** are moving deeper but can be found around channel edges, and the sheepshead bite is holding at the CBBT pilings. **Best baits and lures:** With transitional tides and high sun, metal and epoxy jigs in silver, pink, or green are top picks for albies and Spanish macks—On The Water notes these mimic the small, vulnerable baitfish. For stripers and blues, try 5 to 7-inch paddle tails, bucktails tipped with Gulp, or topwater plugs near first and last light. Big reds will slam cut mullet, peeler crab, or large soft plastics. For bottom fishing, squid strips and live spot are tops for croaker, flounder, and even early season trout. If you're rigging for numbers, bring bloodworms or Fishbites for spot and croaker—Hillyer's Tackle highlights live baits as key, offering sand worms and nightcrawlers along with green crabs and frozen shrimp. **Hot spots for today:** - CBBT third and fourth islands for stripers,