Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Inshore Action Heats Up as Fall Bite Rolls On

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Let’s dive into the conditions and what’s biting in our local waters today. **Tide & Weather:** Virginia Beach tide tables show we started off with a low tide at 6:23 am and will see the next high tide at 12:53 pm, followed by another low at 7:29 pm. The tidal coefficient’s only 34, meaning weak currents with limited tidal swing—not ideal for strong movement, but slick for working structure and channels. Expect about 10 hours and 46 minutes of sunshine, with sunrise at 7:24 am and sunset at 6:11 pm. The marine forecast calls for northwest winds around 10–15 knots, gusting up to 20 knots. Skies are clearing, and temps should climb into the comfortable low 50s by midday. **Fish Activity & Catches:** Recent reports from Hatteras Harbor and Rudow’s FishTalk say the fall bite is rolling, especially inshore. Sheepshead are being caught regularly around bridge pilings and rocky structure. Black Drum and Sea Bass have been lively, and Bluefish are still in the mix. Offshore boats have seen sporadic runs with Blackfin Tuna and King Mackerel; however, the main action this week has been on the bottom. Puppy Drum (juvenile Red Drum) are schooling in shallow flats near coves, while Tautog are starting to show up as water temps drop. Rockfish (Striped Bass)—the king of the Bay—remain catch-and-release only, but there’s chatter about steady hookups in the mouth of the bay and upriver, especially near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. **What’s Working:** For Sheepshead and Tautog, fiddler crabs and cut peeler crab are money baits on dropper rigs tight to structure. For Sea Bass and Drum, shrimp or cut mullet chunks produce well. Artificial lures like bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp! are locking up Bluefish and schoolie Rockfish around deeper channel edges. King Mackerel offshore have hit slow-trolled spoons and live bait rigs, while bottom fish anglers are seeing success with squid strips. **Hot Spots:** - **CBBT (Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel):** Always reliable for Sheepshead and nearshore species. Try the rock islands on the outgoing tide. - **Lynnhaven Inlet:** Schoolie Rockfish and Puppy Drum are firing on soft plastics at dawn and dusk. - **Poquoson Flats & York River:** Prime right now for slot-size Red Drum and Tautog as the colder water pushes them closer to shore. - **Kiptopeke State Park Piers:** Good variety including Sea Bass and Black Drum, especially if you fish with fresh clam or peeler crab. **Tips from the Locals:** Work your bait super tight to structure today—lower currents mean fish will be hugging pilings, rocks, and oyster beds. Downsizing tackle and slowing presentations could make the difference. If you’re after Blue Catfish in the tidal rivers, as pro tipper Alex McCrickard recommends, use fresh cut shad or herring and focus on deeper holes where current slows. Thanks for tuning in to today’s Chesapeake Bay f