Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Sheepshead, Spadefish, Cobia and More

Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Saturday, June 21, 2025, straight from the heart of Virginia’s saltwater scene. Sunrise kicked off at 5:45 a.m. with a blazing sky, and we’ll see daylight stretching all the way till sunset at 8:27 p.m. Over the Bay, it’s a warm, breezy day—highs near 85°F, light southwest winds, and just a touch of chop on the water. Tidal action’s energetic with strong swings today: high tides hit around mid-morning and again just before dusk, which means fish are on the move and currents are brisk around structures, perfect for active angling according to the local tide table. Let’s talk fish. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) is the place to be right now. Sheepshead fishing is peaking around the bridge pilings, with plenty of limits coming in from both jet ski and kayak anglers. Live and frozen fiddler crabs fished on bottom sweeper jigs are the ticket, and don’t be surprised if you tangle with tautog or the occasional black or red drum around those same pilings. Spadefish are crowding in around the CBBT as well as the Chesapeake Light Tower, snatching up clam strips and small jelly balls—bring stout tackle because these fighters don’t mess around. Red drum schools are still hanging around the flats and deeper structure near the CBBT islands and Fisherman’s Island. Look for them on your side-scan, then drop large paddletails or straight tails on two-ounce jigheads to draw a big strike. According to Green Top Sporting Goods, bloodworms and shrimp are putting fish in the cooler all over the rivers and inlets, especially for puppy drum and speckled trout tight to the docks and grass edges. With the cobia season officially open, anticipation has gone into overdrive. Their numbers are growing at the Bay’s mouth, across the oceanfront, and on the inside shoals. Boats with towers are spotting surface fish, and a well-placed live eel is your best shot—though big bucktails, topwater lures, and twitchbaits are all drawing bites. Don’t forget your patience, sometimes covering water is the key to tracking down these bruisers. Spanish mackerel and flounder are also showing strong along the CBBT and into the inlets. If you’re after other action, the northern flats are red hot at sunrise and sunset for rockfish and largemouth, with snakeheads prowling the upper creeks. Blue catfish are chomping just about anything cut or live near the bottom, especially during stronger tidal swings. For today’s hot spots: the CBBT second and third islands for sheepshead, tautog, and drum; the Chesapeake Light Tower for spadefish; and Fisherman’s Island for a shot at red drum and cobia. Don’t overlook the grass lines in Elizabeth River or Lynnhaven inlets for speckled trout and puppy drum. Thanks for tuning in to your Chesapeake Bay report. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest updates and tips straight from the dock. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.