Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Spring Bite Heats Up with Tautog, Drum, Trout, and More

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Friday, May 2, 2025. The spring bite across the Bay and its Virginia waters is heating up as we roll into May. Sunrise today is at 6:07 AM and sunset will be at 7:55 PM, with air temps swinging from the upper 50s into the low 70s. The bay and ocean water temperatures are still near 50 degrees, so dress in layers and expect that cool bite off the water. We're looking at mostly clear skies with a light breeze out of the northwest, making for some smooth paddling and casting. Tidal currents today are moderate, with a mid-morning ebb and a strong afternoon flood—if you’re targeting structure or shallows, plan your peak moves a couple hours before high tide. Tautog fishing remains solid around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) pylons, inshore wrecks, and rocky areas. Blue crabs and fiddler crabs are the favorite baits—clam and whelk will also do the trick. Expect some quality fish, with tautog pushing several pounds. Captain Craig Paige is still booking trips for tog, so now’s the time before the season closes on May 15[2]. Red drum are showing up strong on Latimer Shoal and the shallow waters at the Bay mouth, with some big 25 to 50 pounders landed this week. Anglers trolling 3 1/2 Drone spoons over the shallows or soaking peeler crab, cut spot, or menhaden on big circle hooks have seen the best action. The run should only get hotter as we move into mid-May and early June[2]. In the lower bay rivers and inlets, puppy drum and speckled trout are biting well. Rudee Inlet and the Lynnhaven River have held solid schools, with white paddletails, soft plastic shrimp, and gulped mullet all producing consistent results. Dawn and dusk have been best. Striped bass continue to migrate, though Maryland’s striped bass season is closed until May 15 except for catch and release. Virginia waters including the Potomac remain open for catch and release, and reports of big fish up to 44 inches have come in from the Corrotoman. These stripers are most active around dawn, chasing shad and herring upriver[1][3]. White perch action is ramping up in the river mouths and creek systems, with small jigs and grass shrimp doing damage, and blue and channel catfish are keeping rods bent throughout the tributaries. For cats, fresh cut menhaden or white perch are the go-to baits[5]. My top hotspots for today: 1. CBBT for tautog and red drum. 2. Latimer Shoal for trophy drum. 3. Rudee Inlet and Lynnhaven River shallows for trout and puppy drum. Tight lines and good fishing—be sure to check your local regs, and as always, respect your fellow anglers and the resource.