Chesapeake Bay June Fishing Frenzy: Sheepshead, Cobia, and More!

Artificial Lure here with your Friday, June 20, 2025 Chesapeake Bay fishing report. Let’s dive right into what’s biting, where to fish, and what you’ll need to get tight lines today. Sunrise hit at 5:45 a.m. and you’ve got daylight running strong until sunset at 8:27 p.m. We’re looking at nearly 15 hours of fishing light, and tides are running on a moderate swing today, with high tide expected mid-morning and tidal coefficients around 59 to 61—plenty of moving water to stir things up, especially near structure, so plan accordingly for stronger currents around the bridges and pilings. According to Tides4Fishing, the tidal flow is steady throughout the day, so expect those prime bite windows around the turns. The weather’s sitting pretty for June: mild temps and a light breeze out of the south, making for comfortable runs and easy drifts along the pilings and reefs. Always double-check for any pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoon—this is the Bay, after all. As for fish, the Bay’s on fire right now. Sheepshead are the star of the show this week, especially thick around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) and nearby structures. Both kayak and jet ski anglers have been pulling steady numbers—multiple reports of seven or more sheepshead per trip, with some nice tautog mixed in. Frozen and live fiddler crabs are the bait of choice, especially paired with bottom sweeper jigs or dropped tight against the pilings. If you’re after tautog and black drum, the CBBT and the other local bridges are producing as well. Spadefish are moving in around the Chesapeake Light Tower and any inshore structure. Try smaller hooks and clam for these fighters—Green Top Sporting Goods confirms the Light Tower is giving up solid catches this week. Bull reds are still patrolling the shallow flats and are now starting to shift to deeper structure near the islands of the CBBT. Sidescan is helpful, but if you spot a school, drop large soft plastic paddletails or straight tails on a two-ounce jighead for the big hit. The big buzz is all about cobia—the season just opened June 15 and numbers are climbing fast at the mouth of the Bay, especially for boats working the oceanfront and just inside the Bay’s mouth. Towers are key, and many are finding fish cruising the surface. Live eels are your golden ticket, but bucktails, topwater plugs, and shallow diving twitchbaits are hot too. Don’t sleep on Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, puppy drum, and stripers, especially working inlets, creeks, and points near the Rappahannock. Flounder action is heating up along the CBBT and in the southside inlets. For hotspots, get yourself to the CBBT for a multi-species shootout—sheepshead, drum, spadefish, and cobia all in the mix. Chesapeake Light Tower is prime for spadefish and the main Bay mouth shoals are loaded with patrolling cobia and red drum. Thanks for tuning in! For more up-to-date tips and local knowledge, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a bite. This has been a Qui This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.