Late Summer Slam: Striper, Reds, and More on the Chesapeake Bay

Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for September 14th, 2025, coming to you straight from the heart of the Virginia coast. Today featured classic late-summer weather: warm, humid, highs in the upper 80s, and mostly clear skies, with just a whisper of a breeze out of the southwest. Waters remained calm across most of the Bay. The National Weather Service reported generally stable marine conditions, perfect for a late-afternoon run or evening bite. For tidal action, the next high tide at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel hit around 3:50 pm at just over 3 feet, sliding down to a low at 10:29 pm. Tidal movement was moderate—a tidal coefficient starting out low around 47 and climbing toward 62 as the evening wore on, according to Tides4Fishing. That means bite windows were strongest on the moving water in the late afternoon and dusk. And don’t forget: we’re looking at nearly 13 hours of sunlight, with sunrise at 6:23 am and sunset at 7:53 pm. On the fishing front, the September striper puzzle continues as managers discuss potential new catch limits according to the Cape Charles Mirror, but right now, stripers are still fair game as they begin transitioning down the Bay. Fishpit Charters reports recent trips bringing in solid numbers of schoolie rockfish (striped bass), particularly at dusk and on first light. Topwater plugs like a Heddon Super Spook or a 5-inch Rapala X-Rap worked over submerged structure are drawing explosive strikes early and late. During the day, switch to casting bucktail jigs or soft plastics like BKD lures in white or chartreuse on 3/4 oz jigheads, especially around bridge pilings and dropoffs. But the mix gets even better: anglers have been connecting with bull reds up to 30 pounds near the mouth of the Bay, especially along deeper flats off Cape Charles. Cut menhaden or live spot are your best bait for trophy drum, fished on a fishfinder rig with just enough weight to hold bottom. Blue catfish, croaker, and white perch are also plentiful up the rivers and creeks. For perch and croaker, downsize your tackle—bloodworms or bits of shrimp on #2 hooks are money around piers and oyster beds. If you're gunning for sheepshead, the pilings at the CBBT are still holding. The best bite is on an incoming tide, using sand fleas or fiddler crabs threaded on 3/8 oz bottom sweeper jigs, with fish in the 4-8 pound range coming boatside, as seen on local YouTube rigs-and-jigs channels. Try for speckled trout on a falling tide in grass flats around Lynnhaven Inlet and Back River. Throw a MirrOlure or soft paddle-tail in new penny or electric chicken—very productive colors right now. Hot spots today: the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel structure is the go-to for variety and big fish—early morning for stripers and night for bull reds. The grass flats behind the Eastern Shore barrier islands are holding good numbers of specks and puppy drum. And, don’t overlook the mouth of the James and Elizabeth rivers for steady bites o