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Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report June 20, 2025: Stripers, Blues, Perch, and More!
Published 10 months, 1 week ago
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Good morning, anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for June 20, 2025, covering the Baltimore and Washington D.C. region.
Sunrise hit at 5:45 AM today, and you’ll have until about 8:25 PM to get lines wet before sunset, with over 14 hours of daylight to chase fish. The high tide rolled through the lower Bay around 3:44 AM, and you can expect another low at 9:55 AM, then rising again into the early afternoon. Tidal amplitudes are in the mid-50s to low 60s—average water movement, so look for some action on moving water, especially near structure and drop-offs according to tides4fishing.com.
Weather is classic Chesapeake summer: warm, muggy, and mostly sunny with light winds out of the southwest. Surface water temps are brushing up near 80 degrees, which means the summer migration is in full swing.
Let’s talk fishing: Rockfish (striped bass) action has been spotty in the Middle Bay, especially around the South River and some shorelines, but the early morning and cloudy windows are proving out. Topwater red and white Game On plugs have drawn strikes along Poplar Island, with some fish up to 26 inches. Around the Bay Bridge pilings, live liners are still pulling some decent stripers, especially on the west side. Livelining spot or chunking soft crab remains effective here, and the bite is best at sunrise[FishTalk Magazine].
Spot and croaker numbers are way up in the rivers and mouths—Sandy Point and the tidal creeks are loaded with small ones, and a few keepers are mixed in. Bloodworms or Fishbites on bottom rigs are the ticket here. Bluefish are showing solidly in the Choptank mouth near Sharp’s Island Light, popping up in schools and chasing bait at 20 to 40 feet. Trolling with rubber hoses behind inline sinkers or “spoonbrella” rigs is producing best, with most bluefish in the two to five-pound range, but a few up to 10 pounds are out there[FishTalk Magazine].
White perch fishing has turned on in the last week or so, particularly in the Severn and Magothy Rivers, and around the Patapsco. Look for them shallow, throwing small jigs, Gulp! plastics, or bottom rigs with bloodworm pieces. Folks have even been picking up modest croaker mixed in with the perch south of the bridge. Early and late in the day is best, especially around docks and rocky structure[YouTube: Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report].
Hot spots this week:
- Bay Bridge pilings for rockfish and spot
- Sharp’s Island Light area for bluefish
- Magothy River and Patapsco for white perch and croaker
Don’t overlook the Potomac River, where open water jigging over rock piles in 20 feet has produced days of 30 to 60 striped bass, mostly in the 19 to 24-inch range.
Your best bets today: topwater lures at dawn for stripers, bloodworms or Fishbites on bottom rigs for croaker and spot, and Gulp! on small hooks for shallow perch.
Thanks for tuning in—remember to subscribe for updates and share your hauls. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Sunrise hit at 5:45 AM today, and you’ll have until about 8:25 PM to get lines wet before sunset, with over 14 hours of daylight to chase fish. The high tide rolled through the lower Bay around 3:44 AM, and you can expect another low at 9:55 AM, then rising again into the early afternoon. Tidal amplitudes are in the mid-50s to low 60s—average water movement, so look for some action on moving water, especially near structure and drop-offs according to tides4fishing.com.
Weather is classic Chesapeake summer: warm, muggy, and mostly sunny with light winds out of the southwest. Surface water temps are brushing up near 80 degrees, which means the summer migration is in full swing.
Let’s talk fishing: Rockfish (striped bass) action has been spotty in the Middle Bay, especially around the South River and some shorelines, but the early morning and cloudy windows are proving out. Topwater red and white Game On plugs have drawn strikes along Poplar Island, with some fish up to 26 inches. Around the Bay Bridge pilings, live liners are still pulling some decent stripers, especially on the west side. Livelining spot or chunking soft crab remains effective here, and the bite is best at sunrise[FishTalk Magazine].
Spot and croaker numbers are way up in the rivers and mouths—Sandy Point and the tidal creeks are loaded with small ones, and a few keepers are mixed in. Bloodworms or Fishbites on bottom rigs are the ticket here. Bluefish are showing solidly in the Choptank mouth near Sharp’s Island Light, popping up in schools and chasing bait at 20 to 40 feet. Trolling with rubber hoses behind inline sinkers or “spoonbrella” rigs is producing best, with most bluefish in the two to five-pound range, but a few up to 10 pounds are out there[FishTalk Magazine].
White perch fishing has turned on in the last week or so, particularly in the Severn and Magothy Rivers, and around the Patapsco. Look for them shallow, throwing small jigs, Gulp! plastics, or bottom rigs with bloodworm pieces. Folks have even been picking up modest croaker mixed in with the perch south of the bridge. Early and late in the day is best, especially around docks and rocky structure[YouTube: Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report].
Hot spots this week:
- Bay Bridge pilings for rockfish and spot
- Sharp’s Island Light area for bluefish
- Magothy River and Patapsco for white perch and croaker
Don’t overlook the Potomac River, where open water jigging over rock piles in 20 feet has produced days of 30 to 60 striped bass, mostly in the 19 to 24-inch range.
Your best bets today: topwater lures at dawn for stripers, bloodworms or Fishbites on bottom rigs for croaker and spot, and Gulp! on small hooks for shallow perch.
Thanks for tuning in—remember to subscribe for updates and share your hauls. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.