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Late Fall Striper Blitz on the Chesapeake Bay
Published 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Friday, November 7, 2025, focused on the Baltimore and DC corridor.
It’s crisp out there—late fall is settling in, and frosty mornings mean bundling up is a must. Sunrise hit at 6:34 AM today, with sunset at 5:00 PM. Water temps in the Bay are sitting in the upper 50s, cooler in the rivers around the mid 50s. Expect above-average tidal currents all weekend thanks to the recent supermoon, with high tide rolling in at 9:08 AM and again at 9:33 PM, low tide just past 2:30 AM and mid-afternoon at 3:32 PM. Winds will be brisk, with rain chances heading into Saturday and Sunday, so pack your waterproofs and check that Small Craft Advisory from NOAA before launching. Main channel oxygen remains solid to the bottom, so fish are spread out and active.
**Fish Activity and Recent Catches**
Striped bass are hot right now. Reports from Maryland DNR and local news say anglers are hitting good numbers at Conowingo Dam, Baltimore Harbor, and the Fort McHenry shoreline. Most are finding success casting poppers and paddle tails, especially at dawn or dusk. Jigging and trolling umbrella rigs along deeper channels at the mouth of the Patapsco, Pooles Island, and the Triple Buoys area near Rock Hall are all producing near-limit catches. Don’t overlook the Bay Bridge rock piles or Thomas Point—skirted soft plastic jigs and live eels are nailing rockfish.
White perch remain reliable. Larger ones are schooling near river mouths and over oyster beds. Dropper rigs tipped with bloodworm or grass shrimp work best, especially near Patapsco and Chester rivers or Kent Narrows. Blue catfish are absolutely on fire—a standout this week, especially at the mouths of the Susquehanna, Elk, and North East rivers. Cut bait, shrimp, or livelining perch are top choices and the food banks just received a big haul of wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish. Crappie are also turning on, especially in the tidal Potomac near Wilson Bridge, Fort Washington Marina, and up the Wicomico at Snow Hill.
A few red drum are still showing up in the Bay, gorging on peanut bunker that are streaming out of the rivers. Tautog and sheepshead are tapering off in the lower Bay and coastal areas but can be picked near jetties and bridge pilings on sand fleas or crab pieces.
**Best Lures and Bait**
Locals have been hammering stripers with paddle tails (white, chartreuse), skirted soft plastic jigs, poppers for early and late bites, and umbrella rigs for trolling. Jigging World and Tsunami Tackle diamond jigs—even Deadly Dick and Hopkins Shorty metals—are killer for imitating sand eels and silversides during these fall blitzes, especially when birds are diving. When live bait is legal, eels and small white perch get the bigger bites.
For white perch, bloodworms and grass shrimp on bottom rigs are your old reliable. Blue catfish will gorge on fresh cut bunker or shrimp. For pickerel in the creeks or nontidal rivers, swap those trebles out for single hooks—inline dressed bucktail jig or spinner.
**A Couple Hot Spots**
- **Conowingo Dam Pool:** Water releases create perfect conditions for stripers and smallmouth early in the outgoing tide.
- **Fort McHenry & Baltimore Harbor:** Shoreline casting and pier fishing for stripers in low light.
- **Bay Bridge Piers & Rock Piles:** Consistent for both stripers and jumbo white perch.
- **Kent Narrows:** White perch action is top-tier here now.
- **Pooles Island and Triple Buoys Area:** Reliable for trolling big stripers deep.
- **Susquehanna River Mouth:** Outstanding blue catfish action—bring cut bait.
As we shift deeper into November, focus on moving baits and keep an eye on bait schools leaving the rivers. The colder and windier it gets, the tighter the fish will school—find one, and you’ll find a handful.
Thanks as always for tunin
It’s crisp out there—late fall is settling in, and frosty mornings mean bundling up is a must. Sunrise hit at 6:34 AM today, with sunset at 5:00 PM. Water temps in the Bay are sitting in the upper 50s, cooler in the rivers around the mid 50s. Expect above-average tidal currents all weekend thanks to the recent supermoon, with high tide rolling in at 9:08 AM and again at 9:33 PM, low tide just past 2:30 AM and mid-afternoon at 3:32 PM. Winds will be brisk, with rain chances heading into Saturday and Sunday, so pack your waterproofs and check that Small Craft Advisory from NOAA before launching. Main channel oxygen remains solid to the bottom, so fish are spread out and active.
**Fish Activity and Recent Catches**
Striped bass are hot right now. Reports from Maryland DNR and local news say anglers are hitting good numbers at Conowingo Dam, Baltimore Harbor, and the Fort McHenry shoreline. Most are finding success casting poppers and paddle tails, especially at dawn or dusk. Jigging and trolling umbrella rigs along deeper channels at the mouth of the Patapsco, Pooles Island, and the Triple Buoys area near Rock Hall are all producing near-limit catches. Don’t overlook the Bay Bridge rock piles or Thomas Point—skirted soft plastic jigs and live eels are nailing rockfish.
White perch remain reliable. Larger ones are schooling near river mouths and over oyster beds. Dropper rigs tipped with bloodworm or grass shrimp work best, especially near Patapsco and Chester rivers or Kent Narrows. Blue catfish are absolutely on fire—a standout this week, especially at the mouths of the Susquehanna, Elk, and North East rivers. Cut bait, shrimp, or livelining perch are top choices and the food banks just received a big haul of wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish. Crappie are also turning on, especially in the tidal Potomac near Wilson Bridge, Fort Washington Marina, and up the Wicomico at Snow Hill.
A few red drum are still showing up in the Bay, gorging on peanut bunker that are streaming out of the rivers. Tautog and sheepshead are tapering off in the lower Bay and coastal areas but can be picked near jetties and bridge pilings on sand fleas or crab pieces.
**Best Lures and Bait**
Locals have been hammering stripers with paddle tails (white, chartreuse), skirted soft plastic jigs, poppers for early and late bites, and umbrella rigs for trolling. Jigging World and Tsunami Tackle diamond jigs—even Deadly Dick and Hopkins Shorty metals—are killer for imitating sand eels and silversides during these fall blitzes, especially when birds are diving. When live bait is legal, eels and small white perch get the bigger bites.
For white perch, bloodworms and grass shrimp on bottom rigs are your old reliable. Blue catfish will gorge on fresh cut bunker or shrimp. For pickerel in the creeks or nontidal rivers, swap those trebles out for single hooks—inline dressed bucktail jig or spinner.
**A Couple Hot Spots**
- **Conowingo Dam Pool:** Water releases create perfect conditions for stripers and smallmouth early in the outgoing tide.
- **Fort McHenry & Baltimore Harbor:** Shoreline casting and pier fishing for stripers in low light.
- **Bay Bridge Piers & Rock Piles:** Consistent for both stripers and jumbo white perch.
- **Kent Narrows:** White perch action is top-tier here now.
- **Pooles Island and Triple Buoys Area:** Reliable for trolling big stripers deep.
- **Susquehanna River Mouth:** Outstanding blue catfish action—bring cut bait.
As we shift deeper into November, focus on moving baits and keep an eye on bait schools leaving the rivers. The colder and windier it gets, the tighter the fish will school—find one, and you’ll find a handful.
Thanks as always for tunin