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Coastal Fishing Forecast
With summer now in full swing many of the coastal bays will be crowded, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find flounder along the channel edges and sheepshead near inlet rocks or bridge pilings. The summertime sheepshead bite has been getting better and better in recent years so grab some fiddler crabs or sand fleas and drop ‘em tight to the structure. Offshore anglers will be focused on finding yellowfin tuna, billfish, and mahi; the tuna bite has varied radically through the years and we can’t say if they’ll stick around or go MIA during July, but most summers some billfish are out there and the mahi-bite should prove reliable. Bailing at the balls is a near-surefire tactic, and if we get lucky they’ll move in close to home and stage around bass pots 12 to 25 miles from the beach.
Freshwater Fishing Forecast
July can be a tough month on the freshwater scene, and there’s no doubt that the best way to get bites will be fishing at dawn, dusk, and under heavy cloud cover. Dawn and dusk will become doubly important at reservoirs that double as resorts, like Lake Anna and Deep Creek, where daytime boat traffic can be enough to squelch the bite. When the sun is high and bass or crappie are on the agenda remember to focus on shaded areas and spots that have some current to keep things cool and elevate oxygen levels. Luckily snakeheads don’t mind the heat, so if chasing Chesapeake Channa - snakeheads -is in the plans be sure to head for the shallows, probe weedy zones, and keep a sharp eye out for fry balls.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
There’s a good chance of finding a rich mix of fish on the Flats right about now, including slot rockfish, largemouth bass, and snakeheads. Fishing topwater at dawn and dusk could produce any or all of the above. Once the heat of the day sets in expect things to get between slow and very slow, with one exception: blue catfish. Mid-summer is a great time to target them, and if you anchor up anywhere within sight of the Route 95 bridge or a channel edge in any of the northern rivers, you have an excellent shot at ‘em. Remember that FishTalk supporter Fishbites has a new line of mess-free catfish bait nuggets and these make targeting cats a piece of cake (we found the white shad flavor and pink shrimp to be top picks).
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
Most Upper Bay anglers will likely be focused on finding rockfish this month, and remember, as of August 1 they become off-limits. Expect live-lining spot and tossing jigs to be top options in July, with the mouth of the Patapsco, Tolchester, Love Point, and the Bay Bridge pilings all likely hotspots. Hopefully we’ll have a better white perch bite this summer than last year’s lackluster action, however, since they’ve had spawning success similar to that of the rockfish for the past few years our expectations aren’t through the roof. Another option to consider if you’re heading up a trib or creek is to target snakeheads, which now inhabit… well, just about all of them.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
Enjoy another month of targeting rockfish, because when July ends we’ll be giving them a break. Dawn and dusk are bound to be best, particularly when casting topwater to shallows like tributary piers and the Poplar Island rocks. Will the reds be back? Will bluefish, croaker, flounder, or Spanish mackerel show up? Any or all of these fish could show up in force during July, but as usual it’s a crap shoot. That said, last year’s showing of bluefish was better than expected, particularly in the Sharps Island zone and the channel edges near Solomons. Also note that last year’s run of spot, including eating-sized fish, was exceptionally strong in the lower Patuxent—hopefully that will prove true again in 2026.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
Maryland waters remain open for rockfish this month, Virginia waters are closed, and PRFC waters shut down July 7. Fortunately, there are plenty of other species to target in this zone, and if this July is anything like last year, a highlight will be the presence of unusually big bluefish (including some up to 30-plus inches). The Target Ship was a highlight, with trollers pulling spoons and hoses doing best but jiggers catching their fair share, too. Hopefully the big bull reds will pull a repeat performance, too, chasing bait in open water and near channel edges. We’re also hoping for an uptick in the cobia action in this part of the Bay, where last year’s bite would be best described as so-so.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Forecast
Anglers who regularly probe these waters are undoubtedly hoping for a rerun of last year’s bluefish action in open water and around wrecks and reefs, because by now the water temps are likely to stifle most of the shallow water action other than right at dawn and dusk. Bear in mind that topwater and shallow-running crankbaits produced excellent catches. Bottom fishing may provide an excellent option, too, as last year’s crop of mixed spot, croaker, kingfish, and even puffer fish proved better than usual.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
If this year is like last year you’ll want to get out there and try sight fishing for cobia sooner rather than later, because as July progressed and pressure on the fish increased the bite only became tougher and tougher. Last July also proved a bit less productive for slot redfish action on the east side, so let’s hope that changes. Sheepshead were tougher than usual to come by, too, but early indications are that they’re back in better numbers already this season. And the bull redfish hanging out near the CBBT Islands? They should be ready and willing to pounce on live croaker and spot right about now. Also note that there were large numbers of sub-legal and barely-legal weakfish caught last summer, particularly around Kiptopeke, and they may well be back now in keeper sizes—fingers are crossed.