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Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report — Week of October 21, 2026
Summarized by ChesapeakeCaptains from the Maryland DNR Fishing Report dated October 14, 2026 (and DNR Eyes on the Bay forecast for Oct 14–20) — not first-hand, and not updated for this week. Check conditions before you go.
Conditions
Main Bay surface and river-mouth water temps were hovering around 70°F, with smaller rivers in the low-to-mid 60s. Dry weather has Bay salinities running higher than normal in Maryland waters; oxygen was adequate in most Bay bottom waters and clarity average. [1]
Upper Bay
Conowingo Dam pool is giving up a mix of striped bass, blue catfish and flathead catfish. Rockfish are on the shallow edges of the Susquehanna Flats and tidal rivers mornings and evenings on poppers, paddletails and crankbaits. Live-lining small white perch, eels and spot along channel edges — Pooles Island and the Love Point rocks — is working, and jigging/trolling bucktails and umbrella rigs is picking up as fish move deeper. Upper Bay water ~67°F. White perch remain in tidal creeks; snakehead fishing on the grass flats is good on sunny afternoons. [1]
Middle Bay
Good striped bass at the Bay Bridge live-lining spot, small white perch or eels at the pier bases — the east side near the 30-ft drop-off has been best — plus casting soft plastics and bucktails early and late on a running tide. Shallow-water rockfish are biting on poppers, paddletails and jerkbaits, with speckled trout in the mix. Look for breaking fish and birds along the channel edge below Bloody Point Light past Buoy 83 toward the False Channel. Blue catfish are good in the Choptank from Choptank to Denton and up the Tuckahoe. Middle Bay ~68°F. [1]
Lower Bay
Bluefish fishing is excellent trolling spoons and surge tubes at the mouth of the Potomac, the Target Ship and the Middle Grounds — ice them well. Bait schools in the lower Potomac and Patuxent are drawing striped bass; cast or jig soft plastics and metal. Excellent mixed bottom fishing for spot, kingfish, grey and speckled trout and plenty of northern puffers around the lower Patuxent, Point Lookout and Tangier Sound. [1]
Virginia waters
Not yet covered this week — we only publish what we can cite from a public report. Virginia coverage coming soon.
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