Fishing Report
Chesapeake Bay (middle), VA
Summary: 3/26/26 - Middle Bay - Striped bass catch-and-release anglers can fish the waters out in the main part of the middle Bay; the tidal rivers remain closed. The DNR website has maps outlining the open and closed areas. Bay water temperatures are holding in the upper 40s this week. Trolling will be one of the ways anglers will fish along the steeper channel edges. Several rules include making lure hooks barbless, no stinger hooks and no more than six lines may be fished at any one time. Jigging will be a fun way to fish along channel edges or when fish can be spotted on depth finders. Large soft plastic jigs of 6 inches or more will be popular. Anglers are reporting that white perch are moving up the Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek this week. The vanguard of the white perch spawning runs are usually the smaller male white perch and they are being seen as far upriver as Greensboro and below Hillsboro on the Tuckahoe. Water temperatures are 58 degrees at Denton and 52 degrees at Cambridge. Small jig heads or shad darts with grass shrimp or small minnows attached or a bottom rig baited with grass shrimp, minnows or pieces of bloodworm work well. Fishing for blue catfish is getting better each week as warmer water temperatures have the small to medium sized blue catfish becoming more active. The blue catfish weighing more than 20 pounds have been active for weeks.