Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Stripers, Trout, and Bull Reds on the Move

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay, Virginia fishing report for Friday, June 6th, 2025.

We’ve got a classic early summer setup across the Bay with the bite steadily improving as the water temps creep up and the days get longer. Sunrise today was at 5:46 AM and you’ll have light until sunset at 8:19 PM—plenty of time to chase that fish of a lifetime. According to the latest tide charts from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, we’re looking at moderate tidal swings today, with a high tide this morning and another coming mid-afternoon. The tidal coefficient is sitting around 50, so expect average current and decent movement, especially over structure and flats.

Weather-wise, we’re sitting under partly cloudy skies with a light breeze out of the southeast. Daytime highs will push into the upper 70s, so it should be comfortable on the water.

Let’s talk fish: reports from Anglers Sport Center and FishTalk Magazine show rockfish (striped bass) are the main ticket, especially around shoreline structure and deeper pilings. Topwater plugs like Spooks and Skitter Walks are getting crushed early and late, while paddle tails and soft plastics in the 4-6 inch range are putting limits in the box for those working deeper water and current edges. In the Middle Bay, spots like the Bay Bridge pilings, Poplar Island, and Thomas Point are all producing. If you can get your hands on some live spot, they’ve been dynamite for live-lining, while jigging ½ to 1 ounce heads with natural colored plastics has been steady.

Speckled trout action is heating up, too. Green Top Sporting Goods reported a 10lb 10oz speck being landed this week—a true trophy. Target them with soft plastics and diving plugs in the mornings on grass flats, especially south of Poplar Island and down towards the mouth of the James.

In the lower Bay, The Tackle Box and Virginia Beach Saltwater Fishing say schools of bull red drum are staging with the cobia moving up behind them. Try cut mullet, peeler crab, or bunker for the big reds around the CBBT and inlets, and live eels or spot for cobia. Metal spoons and shiny jigs are fooling good numbers of bluefish, which have shown up early this season—just be prepared to lose a few plastics to those sharp teeth.

Don’t overlook white perch, spot, and croaker, now moving into the shallows. Best baits are bloodworms, grass shrimp, or small squid strips on bottom rigs. Sabiki rigs tipped with bait have been excellent for a mixed cooler. Perch Hounders and small spinners do well for casting.

My hot spots for today:
- The Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings for stripers and sheepshead
- Poplar Island’s flats for trout and slot reds
- The mouth of the James River for cobia and bull drum

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