We all know printed fishing reports are generalized and weeks have passed before the report gets into your hands, so for timely, up-to-date reports, visit our Reports section. Current reports will be published every Friday by noon — just in time for your weekend fishing adventures. In the meantime, here’s our monthly prognostication.
COASTAL FISHING FORECAST
With spring finally turning into summer June is a month of red-hot fishing all along the coast, and that goes from the tuna-filled canyons to the sandy beaches of our barrier islands. If 2024 is similar to 2023 we’ll be seeing 30- to 50-pound yellowfin plus some marlin on the offshore grounds this month, plenty of black sea bass biting inshore, and flounder, striped bass, and bluefish in the coastal bays. Remember that early June can also be a fantastic time to find big sharks on the beach and panfish like kingfish will be patrolling the suds in good numbers by now, too.
FRESHWATER FISHING FORECAST
Though stocked trout action has wound down by this point June will likely offer awesome action on bass and crappie in our region’s reservoirs, and western bodies of water like Deep Creek should be hitting their peak before the summer crowds arrive. In the lakes look for shallow water structure to be hot for largemouth, especially early and late in the day. In the rivers smallmouth should be chewing on swimbaits, spinners, and similar offerings. Oh, and those snakeheads? It should be a good bite though by the end of the month they may shift into spawning mode and get a little tougher to tempt.
NORTH CHESAPEAKE FISHING FORECAST
Anglers, rejoice! The beginning of June means the reopening of northern areas of the Bay to rockfish. And June can be a great month up this way, both on the Flats and up the rivers. Added bonus: snakeheads will be prowling many of these waters as well. Double-added bonus: you just know the blue catfish will be biting all over the darn place.
UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY FISHING FORECAST
Rockfish are on! Rockfish are on! This month we can expect them to begin schooling in earnest and areas like the mouth of the Chester and the Bridge should become prime zones of activity. What about the mouth of the Patapsco? It’s been a winner in recent years, but events at the Key Bridge have certainly thrown us a curveball and as we go to print we just don’t know how fishable it will be.
MIDDLE BAY FORECAST
June will likely hold some exciting transitions in the Middle Bay and despite a near-certain focus on the rockfish we can also hope for the appearance of bluefish and speckled trout in more southern areas, and better numbers of bottom fish like spot and croaker. This month also marks the beginning of summerish perch fishing, as the whites move up to piers, riprap, and shorelines in the tribs.
LOWER BAY FORECAST
Yes, rock will take center stage here, too, but by June we’ll likely be seeing good numbers of specks, redfish, and other southern species. Mid-month when cobia come in you can bet they’ll steal the spotlight and hopefully this year’s run will be stronger than what we saw in 2023. Plus, while it will be tougher than last year to find keeper-sized fish with the minimum jumping to 17.5 inches this month, flounder should be moving in along channel edges and drop-offs by now.
TANGIER, POCOMOKE, AND LOWER SHORE FORECAST
In this zone of Chesapeake Country you can find just about any species that prowls the Bay during June, though we have to expect that rays will be problematic. Still, it’s well worth culling through the cownoses to get to rock, drum, and reds in the shallows and blues then cobia in open waters. We note that last June there were quality redfish hitting soft or peeler crab near the grass beds; finding clear water will be key.
WAY SOUTH AND VA FORECAST
It’s a case of “all of the above” this month where the Bay meets the ocean, but big bull reds will likely have the full attention of trophy-hunters as June sets in. By the middle of the month attention should shift to the cobia run, as anglers travel from far and wide to get in on this action. Both sight fishing and chumming should produce and if history is any indication Cape Charles and the CBBT will be epicenters of the action. Hopefully Spanish mackerel will move in before the month is out, and it’s a safe bet that flounder, speckled trout, puppy drum, and bluefish will be around in good numbers by now, too.