Virginia Beach Saltwater Fishing Report

By VBSF Staff | TH Spangler | Connie Barbour

Virginia Beach anglers need four or five warm days in a row to kick off the speckled trout, puppy drum seasons inside Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. A few warm days will lure bait into the shallows and the predators will follow.

Cold inshore water is holding up our big red drum bite. But a few warm days will take care of that as well. Then look for reports to start coming in from the Outer Banks of NC and along Virginia’s Sandbridge. The bite will quickly turn on in the shallows of Virginia’s Eastern Shore and in the lower Chesapeake Bay.  Bay anglers will also be targeting large black drum with fresh clams.

Tautog fishing is good on the ocean wrecks when you can find a weather window. Dr. Ken Neil fished a half day recently and caught 8 tautog.

Rockfish are available inside the rivers, but must be released.

On the Outer Banks NC surf anglers reported slow fishing last week. With the water temperature on the beach in the low 50s it’s hard to find a consistent bite. We need water temps in the low 60’s. A few red drum were beached at the Point though, but action is not very consistent. There’s a steadier bite found on the southern beaches of Ocracoke Island.

Anglers fishing Jennette’s Pier are catching a few dogfish on frozen cut bait fished using bottom rigs.

Offshore boats running out of Oregon Inlet are finding plenty of big bluefin tuna. Along with the bluefins are some yellowfin tuna and even some wahoo. Blackfin Tuna are available off Hatteras.  Hatteras boats are doing some bottom fishing as well this time of year.

Water Temps

Cape Charles: 42.4 F
Cape Henry: 42.6 F
Kiptopeke: 43.0 F
Duck NC Pier: 43.9 F
Oregon Inlet Surf: 44.1 F
OI offshore Buoy @ 60 feet: 44.1 F
Hatteras Surf: 52.3 F
Diamond Shoals Tower: 70.0 F