UTERAtlantic bluefin tuna fishing in Chesapeake Bay
In Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic bluefin tuna peak December–February and are around June and November–March, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Winter bluefin off Virginia Beach and down toward the Outer Banks.
Not in Chesapeake Bay this month.
Atlantic bluefin tuna in Chesapeake Bay, month by month
- JanuaryPeakWinter bluefin off Virginia Beach and down toward the Outer Banks.
- FebruaryPeakColdest water of the year — tog, perch and released stripers. Tog on the lower-bay wrecks on calm days; white perch deep in the tributaries; slow jigs for stripers where it's legal to target them.
- MarchLeaving
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneAroundSchool bluefin on the inshore lumps off Virginia.
- JulyNot here
- AugustNot here
- SeptemberNot here
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberArriving
- DecemberPeakBig ocean stripers back at the mouth; tog and winter specks. Trophy migrants return to the lower bay and the Bridge-Tunnel (Maryland catch-and-release from December 6 in 2026); tog on the Bridge-Tunnel; specks in the Elizabeth River.
Where to fish Atlantic bluefin tuna near Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons
The biggest estuary in the country: 200 miles of brackish bay fed by the Susquehanna, Potomac, Patuxent, Choptank, Nanticoke, Rappahannock and James, with oyster bars, channel edges and lumps in the main stem, marsh islands down Tangier Sound, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's pilings and islands at the mouth. Salinity climbs from fresh at the Flats to ocean at Cape Henry.
Fish Scouter charts 850 wreck, 42 artificial reef spots in the The Chesapeake map area — the kinds Atlantic bluefin tuna hold on.
What to use for Atlantic bluefin tuna
- Menhaden (pogies)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom.
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 50–76°F water, best at 58–70°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Atlantic bluefin tuna in Chesapeake Bay?
Peak season is December–February. Atlantic bluefin tuna are in Chesapeake Bay June and November–March. January: Winter bluefin off Virginia Beach and down toward the Outer Banks.
Where do Atlantic bluefin tuna hold in Chesapeake Bay?
Look on wreck, artificial reef — around Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons, Tilghman Island, Crisfield, Deltaville.
What is the best bait for Atlantic bluefin tuna in Chesapeake Bay?
Live bait: menhaden (pogies), squid, herring, sand eels. Menhaden (pogies): Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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