UTERSpotted seatrout fishing in Delaware Bay and Ocean City
In Delaware Bay and Ocean City, spotted seatrout peak June–October and are around May–November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. September: Specks in Virginia's seaside creeks and Delaware's Indian River Inlet.
Best trout of the year in the inlets and inland bays.
Spotted seatrout in Delaware Bay and Ocean City, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayArriving
- JunePeak
- JulyPeakCanyon season opens up: yellowfin, mahi, white marlin. Run to Poor Man's, Baltimore and Washington canyons for marlin and tuna; fluke move to the ocean wrecks; croaker and spot in the bay and inland bays.
- AugustPeakThe White Marlin Capital at its peak. August is the white marlin month off Ocean City — dredges and ballyhoo on the canyon edges; mahi under the pot floats; big fluke on the ocean wrecks; night stripers under the inlet bridges.
- SeptemberPeakSpecks in Virginia's seaside creeks and Delaware's Indian River Inlet.
- OctoberPeakBest trout of the year in the inlets and inland bays.
- NovemberLeaving
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish spotted seatrout near Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City
Delaware Bay's big, shoaly estuary with the lumps and sloughs off Slaughter Beach and the Coral Beds; the Delaware, Maryland and Assateague surf; the inland bays and back bays behind them (Rehoboth, Indian River, Assawoman, Sinepuxent, Chincoteague); Virginia's wild seaside barrier islands; and the offshore lumps (Jackspot, Hambone) out to Baltimore, Poor Man's and Washington canyons.
What to use for spotted seatrout
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- PigfishFree-lined or under a cork on a 2/0 circle hook for gator trout; on the bottom for grouper.
- PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
- CroakersHooked through the back on a 2/0 to 3/0 circle hook, free-lined or on a Carolina rig — big trout and redfish can't leave them alone.
- Leader15–25 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–1/0
- Jig head1/8–1/4 oz
- Braid10–15 lb
Feeds in 54–86°F water, best at 62–78°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch spotted seatrout in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Peak season is June–October. Spotted seatrout are in Delaware Bay and Ocean City May–November. September: Specks in Virginia's seaside creeks and Delaware's Indian River Inlet.
Where do spotted seatrout hold in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Look on grass flat, channel edge, pass / inlet — around Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape May.
What is the best bait for spotted seatrout in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Live bait: live shrimp, pilchards (whitebait), pigfish, pinfish. Live shrimp: Under a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait. Tackle: leader 15–25 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–1/0, jig head 1/8–1/4 oz, braid 10–15 lb.
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