Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Saturday, October 18th, 2025, focused on the Baltimore and D.C. region. Let’s dive right into what’s happening on the water today.

We’re starting off with the weather—expect typical October coolness with highs in the low 60s and a passing morning breeze. The National Weather Service is calling for minor tidal flooding in parts of the mid and upper bay this weekend due to higher water and steady northeast winds, so some low-lying ramps might be a little soggy. Sunrise comes at 7:15 a.m. and sunset at 6:23 p.m., so plan your trips accordingly.

Today’s tides in Chesapeake Bay favor anglers fishing the morning bite. Low tide kicks in at 3:18 a.m., high tide peaks at 8:40 a.m., then we drop back to a 3:45 p.m. low before another high at 8:57 p.m.—plenty of moving water for those predawn and late afternoon blitzes, which usually mean more active fish according to Tide-Forecast.com.

The inshore bite has been strong with a classic Chesapeake Bay fall mix. Anglers from the creeks around Baltimore south through the Patapsco and Severn report good numbers of **striped bass**, breaking fish on the surface early, then tucking tight to dock pilings and bridge structure as the sun gets higher. The Maryland fall striper season is open, and the fish are right on schedule. Most keepers are running 19–24 inches, and there are some healthy overs being released, reported recently by FishTalk Magazine.

**Red drum** activity is still running hot—slot size reds have been caught along grass flats in the Upper Bay tribs and around the shallows of the Susquehanna Flats. Down south near the mouth, reports from Virginia waters say reds are staging at the structure of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, with some big bull reds mixed in. One boat this week picked up a heavy haul along the pilings using live croaker and gold spoons.

**Speckled trout** numbers are steady, but size has been mixed. The grass beds near Eastern Neck Island and around Whitehall Bay are good bets for trout, with Vudu shrimp under a popping cork or Z-Man soft plastics in natural colors both drawing steady strikes, especially around sunrise and sunset. Some decent flounder have also turned up as bycatch, especially on outgoing tide along channel edges.

**Sheepshead** are still hanging out around bridge pilings and deeper inshore structure, as confirmed by angler reports from the Bay Bridge and Key Bridge. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs fished tight to the pilings are your go-to baits for these stubborn biters.

Menhaden, the top local baitfish, are in shorter supply according to recent scientific updates, which has dropped the bait harvest sharply since last year, per the latest assessments covered by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. That means throwing cast nets for fresh bunker may be hit or miss. Bloodworms, soft crab, and peeler crab are great alternatives for stripers, while live spot or croaker also tempt bigger predators if you can find them.

Top artificial lures right now include:
- 4- to 6-inch swimbaits on half ounce jig heads, in chartreuse or white
- Soft plastic jerkbaits for trout
- Johnson gold spoons for red drum
- Popping cork rigs with shrimp imitations

If you’re looking for a couple of hotspots:
- **Key Bridge and Francis Scott Key Bridge area**—great for stripers and sheepshead this week.
- **Eastern Bay grass beds and mouths of the Magothy and South Rivers**—excellent for trout at dawn and dusk.

For the southern Bay runners, the lower James and Elizabeth River tributaries are holding stripers, puppy drum, and specks on dock edges and grassy marshes. Don’t overlook the inflow at Curtis Creek just outside Baltimore, which can load up with stripers chasing bait this time of year.

That’s your local, boots-on-the-dock report for...