Worcester County, MD · Atlantic Ocean

Assateague State Park

Assateague State Park offers public shoreline and pier access on the Atlantic coast in Worcester County. Common targets include striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder, red drum, and spotted seatrout.

Live · updated Jul 21, 9:19 PM ET

Top pick today

Red Drum — Skip the Red Drum trip today.

Best conditions of 5 species tracked at Assateague State Park.

18 /100

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NWSActive weather alert

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued July 21 at 8:12PM EDT until July 21 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Atmosphere

Air Temp

84°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind

16 mph

Rain

86%

Wednesday

Pressure

29.81 inHg

Steady · last 6h

Water

Water Temp

76°F

Tidal waters

Tide

incoming

Sun & Moon

Sunrise

5:54 AM

Sunset

8:19 PM

Moon · 49%

first quarter

Today's Tides

Time	Type	Height
1:48 AM	High	2.2 ft
8:02 AM	Low	0.4 ft
2:45 PM	High	2.4 ft
8:52 PM	Low	0.7 ft

Species at Assateague State Park

5 species tracked, ranked by today's conditions. The top pick is open below — tap any species to expand it, or a chip to focus.

#1 Red Drum Skip the Red Drum trip today. In season 18/100

What's helping

76°F water — right in red drum's ideal range
incoming tide — red drum prefers incoming tide

What's hurting

Thunderstorms — get off the water immediately when storms approach
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Sciaenops ocellatus — Also called channel bass, redfish, or (as juveniles) puppy drum. Summer and fall target around the lower Bay shoals and the Eastern Shore coastal bays. Big "bull reds" cruise the surf in fall.

Prefers. Water 65–85°F (ideal 75°F) · incoming tide · depth 3–20 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 91 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 18"
Max size: 27"
Daily creel: 1

Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 18–27 inch slot, 1 per day. Release all fish outside the slot.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#2 Bluefish Skip the Bluefish trip today. In season 6/100

What's helping

76°F water — inside bluefish's active range
incoming tide — bluefish prefers incoming tide

What's hurting

Thunderstorms — get off the water immediately when storms approach
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Pomatomus saltatrix — Toothy, aggressive pelagic predator. "Snapper blues" invade the lower Bay and coastal bays in summer; bigger choppers along the Atlantic coast. Hits metal jigs, topwater, and cut bait savagely — wire leaders recommended.

Prefers. Water 60–80°F (ideal 70°F) · incoming tide · depth 5–50 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 91 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 8"
Daily creel: 5

Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 8-inch minimum. 5 per person on shore or private boat; 7 per person on for-hire boats. Subject to ASMFC coastwide allocation.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#2 Spotted Seatrout Skip the Spotted Seatrout trip today. In season 6/100

What's helping

76°F water — inside spotted seatrout's active range
incoming tide — spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide

What's hurting

Thunderstorms — get off the water immediately when storms approach
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Cynoscion nebulosus — Popularly called "speckled trout" or "specks." Summer-fall target in the lower Bay grass beds and the Eastern Shore coastal bays. Topwater walkers at dawn and soft plastics on jigheads are standard.

Prefers. Water 60–85°F (ideal 72°F) · incoming tide · depth 3–15 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 91 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 14"
Daily creel: 4

Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 14-inch minimum, 4 per day.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#4 Striped Bass Check local Striped Bass regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 0/100

Regulations not yet verified

We don't have confirmed size, creel, or season rules for Striped Bass in MD on file yet. The live conditions score still applies — but confirm the current regulations with your state agency before keeping any fish.

What's helping

incoming tide — striped bass prefers incoming tide

What's hurting

76°F water — above striped bass's active range (50–72°f) — fish move deep
Thunderstorms — get off the water immediately when storms approach
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Morone saxatilis — Maryland's state fish. Anadromous — runs into Bay tributaries to spawn each spring. Targeted by trolling, jigging, live-lining, and surf casting. Locally called "rockfish."

Prefers. Water 50–72°F (ideal 62°F) · incoming tide · depth 5–35 ft.

No regulations on file for Maryland tidal / atlantic. Check the appropriate state agency directly before fishing.

#4 Summer Flounder Skip the Summer Flounder trip today. In season 0/100

What's hurting

76°F water — above summer flounder's active range (58–75°f) — fish move deep
incoming tide — summer flounder prefers outgoing tide
Thunderstorms — get off the water immediately when storms approach
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Paralichthys dentatus — Locally called "fluke." Flatfish that ambushes bait off sandy and mixed bottom. Drifting bucktails tipped with Gulp! or live minnows through Ocean City and Chincoteague inlets is the classic method.

Prefers. Water 58–75°F (ideal 65°F) · outgoing tide · depth 10–100 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 91 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 16"
Daily creel: 4

Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 16 in (Jan 1–May 31) / 17.5 in (Jun 1–Dec 31), 4 per day. Summer flounder regulations are ASMFC-managed and typically re-set annually; verify before the season.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

Location Info

Water Body

Atlantic Ocean

Access

Pier, shore, and ramp

Jurisdiction

Maryland tidal

Coordinates

38.2527, -75.1609

What anglers are reporting

From the Maryland DNR weekly fishing report, published May 27, 2026 · 55 days old — a newer report may be available.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Surf anglers are enjoying good fishing off the beaches of Ocean City and Assateague Island. Anglers fishing with large cut baits are catching large striped bass, red drum and bluefish. Most of the striped bass measure over the maximum slot size of 31 inches, but provide exciting catch-and-release action, as do the large red drum. Black drum are being caught on sand fleas and clams. At the Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, anglers are catching striped bass by casting soft plastic jigs and paddletails . A fair number of the striped bass being caught are falling within the 28-31 inch slot.

Species mentioned: black drum, bluefish, red drum, striped bass

Excerpts are anecdotal and reflect a single week's observations from DNR biologists and reporting anglers — not predictions. Use as one signal among many; verify against current conditions before planning a trip.

Local reports & rules for Assateague State Park: Maryland DNR fishing report → · trout stocking schedule → · fish-consumption advisory →

Nearby Access Points

Assateague Island National Seashore

3.1 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Shore · Atlantic

Ocean City Inlet — North Jetty

6.2 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Multi · Atlantic

Assawoman State Wildlife Area

9.8 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Multi · Atlantic

Public Landing Beach

11 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Pier · Atlantic

Frequently Asked

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Assateague State Park?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Assateague State Park you need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport License issued by MD DNR. Anglers may instead qualify for the free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration in some circumstances (e.g., guest on a boat carrying a Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Decal, or holder of a Virginia saltwater license). See the agency's current rules: https://dnr.maryland.gov/pages/service_fishing_license.aspx

What fish are commonly targeted at Assateague State Park?

Assateague State Park is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, Bluefish, Summer Flounder, Red Drum, and 1 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Assateague State Park?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Assateague State Park against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Assateague State Park have?

Assateague State Park has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Assateague State Park?

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Assateague State Park. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Assateague State Park tidal water?

Yes. Assateague State Park sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.