It’s a fishing day

Chapel Point State Park fishing conditions · Maryland

Tomorrow, 5 am–3 pmWhite perch

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 63°, close to the 65° white perch like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 96 for white perch, goTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

White perch, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 963 am
  2. 96
  3. 96
  4. 966 am
  5. 86
  6. 90
  7. 869 am
  8. 86
  9. 86
  10. 9212 pm
  11. 92
  12. 92
  13. 883 pm
  14. 88
  15. 86
  16. 906 pm
  17. 86
  18. 86
  19. 869 pm
  20. 86
  21. 86
  22. 86Tue
  23. 90
  24. 90
  25. 883 am
  26. 88
  27. 96
  28. 966 am
  29. 96
  30. 96
  31. 1009 am
  32. 96
  33. 96
  34. 9612 pm
  35. 100
  36. 100
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
63°F

White perch range 50–78°

Wind
2 mph

From the northwest

Light
Dark

Sunrise 7:27 am

Sky
Patchy Fog

No rain expected

Air
47°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Potomac River Fisheries Commission regulations for these waters.

White Perch

White perch

Morone americana

100GoTomorrow, 5 am–3 pm

Water

63°
40°50–78° · ideal 65°88°

Why

Right in white perch's ideal range. White perch prefers outgoing tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. PRFC's 2026 recreational order (#2026-03) does not list white perch, so the Commission sets no recreational size or catch limit for it on the tidal Potomac main stem.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Potomac River Fisheries Commission

Season here: Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on white perch

Striped Bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

80Worth the tripTomorrow, 5 am–3 pm

Water

63°
40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Right in striped bass's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Striped bass prefers incoming tide. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

19" minimum · 24" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tidal Potomac main stem (PRFC), 2026: catch and release only Jan 1–May 15; harvest May 16–Jul 6 and Aug 21–Dec 31 at 1 fish a day, 19–24"; closed to targeting Jul 7–Aug 20. Non-offset circle hooks with cut or whole natural bait; no live eels; no more than 2 hooks per line.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Potomac River Fisheries Commission

Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on striped bass

Blue Catfish

Blue catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

74Worth the tripTomorrow, 5 am–3 pm

Water

63°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside blue catfish's active range. Holds 10–60 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tidal Potomac main stem (PRFC): blue catfish have no size limit and no possession limit, open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Potomac River Fisheries Commission

Season here: Year-round. More on blue catfish

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

74Worth the tripTomorrow, 5 am–3 pm

Water

63°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside largemouth bass's active range. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 5 a day (Jan 1–Feb 29, Jun 16–Dec 31); 15" minimum · 5 a day (Mar 1–Jun 15)

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tidal Potomac main stem (PRFC): 5 black bass a day; 15" minimum Mar 1–Jun 15 and 12" the rest of the year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Potomac River Fisheries Commission

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on largemouth bass

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

74Worth the tripTomorrow, 5 am–3 pm

Water

63°
50°60–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside channel catfish's active range. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. PRFC's 2026 recreational order (#2026-03) sets limits only for bullhead catfish (6" minimum, no limit) and blue catfish (no limits); it sets no recreational size or catch limit for channel catfish on the tidal Potomac main stem.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Potomac River Fisheries Commission

Season here: Apr–Nov. More on channel catfish

Northern Snakehead

Northern snakehead

Channa argus

74Worth the tripTomorrow, 5 am–3 pm

Water

63°
45°55–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside northern snakehead's active range. Holds 2–10 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tidal Potomac main stem (PRFC): no size limit, no possession limit. It is unlawful to possess a live snakehead or to release one alive.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Potomac River Fisheries Commission

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on northern snakehead

The water

  • Water temperature63°F
  • Barometer30.41 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today7:27 am
  • Sunset today6:15 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:30 am–8:30 am
  • Major solunarToday 12:00 pm–2:00 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 5:50 pm–6:50 pm

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

Maryland DNR, Oct 14

Lower Bay. Getting out to fish on the lower Bay has been difficult for the past three weekends, but there are excellent fishing opportunities in between. Anglers are enjoying excellent fishing for bluefish this week. Trolling a mix of spoons and surge tube lures has been the most popular and effective way to catch them. The mouth of the Potomac, the Target Ship area and the Middle Grounds are all good places to find them. Make sure to bring plenty of ice to keep them firm in an ice chest. Once they get soft from not being iced, there is no way to firm them up again.

Quoted from the Maryland DNR weekly fishing report. Reports are what anglers and biologists saw that week, not a forecast.

Licenses and rules: PRFC · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

A state park where the Port Tobacco River meets the tidal Potomac. Largemouth and northern snakehead in the grass and marsh edges, blue and channel catfish year-round, striped bass and white perch on the tide.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Friendship Farm Park7 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 7 am–1 pm
100Go
Chapman State Park11 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 2 am–3 pm
100Go
Leesylvania State Park15 mi · VirginiaBest tonight 11 pm to tomorrow 3 pm
100Go
Mason Neck State Park15 mi · VirginiaBest tomorrow 3 am–2 pm
100Go
Pohick Bay Regional Park16 mi · VirginiaBest tomorrow 7 am–2 pm
100Go
Occoquan Regional Park19 mi · VirginiaBest tomorrow 4 am–3 pmFrost Advisory
75Worth the trip

Questions people ask

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

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Chapel Point State Park you need a Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) Sport Fishing License — separately issued from MD or VA tidal licenses, with reciprocity for some classes of MD/VA license holders. See the agency's current rules: https://prfc.us/sports.html

What fish are commonly targeted at Chapel Point State Park?

Chapel Point State Park is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, White Perch, Blue Catfish, Largemouth Bass, and 2 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 Chapel Point 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 Chapel Point 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 Chapel Point State Park have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Chapel Point State Park?

Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) regulations — separate from both MD DNR and VA VMRC apply at Chapel Point 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 Chapel Point State Park tidal water?

Yes. Chapel Point 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.