Matapeake Pier fishing conditions · Maryland

Now until tomorrow 10 pmStriped bass

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 63°, close to the 62° striped bass like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Right now: 100 for striped bass, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Striped bass, 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.

10010 am
100
100
1001 pm
100
100
1004 pm
100
100
1007 pm
100
100
10010 pm
100
100Tue
1001 am
100
100
1004 am
100
100
1007 am
100
100
10010 am
100
100
1001 pm
100
100
1004 pm
100
100
1007 pm
100
100

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: 63°F
Wind: 5 mph
Light: Daylight
Sky: Sunny
Air: 56°F
Barometer: Steady
Moon: 100% lit

What’s biting

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

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

100GoNow until tomorrow 10 pm

Water

63°

40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Right in striped bass's ideal range. Striped bass is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Striped bass prefers incoming tide. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

19" minimum · 24" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay, 2026. Catch and release only Jan 1–Apr 30 and Dec 6–31; harvest May 1–Jul 31 and Sep 1–Dec 5 at 1 fish a day, 19–24"; closed to all striped bass fishing in August. In May, harvest is only allowed in the main Bay (and Tangier and Pocomoke sounds), not in its bays, rivers and creeks. Spawning rivers and the Upper Bay spawning area are closed to all striped bass fishing Mar 1–May 31. Non-offset circle hooks with bait; eels may not be used as bait; no possession midnight–5 a.m.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

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

White perch

Morone americana

92GoNow until tomorrow 10 pm

Water

63°

40°50–78° · ideal 65°88°

Why

Right in white perch's ideal range. White perch is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries: no minimum size by hook and line (8" with other gear) and no daily limit, open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov. Likes an outgoing tide. More on white perch

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

88GoNow until tomorrow 10 pm

Water

63°

50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Bluefish prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside bluefish's active range. Holds 5–50 ft down.

Keep

8" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay: 8" minimum; 5 a day from shore or a private boat, 7 on a for-hire boat (up from 3 and 5 in 2025). Open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: May–Oct. More on bluefish

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

88GoNow until tomorrow 10 pm

Water

63°

50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside spotted seatrout's active range. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 4 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Maryland Chesapeake Bay: 14" minimum, 4 a day, open all year. May not be used as bait.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Maryland tidal

Season here: May–Oct. More on spotted seatrout

The water

Water temperature63°F
Seas0.3 ft at the nearest buoy
Barometer30.37 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today6:12 pm
Sunrise tomorrow7:27 am
MoonFull, 100% lit
Major solunarToday 12:00 pm–2:00 pm
Minor solunarToday 5:40 pm–6:40 pm
Major solunarTonight 12:30 am–2:30 am

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

Middle Bay. Anglers are enjoying good fishing for striped bass at the Bay Bridge when live-lining spot, small white perch, or eels near the pier bases. The east side of the bridge near the 30-foot drop-off tends to offer some of the best fishing. Most boats are anchoring up current and drifting baits back to the bridge pier bases with good success. Other anglers are enjoying good fishing for striped bass by casting soft plastic jigs and bucktails at pier bases along the bridge. The best opportunities are early in the morning and late evening and a good running tide is always important. Some of the best striped bass fishing is occurring along the shallower waters of the Bay and tidal rivers this week.

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

Licenses and rules: MD DNR · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

Matapeake Park on the western shore of Kent Island features a 650-foot lighted fishing pier and a 25-foot-wide boat ramp. Sits on the site of the former Sandy Point–Matapeake ferry landing (operated until the Bay Bridge replaced ferry service in 1952). Good white perch and striper fishing with views of the Bay Bridge.

Free public pier. Small parking area. Historic ferry terminal site. Less crowded than Kent Narrows.

WaterChesapeake Bay
AccessFishing pier
RulesMaryland tidal
WhereQueen Anne's County · 38.9668, -76.3418

Nearby

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

Sandy Point State Park4 mi · MarylandBest now until tomorrow 10 pm

100Go

Kent Narrows — Public Fishing Pier5 mi · MarylandBest now until tomorrow 10 pm

100Go

Romancoke Pier6 mi · MarylandBest now until tomorrow 10 pm

100Go

Mayo Beach Park9 mi · MarylandBest now until tomorrow 10 pm

100Go

Beverly Triton Nature Park10 mi · MarylandBest now until tomorrow 10 pm

100Go

Downs Park11 mi · MarylandBest tonight 11 pm to tomorrow 10 pm

100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Matapeake Pier?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Matapeake Pier 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 Matapeake Pier?

Matapeake Pier is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: White Perch, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Spotted Seatrout. 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 Matapeake Pier?

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 Matapeake Pier 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 Matapeake Pier have?

Matapeake Pier has a fishing pier — shore-only anglers can fish here without a boat. Free public pier. Small parking area. Historic ferry terminal site. Less crowded than Kent Narrows.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Matapeake Pier?

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Matapeake Pier. 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 Matapeake Pier tidal water?

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