Now until 7 amWhite perch
The bite peaks at 93. Water is 62°, close to the 65° white perch like best.
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.
Right now · best window
White perch range 50–78°
From the west
Sunrise 7:25 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
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.
Right in white perch's ideal range. White perch is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. White perch prefers outgoing tide. Holds 3–25 ft down.
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. More on white perch
Right in striped bass's ideal range. Striped bass is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 5–35 ft down.
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. Likes an incoming tide. More on striped bass
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside bluefish's active range. Holds 5–50 ft down.
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. Likes an incoming tide. More on bluefish
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside spotted seatrout's active range. Holds 3–15 ft down.
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. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout
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
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
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.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
