Worcester County, MD · Atlantic Ocean

Public Landing Beach

Public Landing Beach offers public fishing pier and shoreline access on Chincoteague Bay, behind Maryland's Atlantic barrier coast in Worcester County. Common targets include striped bass, bluefish, spotted seatrout, red drum, summer flounder, and white perch.

Live · updated Jun 5, 5:17 PM ET

Top pick today

Red Drum — Drop everything — ideal day for Red Drum.

Best conditions of 6 species tracked at Public Landing Beach.

92 /100

ideal

Atmosphere

Air Temp

93°F

Mostly Sunny

Wind

9 mph

Rain

This Afternoon

Pressure

29.99 inHg

Steady · last 6h

Water

Water Temp

76°F

Tidal waters

Tide

outgoing

Sun & Moon

Sunrise

5:38 AM

Sunset

8:21 PM

Moon · 71%

waning gibbous

Today's Tides

Time	Type	Height
1:46 AM	Low	0.4 ft
7:56 AM	High	2.1 ft
2:57 PM	Low	0.5 ft
8:24 PM	High	1.6 ft

Species at Public Landing Beach

6 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 Drop everything — ideal day for Red Drum. In season 92/100

What's helping

76°F water — right in red drum's ideal range
In the current report — red drum is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area
9 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

outgoing tide — red drum prefers incoming tide

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Regulations may be out of date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 44 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 White Perch Check local White Perch regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 88/100

Regulations not yet verified

We don't have confirmed size, creel, or season rules for White Perch 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

76°F water — inside white perch's active range
outgoing tide — white perch prefers outgoing tide
9 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

About. Morone americana — Smaller cousin of the striped bass and arguably the Bay's most popular panfish. Schools heavily in tidal rivers and creeks; hits bottom rigs with bloodworms, grass shrimp, or small jigs. Spring spawning run into the freshwater ends of tributaries is the marquee fishery.

Prefers. Water 50–78°F (ideal 65°F) · outgoing tide · depth 3–25 ft.

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

#3 Bluefish Great day to fish for Bluefish. In season 80/100

What's helping

76°F water — inside bluefish's active range
In the current report — bluefish is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area
9 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

outgoing tide — bluefish prefers incoming tide

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 44 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.

#4 Spotted Seatrout Workable day for Spotted Seatrout. In season 68/100

What's helping

76°F water — inside spotted seatrout's active range
9 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

outgoing tide — spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide

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 44 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.

#5 Summer Flounder Marginal conditions for Summer Flounder. In season 52/100

What's helping

outgoing tide — summer flounder prefers outgoing tide
9 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

76°F water — above summer flounder's active range (58–75°f) — fish move deep

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 44 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.

#6 Striped Bass Check local Striped Bass regulations before you keep one. Regs unverified 44/100

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

In the current report — striped bass is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area
9 mph wind — light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed

What's hurting

76°F water — above striped bass's active range (50–72°f) — fish move deep
outgoing tide — striped bass prefers incoming tide

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.

Location Info

Water Body

Atlantic Ocean

Access

Fishing pier

Jurisdiction

Maryland tidal

Coordinates

38.1685, -75.3299

What anglers are reporting

From the Maryland DNR weekly fishing report, published May 27, 2026.

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 Public Landing Beach: Maryland DNR fishing report → · trout stocking schedule → · fish-consumption advisory →

Nearby Access Points

Assateague Island — MD Surf

8.6 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Shore · Atlantic

Assateague Island National Seashore

9.4 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Shore · Atlantic

Assateague State Park

11 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Multi · Atlantic

Ocean City Inlet — North Jetty

17 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Multi · Atlantic

Frequently Asked

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Public Landing Beach?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Public Landing Beach 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 Public Landing Beach?

Public Landing Beach is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, Bluefish, Spotted Seatrout, Red Drum, 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 Public Landing Beach?

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 Public Landing Beach 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 Public Landing Beach have?

Public Landing Beach has a fishing pier — shore-only anglers can fish here without a boat.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Public Landing Beach?

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Public Landing Beach. 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 Public Landing Beach tidal water?

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