Seasonal Fish Chart
Virginia Saltwater Species
To be an expert angler, you need to know when the fish are running and where to catch’em. Our Virginia saltwater species fish chart will help you to identify most of the fish caught in our local waters. Click a fish below to find out when they’re running, and learn some fun facts about each species.
Striped Bass
November – February
The Atlantic Atlantic Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) can be caught along the coastal inshore water ways and Chesapeake Bay including tributary rivers and around the Bay Bridge Tunnel
Cobia
May – September
Cobia (Rachycentron Canadum) can be caught alomst anywhere in the lower Chesapeake Bay. They often swim near the surface around buoys, light towers and along shoals
Catfish
January – December
Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) can be caught in the James River and it’s tributary’s year round. The giant cats can be found in deep holes ranging from 60 -100 Ft in depth.
Spot Fish
April – November
The Spot or Norfolk spot is a small short-lived saltwater fish in the family Sciaenidae. The species inhabits estuary and coastal waters from Massachusetts to Texas, and derives its name from the prominent dark spot behind each gill.
Croaker
March – November
The Atlantic croaker is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae and is closely related to the black drum, the silver perch, the spot croaker, the red drum, the spotted seatrout, and the weakfish.
Flounder
Year round
The summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) is a marine flatfish that is found in the Atlantic Ocean off the East coast of the United States and Canada. It is especially abundant in Virginia waters.
Spanish Mackeral
May – October
The Atlantic Spanish mackerel is a migratory species of mackerels that swims to the Northern Gulf of Mexico in spring, returns to south Florida in the Eastern Gulf, and to Mexico in the Western Gulf in the fall.
Blue Fish
March – December
The bluefish is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean.
Trout
Year Round
Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout, also known as speckled trout, is a common estuarine fish found in the southern United States along coasts of Gulf of Mexico and the coastal Atlantic Ocean from Maryland to Florida.
Spadefish
May – September
The Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Ephippidae.