Waterlands

Species guide · Maryland

Weakfish fishing in Maryland

Cynoscion regalis, an inshore species also called gray trout, squeteague and tiderunner. Listed for the Mid-Atlantic region. Shoulder season, about 4 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Patapsco River including Baltimore Harbor at 75, one of 14 Maryland bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder season
Where it's scoring nowAll Maryland waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

Mid-Atlantic

Shoulder season, about 4 more weeks
  1. Jan: Not present
  2. Feb: Not present
  3. Mar: Not present
  4. Apr: Off season
  5. May: Peak season
  6. Jun: Peak season
  7. Jul: Shoulder season
  8. Aug: Shoulder season
  9. Sep: Shoulder season
  10. Oct: Peak season
  11. Nov: Shoulder season
  12. Dec: Off season

Peak: May to Jun, Oct. In season (shoulder or peak): May to Nov.

Research notes, Mid-Atlantic region

Larger fish move inshore first. The spring run peaks in May in Delaware Bay, New Jersey back bays and Peconic Bay once water holds near 60 F; fish spread through the lower Chesapeake Bay in summer and school up before leaving in October. The coastwide stock is depleted and ASMFC holds anglers to a 1-fish bag.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 14

Maryland bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's weakfish score this hour.

1
75Great
Patapsco River including Baltimore Harbor

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (75) · Best day Sat, Nov 7 at 3 PM (76) · 39 named spots

2
74Great
Chesapeake Bay from Pooles Island to Sandy Point MD

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 7 AM (75) · 35 named spots

3
74Great
Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 5 PM (79) · 166 named spots

4
71Great
Chesapeake Bay north of Pooles Island MD

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (72) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (75) · 59 named spots

5
70Great
Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (72) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 5 PM (78) · 10 named spots

6
70Great
Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD

Best window today 10-11 PM (70) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (75) · 33 named spots

7
70Great
Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 3 PM (73) · 8 named spots

8
69Great
Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (77) · 8 named spots

9
69Great
Coastal waters from Fenwick Island DE to Chincoteague VA out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (69) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 5 PM (75) · 53 named spots

10
69Great
Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 5 PM (73) · 11 named spots

11
67Great
Chester River to Queenstown MD

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (68) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (77) · 11 named spots

12
65Great
Eastern Bay

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (65) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (77) · 18 named spots

13
64Good
Tidal Potomac from Key Bridge to Indian Head MD

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (65) · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 7 AM (71) · 3 named spots

14
60Good
Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River

Best window today 11 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (78) · 46 named spots

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 55°F to 82°F, best between 59°F and 74°F.
Water depth
3 to 60 ft of water.
Structure
Channel, inlet, bridge, grass, oyster, jetty, bay and estuary, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers moving water and incoming tide, with moderate current.Weakfish feed along channel edges and grass lines when the tide is moving. The incoming tide that brings clean water is the usual choice in bays; the ebb at inlets and bridges also concentrates bait.
Light
Bites best around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits
18 kt of wind and 3 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Weakfish hold along channel edges, grass beds, oyster bars and bridge shadows in bays and sounds, usually in 5 to 40 feet of water, and feed hardest at dawn, dusk and after dark. Swim soft plastics or bucktails slowly near the bottom, or drift peeler crab and bloodworms. They have soft mouths, so keep the drag light and the pressure steady.

Methods
casting, drift fishing, bottom fishing, jigging
Lures
soft plastic shads and worms on jig heads, bucktail jigs, metal slab jigs, speck rigs, small swimming plugs
Bait
peeler or shedder crab, bloodworms, squid strips, grass shrimp

Regulations

Maryland DNR saltwater regulations Buy a Maryland fishing license License types

Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Synced with Maryland DNR Oct 31, 2026.

No reviewed weakfish rule for Maryland is on file yet. Check with Maryland DNR before you keep one.

Other Maryland species