Species guide · Virginia
Tautog fishing in Virginia
Tautoga onitis, a nearshore species also called blackfish, tog and white chin. Listed for the Mid-Atlantic region. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.
Right now it scores best in James River from JRB to HRBT, Including the Elizabeth River at 60, one of 10 Virginia bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason 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 1 more week- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Shoulder season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Off season
- Jul: Off season
- Aug: Off season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Peak season
- Nov: Peak season
- Dec: Peak season
Peak: Apr, Oct to Dec. In season (shoulder or peak): Sep to May.
Research notes, Mid-Atlantic region
New York and New Jersey fish best in April-May and October-December. In the lower Chesapeake Bay and on Virginia and Maryland ocean wrecks, tautog are common from autumn through spring and move offshore in summer; VMRC citations 2023-2025 peak January-April.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 10
Virginia bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's tautog score this hour.
Best window today 6-9 PM (62) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (63) · 32 named spots
Best window today 6-8 PM (58) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 1 PM (59) · 135 named spots
Best window today 6-8 PM (59) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 12 PM (61) · 45 named spots
Best window today 6-9 PM (60) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 8 AM (61) · 33 named spots
Best window today 6-9 PM (58) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 1 PM (59) · 89 named spots
Best window today 6-8 PM (55) · Best day Thu, Oct 1 at 5 PM (60) · 4 named spots
Best window today 6-9 PM (57) · Best day Thu, Oct 1 at 5 PM (61) · 24 named spots
Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (54) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 9 AM (62) · 99 named spots
Best window today 7-11 PM (53) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 2 PM (62) · 25 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 45°F to 72°F, best between 50°F and 64°F.
- Water depth
- 5 to 120 ft of water.
- Structure
- Reef, wreck, jetty, bridge, pier, ledge and oyster, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water, with light current.Tautog feed with some current, but the bait has to sit in the rocks. Jetties and bridge pilings fish well on a moderate moving tide; on deeper wrecks the slower water near the change is easier to fish.
- Light
- Little tied to dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Tautog live in rocks, wrecks, bridge pilings and jetties and rarely stray from cover, usually in 10 to 60 feet inshore and deeper in late fall. Anchor so the bait sits in the structure, fish crab on a short rig or a tog jig, and set hard on the second tap before the fish pulls into the rocks. Clams and worms work better in cold spring water; hard crabs are the standard in fall.
- Methods
- bottom fishing, anchoring on structure, jigging
- Lures
- tog jigs tipped with crab
- Bait
- green crab, Asian shore crab, fiddler crab, clams, sea worms
Regulations
Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Synced with VMRC Sep 18, 2026.
No reviewed tautog rule for Virginia is on file yet. Check with VMRC before you keep one.