Skip to content
Bield:Fish
Regional spawn calendar

Chesapeake Bay (Lower) spawn calendar.

3 species with documented spawn timing in Chesapeake Bay (Lower). Spawn timing is driven by water temperature — these calendar windows reflect the typical years when water reaches each species' threshold.

Spawning now — May

  • Black Drum
    March – May

    Bull black drum (over slot limit) are typically released — meat quality declines significantly above slot size. Trophy fish are 40–80 lbs and may live 50+ years. C&R for oversized …

All species — Chesapeake Bay (Lower)

  • Red DrumSciaenops ocellatus
    Typical window: September – November
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 70°FSepSep — Peak spawn (75–84°F)OctOct — Peak spawn (75–84°F)NovNov — Peak spawn (75–84°F)DecDec — Post-spawn — water at 88°F+
    Typical window: September – November

    Chesapeake Bay bull red staging peaks September; offshore spawn peaks October.

  • Striped Bass (Coastal)Morone saxatilis
    Typical window: April – June
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 55°FAprApr — Peak spawn (58–65°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (58–65°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (58–65°F)JulJul — Post-spawn — water at 70°F+AugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: April – June

    Lower Chesapeake (Rappahannock, James) spawn peaks April–May.

  • Black DrumPogonias cromis
    Typical window: March – May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 59°FMarMar — Peak spawn (64–70°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (64–70°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (64–70°F)JunJun — Post-spawn — water at 73°F+JulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: March – May

    Lower Chesapeake bull drum at Cape Charles inlet.

Chesapeake Bay (Lower) spawn alerts.

Bield: Fish ties USGS gauges in your area to species spawn thresholds — get notified the day water temperature hits pre-spawn for your target.

Download Bield: Fish
← All spawn calendars