Don't take these guides as fact. Verify before you rely on them.
These pages are personal guides, written like blog posts, and reflect what was written and checked on the "Last verified" date shown on each guide. They may be out of date or wrong. Confirm regulations, access, and conditions with the official source before you go.
Fishing Guides
Where to fish, what is biting and which rod fits the water. Every rule on these pages shows its source and the date we last checked it. Start with your state.
Choose a state
Best Fishing Spots in Delaware
Where to fish in Delaware: ponds, trout streams, piers, surf and bay spots, with access notes, current rules and gear tips for every skill level.
Best Fishing Spots in Maryland
Where to fish in Maryland: Chesapeake stripers, Ocean City and Assateague surf, trout tailwaters, Deep Creek Lake and the Potomac, with current rules.
Best Fishing Spots in New Jersey
Where to fish in New Jersey: Sandy Hook and Island Beach surf, Cape May jetties, the Delaware River and Bay, trophy trout and lakes, with current rules.
Best Fishing Spots in Pennsylvania
Where to fish in Pennsylvania: Lake Erie steelhead, the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, Raystown and Pymatuning, limestone creeks, with current rules.
Best Fishing Spots in Virginia
Where to fish in Virginia: Virginia Beach and the Bay, James River smallmouth, Smith Mountain Lake stripers and trout tailwaters, with current rules.
How to catch them
View all speciesHow to Catch American Shad: Gear, Bait and Technique
How to catch american shad: rods, reels, baits, lures, seasons, structure and release tips for East Coast anglers.
How to Catch Black Drum: Gear, Bait and Technique
How to catch black drum: rods, reels, baits, lures, seasons, tides and fish-handling tips for East Coast anglers.
How to Catch Black Sea Bass: Gear, Bait and Technique
How to catch black sea bass: rods, reels, baits, lures, seasons, tides and fish-handling tips for East Coast anglers.
How to Catch Blue Catfish: Gear, Bait and Technique
How to catch blue catfish: rods, reels, baits, lures, seasons, tides and fish-handling tips for East Coast anglers.
How to Catch Bluefish: Gear, Bait and Technique
How to catch bluefish: rods, reels, baits, lures, seasons, tides and fish-handling tips for East Coast anglers.
How to Catch Brown Trout: Gear, Bait and Technique
How to catch brown trout: rods, reels, baits, lures, seasons, structure and release tips for East Coast anglers.
Dock Tales
Delaware Dock Tales: Records, Rarities and River History
Verified stories from Delaware waters: state-record catches, an inlet that kept moving and a river that still holds Atlantic sturgeon.
Maryland Dock Tales: Eagles, Records and History
Verified stories from Maryland waters: eagles below Conowingo, a record snakehead, wild-trout rivers, a Civil War prison and the White Marlin Open.
Pennsylvania Dock Tales: Piping Plovers, Records and Limestone History
Verified stories from Pennsylvania waters: piping plovers at Gull Point, the Linesville spillway, record catches, and the Letort and Spring Creek.
New Jersey Dock Tales: Red Knots, a Concrete Ship and Shore Fluke
Verified stories from New Jersey waters: the red knots of Delaware Bay, the concrete ship Atlantus, the Island Beach shore-fluke rule and more.
Virginia Dock Tales: Kepone, Mercury and Trout
Verified stories from Virginia waters: the Kepone closure on the James, South River mercury, a cold-water trout river and a protected salamander.
Covering Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia. More states are on the way.