Outdoors

Best Fishing Spots in Virginia Beach

Person in a pink cap and blue tank top fishing from a boat railing on a sunny day.

Planning to do some fishing while you’re in Virginia Beach? Heck, yeah. Virginia Beach has been named one of the best fishing cities in the U.S. for 2025 by FishingBooker.com, thanks to the “excellent action from the shore,” terrific inland and offshore fishing, and easy access to ocean and bay. Why is the fishing so crazy-good here? Location. Situated at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, with proximity to the Gulf Stream and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Virginia Beach is the perfect habitat for myriad fish species.

Whether you’re a newbie angler or a fishing fanatic, you’ll have a blast casting your line here. Who knows, maybe you’ll beat the record for the largest blue marlin caught in Virginia Beach waters, weighing in at a whopping 1,093 pounds. Niiice. Or maybe you’ll smash the Virginia state record for swordfish, a 446-pounder pulled from our own Norfolk Canyon. Here’s where to go and what you’ll catch—or not. That’s the lure of fishing.

Then there’s this: “It’s all about family and friends and making life-long memories, beyond the fish we catch,” says Captain Kevin Perry of AfishinadoVB Fishing Charters, who’s been in the charter business for 37 years. “It’s great to get away from the rat race of life for a few hours—getting the kids away from phones, games, and social media—and enjoying life on the water.”

Man holding a large fish on a dock, with scales and equipment nearby. Another person stands in the background. Clear blue sky.

The Chesapeake Bay is another hotspot for fishing fanatics. As the largest natural estuary in the United States, the Bay is home to 348 species of finfish, including flounder, red drum, cobia and the local-favorite, rockfish, all of which can be caught in the summer months. As fun to catch as they are to eat, 70 to 90 percent of the world’s rockfish, also known as striped bass, reside in the waters of the bay, making Va Beach the rockfish capital of the world and home to the Annual Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout every winter. With the Bay producing nearly 500 million pounds of seafood each year, it’s no wonder we can’t get enough.

A man helps a young girl fish off a wooden pier on a sunny day. Several people and benches are visible in the background.

While there are many great charter options for both the Bay and the Ocean that will have you out catching fish in no time, resident anglers fish every chance they get, whether they have a boat or not. If you prefer to keep both of your feet on dry land, you can drop in a line from pier, with the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier at the Oceanfront, the Little Island Pier in Sandbridge, and Seagull Pier on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. One of our favorite ways to get in on the sport is to hop in a canoe or kayak and get closer to the action. With several recommended launching points at Dozier Bridge, Hutton Circle, Birdneck Launch, and Owl Creek Boat Ramp, and many local outfitters such as Wild River Outfitters, and Ocean Rentals LTD, you can be out on the water in no time.

Person in a blue kayak on a lake, holding a fishing rod and a fish. Trees and grass are visible in the background under a clear sky.

@wildriveroutfitters, Instagram

With so many waterways and outfitters in our coastal city, the fishing options in Virginia Beach are seemingly endless. Make sure you check out all of the fishing permitting and regulations before your trip, and take your Va Beach fishing adventure to the next level. Depending on the season you visit, there’s no offseason for fishing in Virginia Beach. From the Atlantic Ocean to the Chesapeake, there’s always something biting in our waters.