Virginia’s two capes get a lot of attention, and with good reason. Myriad gamefishes swim to visit during the warmer months, everything from cobia and red drum to spade fish and flounder, not to mention the offshore billfishing. Such a menu makes it a world class fishing destination. However, there are lots of other good fishing spots in the Commonwealth’s part of the Chesapeake that don’t get all the publicity. A prime example is the fishing grounds at and inside the mouth of the Rappahannock River, specifically, the waters around Windmill Point, which is located off the north shore of the Rappahannock.
Anglers who regularly fish these areas know they can produce excellent catches. In the deeper waters at the height of summer you’ll find the list of possible species at its most diverse. Fishermen can hook all kinds of fish, from the usual suspects—rockfish, croakers, spot, bluefish, and flounder—to less common gamefish including gray trout, spadefish, sharks, and cobia. This month fishermen frequently set their sights on stripers, speckled trout, bluefish, and puppy drum. Gray trout and flounder are also options, and if it stays warm, you may have shots at Spanish mackerel in the Bay proper.
Some of the best fishing can be found at the mouth of the numerous creeks and along the shallows. That there is a wide variety of abundant marine gamefish shouldn’t be all that surprising given that the entrance to the Rappannock (and Piankatank) is at a crossroads of sorts. Here, moderately salty water (called the mesohaline salinity zone) mingles with the very salty water (called the polyhaline salinity zone) that’s being pushed up the Chesapeake by winds and tide from the Atlantic.
Recently, scientists who study Bay underwater grasses released their annual survey of the Chesapeake grass bed acreage. In 2014, the underwater grass survey showed the mesohaline zone overall had 37,260 acres of grasses, an increase of 47 percent over 2013. There was also an increase in Bay grasses in the polyhaline salinity zone, albeit a much more modest one at only eight percent compared to two years ago. This should bode well for good fall fishing. So whether you choose to hunt the shallows with light tackle and fly gear, or chum, troll, or bottom fish the bigger water, odds are good you’ll come off the water satisfied.
Windmill Point Reef
Lat/Long: 37-37.246. 76-14.119 (center point marked with yellow VMRC buoy)
Established in 2004, this state fishing reef can be found about 1.4 nautical miles north of Windmill Point Light. This square reef has a depth of roughly 30 feet with relief ranging from four to 10 feet. It is comprised of 500-plus tons of concrete piper (Hanson Pipe Company) and about 120 reef balls laid out in two fields of 60 reef balls each. Fishermen helped fund installation of the reef with revenues from the state Saltwater Fishing License. (Information compiled through Virginia Marine Resources Commission.)
River and Bay Access
There are several public ramps and private marinas with ramps (launch fees usually required) on the Rappahannock and Piankatank rivers. For a full list, search dgif.virginia.gov/boating/access and for more ramps, use key words Lancaster, Gloucester, or Mathews counties.
by Capt. Chris D. Dollar