Worcester County, MD · Atlantic Ocean

Assawoman State Wildlife Area

Assawoman State Wildlife Area offers public shoreline and pier access on the Atlantic coast in Worcester County. Common targets include striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder, red drum, and spotted seatrout.

Live · updated Sep 9, 7:37 PM ET

Top picks today

Bluefish, Red Drum & Spotted Seatrout — tied at the top (35/100)

3 species tied for best of 5 tracked at Assawoman State Wildlife Area.

35 /100

NWSActive weather alert

Small Craft Advisory issued September 9 at 2:40PM EDT until September 10 at 1:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Atmosphere

Air Temp

85°F

Mostly Sunny

Wind

9 to 16 mph

Rain

Thursday

Pressure

29.87 inHg

Steady · last 6h

Water

Water Temp

79°F

Tidal waters

Tide

outgoing

Sun & Moon

Sunrise

6:36 AM

Sunset

7:19 PM

Moon · 4%

new

Today's Tides

Time	Type	Height
12:53 AM	Low	0.5 ft
6:57 AM	High	2.5 ft
12:52 PM	Low	0.2 ft
7:45 PM	High	2.9 ft

Species at Assawoman State Wildlife Area

5 species tracked, ranked by today's conditions. The top 3 (tied) are open below — tap any species to expand it, or a chip to focus.

#1 Bluefish Marginal conditions for Bluefish. In season 35/100

What's helping

79°F water — inside bluefish's active range

What's hurting

outgoing tide — bluefish prefers incoming tide
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Pomatomus saltatrix — Toothy, aggressive pelagic predator. "Snapper blues" invade the lower Bay and coastal bays in summer; bigger choppers along the Atlantic coast. Hits metal jigs, topwater, and cut bait savagely — wire leaders recommended.

Prefers. Water 60–80°F (ideal 70°F) · incoming tide · depth 5–50 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 140 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 8"
Daily creel: 5

Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 8-inch minimum. 5 per person on shore or private boat; 7 per person on for-hire boats. Subject to ASMFC coastwide allocation.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#1 Red Drum Marginal conditions for Red Drum. In season 35/100

What's helping

79°F water — inside red drum's active range

What's hurting

outgoing tide — red drum prefers incoming tide
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Sciaenops ocellatus — Also called channel bass, redfish, or (as juveniles) puppy drum. Summer and fall target around the lower Bay shoals and the Eastern Shore coastal bays. Big "bull reds" cruise the surf in fall.

Prefers. Water 65–85°F (ideal 75°F) · incoming tide · depth 3–20 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 140 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 18"
Max size: 27"
Daily creel: 1

Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 18–27 inch slot, 1 per day. Release all fish outside the slot.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#1 Spotted Seatrout Marginal conditions for Spotted Seatrout. In season 35/100

What's helping

79°F water — inside spotted seatrout's active range

What's hurting

outgoing tide — spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Cynoscion nebulosus — Popularly called "speckled trout" or "specks." Summer-fall target in the lower Bay grass beds and the Eastern Shore coastal bays. Topwater walkers at dawn and soft plastics on jigheads are standard.

Prefers. Water 60–85°F (ideal 72°F) · incoming tide · depth 3–15 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 140 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 14"
Daily creel: 4

Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 14-inch minimum, 4 per day.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#4 Summer Flounder Skip the Summer Flounder trip today. In season 15/100

What's helping

outgoing tide — summer flounder prefers outgoing tide

What's hurting

79°F water — above summer flounder's active range (58–75°f) — fish move deep
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Paralichthys dentatus — Locally called "fluke." Flatfish that ambushes bait off sandy and mixed bottom. Drifting bucktails tipped with Gulp! or live minnows through Ocean City and Chincoteague inlets is the classic method.

Prefers. Water 58–75°F (ideal 65°F) · outgoing tide · depth 10–100 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 140 days ago on 2026-04-22. Open source page →

Min size: 16"
Daily creel: 4

Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 16 in (Jan 1–May 31) / 17.5 in (Jun 1–Dec 31), 4 per day. Summer flounder regulations are ASMFC-managed and typically re-set annually; verify before the season.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-04-22.

#5 Striped Bass Skip the Striped Bass trip today. In season 0/100

What's hurting

79°F water — above striped bass's active range (50–72°f) — fish move deep
outgoing tide — striped bass prefers incoming tide
NWS alert active — check the alert before heading out

About. Morone saxatilis — Maryland's state fish. Anadromous — runs into Bay tributaries to spawn each spring. Targeted by trolling, jigging, live-lining, and surf casting. Locally called "rockfish."

Prefers. Water 50–72°F (ideal 62°F) · incoming tide · depth 5–35 ft.

Regulations may be out of date

Last verified 12 days ago on 2026-08-28. Open source page →

Min size: 28"
Max size: 31"
Daily creel: 1

Atlantic Ocean, coastal bays and their tributaries (Ocean City / Assateague): 28–31" slot, 1 fish/day, year-round — the ASMFC coastwide reg. Distinct from the Chesapeake Bay 19–24" reg.

Source: Maryland tidal regulations · verified 2026-08-28.

Location Info

Water Body

Atlantic Ocean

Access

Pier, shore, and ramp

Jurisdiction

Maryland tidal

Coordinates

38.3887, -75.1077

What anglers are reporting

From the Maryland DNR weekly fishing report, published May 27, 2026 · 105 days old — a newer report may be available.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Surf anglers are enjoying good fishing off the beaches of Ocean City and Assateague Island. Anglers fishing with large cut baits are catching large striped bass, red drum and bluefish. Most of the striped bass measure over the maximum slot size of 31 inches, but provide exciting catch-and-release action, as do the large red drum. Black drum are being caught on sand fleas and clams. At the Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, anglers are catching striped bass by casting soft plastic jigs and paddletails . A fair number of the striped bass being caught are falling within the 28-31 inch slot.

Species mentioned: black drum, bluefish, red drum, striped bass

Excerpts are anecdotal and reflect a single week's observations from DNR biologists and reporting anglers — not predictions. Use as one signal among many; verify against current conditions before planning a trip.

Local reports & rules for Assawoman State Wildlife Area: Maryland DNR fishing report → · trout stocking schedule → · fish-consumption advisory →

Nearby Access Points

Ocean City Inlet — North Jetty

4.4 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Multi · Atlantic

Fenwick Island — Surf Fishing

5.1 mi

Sussex Co., DE · Shore · Atlantic

Fenwick Island State Park

6.5 mi

Sussex Co., DE · Multi · Atlantic

Assateague State Park

9.8 mi

Worcester Co., MD · Multi · Atlantic

Frequently Asked

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Assawoman State Wildlife Area?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Assawoman State Wildlife Area you need a Maryland Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport License issued by MD DNR. Anglers may instead qualify for the free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration in some circumstances (e.g., guest on a boat carrying a Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Decal, or holder of a Virginia saltwater license). See the agency's current rules: https://dnr.maryland.gov/pages/service_fishing_license.aspx

What fish are commonly targeted at Assawoman State Wildlife Area?

Assawoman State Wildlife Area is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, Bluefish, Summer Flounder, Red Drum, and 1 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Assawoman State Wildlife Area?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Assawoman State Wildlife Area against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Assawoman State Wildlife Area have?

Assawoman State Wildlife Area has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Assawoman State Wildlife Area?

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tidal regulations apply at Assawoman State Wildlife Area. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Assawoman State Wildlife Area tidal water?

Yes. Assawoman State Wildlife Area sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.