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Top 10 Saltwater Fish to Catch in Virginia

Top Ten

Fish to Catch in Virginia

Stripers or giants. Virginia salt hits different.

Virginia saltwater is where striped bass and cobia rule, but they’re just the start. Redfish, speckled trout, tarpon, and even bluefin tuna round out a fishery built for anglers who like options. If you want a fight or just want to fill the cooler, there’s no shortage of targets here.

Striped Bass (Striper)

World Record 81 lb 14 oz
Gregory Myerson / 2011
Long Island Sound, Connecticut

Signature Fact Their eggs must stay drifting for about 48 hours-sink once, and the entire spawn suffocates.

Click to Learn More About Striped Bass (Striper)

Cobia

World Record 135 lb 9 oz
Robert Davis / 1985
Shark Bay, Western Australia

Signature Fact They're freeloading ambushers, tailgating rays and sharks without a sucker disk, stealing every critter the host spooks.

Click to Learn More About Cobia

Redfish

World Record 94 lb 2 oz
David R. Deuel / 1984
Hatteras, North Carolina

Signature Fact Males literally drum-low booms you can feel through the hull on calm spawning nights.

Click to Learn More About Redfish

Speckled Trout

Learn More Here Verified Catch

World Record 17 lb 7 oz
Floyd B. Smith / 1995
Florida, USA

Signature Fact Males crank ultrafast sonic muscles to drum in booming dusk choruses you can pinpoint with a $30 hydrophone.

Tarpon

Learn More Here Verified Catch

World Record 286 lb 9 oz
Max Domecq / 2003
Guinea-Bissau

Signature Fact They breathe air using a lung-like swim bladder, so those surface "rolls" are actual gulps of oxygen.

Snook

Learn More Here Verified Catch

World Record 53 lb 10 oz
Gilbert Ponzi / 1978
Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica

Signature Fact Born male, many later switch sex-so that 40-incher tugging back is almost certainly a she.

Gafftopsail Cat

Learn More Here Verified Catch

World Record 16 lb 8 oz
Joseph W. Bailey / 1996
Texas, USA

Signature Fact Dad does daycare the hard way: he mouthbroods marble-sized eggs and hungry babies, fasting for weeks.

Bluefin Tuna

Learn More Here Verified Catch

World Record 1,496 lb 0 oz
Ken Fraser / 1979
Aulds Cove, Nova Scotia

Signature Fact Bluefin run a built‑in furnace, keeping muscles, eyes, and brain up to 20°C warmer than seawater.

Goliath Grouper

Learn More Here Verified Catch

World Record 680 lb 0 oz
Lynn Joyner / 1961
Fernandina Beach, Florida

Signature Fact It "booms" like a subwoofer-swim-bladder muscles thump so hard divers feel it in their ribs.

Queen Snapper

Learn More Here Verified Catch

World Record 28 lb 6 oz
John L. Wilson / 1992
Bahamas

Signature Fact Haul one up and its eyes glow neon blue, throwing your headlamp back like deep-sea headlights.

FAQs

What fish can you catch in Virginia?

You can catch striped bass, cobia, redfish, speckled trout, tarpon, snook, gafftopsail cat, bluefin tuna, goliath grouper, and queen snapper in Virginia’s saltwater.

What is the best time of year to fish in Virginia?

Prime action in Virginia saltwater runs spring through fall, with warmer months bringing out the heavy hitters like cobia and redfish.

Where are the best places to fish in Virginia?

Virginia's saltwater coastlines offer a mix of inshore, nearshore, and offshore opportunities for species like striped bass and bluefin tuna.

What gear do you need for fishing in Virginia?

Bring medium to heavy rods, strong line, and tackle sized for everything from trout to tuna—Virginia’s saltwater species demand it.

What are the easiest fish to catch in Virginia?

Redfish, speckled trout, and gafftopsail cat are some of the more accessible saltwater catches in Virginia.

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