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Piers

There are several private marinas, boat ramps and a boatel in the county making it very easy to find a place to store and launch a boat. Many marinas offer both open and covered wet slips along with fuel, ice, bait and other marine services and repairs. Several popular marinas in Mathews can be found here.

With 350 miles of shoreline in Mathews there are hundreds of waterfront homes and building lots that offer anglers the opportunity to have their own private pier making boat access quick and easy.  While sandy beaches and tidal marshes make for great views but they are not very well suited for piers.  There are however, miles of bays, rivers and creeks offering sufficient water depths of protected waterfront to allow the construction of a pier so the boat can be kept right at home.   Shallow areas are well suited for kayaks and small skiffs but typical fishing boats need at least 2 to 4 feet of depth at low tide.

Piers can be built from the shoreline outward to find the amount of water needed at a cost that will typically run from $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the length of the pier.

Fishing the Bay

Mathews County, located on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, is ideally situated to maximize opportunities for saltwater fishing of all kinds — inshore, near shore and offshore. Having 350 miles of shoreline, Mathews County offers more direct access to the Chesapeake Bay and its many tributaries than any other county in Virginia. Access to offshore fishing in the Atlantic Ocean is also very convenient to those fishing out of Mathews ports.

One of the biggest year-round fish magnets in the world, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel which separates the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, is only a little over an hour’s cruise south from Mathews.  Anglers regularly catch huge Rockfish, Bluefish, Trout, Flounder and many other species around the rocky islands of the bridge tunnel.  Tuna, Dolphin, Marlin and other pelagic species are available for anglers with faster sport fishing boats capable of taking the extra hour or two to make the offshore run.

A huge benefit for Mathews fishermen is that there is a large variety of saltwater species that can be caught from early spring right up until Christmas in the Chesapeake Bay and its numerous tributaries.  The lower and middle portions of the Bay are within easy reach of Mathews where anglers regularly catch Rockfish, Flounder, Speckled  Trout, Red Drum, Cobia, Spadefish, Spot, Croaker and many others.  When the winds kick up whitecaps on the Bay anglers can find calmer waters inshore among the many tidal rivers and creeks that exist throughout Mathews County.

Inside Gwynn’s Island

There is no better place on earth than where the river meets the bay on Gwynn’s Island.

Traveling across the swing bridge to the island brings an immediate sense of nostalgia. Sure, modern improvements and conveniences have found their way here, but you can still find a charming cottage that originated as a Quonset hut back in the ’40’s. A waterman’s residence displays an old anchor among the well-tended lawn and gardens.

Many a dusty road will lead you to a quiet creek, where with just some string, a few chicken necks and a dip-net, you can catch crabs to your heart’s content. A dip net is just a hand net, usually long-handled and used to scoop up the crab after it has been coaxed to the shallows by the lure of the moving raw chicken neck.

If you’re in a hurry, there’s a great seafood market right on the island where you can buy crabs fresh or steamed, as well as other fresh catch of the day. And for the truly lazy, head to the family-style restaurant that offers mouth-watering dishes as well as water views and all the local news. And by news I mean gossip; some of it is true, all of it is entertaining.

There are no traffic jams.

The pace is slow.

The scenery is simple and exquisite at the same time.

By day, the water reflects the sky’s blue hue as the sun kisses everything with golden light. At night, the landscape dims as the stars seem to twinkle on the waves, and if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a moonbeam cutting a wide swath across the water.

It really hasn’t changed that much since childhood visits from years ago. Summer days are spent on sandbars, crabbing in the creek, catching a breeze on shaded screen porches. Nighttime entertainment is as easy as a deck of cards, a great group of family and friends, and a spirited game of crazy-eights or hearts – no cover charge. It’s the last great place, sand and salt-crusted hands down.

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Bay Properties World HQ

Bay Properties’ offices are located in Mathews and White Stone, Virginia, on the Chesapeake Bay:

85 First Street
White Stone, Virginia 22578
Phone: 804-362-0224

9186 Buckley Hall Road
Mathews, Virginia 23109
Phone: 804-200-5731

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2314 W Main Street
Richmond, VA 23220
Phone: 804-353-0009

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