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.
