Virginia Beach Offshore: Chesapeake Light (the Light Tower) to the Canyons Fishing Guide

From Rudee and Lynnhaven inlets, boats run to wrecks, towers and lumps for sea bass, tautog, spadefish, amberjack and cobia, and to the canyons for tuna, billfish, mahi, wahoo and tilefish. Much of this is in federal waters (beyond 3 miles), so federal rules apply.

📍 Rudee Inlet, Lynnhaven Inlet, Chesapeake Light (the Light Tower), the Triangle Wrecks, Southern Towers, the Fingers, Hot Dog, the Cigar, Wayne's World, 26 Mile Hill, the Southeast Lumps, Norfolk Canyon, Washington Canyon

📅 Virginia Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Virginia & Chesapeake Bay map →

Quick facts

Chesapeake Light (the Light Tower) stands about 13 miles east of Virginia Beach. The steel 'Texas Tower' was built and first lit in 1965, replacing a lightship station set up in 1930.
The Gulf Stream's western edge runs off Virginia along the 100-fathom curve, about 60-70 miles offshore. Norfolk and Washington Canyons cut into the shelf there.
Virginia record blue marlin: 1,093 lb 12 oz, Norfolk Canyon, 1978. Record white marlin: 131 lb 10 oz, off Virginia Beach, 1978.
Virginia record amberjack: 118 lb at the Chesapeake Light Tower, 1986. Record yellowfin tuna: 203 lb 12 oz, Norfolk Canyon, 1981.
VMRC says late summer and early fall bring some of the best white marlin fishing in the world off Virginia.
Local knowledge from BigJoe, who fished here for 38 years: spots like the Fingers, the Hot Dog and the Cigar are named for the shape of the underwater structure as it shows on the chart.

What you can catch

Yellowfin tuna
Offshore May-October, peak June-September.
Bluefin tuna
Lumps and Fingers in early summer; big fish sometimes near the Light Tower in late Nov-Dec.
White marlin
June-October, peak August-September in the canyons.
Blue marlin
June-October, peak mid-June to September.
Mahi (dolphin)
May-October around weedlines and floating debris.
Wahoo
Most plentiful in September and early October.
Blueline and golden tilefish
Deep drop in 300+ feet near the canyons, year-round.
Black sea bass and tautog
Wrecks and reefs like the Triangle Wrecks; sea bass move offshore in winter.
Spadefish and amberjack
Light Tower and wrecks in summer; amberjack peak July to mid-September.

Month by month

January	Deep-water sea bass and tilefish when weather allows; tautog on ocean wrecks.
February	Atlantic (Boston) mackerel can show 5-35 miles out mid-February to mid-April; special Feb sea bass season needs a permit.
March	Boston mackerel peak; tautog on ocean wrecks.
April	Tautog on the Triangle Wrecks; mako sharks start to show with spring fish.
May	First yellowfin and mahi offshore; black sea bass season opens May 11 (2026).
June	Yellowfin, bluefin, first billfish; spadefish and cobia around the Light Tower.
July	Blue marlin, yellowfin, mahi; amberjack and spadefish at the Light Tower.
August	Peak white marlin in the canyons; swordfish at night late in summer; king mackerel near towers and wrecks.
September	White marlin still strong; wahoo arrive; king mackerel peak September to mid-October.
October	Wahoo and late yellowfin; sea bass and tautog on the wrecks.
November	Tautog and sea bass on wrecks; striped bass are in federal waters but cannot be fished there.
December	Big bluefin sometimes around the Light Tower; tautog and sea bass on ocean wrecks.

Tips

Rudee Inlet shoals often; the City of Virginia Beach regularly warns boaters about shoaling. Check conditions and run it with care on a falling tide or big swell.
The Light Tower and most offshore spots are in federal waters: striped bass fishing is banned there, and federal sea bass and flounder rules can differ from state rules.
Private boats fishing for tuna or billfish need a NOAA HMS Angling permit, and billfish and bluefin landed must be reported within 24 hours.
Use circle hooks with natural baits for billfish in tournaments, as federal rules require.
Watch the forecast closely; canyon runs are 60-70+ miles each way.

Rules and license

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) · Official rules page ↗

License: anglers 16-64 need a Virginia saltwater license ($17.50 resident, $25 non-resident, $10 for 10 days). Anglers 65 and older and unlicensed anglers 16+ must register free with the Fisherman Identification Program (FIP). No license or FIP is needed on a licensed charter or head boat.
Striped bass, Virginia ocean waters (0-3 miles): open Jan 1-Mar 31 and May 16-Dec 31; slot 28-31 inches; 1 per person. Federal waters (3-200 miles) are closed to all striped bass fishing.
Black sea bass (state waters): 13 inches; 15 per person; open May 11-Dec 31 in 2026. A special Feb 1-28 season needs a free VMRC permit and reporting.
Tautog: 16 inches minimum; 4 per person; closed May 16-June 30.
Cobia: season June 15-Sept 20; 43 inches minimum; 1 per person, no more than 2 per boat per day; gaffing cobia is illegal for recreational anglers.
Amberjack: 32 inches minimum; 2 per person.
Federal (NOAA) tuna/billfish: private boats need an HMS Angling permit (charter boats need HMS Charter/Headboat). Yellowfin 27 inches, 3 per person; bluefin limits change during the season and 1 trophy (73 inches+) per boat per year; blue marlin 99 inches and white marlin 66 inches (lower jaw fork length). Report all billfish, swordfish and bluefin landed within 24 hours at hmspermits.noaa.gov.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 10 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Alanton Boat Ramp
Boat ramp near Lynhaven Inlet
Mill Landing Boat Ramp
Wise Point Boat Ramp

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.