Black sea bass fishing out of Virginia Beach runs all year. Warm-month trips mostly stay closer in at the Triangle Reef, and in the dead of winter jumbo fish stack on deeper wrecks. This is a field reference ordered by distance from Rudee Inlet: when the fish are around, where boats run, how locals fish them, and who runs trips. The wider picture is in the black sea bass fishing in the Atlantic Northeast and the Atlantic Northeast region guide.
When black sea bass are off Virginia Beach
The fishery never closes, so the season decides how far you run. Why the fish move is covered in our black sea bass guide.
Warm months
Warm-month trips mostly run to the Triangle Reef, the closest ground. Plan the run around it first.
Dead of winter
Jumbo fish stack on deeper wrecks. The destinations are the offshore wrecks and the deep drop grounds, both covered below.
Where boats run from Virginia Beach
Start with the Chesapeake Light Tower, the reference mark for the Triangle Reef and the anchor point for plotting the run. From there the grounds step outward: the Triangle Reef, the Tower Reef, the offshore wrecks, then the deep drop grounds. For the general picture of structure fishing, see our reef and wreck fishing guides.
Plot the named reefs and wrecks before you leave the dock, and don’t use chart layers for navigation.
| Ground | Depth | Distance or reference |
|---|---|---|
| Triangle Reef (Triangle Wrecks) | 100 ft | About 30 nm from port, per Fly’n Fish; 16.5 nm on 073 degrees true from the Chesapeake Light Tower |
| Tower Reef | Listed by VMRC among offshore sites | |
| Offshore wrecks (Gulf Hustler, Powell, Ocean Venture, 44 Fathom Wreck) | AquaMan runs wreck trips at 15 to 30 miles | |
| Deep drop grounds | 250 to 350 ft | About 65 miles out |
| Southeast Lumps | 19 to 28 miles off Rudee Inlet (1994 list) | |
| Norfolk Canyon | 690 ft | About 62 miles east of Cape Henry (1994 list) |
Triangle Reef
Use the Chesapeake Light Tower as your mark. The Triangle Reef sits 16.5 nm on 073 degrees true from it. Measured from port, the run is about 30 nm out, per Fly’n Fish wreck trips. The two figures use different starting points.
Depth is about 100 ft. Boats also call this ground the Triangle Wrecks.
Tower Reef
VMRC lists Tower Reef among its VMRC offshore artificial reef sites. It is an artificial reef, like the Triangle.
Offshore wrecks
The Gulf Hustler, the Powell, the Ocean Venture and the 44 Fathom Wreck all hold sea bass. AquaMan’s offshore wreck trips split by distance, with 15 to 30 miles for wrecks.
Deep drop grounds
Jumbo sea bass also come on deep drop trips at 250 to 350 ft, about 65 miles out.
Other named grounds
The Southeast Lumps lie 19 to 28 miles off Rudee Inlet. Norfolk Canyon bottoms out at 690 ft, about 62 miles east of Cape Henry. Both figures come from a list dated 1994, so treat them as a starting point for plotting rather than a fixed mark.
26 Mile Hill and 21 Mile Hill are named for distance from Wachapreague Inlet, so the names are not run distances from Rudee. The Cigar and The Fingers are regional grounds you will see on charts.
How sea bass are fished here
Wreck fishing here comes down to two choices: drift or anchor, and what you put on the bottom.
Drifting the wrecks
Drift over the wrecks with 5 to 10 oz of lead, matched to about 100 ft of water. Fish multi-hook rigs with squid and cut bait, on or near the bottom.
Anchoring the sweet spot
Neill drifts until he finds the sweet spot of a wreck, then anchors up. Neill’s approach to winter wrecks treats the anchor as a decision point: he keeps drifting until the fish tell him to stop.
Jigs for big fish
Neill fishes 20-pound class gear and uses diamond jigs for big fish. That setup suits the jumbo wrecks and the deep drop grounds covered above.
Who fishes sea bass out of this port
Five operators run sea bass trips from Virginia Beach:
- Fly’n Fish Sportfishing: the 54 ft Custom Jim Smith Fly’n Fish, with Capt. Jake Boltz
- AquaMan Sportfishing: The Flat Line and the 54 ft Game On, Coast Guard certified for up to 18
- Playin Hookey Charters: Capt. Bill Pappas, with first mate Russ Morrow
- Knot Tell’n Charters: Capt. Scott Horton, on a 36 ft Albemarle Express
- Rudee Tours: sea bass trips from Rudee Inlet
FAQ: black sea bass fishing out of Virginia Beach
Is it a year-round fishery here?
Yes. Warm months mean the Triangle Reef, and winter means jumbos on deeper wrecks.
How far is the Triangle Reef?
See the table and the Triangle Reef section above. It carries two reference points, one from the Chesapeake Light Tower and one from port.
What depth and lead do the reefs call for?
The Triangle Reef sits at about 100 ft, and local boats fish 5 to 10 oz of lead.
Where do the winter jumbos come from?
They stack on the deeper offshore wrecks and show up on deep drop trips. Our black sea bass guide covers why they move.
Where are the limits?
See the Regulations section. The state page and the federal page both apply, depending on how far out you fish.
