The Chincoteague, VA marine forecast covers live wind speed and gusts, tide predictions, wave conditions, and major and minor solunar feeding times, updated continuously from NOAA and Open-Meteo. The strongest fishing windows usually line up with the moving tide and the solunar periods shown below — check current conditions before you head out.
By Steve Wilson, lifelong angler & founder of My Marine Forecast
Last updated: Sep 15, 2026, 8:00 AM
On Tuesday, September 15, Chincoteague, VA sees high tide at 12:07 PM (4.7 ft), low tide at 5:34 AM (0.6 ft) and 6:19 PM (0.9 ft). Winds 5–15 mph from the E gusting to 24 mph. Air temperatures 64–75°F. Current water temperature is about 77°F. The strongest fishing windows line up with the moving water around each tide change, roughly an hour on either side.
Today's Tides · Station 8631044
| Low tide | 5:34 AM | 0.6 ft |
| High tide | 12:07 PM | 4.7 ft |
| Low tide | 6:19 PM | 0.9 ft |
Wind
5–15 mph E
Gusts
24 mph
Air Temp
64–75°F
Water Temp
77°F
Tides from NOAA Station 8631044 · wind & temperature from Open-Meteo. Open the live forecast for hourly charts and the 7-day outlook.
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Tide data sourced from NOAA Station 8631044
Chincoteague sits at the northern end of Virginia's Eastern Shore, sheltered behind Assateague Island. The bays, channels, and marsh systems surrounding the island hold flounder, speckled trout, and red drum in relatively quiet water. It's a smaller-scale fishery than the Chesapeake Bay, and significantly less pressured.
Flounder are the draw at Chincoteague. The channels and cuts leading through the back bays produce consistently from Summer through Fall. Bucktails tipped with Gulp! or live minnows dragged through the tidal cuts is the standard approach. Red drum show up in the bay in September and October, and they can be sight-cast on calm mornings in the shallower flats.
The ocean side of Assateague offers excellent surf fishing on the Virginia coast. Bluefish and pompano run the beach from Spring through Fall, and large striped bass move through in late Fall and Winter. The Assateague Island National Seashore allows 4WD beach access with a permit, opening miles of productive surf with almost no other anglers.
The back bays are shallow and wind-sensitive. A strong northeast wind can make Chincoteague Channel rough and drain the shallower bays in hours. Early morning departures before the wind builds will consistently produce better conditions.
Spring: Chincoteague built its name on spring flounder, and April and May remain prime as fish move through the inlet into Queen Sound and the channels around the causeway. Big black drum arrive in May, caught on clams in the deeper sloughs, and the first bluefish and kingfish hit the Assateague surf as water climbs past 55.
Summer: Flounder fishing continues in the deeper channels while croaker, spot and kingfish fill the surf and sound for light-tackle anglers. Sharks and rays keep the inlet lively at night. Offshore, boats running out of Chincoteague reach the Washington Canyon area for tuna, mahi and billfish, and cobia cruise the nearshore lumps in July and August.
Fall: The Assateague surf turns on in fall. Red drum, some over 40 inches, prowl the bars from September through November, joined by striped bass as ocean temperatures drop into the 50s. Speckled trout push through the marshes, flounder make their exit run through the inlet, and sea bass fishing picks up on nearshore wrecks.
Winter: Winter is quiet on the island. A few stripers linger in the surf and inlet into December before moving offshore, and hardy anglers soak baits for skates and the odd dogfish. Boat effort shifts to offshore wrecks for tautog and sea bass when seasons and weather allow. Most locals use the season to rig for spring flounder.
The Route 175 causeway bridges between the mainland and town are classic flounder and croaker territory with easy pull-off access along the roadway. Queen Sound and Chincoteague Channel hold drifting boats from April until the fish leave in fall. Tom's Cove, inside the hook of Assateague, offers protected water for flounder and clam-bait drum fishing. The Assateague Island surf, reached through Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, is the place for fall red drum and stripers, and Chincoteague Inlet itself concentrates bait and predators on every moving tide.