The Chesapeake Bay's earliest and largest catches of cobia are taken from the Hampton area in late May and June. Photo by Charlie Coates

Hampton is not Virginia's best-known fishing destination (that distinction belongs to Virginia Beach), but when it comes to both quantity and quality of saltwater angling opportunities, this all-America city takes a back seat to no one. In recent years, Hampton has emerged from the formidable shadow of its Tidewater neighbor, as savvy Commonwealth anglers discover all the piscatorial delights the area has to offer.

Like Virginia Beach, Hampton provides easy access to the fertile fishing grounds of the lower Chesapeake Bay, including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT), arguably the world's greatest manmade fishing structure. The prolific bounty of the Atlantic Ocean lies just 15 miles to the southeast, and the fish-rich Poquoson and York rivers provide anglers with good action a short run to the north.

But Hampton's unique geography makes it a fishing haven in its own right. The city is bordered by some of the most productive waters in the state, including the James River to the south and the Back River to the north, both of which empty into the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton. The bayfront shoreline and nearshore structure between the mouths of the two rivers offer some of Chesapeake Bay's finest fishing.

The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT), which carries Interstate 64 traffic over and under the James River between Hampton and Norfolk, is a productive (albeit smaller) version of the CBBT. Farther upriver, the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (M&M) provides similar structure.

The location of so many fishing sites close to shore makes this area small-boat and foul-weather friendly. When windy conditions put the CBBT and open-bay and ocean waters off-limits for smaller craft, anglers fishing out of Hampton can almost always find a good place to fish out of the wind somewhere in the nearby waters that surround the city.

HAMPTON HOTSPOTS
The HRBT's location at the mouth of the James River makes it a perfect place to intercept striped bass, croaker and flounder as they migrate in and out of the river during May. Many quality specimens of all three species, along with good numbers of large gray trout, will linger along the 3 1/2 miles of twin bridges and tunnels throughout the summer.

At least some portions of the HRBT are usually fishable for anglers in small boats, and are easily accessible from the Sunset Creek ramp just off the Hampton River.

The water here is considerably shallower than at the CBBT, about 10 feet deep on the Hampton side of the complex and dropping to 50 feet or more over the tunnel tubes. The shallow water and low bridge spans near Hampton actually favor smaller boats. While northeast winds and strong currents can sometimes cause problems for boaters on the Norfolk side of the complex, the Hampton side is protected by Old Point Comfort, which juts out into the mouth of the river.

Just inside the HRBT, sprawling across the entrance to the Hampton River, Hampton Bar provides excellent fishing along its dropoffs for some of Virginia's largest flounder and croaker. This huge shallow bar, with depths ranging from 4 to 50 feet, is easily found on a map or chart. A short distance up the James, the M&M bridge-tunnel and the James River Bridge offer additional options for those seeking croaker, flounder and stripers.

Bay waters just outside the HRBT also provide excellent fishing for a number of species. Thimble Shoal Light holds some spadefish during June, and the entire area from Thimble Shoal southeast to the East Ocean View Reef can give up flounder, gray trout and striped bass.