Virginia Coast: Bays, Tidal Rivers and Inlets
54 Virginia bays, sounds, tidal rivers, inlets and capes with tidal ramps, NOAA stations, reefs and the saltwater limits.
Photo of Lynnhaven: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District, CC BY 2.0
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- Assateague Channelinlet
B
- Back Rivertidal river
- Broad Baybay
C
- Cape Charlescape or island
- Cape Henrycape or island
- Cherrystone Inletinlet
- Chincoteague Inletinlet
- Coan Rivertidal river
- Corrotoman Rivertidal river
E
- East Rivertidal river
- Eastern Branch Elizabeth Rivertidal river
- Elizabeth Rivertidal river
F
- Fishermans Inletinlet
- Fishermans Islandcape or island
G
- Gargathy Inletinlet
- Great Machipongo Inletinlet
- Great Wicomico Rivertidal river
H
- Hampton Roadsbay
- Hog Island Baybay
- Hungars Creektidal creek
L
- Lafayette Rivertidal river
- Linkhorn Baybay
- Little Creekinlet
- Little Wicomico Rivertidal river
- Lynnhaven Baybay
- Lynnhaven Inletinlet
- Lynnhaven Rivertidal river
M
- Magothy Baybay
- Metompkin Inletinlet
- Mobjack Baybay
N
- Nandua Creektidal creek
- Nansemond Rivertidal river
- New Inletinlet
O
- Occohannock Creektidal creek
- Onancock Creektidal creek
P
- Pagan Rivertidal river
- Piankatank Rivertidal river
- Pocomoke Soundsound
- Poquoson Rivertidal river
- Pungoteague Creektidal creek
Q
- Quinby Inletinlet
S
- Sand Shoal Inletinlet
- Sandbridge Beachcape or island
- Severn Rivertidal river
- Smith Islandcape or island
- Smith Island Inletinlet
- Southern Branch Elizabeth Rivertidal river
W
- Wachapreague Inletinlet
- Ware Rivertidal river
- Warwick Rivertidal river
- Western Branch Elizabeth Rivertidal river
- Willoughby Baybay
Y
- Yeocomico Rivertidal river
- York Rivertidal river
Commonwealth water pictured beside Virginia Coast: Bays, Tidal Rivers and Inlets
Photo: Virginia State Parks, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Virginia State Parks, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jason Riedy, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Will Fisher, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Virginia coast list, reader questions
Which coastal waters have a page?
54 bays, sounds, tidal rivers, inlets and capes the USGS names, each with tidal ramps, NOAA stations, reef sites or ports nearby.
Where is the Chesapeake Bay page?
It has its own page, which gathers the bay areas, tidal rivers, saltwater limits and the Bridge-Tunnel rules.
Which license do I need on tidal water?
Below the freshwater/saltwater license lines a saltwater license applies; the lines are printed on the saltwater regulations page.
Are the tide readings live?
No. Pages link the NOAA stations, where the readings and predictions update.
Where do the ramps come from?
Saltwater sites in the DWR Boating Access Locations layer, plus names from the VMRC angler guide where no point exists.
Are artificial reefs listed?
Yes, reef sites with coordinates appear on the nearest coastal page and have pages of their own.
Why is the Eastern Shore split up?
Its seaside inlets and bays each have a page, so the ramps and tide stations near each one stay close at hand.
Can I fish from shore?
Pier and shore sites print where a source records them; the piers page lists them all.
Next stops after the Virginia coast list
- Virginia waters A to Zevery lake, river, bay, locality, town and fish page in one list
- License and regulationsfees, exemptions and the creel and length table of the 2026 digest
- Saltwater rulesMarine Resources Commission limits as printed in the Administrative Code
- Special regulation watersthe lakes and rivers the digest gives their own line
- Special regulation trout watersdelayed harvest, catch and release and the Jackson tailwater
- Border watersKerr, Gaston, the New, the Potomac and South Holston
- Free Fishing Dayslicense-free dates DWR has announced
- State freshwater recordsthe DWR list as of 9-2-2025, weights and waters
- Trout stockingevery DWR stocking date back to 2023
- Trout fishingstocking categories, Heritage Day and wild trout classes
- Water levelsUSGS live flow, reservoir pools and tide stations
- Chesapeake Baythe bay, its sounds and the tidal rivers that feed it
- Boat rampsDWR boating access sites with a page each
- Fishing piersDWR lake piers and the Atlantic and bay piers
- Artificial reefsMarine Resources Commission reef sites with chart grids
- Bait and tackleshops and marinas grouped by DWR region number
- Guides and charterscharter captains and freshwater guides
- TournamentsCATT, BFL and Fishers of Men dates and results
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