Cherrystone Inlet Fishing
Virginia inlet water in Northampton County.
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What a Virginia angler should know about Cherrystone Inlet
Cherrystone Inlet is a inlet on the Chesapeake Bay side, in Northampton County. A run of roughly 3 miles links it with Cape Charles.
Trailers go in at 2 saltwater launches near it. VMRC guide charts show 10 artificial reefs inside 25 miles. Water levels come from 2 water-level stations nearby. Saltwater limits from the Virginia Administrative Code govern it.
USGS GNIS named feature 1464790; Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations; NOAA CO-OPS; read November 6, 2026.
DWR saltwater access by Cherrystone Inlet
| Site | Recorded attributes | Owner | Location (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oyster boat ramp on Cherrystone Inlet | concrete ramp (no dock), 2 ramps, saltwater | Northampton | In Oyster on Rt 1802 |
| Cape Charles boat ramp on Cherrystone Inlet | dock and ramp, 4 ramps, barrier-free, saltwater | Town of Cape Charles | Town of Cape Charles, Rt. 1103 |
Piers and platforms near Cherrystone Inlet
- Cape Charles Fishing Pier on Cherrystone Inletfishing pier
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Saltwater rows for Cherrystone Inlet
| Species | Area | Size | Bag | Season | VAC section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black sea bass | Virginia tidal waters | 13 in minimum | 15 | 2026: May 11 through December 31; 2027: April 1 through December 31 | 4VAC20-950-45 |
| Bluefish | Virginia tidal waters | not stated | 5 | not stated | 4VAC20-450-20 |
| Cobia | Virginia tidal waters | 43 in minimum | 1 | June 15 through September 20 | 4VAC20-510-20 |
| Grey trout (weakfish) | Virginia tidal waters | 12 in minimum | 1 | not stated | 4VAC20-380-60 |
| Spanish mackerel | Virginia tidal waters | 14 in minimum | 15 | not stated | 4VAC20-540-30 |
| Summer flounder | Tidal waters except Potomac River tributaries | 16 in minimum | 4 | Open year-round (January 1 through May 31 size) | 4VAC20-620-50 |
| Summer flounder | Tidal waters except Potomac River tributaries | 17.5 in minimum | 4 | Open year-round (June 1 through December 31 size) | 4VAC20-620-50 |
| Summer flounder | Potomac River tributaries | not stated | not stated | not stated | 4VAC20-620-60 |
Limits on Cherrystone Inlet follow the VAC sections as of November 6, 2026.
Virginia Administrative Code, Title 4 Agency 20 (Marine Resources Commission) on law.lis.virginia.gov, as of November 6, 2026 (VMRC rules change by emergency order; check the VMRC regulations page before keeping fish).
A Virginia saltwater license is $17.50 for residents and $25 for nonresidents 16 and older.
Virginia license fees in the 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (licenses run one year from purchase unless noted), read November 6, 2026. Virginia Marine Resources Commission license fees, read November 6, 2026.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 NOAA stations close to Cherrystone Inlet
| NOAA water-level station | ID | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Kiptopeke | 8632200 | 9 miles |
| CBBT, Chesapeake Channel | 8638901 | 18 miles |
Predicted tides around Cherrystone Inlet
| Prediction station | Distance |
|---|---|
| Cape Charles Harbor | 2 miles |
| Old Plantation Light | 4 miles |
| Oyster Harbor | 5 miles |
| Kiptopeke Beach | 9 miles |
| Wolf Trap Light | 12 miles |
NOAA hosts the numbers for Cherrystone Inlet; we link, not copy.
NOAA CO-OPS Tides & Currents station list, read November 6, 2026.
Structure on the bottom near Cherrystone Inlet
| Reef | Area | Distance | Clearance (ft, MLW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherrystone Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 2 miles | 15 |
| Cabbage Patch Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 9 miles | 15 |
| York Spit Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 12 miles | |
| Nassawadox Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 14 miles | 15 |
| Back River Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 16 miles | 15 |
| Mobjack Bay Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 17 miles | 15 |
| Gwynn Island Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 18 miles | 14 |
| Poquoson Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 18 miles | 12 |
| Occohannock Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 19 miles | 15 |
| Bluefish Rock Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 19 miles | 15 |
For Cherrystone Inlet, reef coordinates come from VMRC guide charts dated 2004 to 2009.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission saltwater angler guide reef charts, read November 7, 2026.
Harbor towns near Cherrystone Inlet
Named towns close to Cherrystone Inlet
- Cape CharlesNorthampton County, 2 miles
- OysterNorthampton County, 5 miles
Virginia Marine Resources Commission saltwater angler guide (c. 2008, names only); USGS GNIS populated places.
Within a tank of gas of Cherrystone Inlet
Neighbouring bays and creeks of Cherrystone Inlet
- Hungars Creektidal creek, 8 miles
- Magothy Baybay, 9 miles
- Cape Charlescape or island, 10 miles
- New Inletinlet, 12 miles
- Fishermans Inletinlet, 13 miles
The bigger water past Cherrystone Inlet
- Chesapeake BayVirginia side
Inland fishing near Cherrystone Inlet
- Harwood’s Mill Reservoir27 miles
- Sandy Bottom Park Pond28 miles
- Lake Whitehurst28 miles
Picking up minnows and bloodworms near Cherrystone Inlet
- Bailey's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Cape Charles, 2 miles
- Marina On Davis Creekmarina, Port Haywood, 16 miles
- Bell Isle Marinamarina, Hampton, 20 miles
- Wallace's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Hampton, 20 miles
- Dandy Haven Marinamarina, Hampton, 21 miles
- Morningstar Marinas, 249 Mill Point Rdmarina, Hudgins, 21 miles
Listed guide and charter outfits for Cherrystone Inlet
- Cape Charles Fishing Adventurecharter, Cape Charles, (717) 572-7589
Old Dominion towns a quick hop from Cherrystone Inlet
- Cape Charles3 miles, Northampton County
- Exmore19 miles, Northampton County
- Poquoson19 miles, City of Poquoson
- Hampton23 miles, City of Hampton
County and city guides tied to Cherrystone Inlet
- Northampton Countycounty seat Eastville
Piscifun kit lined up for a day on Cherrystone Inlet
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Old Dominion water near Cherrystone Inlet, on camera
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region, Public domain
Photo: Missy Schmidt, CC BY 2.0
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Doug Lewis, CC BY 2.0
What a Virginia tackle counter hears about Cherrystone Inlet
What town is near Cherrystone Inlet?
It lies in Northampton County, on the Chesapeake Bay side, about 3 miles from Cape Charles.
How close is the nearest ramp to Cherrystone Inlet?
Use Oyster boat ramp on Cherrystone Inlet or another of the 2 saltwater launches.
Is Cherrystone Inlet fresh or salt water for licensing?
A Virginia saltwater license is $17.50 for residents and $25 for nonresidents 16 and older. No license under 16.
How many puppy drum can I keep from Cherrystone Inlet?
Red drum: 3 a day, 18-inch minimum, 26-inch maximum (4VAC20-1400-30), as of November 6, 2026.
What are the speckled trout rules on Cherrystone Inlet?
Speckled trout: 5 a day, 14-inch minimum (4VAC20-280-30); the code closes the season April 1 through June 30, 2026, as of November 6, 2026.
Do flounder sizes change during the year on Cherrystone Inlet?
Summer flounder: 4 a day, 16-inch minimum (4VAC20-620-50); the minimum rises June 1 per the code section, as of November 6, 2026.
Where does NOAA predict the tide near Cherrystone Inlet?
Cape Charles Harbor is the closest NOAA prediction point, about 2 miles away.
Where do anglers fishing Cherrystone Inlet buy bloodworms?
Our list starts with Bailey's Bait & Tackle (about 2 miles away).
How many miles separate Cherrystone Inlet from a charted VMRC reef?
Cherrystone Artificial Reef is the closest VMRC guide reef, about 2 miles away (chart-grid midpoint, not a structure position).
Run out to Cherrystone Inlet on a calm morning
Check the VMRC rows before you keep fish.