Sandbridge Beach Fishing
Coastal cape or island fishing in City of Virginia Beach.
Pick for red drumPiscifun Alloy S inshore spinning reelCheck price at PiscifunPhoto of Virginia Beach: Nicolas Henderson, CC BY 2.0
The essentials of Sandbridge Beach
Sandbridge Beach, a cape or island of City of Virginia Beach, lies on the Atlantic side. Count on about 5 miles to Virginia Beach.
Boaters reach it from 2 saltwater launches on the DWR list. The VMRC angler guide charts 3 artificial reefs within 25 miles. There are 2 water-level stations close by. Marine limits and the saltwater license apply here.
USGS GNIS named feature 1497129; Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations; NOAA CO-OPS; read November 6, 2026.
Saltwater ramps close to Sandbridge Beach
| Site | Recorded attributes | Owner | Location (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owls Creek boat ramp on Linkhorn Bay | dock and ramp, 4 ramps, barrier-free, saltwater | Vity of Virginia Beach | From Virginia Beach, South on General Booth Blvd. |
| Back Bay boat ramp | dock and ramp, 1 ramp, fresh and salt | DWR | Princess Anne Road, South to Back Bay; L on Rt 622 |
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
VMRC size and possession limits for Sandbridge Beach
| Species | Area | Size | Bag | Season | VAC section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic croaker | Virginia tidal waters | not stated | 50 | not stated | 4VAC20-1370-30 |
| Black drum | Virginia tidal waters | 16 in minimum | 1 | not stated | 4VAC20-320-40 |
| Red drum | Virginia tidal waters | 18 in minimum, 26 in maximum | 3 | not stated | 4VAC20-1400-30 |
| Sheepshead | Within or outside Virginia tidal waters | not stated | 4 | not stated | 4VAC20-1110-30 |
| Speckled trout | Virginia tidal waters | 14 in minimum | 5 | Closed April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026 | 4VAC20-280-30 |
| Spot | Virginia tidal waters | not stated | 50 | not stated | 4VAC20-1380-30 |
| Striped bass | Coastal area | 28 in minimum, 31 in maximum | 1 | January 1 through March 31 and May 16 through December 31 | 4VAC20-252-110 |
| Striped bass | All Virginia waters | not stated | not stated | not stated | 4VAC20-252-50 |
For Sandbridge Beach, these are the code limits as read on 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 red drum herePiscifun NautiX saltwater spinning reel14% OFFSale $94.99 Where to check the tide at Sandbridge Beach
| NOAA water-level station | ID | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Money Point | 8639348 | 20 miles |
| CBBT, Chesapeake Channel | 8638901 | 21 miles |
Where NOAA predicts the tide near Sandbridge Beach
| Prediction station | Distance |
|---|---|
| Sandbridge | 4 miles |
| Rudee Heights, Lake Wesley | 6 miles |
| Lake Rudee, south end | 6 miles |
| Rudee Inlet entrance | 6 miles |
| Rudee Inlet, interior channel | 6 miles |
| Virginia Beach | 7 miles |
Open a station to see today near Sandbridge Beach.
NOAA CO-OPS Tides & Currents station list, read November 6, 2026.
Fish-holding reefs close to Sandbridge Beach
| Reef | Area | Distance | Clearance (ft, MLW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower Artificial Reef | Atlantic Ocean | 16 miles | 30 |
| East Oceanview Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 20 miles | |
| Bluefish Rock Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 25 miles | 15 |
Reef positions near Sandbridge Beach are approximate chart-grid centres.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission saltwater angler guide reef charts, read November 7, 2026.
Harbors and wharves by Sandbridge Beach
Waterfront towns by Sandbridge Beach
- Virginia BeachVirginia Beach (city), 8 miles
Virginia Marine Resources Commission saltwater angler guide (c. 2008, names only); USGS GNIS populated places.
Close to Sandbridge Beach on the Commonwealth map
Virginia saltwater next door to Sandbridge Beach
- Linkhorn Baybay, 10 miles
- Broad Baybay, 12 miles
- Lynnhaven Baybay, 12 miles
- Cape Henrycape or island, 13 miles
- Lynnhaven Rivertidal river, 14 miles
Non-tidal water close to Sandbridge Beach
- Back Bay9 miles
- Trashmore Lake12 miles
- Lake Whitehurst18 miles
Stores with hooks, line and lures around Sandbridge Beach
- Tow Boat USmarina, Virginia Beach, 2 miles
- Tackleworksbait and tackle shop, Virginia Beach, 4 miles
- Dare Marinamarina, Virginia Beach, 6 miles
- Rudee Inlet Station Marinamarina, Virginia Beach, 6 miles
- Fishermans Wharf Marinamarina, Virginia Beach, 6 miles
- Marina Shores Marina, 200 Winston Salem Avemarina, Virginia Beach, 6 miles
Booking a skipper or guide for Sandbridge Beach
- A-Aa Four Winds Charteringcharter, Virginia Beach, (757) 464-4680
- AAA Ryno Charterscharter, Virginia Beach, (757) 679-3474
- AfishinadoVB Fishing Charterscharter, Virginia Beach, (757) 748-0488
- Aquaman Sportfishing Charterscharter, Virginia Beach, (757) 200-0200
- Big Time Charters Inccharter, Virginia Beach, (757) 496-1040
- E Fishin Sea Sportfishingcharter, Virginia Beach, (757) 985-6255
- E-Fishinsea Sport Fishing Charterscharter, Virginia Beach, (970) 946-7071
- First Landing Charterscharter, Virginia Beach, (757) 708-0707
A bed and a breakfast counter near Sandbridge Beach
- Virginia Beach5 miles, City of Virginia Beach
- Chesapeake20 miles, City of Chesapeake
- Norfolk21 miles, City of Norfolk
- Portsmouth24 miles, City of Portsmouth
Locality pages that take in Sandbridge Beach
- City of Virginia Beachindependent city
Piscifun tackle that suits Sandbridge Beach
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
How the banks by Sandbridge Beach look on a clear day
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Watts, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Nannette Turner, CC BY 2.0
Questions on Sandbridge Beach before the truck is loaded
Which Virginia locality holds Sandbridge Beach?
GNIS places it in City of Virginia Beach, on the Atlantic side, about 5 miles from Virginia Beach.
Which DWR saltwater ramp gets a boat to Sandbridge Beach?
DWR records 2 saltwater launches, among them Owls Creek boat ramp on Linkhorn Bay.
What does DWR charge to fish Sandbridge Beach?
A Virginia saltwater license is $17.50 for residents and $25 for nonresidents 16 and older. Kids under 16 are exempt.
Which red drum rule applies on Sandbridge Beach?
Red drum: 3 a day, 18-inch minimum, 26-inch maximum (4VAC20-1400-30), as of November 6, 2026.
What size speckled trout may go home from Sandbridge Beach?
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.
What size flounder may go home from Sandbridge Beach?
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.
Which NOAA gauge sits closest to Sandbridge Beach?
Sandbridge, about 4 miles away, is closest.
Which Virginia bait counter sits closest to Sandbridge Beach?
Nearest in our list: Tow Boat US (about 2 miles away).
Can I reach a reef from Sandbridge Beach?
Tower Artificial Reef is the closest VMRC guide reef, about 16 miles away (chart-grid midpoint, not a structure position).
Spend a falling tide on Sandbridge Beach
Know the slot and season before the first cast.