City Cast DC logo

Urban Almanac: New Fish Roaming The Chesapeake

Posted on November 15, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

The fearsome Barracuda.

The fearsome Barracuda. (Stephen Frink/Getty Images)

As the famous song goes, global warming brings all the fish to the bay. Or, did I remember that wrong?

Regardless, fish are coming to the bay, specifically the Chesapeake. As the ocean warms, Maryland fishermen are catching new kinds of fish, typically only seen in southern waters.

Last month, one fisherman caught a 13-pound barracuda off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, establishing a species record in the Maryland state fishing records. These large predatory fish are typically only seen in the Mediterranean and Florida.

Ocean City, MD

Fishing boats harbored in Ocean City, MD. (Connor E Bell/Getty Images)

Other rare species sightings include sea trout, cutlassfish, cobia, red drum, and sheepshead. And another species record was broken this fall with the catch of a two-pound pompano dolphinfish.

“We think that conditions will be conducive to seeing more of these fish in the future with climate change along the East Coast,” Maryland’s state resources fisheries expert told the Washington Post.

Share article

Hey DC

Get smart about D.C. with our news roundup and analysis.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Urban Almanac

See All
Urban AlmanacMarch 19

How To Start an Urban Garden In DC

Even in the city, you can grow your own food. Here’s how to make use of even the tiniest spaces, whether you’re designing your community...

Garden beds at Bruce Monroe Community Garden in Columbia Heights.
Urban AlmanacSeptember 4, 2025

How to Experience the 2025 National Book Festival in DC

This Saturday, Sept. 6, the Library of Congress is throwing a party for book lovers: the 25th annual National Book Festival.

The flyer for the National Book Festival.
Urban AlmanacJuly 30, 2025

How to Manage and Stop the Spread of Invasive Lanternflies

The invasive spotted lanternfly has returned to the Washington, D.C. region this summer. Here's what you need to know about why it spread...

A person holds an adult spotted lanternfly found in Huntington, Indiana, on Aug. 17, 2022.
Urban AlmanacJuly 31, 2024

Does Extreme Heat Cause Sudden Branch Drop Syndrome?

After the tragic death of a woman in D.C., local officials are investigating if extreme heat contributes to Sudden Branch Drop Syndrome.

After the tragic death of a woman in D.C., local officials are investigating if extreme heat contributes to Sudden Branch Drop Syndrome. (jiamiao lin/Getty Images)
Urban AlmanacJune 12, 2024

How To Forage in the DMV

An ancient foraging proverb says, “there are old foragers and there are bold foragers, but there are no old, bold foragers!”

Beautiful and edible chickweed. (mikroman6/Getty Images)
Urban AlmanacMay 8, 2024

Maryland Renames Snakehead Fish In Hopes of Increasing Demand

Maryland is renaming the invasive snakehead fish in hopes of getting more people to eat it. The snakehead fish will soon be known as the...

An invasive Northern snakehead caught in the tidal marshes of Southeast Virginia.
Urban AlmanacApril 17, 2024

How To Water Your Street Trees

One critical piece of this is to water your street trees, especially if you have a young tree outside your house or apartment.

A well established sidewalk tree.
Urban AlmanacApril 3, 2024

How To View The Solar Eclipse In DC

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking out our precious sunlight for a few rare minutes.

The sky during a full solar eclipse