Virginia Rod & Reef
This hands-on experience is designed for all ages and skill levels. Whether you’re new to fishing or an experienced angler, everyone is welcome.
Angling for Oyster Restoration
Saturday, August 29, 2026
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Hampton University (Map)
100 E Queen Street
Hampton, Virginia
Join CBF for a day of discovery and fun on the Hampton River! Celebrate oyster reef restoration and the habitat it provides for the Chesapeake Bay with a morning of fishing and education.
This educational fishing event is open to all levels, whether you have never fished before or have been fishing your entire life—or anywhere in between.
We are also looking for volunteers to provide fishing instruction and general event assistance.
Why do we hold this event?
When an estuary loses almost all its keystone oyster reefs like the Chesapeake Bay has, it fundamentally hurts water quality and habitat for fish, crabs, and other creatures.
What has the Bay lost? We know from surveys performed in the late 1800s that hundreds of acres of naturally occurring oyster reefs were found in the Lower Bay. These reefs were home to abundant populations of popular reef fish like speckled trout, black sea bass, and red drum.
After decades of over harvesting, habitat destruction, poor water quality, and disease, the population of oysters and reefs in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are an estimated one percent of historic levels.
But in recent years, CBF and multiple partners have been restoring oyster reefs in local Virginia rivers. The return of these habitats means a return of healthy populations of popular reef fish—and that means more fish to angle for!
Virginia Rod & Reef’s goal is to show the community—especially kids and teens—how fun fishing can be, how oyster reefs contribute to great angling, and how restoring our waters can inspire lifelong anglers who love their local waterways.
