Abstract: Driven by the continuous growth of the global marine economy and the advancement of 6G integrated space-air-ground-sea networks, the demand for highly reliable maritime communication systems has become critical. Precise maritime wireless channel modeling serves as the foundational pillar for developing such systems. This paper first systematically reviews field channel measurement campaigns and the evolution of testing systems across typical maritime communication scenarios—including shore-to-ship, ship-to-ship, shore/ship-to-ocean infrastructure, air-to-sea, and evaporation duct environments—spanning from the S-band to millimeter-wave frequencies. Subsequently, it offers an in-depth investigation of key propagation mechanisms, such as sea surface reflection, diffuse scattering, and shadowing effects, to characterize large-scale and small-scale fading in dynamic maritime environments. Based on these insights, the paper evaluates the applicability of four categories of maritime channel modeling paradigms: deterministic, statistical, hybrid, and artificial intelligence (AI) assisted models. Finally, it summarizes the current research challenges and outlines future trajectories for maritime wireless channel measurement and modeling.