Striped Bass Regulations
The Maryland Department of national resources creates regulations for striped bass in 2025.
Maryland is maintaining the recreational limits, due to the uncertainty around future spawning potential of the striped bass. This is because population decline has been on the rise and Maryland is looking out for the future striped bass. The 2024 regulations will be the same as the 2025, however, targeting the striped bass will be prohibited from April 1 to May 1 and July 6 to July 31. Also, targeting striped bass in specific tributaries will be prohibited from March to the end of May. These regulations are put in place in order to save the species. However, conditions out of our control play an impact such as the warm weather because the striped bass are very sensitive to water temperature and have similar behaviors to other fish such as white perch, yellow perch, and American shad.
Where to view this information
Places you can view this information are on the new DNR website. Information will include charter boat fishing slot size (19in-24in), and bass limit, which is one per person on a boat. The slot is different for ocean striped bass as that is 28 inches to 31 inches.
Image of a Striped Bass on the bay
Fishery samples
To do fishery samples, fishery managers examine 22 sites located in four major striped bass spawning areas, which are the Choptank, Nanicoke, Potomac Rivers, and the upper region of the Chesapeake bay. To continue the sample, biologists visit each site three times per summer. This gets them the index which represents the average number of young of year striped bass found in each sample. During the sampling, more than 56,000 different species of fish are captured. The results were documented regarding two species lower on the food chain. The main goal of the sampling is for the Fishery managers to put fair regulations in place depending on population.
