Striped bass continue to struggle in Chesapeake Bay

From the Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Harrisburg — The future of Chesapeake Bay’s striped bass population continues to be in peril, as seen by Oct. 15’s results from Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Maryland Department of Natural Resources annual juvenile striped bass survey.

For the seventh consecutive year in Maryland and fourth consecutive year in Virginia, young striped bass numbers are well below the long-term average.

This annual survey estimates striped bass recruitment, which includes reproductive success and early survival rates, and offers a window into the future of adult striped bass numbers.

Consistent, record-low levels of recruitment, combined with past overfishing of striped bass, are extremely concerning for the iconic species.

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Not enough young fish are surviving the many challenges in the region, including warmer water temperatures, food availability, and invasive predators like blue catfish.

That means far fewer fish will grow up to become large, adult trophy fish that anglers seek in the bay and are extremely important to rebuilding the population.

This could delay or jeopardize rebuilding the striped bass population by the 2029 target – a goal set by fisheries managers at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

According to the survey, the 2025 young-of-year index for Maryland was 4.0 fish per sample. This is slightly higher than last year’s index of 2.0, but significantly lower than the state’s long-term average of 11.0.

In Virginia, the index was 5.12 fish per sample. This is slightly higher than last year’s index of 3.43, but still below the state’s historic average of 7.77.

To address concerns for striped bass, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission was currently considering stronger protections for the species.

At the commission’s meeting Oct. 29, its Striped Bass Management Board was expected to approve Addendum III — a response to the 2025 striped bass stock assessment and recommendations made by the commission’s technical committee.

That analysis determined that striped bass are overfished, and that without additional action, it’s unlikely the species will rebuild to their target numbers by 2029.

The commission was expected to adopt protective measures that would reduce angler harvest of striped bass in the bay.