Striped Bass (aka Rockfish) is the state fish of Maryland and provides many recreational and commercial opportunities for our citizens and visitors to our state. The Striped Bass Program is responsible for monitoring and characterizing the fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay and on the Atlantic coast. Our surveys document reproduction, age and length structures, and harvest statistics which are reported to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for inclusion in the coastwide stock assessment.

The Program conducts a wide range of surveys year-round with the oldest, continuous survey beginning in 1954. Click on the right side to learn more about the responsibilities of the Program. The Commercial Monitoring section provides information on how the commercial fisheries are characterized through sampling at pound nets and of harvested fish brought into commercial check stations. The Recreational Monitoring section provides information on the surveys that gather information on recreational catches. These surveys include the Volunteer Angler Survey, Volunteer Charter Boat Survey,​ and the creel surveys during the trophy season (at boat ramps and charter boat docks).

The Adult Spawning Stock Survey section provides information on the abundance of spawning size striped bass on the spawning grounds. The Juvenile Index Survey provides information on the number of young of year striped bass produced. These surveys are fisheries independent surveys that don't rely on the commercial and recreational fisheries. Be sure to look through each link to learn more about the data that are collected.

Also, check out the Staff Biologist page to see the striped bass biologists that manage this valuable resource.

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