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. Explore the following sections to learn more about the responsibilities of the Program.
Commercial and Recreational Monitoring
The Program monitors striped bass through a combination of sector specific data collection and public participation. These efforts allow for a comprehensive overview of fishery trends and harvest activities throughout the year.
-
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.
-
Recreational Monitoring Section: Provides information on the surveys that gather information on recreational catches. These surveys include the Volunteer Angler Survey and the Marine Recreational Information Program.
Abundance and Reproduction Surveys
The following are fisheries-independent surveys that do not rely on commercial and recreational fisheries data. Be sure to look through each link to learn more about the data that are collected:
Our Team
Check out the
Staff Biologist Page to see the striped bass biologists that manage this valuable resource.
Check out our
Glossary page to see common and uncommon definitions.
