Striped Bass Recreational Monitoring

Maryland’s recreational striped bass fishery is monitored through a combination of public participation via the Volunteer Angler Survey (VAS) and federal-state cooperative surveys under the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP).

These data are essential for biological stock assessments, providing scientists with the necessary information to track the health, age structure, and migration patterns of the population within the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Coast.

Woman holding a recreationally caught Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) on a boat.

Volunteer Angler Survey

Attention anglers! You can get involved.

Anglers can directly contribute to fisheries management by participating in the Volunteer Angler Survey. Data provided on the sizes of striped bass caught, kept, or released is used by fisheries scientists to characterize the size composition of the recreational harvest.

Submit data to the Volunteer Angler Survey

Latest Survey results

Reports by Fishing Method (2025)

horizontal bar chart of numbers of striped bass reported by fishing method

This horizontal bar chart illustrates that Casting is the most popular method reported by a wide margin, followed in descending order by Live Lining, Trolling, Jigging, Bottom Fishing, Other and Fly Fishing. Across every category, the blue "Released" portions of the bars significantly outnumber the orange "Kept" portions. This consistent trend across all methods highlights a strong commitment to catch and release practices among Maryland's volunteer anglers.

Method Breakdown:

Casting: 255 Released, 45 Kept
Live Lining: 83 Released, 34 Kept
Trolling: 56 Released, 35 Kept
Jigging: 35 Released, 8 Kept
Bottom Fishing: 15 Released, 9 Kept
Other/Fly Fishing: 8 Released, 2 Kept

Length Distribution (2025)

This distribution plot shows that released fish (blue) cover a wide range of sizes, including juveniles and large trophy size striped bass up to 48 inches. In contrast, kept fish (orange) are closely concentrated around a peak of 23 inches, demonstrating that the recreational harvest is within the legal slot.

Length Statistics:

Released Fish: Average length is 20.7 inches (Range: 5 to 48 inches).
Kept Fish: Average length is 22.3 inches (Range: 19.25 to 24 inches).
View past Results of the Striped Bass Volunteer Angler Survey

Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP)

The Striped Bass Program relies on catch and effort data for stock assessments. The Marine Recreational Information Program is a separate national initiative administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This program is managed by a different unit within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The MRIP initiative includes both the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) and the Fishing Effort Survey (FES). For detailed information on these surveys, or to contact the staff responsible for their administration, please visit their dedicated program page:

Visit the Maryland APAIS and MRIP Program Page

Biologists measuring fish for the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey

Reports and Data

Recreational monitoring results are reported annually in the Chesapeake Bay Finfish Investigations federal aid project report, submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

View Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Reports

Contact Information:

For questions regarding striped bass recreational monitoring, please contact:

Simon Brown - [email protected]

Sean Briggs - [email protected]