Regulations Issued for 2022 Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass Fishing

Summer-Fall Season Limits Remain Same

Fisheries biologists survey and tag striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay as part of an annual survey of the population. Photo by Stephen Badger, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces that recreational striped bass regulations for the 2022 Chesapeake Bay summer-fall season will remain the same as last year.

All areas of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, except the Potomac River, will be closed to striped bass targeting from April 1 to May 1.

The 2022 summer-fall season in most areas of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries will be open May 16 through July 15, All areas will be closed to any targeting of striped bass from July 16 through July 31, and reopen August 1 through December 10. Anglers may keep one striped bass per person, per day, with a minimum size of 19 inches. During a chartered fishing trip, the captain or mate would not be permitted to land or possess striped bass for personal consumption.

During the closure period from July 16 through July 31, anglers will be prohibited from targeting striped bass, which includes catch-and-release and charter boats.

The 2018 benchmark stock assessment for striped bass indicated declines, so the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has determined that conservation measures are needed to reduce the amount of striped bass being removed. This includes dead discards, which are fish that die after being caught and returned to the water. 

Maryland has coordinated with the ASMFC to develop regulations in compliance with its coastwide fishery management plan. Data collected by the department determined that the water quality and air temperatures in late July are more harmful to striped bass, increasing risk of catch-and-release mortality, when compared to other times of the year,