MARYLAND -- One of the coldest winters in recent memory could offer a rare bright spot for Maryland’s iconic striped bass, as state fisheries officials say frozen Chesapeake Bay waters may improve spawning conditions this spring.
Scientists with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources believe recent declines in striped bass reproduction are closely tied to environmental factors, including warmer, drier winters and reduced spring freshwater flows into the bay. Those conditions have contributed to several consecutive years of below-average spawning success.
Striped bass spawn in the spring when water temperatures rise, with optimal conditions between 57 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. For newly hatched larvae to survive their first weeks, water temperatures must remain above 54 degrees and enough food must be available.
In a 2023 study, DNR fisheries biologist Angela Giuliano examined how warming bay temperatures have affected striped bass spawning. The research found that rising early-spring temperatures are shortening the spawning season in Chesapeake Bay tributaries, reducing the window of suitable conditions for reproduction.
DNR officials say the current cold winter could slow the spring warm-up in those tributaries, potentially extending the spawning period.
“Having the right temperatures during spawning and in the early weeks of larval development is critical,” the department said in a statement. Cooler conditions may also help support adequate populations of zooplankton — tiny organisms larval striped bass rely on for food.