CHESAPEAKE BAY - Striped bass reproduction in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay showed signs of improvement this year but remained below average for the eighth consecutive year, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The department’s annual juvenile striped bass survey recorded an index of 5.5, the highest since 2018. That is up from 4.0 in 2025 and 2.0 in 2024, but still well below the long-term average of 10.8.
Biologists say they collected 723 juvenile striped bass during sampling at 22 sites in the Choptank, Nanticoke, and Potomac rivers and the upper Chesapeake Bay. The upper Bay and Choptank River produced the strongest results, according to researchers.
The index measures the average number of juvenile striped bass, three inches or smaller, caught during each sweep of a sampling net. Maryland has conducted the survey since 1954.
DNR said the young fish were more widely distributed than in recent years, suggesting suitable habitat was available throughout the nursery areas.
Despite the improvement, officials say continued weak reproduction is expected to affect efforts to rebuild the Atlantic Coast striped bass population. Maryland and other coastal states have already imposed conservation measures, including reduced catch limits, tighter size restrictions, and seasonal closures.
DNR said weather and water conditions may have contributed to this year’s results. Although Maryland experienced a cold winter, which generally benefits spawning, a prolonged regional drought and low river flows may have created unfavorable conditions for eggs and larvae.
Higher river flows expand spawning habitat, help keep eggs suspended in the water, and bring larvae closer to food sources, according to the department.
The survey also found encouraging results for other fish. Young Atlantic menhaden were abundant, and Atlantic silversides were recorded in their highest numbers in more than a decade. Both provide food for other fish and wildlife. American shad reproduction was above average in the Potomac River and upper Bay.
DNR warned that the effects of consecutive weak spawning years will likely become more apparent as those fish reach adulthood. A coastwide striped bass population assessment is underway, with peer review expected to be completed in spring 2027. The findings will help guide future management decisions, according to DNR.
