MD Closes Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass Fishing 7/16 – 7/31
Beginning Tuesday through the end of July, striped bass fishing is closed in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials say this closure is needed to protect the species. When water and air temperatures rise during the hottest part of the summer, fish are more vulnerable to dying after being caught and released. This mid-season closure was introduced in 2020.
Additional information from MD Dept of Natural Resources:
While recent research has suggested that environmental factors, such as warm winters and low water flows are significant factors influencing spawning success, the summer closure of the recreational striped bass fishery is one of several management measures the department implemented to protect the resident stock of striped bass and decrease overall mortality in Chesapeake Bay.
Recent heat waves in Maryland have already triggered nearly a dozen “red flag” advisory days when anglers are encouraged not to fish for striped bass after 10 a.m. The Striped Bass Summer Fishing Advisory Forecast is an awareness campaign aimed at reducing striped bass mortality during the summer fishing season when catch-and-release fishing is allowed.
A mid-season closure was introduced in 2020 and aims to protect fish during the weeks when weather conditions cause stress on striped bass and the chance of death from catch and release is high. Recreational dead discards, when a fish dies after being caught and returned to the water, accounted for 21% of total fishing-related striped bass deaths in the Bay in the most recent stock assessment data published in 2022.
During the closure, DNR officials encourage anglers to pursue other fish instead of striped bass, such as invasive blue catfish and Chesapeake Channa, also known as snakehead, by using different fishing methods than those used for striped bass. These invasive species have no bag or size limits and their harvest contributes to a healthier ecosystem in the Bay. Tips and methods for fishing blue catfish can be found on the DNR website.
The Chesapeake Bay recreational fishery will reopen from August 1 through December 10, at which time anglers may keep one striped bass per person, per day, with a minimum length of 19 inches and a maximum length of 24 inches.
