The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the following regulations for the 2022 recreational striped bass fishery (private and charter) in the Chesapeake Bay. The 2022 striped bass regulations are unchanged from 2021 and are generally described below.

striped bass regulations
Lenny Rudow and Zach Ditmars with catch and release stripers off Smith Island.

Spring Trophy Season:

  • April 1 through April 30: Anglers will be prohibited from targeting striped bass, which includes catch-and-release.
  • May 1 through May 15: Anglers may catch one striped bass per day, with a minimum size of 35 inches, in the Chesapeake Bay from Brewerton Channel to the Virginia state line.

*Summer-Fall Season:

  • May 16 through July 15, and resume August 1 through Dec. 10: Anglers would be able to 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.

*For the summer-fall charter fishery, the captain or the mate may not keep a striped bass during a charter trip. Charter captains may also participate in a voluntary pilot program. Participating captains will be required to use the FACTS electronic reporting system and will be allowed to keep two (2) fish per person per day. Only one of those two fish may be greater than 28 inches.

For additional details related to fishing for striped bass in Maryland – including the Chesapeake Bay, Susquehanna River, Atlantic Ocean, Coastal Bays and their tributaries – please visit the DNR regulations guide.

The 2018 benchmark stock assessment for striped bass indicated declines, so the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has determined that conservation measures are still 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 continues to coordinate with the ASMFC on the development of regulations and management actions in compliance with its coastwide fishery management plan. While no additional changes are anticipated for the 2022 season, changes will likely be proposed by ASMFC for the 2023 season.