Striped Bass migration calendar.
Striped bass migrate north each spring chasing menhaden and squid; fall they retreat south following bait. Target structure breaks where current funnels bait — bridge pilings, channel edges, jetty pockets, rip lines. Live menhaden and large soft plastics during active migration windows; trolling tubes and umbrella rigs for staging fish.
Overfished — coastwide stock under rebuilding plan per ASMFC. Slot limits and seasonal closures have tightened on most coastal states. Verify the current rule for your state before harvest.
Where the striped bass are this year
Region-by-region presence. Sorted by current month — regions where striped bass are at peak or good status this month appear first.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Island Sound & New York Bight Northeast | ||||||||||||
| Massachusetts, Cape Cod & Islands Northeast | ||||||||||||
| New Jersey Coast Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Rhode Island & Connecticut Sound Northeast | ||||||||||||
| Chesapeake Bay (Lower) Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Chesapeake Bay (Upper) Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Delaware Bay Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Maine & New Hampshire Coast Northeast | ||||||||||||
| Virginia Coast & Eastern Shore Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| North Carolina Outer Banks Mid-Atlantic |
Temperature triggers
- Preferred: 55–68°F
- Avoid below: 42°F
- Avoid above: 75°F
Read the water temperature, not the calendar — fish move when the water hits these thresholds, not when the date does.
Primary baitfish
- Menhaden (bunker)
- Atlantic herring
- Sand eels
- American eels
- Mullet
Predators follow prey. Track the bait — find the bait, find the striped bass.
Regulation & sources
Managed coastwide by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Most Atlantic states require a slot-limit harvest and have specific season dates that have changed substantially since 2020.
Track striped bass arrivals on your coast.
Bield: Fish notifies you when water temperatures and bait movements line up for your home region — so you're on the water the day they show up, not the week after.