2026 regulation year
Striped bass Fishing Regulations by State (2026)
Morone saxatilis
Last updated
Striped bass is regulated separately by each state. This page compares the open-season window, daily bag limit, and size or slot rule for striped bass across the 25 states fishregs covers deeply for 2026 — 13 set a defined harvest season and 12 keep it open year-round. Rules vary by state and often by individual water body, so confirm on the linked state page before fishing. New to bag, slot, and size limits? The glossary explains every term.
Striped bass regulations comparison by state
| State | Open season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Open year-round | 2 / day striped bass on most reservoirs; 15 / day combined striped + hybrid on listed waters | 22 in min striped bass on most reservoirs; no min hybrid striped bass |
| Arizona | Open year-round | 10 / day no statewide minimum — applies on all Arizona waters including Lake Mead + Lake Mohave + Lake Havasu + Lake Powell + Lake Pleasant + the Salt River chain (AZGFD lists no striped-bass water exceptions) | No statewide minimum |
| California | Open year-round | 2 / day | 18 in minimum |
| Connecticut | – · Long Island Sound + Connecticut River tidal section | 1 / day per angler (recreational, ASMFC harmonized) | 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized recreational)Slot: 28–31 in slot — only slot-size fish retainable in the recreational fishery |
| Delaware | – · Atlantic Ocean + lower Delaware Bay + Indian River Inlet + Rehoboth + Indian River Bays – · Delaware Bay + River + tributaries — summer slot – · Nanticoke + Broad Creek + C&D Canal — open harvest after spring spawning closure+1 more window | 1 / day per angler (ASMFC harmonized recreational); CLOSED (NO HARVEST) April 1 – May 31 on Nanticoke + Broad Creek + C&D Canal | 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized recreational); 20–24 in summer slot July 1 – Aug 31 in Delaware Bay + River + tributaries (DNREC 2024+)Slot: 28–31 in slot year-round; DE-distinctive 20–24 in summer slot July 1 – Aug 31 in Delaware Bay + River + tributaries — only slot-size fish retainable in the recreational fishery |
| District of Columbia | – · Tidal Potomac (DC DOEE / PRFC) – · Tidal Potomac (DC DOEE / PRFC) – · Tidal Potomac (DC DOEE / PRFC)+1 more window | 1 / day per angler (DC DOEE / PRFC harmonized Chesapeake recreational) | 19–24 in protected slot (Chesapeake / tidal Potomac recreational — DC DOEE + PRFC 2026)Slot: 19–24 in slot — only slot-size fish retainable in the recreational fishery (distinct from the 28–31 in coastal slot) |
| Georgia | Open year-round | 2 / day striped bass on most reservoirs; 15 / day combined striped + hybrid on listed waters | 24 in min striped bass on most reservoirs; 22 in min hybrid striped bass |
| Kansas | Open year-round | 5 / day combined wiper + striped bass statewide; reduced to 2 / day on most major reservoirs (Wilson + Cheney + El Dorado + Cedar Bluff + Pomona + Council Grove + Clinton + Kanopolis + Glen Elder + Lovewell + La Cygne); white bass no daily limit statewide | No statewide minimum; 21 in min on Cheney + El Dorado; 18 in min on Pomona + Council Grove + Clinton + La Cygne; 2 / day no minimum on Wilson + Cedar Bluff + Kanopolis + Glen Elder + Lovewell; no minimum on white bass |
| Kentucky | Open year-round | 5 / day statewide (true striped bass). Lake Cumberland: 2 / day. | 15 in minimum statewide; 22 in minimum on Lake Cumberland. |
| Louisiana | Open year-round | 5 / day combined striped + hybrid striped bass | No minimum length; no more than 2 fish over 30 in / day |
| Maine | – · Atlantic coast bays + tidal Kennebec + Penobscot + Androscoggin | 1 / day per angler (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized recreational) | 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized recreational)Slot: 28–31 in slot — only slot-size fish retainable in the recreational fishery |
| Maryland | – · Susquehanna Flats (Cecil + Harford Counties) – · Chesapeake Bay spring TROPHY season (approved areas) – · Chesapeake Bay summer recreational+2 more windows | 1 / day per angler (Chesapeake Bay MD recreational rule; Atlantic Ocean 1 / day ASMFC harmonized) | Chesapeake Bay: 19 in min (summer/fall) + 35 in min (spring TROPHY); Atlantic Ocean: 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II)Slot: Atlantic Ocean 28–31 in slot ASMFC; Chesapeake Bay uses minimum-size + season tier, not a slot |
| Massachusetts | – · Atlantic coast + Cape Cod Bay + Buzzards Bay + Nantucket Sound + Vineyard Sound – · Commercial striped bass quota season (separate) | 1 / day per angler (recreational, ASMFC harmonized) | 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized recreational); MA commercial minimum 35 in (separate fishery)Slot: 28–31 in slot — only slot-size fish retainable in the recreational fishery |
| Nevada | Open year-round | No daily limit (unlimited harvest) on the Nevada side of Lake Mead + Lake Mohave under the AZ/NV joint compact (the Arizona side of the same water carries a 25 / day limit) — NDOW-distinctive aggressive striped bass harvest | No minimum |
| New Hampshire | – · NH Atlantic coast + Great Bay Estuary + Piscataqua River + Isles of Shoals | 1 / day per angler (ASMFC harmonized recreational) | 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized recreational)Slot: 28–31 in slot — only slot-size fish retainable in the recreational fishery |
| New Jersey | – · Atlantic coast + Raritan Bay – · Delaware River bonus tag program | 1 / day per angler (Atlantic coast + Raritan Bay, ASMFC harmonized); 2 / day Delaware River with bonus tag | 28–31 in protected slot Atlantic coast + Raritan Bay (ASMFC harmonized); 24 in min Delaware River bonus tagSlot: Atlantic coast + Raritan Bay 28–31 in slot — only slot-size fish retainable; Delaware River bonus tag 24 in min (limited tags issued per year) |
| New Mexico | Open year-round | 1 / day; no bag or possession limit on the Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County) | No minimum |
| New York | – · Hudson River (north of the George Washington Bridge; closed Dec 1 – Mar 31 above the Mario M. Cuomo / Tappan Zee Bridge) – · Marine District (NY ocean + Long Island Sound) | 1 / day | Hudson River slot 23–28 in; Marine slot 28–31 inSlot: Hudson River 23–28 in; Marine 28–31 in (release fish outside slot) |
| North Carolina | – · Roanoke River (subject to in-season change) | 0 in most inland waters; 1 / day during Roanoke window | Roanoke slot 18–22 in (typical); coastal slot varies by yearSlot: Roanoke River slot announced each spring by NCWRC |
| Oklahoma | Open year-round | Statewide: striped bass 5 / day + striped bass hybrid 20 / day (only 5 over 20 in) + white bass no limit — three separate limits; Lake Texoma 10 / day combined striper + hybrid (only 2 over 20 in) + white bass 25 / day; Arcadia + Skiatook 5 / day combined striper + hybrid (only 2 over 20 in) | No statewide minimum on striped bass or white bass; hybrids only 5 over 20 in statewide; Lake Texoma only 2 of the 10-fish striper+hybrid bag over 20 in; Sooner Reservoir striped bass 20 in minimum |
| Rhode Island | – · RI Atlantic coast + Narragansett Bay + Block Island Sound + Watch Hill | 1 / day per angler (ASMFC harmonized recreational) | 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized recreational)Slot: 28–31 in slot — only slot-size fish retainable in the recreational fishery |
| South Carolina | – · Santee Cooper (Lakes Marion + Moultrie + connecting waters) – · Santee Cooper (Lakes Marion + Moultrie) – · Lake Murray + most inland reservoirs | 3 / day Santee Cooper (Marion + Moultrie + connecting rivers + Cooper River); 5 / day Lake Murray + most inland reservoirs; 10 / day combined striped + hybrid Lake Hartwell + Lake Thurmond | 26 in min Santee Cooper system (Oct 1 – June 15); 21 in min Lake Murray (Oct 1 – May 31; any length June 1 – Sept 30); Lake Hartwell + Lake Thurmond no minimum but only 3 of the 10 may exceed 26 in (GA/SC reciprocal) |
| Tennessee | Open year-round | 2 / day in combination (striped bass + hybrid striped bass). Mississippi River: 6 / day in combination. | 15 in minimum (striped bass + hybrid striped bass). No length limit on the Mississippi River. |
| Texas | Open year-round | 5 / day (striped and hybrid striped bass combined); Lake Texoma 10 / day | 18 in minimum statewide; no minimum length at Lake Texoma (only 2 of the 10 may be 20 in or longer) |
| Virginia | – · Inland reservoirs (Smith Mountain, Lake Anna, Buggs Island, Lake Gaston, Claytor) – · Chesapeake Bay spring season – · Chesapeake Bay fall season | Inland: 2 / day combined striped + hybrid striped (4 / day on listed waters). Chesapeake / coastal: 1 / day per VMRC + ASMFC | Inland: 20 in min striped, 14 in min hybrid striped. Chesapeake Bay tidal: 20–28 in protected slot. Atlantic Ocean: 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC harmonized)Slot: Chesapeake Bay 20–28 in slot; Atlantic Ocean 28–31 in slot — only slot-size fish retainable per VMRC notice |
Figures are statewide defaults for 2026. Specific lakes, rivers, and coastal zones can carry their own striped bass rules — open any state row for the full season map, gear restrictions, and named water-body overrides.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is there a nationwide striped bass season or bag limit?
- No. Each US state sets its own striped bass rules. Across the 25 states covered here, 12 keep harvest open year-round while 13 define a closed season, and daily bag and size limits differ from state to state. Use the table above to compare, then open a state page for the exact current rule.
- Does my fishing license cover striped bass in every state?
- No. A fishing license is valid only in the state that issued it, apart from a few border-water reciprocity agreements. To fish striped bass in another state you generally need that state's non-resident license — compare non-resident fees on the license-fees page and check the reciprocity page for shared-water exceptions.
- Why do striped bass rules vary so much between states?
- Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is a anadromous (sea-run) species, and each state manages it for its own water temperatures, spawning timing, population health, and fishing pressure. Many states also set tougher rules on specific lakes or rivers, so the statewide figure shown here can be overridden on a named water body — always confirm on the linked state page before fishing.
- Why does one state show more than one striped bass season?
- Several states split striped bass into management zones — different coasts, river drainages, or regions open and close on different dates. Where that happens the table shows each zone's window; the state page lists the full zone map.