Striper Migration Map – April 1, 2022

Maryland/Chesapeake Bay Striper Fishing Report

As of Friday, April 1, all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay (except the Potomac River) are closed to all striped bass catch-and-release fishing.

Prior to Friday, the cold waters had made larger, female stripers difficult to find in the Upper Chesapeake Bay, with only smaller males being reported around the Susquehanna Flats.

Throughout the rest of the bay, the cold temps hampered the last days of the season, with the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant warm water discharge providing more reliable striped bass fishing.

Again, as of today, April 1, all catch-and-release fishing of striped bass in all Maryland portions of the bay is now closed until April 30.

The up and down water temperatures have held back some of the striper spawning, but once conditions stabilize, the spawning should be in full swing in the tributaries of the Chesapeake. As of last week, spawning had begun in the upper Choptank River, and most likely is in the Nanticoke as well.

For a complete Maryland/Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, visit Maryland DNR.

New Jersey Striper Fishing Report

The cold weather this week didn’t totally shut down the fishing, but it didn’t help much either. This week’s reports look pretty similar to last week’s in New Jersey, with good numbers of schoolie bass coming from the back bays from Cape May to the Raritan. The best action seems to be deeper in the bays, away from the inlets.

The Raritan continues to hold the largest fish in the state, though the maximum size reported this week seemed to be around 15 pounds, give or take a bunker. With the New Moon on Friday, April 1, and the weather stabilizing and warming up, looking for the fishing in the Raritan to break open as larger striper bass will undoubtedly be moving in over the next week.

New York Striper Report

Resident or “holdover” schoolie stripers are stirring in backwater areas on Long Island, and some lager fish in the 30-inch range have been reported along the western end of Long Island. Stripers continue to be active in the lower Hudson River.

Connecticut/Rhode Island Striper Report

Despite the cold snap, the holdover fishing seemed to improve this week in Connecticut and Rhode Island backwaters, especially once things started to warm back up. There’s been no word of “liced-up” fish yet, but the increasing holdover activity is usually a sign that it won’t be long!