2017 Striper Migration Map
The striper migration has begun! March is going out cool and rainy, but waters are slowly warming and the striper migration is progressing. Striped bass continue moving toward spawning grounds in Chesapeake Bay tributaries, and smaller stripers are getting active in warming inshore areas in Delaware Bay, along the New Jersey beaches, in the backwaters at the west end of Long Island, and in tidal rivers in Connecticut.
Chesapeake Bay
In the main stem of the Chesapeake, water temperatures are cooler than at the same time last winter, thanks to cold weather and snowmelt. Surface temperatures are slowly creeping up through the mid 40s, and everything looks on track for a mid-April spawn. Striped bass are moving up the bay and into the Potomac, Patuxent, Nanticoke, Choptank and Susquehanna rivers.
According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the lower Susquehanna River has stained water conditions and water temperatures around 40° thanks to rain and snowmelt. Out on the flats, water temperatures can be as high as 46° on sunny days. Late-week rain and continued snow melt will probably keep water temperatures depressed for the next few days.
Water temperatures in the middle and lower bay regions are holding around 45° this week. Calmer conditions this weekend will most likely bring out a few catch and release…
