Striped Bass

Native to the East Coast of North America — from Florida, USA to New Brunswick, Canada — striped bass (Morone saxatilis) have been introduced and are established in much of the continental United States and Hawaii. They inhabit coastal waters and bays but typically enter rivers in the spring for spawning. Striped bass can live 30 years, reach five feet in length, and weigh up to 77 pounds. Striped bass have stout bodies and range in color from green, olive, steel blue, black, or brown on top to white or silver on their ventral side. Their name references the seven or eight horizontal stripes along their sides. Striped bass are opportunistic feeders where adults will prey on small fishes (including salmonid fry) and invertebrates, mainly crustaceans. Striped bass are not native to California and were first intentionally stocked for sportfishing. From 1981 through 1991, hatchery-reared striped bass were stocked in the Bay-Delta waters with about 11 million hatchery-reared striped bass fingerlings and yearlings released.

Fun Fact: Despite striped bass life history typically requiring migration to and from the ocean to spawn, some populations (like those in Lake Texoma) maintain self-sustaining lake populations that do not need stocking interventions.