A 28-inch to under-31-inch slot and a 1-fish daily limit apply in several Atlantic states - but not everywhere. I use that pattern as a starting point, not permission to keep a fish. Your exact waterbody, fishing date, and species determine which rules apply.
This guide covers 17 states: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Texas. I compare size and slot limits, daily and possession limits, seasons, water boundaries, and gear rules where the supplied sources support them.
- Atlantic waters: Check slot endpoints carefully. A fish measuring exactly 31 inches is outside a “less than 31 inches” limit.
- Texas: Most inland waters have an 18-inch minimum and a combined daily limit of 5 striped bass and hybrids, with waterbody-specific exceptions.
- Before keeping fish: <u>Verify the current official rule for your exact location.</u> Several state summaries lack confirmed 2026 limits.
The state summaries are a starting point - not a substitute for current regulations.
NEW STRIPED BASS LIMITS & REGS! 1-Fish Slot Limits for Maryland, Virginia, Potomac, & Coastal Waters
1. Maine
Maine’s striped bass rules set a 28–31-inch slot limit, a one-fish cap, and restrictions on fishing gear.
Size limits
Measure striped bass from the lower jaw to the tip of the tail, with the tail lobes pinched together. Fish must fall within the 28–31-inch slot.
The daily catch and possession limit is 1 striped bass per person.
Season
Striped bass fishing is open year-round.
Methods and gear
Only hook-and-line fishing is allowed. When fishing with bait, you must use non-offset circle hooks.
These rules took effect July 1, 2023. Source: Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Next: New Hampshire.
2. New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s striped bass rules depend on where you fish, especially in the tidal lower Connecticut River.
The supplied sources do not confirm the current size, bag, possession, or gear rules for striped bass in New Hampshire. Check the official state regulations before fishing.
Source: New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
Next: Massachusetts.
3. Massachusetts
Massachusetts has a 28-inch to under-31-inch slot limit, with a daily and possession limit of 1 fish per angler.
Effective May 26, 2023. Source: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
Next: Rhode Island.
4. Rhode Island
Size Limits
You may keep striped bass measuring 28 inches to under 31 inches in total length. Release any fish outside that range.
Daily and Possession Limit
The daily bag and possession limit is 1 fish per person. This applies to anglers fishing from shore, private boats, and charters.
Waters and Seasons
Striped bass season is open year-round in Rhode Island state waters. You may travel through federal waters with legally retained fish, but you cannot fish there.
Effective May 27, 2023. Source: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
5. Connecticut
Connecticut’s striped bass rules vary by tidal waters and gear type.
Size Limits
Striped bass must measure at least 28 inches but less than 31 inches in total length.
Daily and Possession Limits
The daily bag and possession limit is 1 fish per person. The season is open year-round in marine and inland waters, including the Connecticut River.
Methods and Gear
When fishing for striped bass with natural bait, you must use inline, non-offset circle hooks. This rule does not apply when the bait is attached to an artificial lure.
Effective May 26, 2023. Source: Connecticut DEEP.
6. New York
Before keeping striped bass, check the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulations for the exact waterbody you’re fishing. Rules can vary by waterbody, season, and fishing method.
Next: New Jersey.
7. New Jersey
Waters and Seasons
Like New York, New Jersey sets striped bass rules by waterbody. Check NJDEP Fish & Wildlife for the exact boundaries, seasons, and fishing methods allowed where you plan to fish.
Size Limits
A 2024–2025 reference listed a general 28-inch to less than 31-inch slot limit. Before keeping a fish, confirm the current 2026 limit and any river-specific exceptions.
Daily Limit
The same reference listed 1 fish per day under the general rule. Check current regulations before keeping a fish, especially in waters with special rules.
Methods and Gear
Before keeping a fish, review current circle-hook requirements for bait fishing and any exceptions. Also check restrictions on catch-and-release fishing during closed seasons.
Next: Pennsylvania.
8. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s striped bass rules vary by waterbody. The supplied sources do not verify 2026 size limits, daily bag limits, possession limits, combined limits, boundaries, or seasons. Check PFBC rules for the exact waterbody before fishing.
Methods and Gear
PFBC requires non-offset circle hooks when fishing for striped bass with live or dead bait in the Delaware River and Delaware Estuary.
Next: Delaware.
9. Delaware
Size Limits
Delaware’s statewide recreational striped bass slot limit is 28 to 31 inches.
Daily and Possession Limits
The source material does not confirm Delaware’s current daily or possession limits.
Waters and Seasons
Check DNREC for rules covering the waters you plan to fish: coastal waters, Delaware Bay, tributaries, or the Delaware River. The source material does not confirm seasonal closures or river-specific exceptions.
Methods and Gear
Use non-offset inline circle hooks when fishing with natural bait in all Delaware waters.
Next: Maryland.
10. Maryland
Size Limits
Effective January 1, 2026, striped bass in Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays waters must fall within the 28–31-inch slot limit.
Daily Limit
In Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays waters, anglers may keep one striped bass per person per day.
Rules vary by waterbody. The Chesapeake Bay closure still applies there, even when Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays waters are open.
Waters and Seasons
The Chesapeake Bay spring trophy season is closed. Before keeping striped bass there, check the current Chesapeake Bay rules.
Methods and Gear
Check Maryland DNR’s regulations and boundary maps for the location where you plan to fish.
Next: Virginia.
11. Virginia
Size Limits
Virginia’s striped bass rules differ between tidal and inland waters. The supplied sources did not confirm size limits for the Chesapeake Bay, tidal rivers, or coastal waters. Check current VMRC regulations before keeping any fish.
Daily and Possession Limits
The supplied sources did not confirm current daily or possession limits. Check the latest official rules before fishing.
Waters and Seasons
The supplied sources did not confirm current harvest seasons, closures, or boundary rules.
Methods and Gear
VMRC manages striped bass in tidal waters and the Chesapeake Bay. DWR handles inland freshwater rules. The supplied sources did not confirm current bait or gear rules.
For official rules, see VMRC striped bass regulations and DWR fishing regulations.
Next: North Carolina.
12. North Carolina
North Carolina’s rules vary across coastal, estuarine, and inland waters. The supplied sources don’t confirm a statewide harvest standard.
Size, Daily Bag, and Possession Limits
The supplied sources don’t confirm current statewide slot, size, daily bag, or possession limits.
Waters and Seasons
The supplied sources don’t confirm closures, seasons, or waterbody boundaries. Check official North Carolina regulations for your exact waterbody and date before keeping a fish.
Methods and Gear
The supplied sources don’t confirm circle-hook requirements, bait restrictions, or catch-and-release rules during closures. Check official regulations for these details.
Sources: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Next: South Carolina.
13. South Carolina
The supplied sources did not verify South Carolina’s striped bass size limits, bag limits, seasons, or gear rules.
Next: Georgia.
14. Georgia
The supplied sources do not confirm Georgia’s striped bass size limits, daily bag limits, or waterbody-specific seasons.
Daily and Possession Limits
The supplied sources provide no verified daily or possession limits. They also do not confirm whether striped bass share a combined limit with hybrids or white bass.
Waters and Seasons
No supplied source identifies Georgia striped bass waters, season dates, or closures.
Methods and Gear
The supplied sources do not confirm Georgia’s gear rules. Check Georgia DNR rules for your exact waterbody and fishing date before keeping a fish.
Next: South Carolina.
15. Florida
Size Limits
The supplied sources do not verify a statewide minimum size for striped bass in Florida. Check whether your catch is a pure striped bass or a sunshine bass before looking up the rule.
Daily and Possession Limits
The supplied sources provide no verified daily bag or possession limit for Florida striped bass or hybrids.
Waters and Seasons
The supplied sources do not confirm waterbody-specific rules or seasonal exceptions, including those for the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Ochlockonee river systems. Check Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules for your exact fishing location.
Methods and Gear
Before fishing, check current FWC gear rules for your exact waterbody.
Next: Alabama.
16. Alabama
The supplied sources do not confirm Alabama’s striped bass rules. Check current official regulations before keeping fish.
Size Limits
The supplied sources provide no verified Alabama size limit for striped bass or hybrid striped bass.
Daily and Possession Limits
Daily and possession limits are unverified. Whether Alabama manages striped bass and hybrid striped bass under a combined limit is also unconfirmed.
Waters and Seasons
The supplied sources do not verify rules for specific Alabama waters, seasonal restrictions, or differences between inland and coastal striped bass regulations.
Methods and Gear
No verified Alabama gear rule or official regulation link is available in the supplied sources. Check current official Alabama regulations for the exact waterbody you plan to fish before heading out.
17. Texas
Texas striped bass rules depend on where you fish. Inland waters and border waters have different requirements.
Size Limits
Most Texas inland waters have an 18-inch minimum for striped bass and hybrid striped bass. Some named waters have different limits.
Daily and Possession Limits
The daily bag limit is 5 striped bass and hybrids combined. Lake Texoma has a separate possession rule.
Waters and Seasons
Waterbody-specific exceptions apply across Texas, including Lake Texoma’s border-water rules. These differences mean one statewide rule won’t cover every fishing spot. Check Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations and effective dates for the water you plan to fish.
Methods and Gear
Check Texas Parks and Wildlife Department rules for method and gear limits at your waterbody.
Effective September 1, 2026. Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Size, Daily Bag, and Possession Limits Compared
Striped Bass Size and Bag Limits Compared
Across the states above, the most common recreational rule is a 28- to 31-inch slot and a 1-fish daily limit. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut require fish to measure at least 28 inches but less than 31 inches, with daily and possession limits of 1 fish per person. Maine also limits daily catch and possession to 1 fish.
Maryland’s Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays waters follow the same slot-and-daily-limit pattern, but Chesapeake Bay rules differ. In most Texas inland waters, striped bass and hybrids have a combined 5-fish daily bag limit and an 18-inch minimum, with exceptions for certain waterbodies.
Check current rules before keeping fish. Daily, possession, and species-specific limits are separate restrictions - not allowances you can add together. Waterbody boundaries, seasons, and gear rules can also affect what you may keep, so check those details next.
Water Boundaries, Seasons, and Gear Rules
Waterbody and season
On the Connecticut River, follow the rules for the state where you’re fishing: New Hampshire and Vermont on the upper river, Massachusetts and northern Connecticut on the middle river, and Connecticut tidal waters on the lower river.
For other waters, check official state regulations for exact boundaries, season dates, and bag limits. Gear restrictions may also affect which fish you can keep.
Fishing methods and gear
Before you fish, check the current official rules for your exact waterbody and fishing method. Review bait, hook, gaff, and culling rules, too.
Check the Rules Before Keeping a Striped Bass
A statewide limit doesn’t tell the whole story. Whether you can keep a fish depends on the exact waterbody, species, season, and rule in effect on your fishing date.
Start with the state summaries above, then verify the rules for your fishing spot before keeping any fish. Before fishing, confirm:
- Location: The exact spot where you’ll fish and the rules that apply there.
- Species: Whether the fish is a striped bass or a hybrid, and which rules cover it.
- Season: Whether harvest is open.
- Measurement: The required measuring method and the exact minimum, maximum, or slot limits. Check whether fish at either boundary length may be kept.
- Daily bag and possession limits: Check these separately, along with any boat-wide limits.
- Effective date: Make sure the linked rule applies on your fishing date.
FAQs
Can I keep more striped bass by fishing in two states?
No. You can’t combine catch limits across state lines to keep more striped bass. Follow the daily bag and slot limits for the state and waterbody where you’re fishing. If you cross into another state, follow its rules for your fishing location.
Before heading out, check the current regulations on that state’s official wildlife or environmental agency website.
Which rules apply when I cross state lines with my catch?
Taking your catch across state lines? Follow the fishing rules in the state where you caught the fish, including size limits, bag limits, and licensing requirements. Before you fish, check that state’s official wildlife or environmental agency website for rules that apply to your planned fishing location and waterbody.
Can I catch and release striped bass during a harvest closure?
The provided sources don’t confirm whether catch-and-release is allowed during a harvest closure. Check the official state regulations for your exact fishing location, including closures, slot limits, creel limits, and bait-hook rules.
A harvest closure prohibits keeping fish, but that doesn’t mean catch-and-release is allowed. Practice catch-and-release only if the closure rules explicitly permit it.
Related Blog Posts
- The Best Fish to Catch in the Connecticut River
- Striped Bass in New England: Why the Striper Became a Northeast Icon
- Fall Striper Run 2026: Where the Migration Stands Right Now
- Connecticut River Mouth Fall Fishing: Stripers Stacked Up and Feeding
Rep Your Water
Know the regs, then wear the run. The Connecticut River Fishing Club Tee is heavyweight garment-dyed cotton with a striped bass back graphic and a chest hit up front.