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Striped Bass Spring Migration

striped bass migrating

Most popular species of game fish undergo a massive seasonal migration to maintain their ideal water temperatures annually. The striped bass is no different.

Every year they have their travel pattern that, if you follow it, can catch you some pretty big fish. Read on to learn more about the Striped Bass spring migration and what states it passes through. 

What is the Striped Bass Spring Migration?

Striped Bass have a preference for temperature levels of the water where they swim. Their ideal range is between 55-70°F, and they will move locations to maintain this temperature. They also migrate based on their spawning patterns each year.

Ocean based stripers swim south and inland up the freshwater bay and rivers to their spawning grounds, lay their eggs then start traveling back to the ocean and North again in Spring.

In the summer, the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida Peninsula, and even the Carolinas are too hot for the fish, so they pack up and head north.

A migration back down to the warmer climates happens in the fall. This migration can also occur on a microscale. In the Northeast, for example, striped bass only migrates from Maine to Virginia, all to maintain that ideal temperature. 

 

What States Does the Striped Bass Migrate Through?

Ignoring the Canadian striped bass habitats, you might be wondering if these beautiful fish pass through your state.

Most Striped Bass begin their lives in the inland rivers and lakes of Texas and Louisiana. They pass through Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and every Northeast state from Virginia to Maine.

West Coast stripers migrate from California to Washington State.

If you live inland, you can look for them in your freshwater lakes and rivers or fish them close to the coast if it’s convenient for you. 

 

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