New 2024 Hudson Valley Striped Bass Fishing Regulations

Here's what you need to know.

For fans of striped bass fishing in the Hudson Valley area, the DEC has announced changes made to regulations for the 2024 season.

Also See: Strange Looking Sea Creature Spotted in Hudson River

East Coast striped bass are typically found from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia. The Chesapeake Bay is the major producer area for striped bass, with the Hudson River being a secondary producer. Spawning migration begins in March when the migratory component of the stock returns to their native rivers to spawn. It is believed that females migrate after age five. These fish are believed to remain in the ocean during the spawning run. Males as young as two years old have been encountered in the spawning areas of the Chesapeake bay.

The migratory range of the northern (Hudson stock) extends from the Carolinas to the  Hudson River in the winter time and from New Jersey through Maine in summertime with the greatest concentration between Long Island, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Striped bass fishing is very popular in the Hudson Valley, and there have been some monster sized bass caught in the Hudson River over the years. One in particular that comes to mind is Mike Bowe's 52 inch "Monster Bass" caught in the Rhinebeck, NY area back in 2016 and covered in the story, Your 'Monster Fish' Caught in the Hudson River.

Changes Made to Recreational Striped Bass Fishing Regulations in Hudson River

Spring is striped bass season in the Hudson Valley, the DEC has announced that effective May, 1 2024, striped bass caught int he Hudson River and tributaries north of the George Washington Bridge may only be kept if they are between 23 and 28 inches long. The Hudson River striped bass fishing season and bag limit remains unchanged, with targeted angling allowed between April 1 and Nov. 30, 2024, and a one fish bag limit.

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The action was taken in response to the large increase in the coastal recreational harvest of striped bass in 2022, and repeated years of poor reproductive success in the Chesapeake Bay. Since November 2023, DEC has been conducting outreach to New York recreational fishing stakeholders on potential changes to striped bass regulations through public meetings, press releases, social media posts, and electronic newsletters.