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2008 Recreational Fishing Regulations for Striped Bass in Virginia's Marine Waters
Coastal Season………………………….….…………..January 1 – March 31
and May 16 – December 31
Possession Limit…………………………….……….………………...........2 per person
Minimum Size Limit….…………………………….……………………....28 inches
Coastal Regulations apply in Virginia’s coastal ocean waters inside the Three Mile Limit Line, plus all of the creeks, bays, inlets and tributaries on the seaside of Accomack County, Northampton County (including areas east of the causeway from Fisherman Island to the mainland) and the City of Virginia Beach (including federal areas and state parks, fronting on the Atlantic Ocean and east and south of the point where the shoreward boundary of the Territorial Sea joins the mainland at Cape Henry).
Chesapeake Area Season***……………..…..October 4 – December 31, 2008 and May 16 - June 15, 2009
Possession Limits….......................................................* 2 per person
Minimum Size Limit………………………………………….…………….18 inches
Maximum Size Limit....………………………………………………….** 28 inches
Closed Slot Size Limit……...Striped bass measuring between 28 and 34 inches
shall not be possessed at any time.
Chesapeake Area Regulations apply in the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay and its
Virginia tributaries, and the Virginia tributary rivers of the
Potomac River. Click here for
information pertaining to Potomac River open seasons.
* from October 4 through December 9, except
only one fish of the two fish possession limit shall be 34 inches or greater.
1 per person, from December 10 through December 31, which
may measure 18 to 28 inches or 34 inches or greater.
**1 fish of the 2 fish possession limit may be larger than 32 inches, as provided for in the Trophy Season regulatins except in the spawning reaches of the tributary rivers where no fish 32 inches in length or longer may be possessed. Combining limits for overlapping seasons or regulatins is prohibited - no more than 2 fish allowed in any overall limit at any time.
Virginia Trophy Season***
Chesapeake Bay and Tributaries..........................................May 1 - June 15, 2008
Potomac River Tributaries...................................................Same as main stem of Potomac River
Coastal Waters (Territorial Sea)...........................................May 1 - May 15, 2008
Possession Limit..................................................................1 per person
Minimum Size Limit...........................................................32 inches
Trophy Season Regulatins apply in Virginia's Territorial Sea and the Chesapeake Bay and its Virginia tributary rivers, except the spawning reaches of the tributary rivers where no fish 32" in length or longer may be kept or possessed.
***Catch report required for any fish 32" or larger kept during Trophy Season. Regulations apply in the Chesapeake Bay and the Territorial Sea. Trophy Season possession limit cannot be combined or added to the limit for any overlapping season.
All measurements are in total length; fish are measured from the tip of the nose to
the tip of the tail.
Federal Waters Regulations
Atlantic Ocean waters beyond the Three Mile Limit are closed to taking and
possession of striped bass all year.
Regulations in Spawning Reaches of Virginia’s Tributary Rivers
Regulations in the spawning reaches of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay
Tributary rivers are the same as the regulations for Chesapeake Bay.
Except no trophy fish (no fish 32” in length or longer) may be kept or
possessed from May 1, 2008 – June 15, 2008.
Potomac River Striped Bass Regulations
Please contact the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) for
information on regulations governing the striped bass harvest in the
Potomac River and the spreing, summer-fall
seasons of the Virginia tributaries of
the Potomac River. Contact information for the PRFC office is: 222
Taylor Street, Colonial Beach, VA 22443, (804) 224-7148,
or (800)
266-3904.
Illegal To Gaff Striped Bass
Gaffing Striped Bass or attempting to gaff Striped Bass is illegal in
Virginia Marine Waters.
All regulations are subject to change. It is the angler’s responsibility to know and abide by all current regulations and laws. Check for new regulations before you go fishing.
Regulations are subject to review and change throughout the year.
Information on the most current regulations can be obtained from the
Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Ave., Third
Floor, Newport News, Virginia 23607, (757) 247-2200;
from the Virginia
Saltwater Fishing Tournament, 968 South Oriole Drive, Virginia Beach,
Virginia 23451, (757) 491-5160;
and from the Virginia Marine Resources
Commission internet website at
www.mrc.virginia.gov