Striped Bass, also known as Rockfish.
- According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, the striped bass is Maryland’s state fish, and one of the most popular commercial and recreational catches in the Chesapeake Bay.
- The Bay is the largest striped bass nursery area on the Atlantic coast. Seventy to 90 percent of the Atlantic striped bass population uses the Bay to spawn.
- The oldest recorded striped bass was 31 years old. The largest recorded striped bass was 125 pounds, caught on the North Carolina coast in 1891.
- The recreational record for Chesapeake Bay striped bass is 67 pounds,8 ounces.
- Read more about Striped Bass from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
White Perch
- It is believed that each tributary to the Chesapeake Bay has its own white perch population, since this fish likely does not venture far from the stream where it was born.
- The Maryland Chesapeake Bay record white perch, caught in 1979 in Dundee Creek, weighed 2 pounds, 10 ounces.
- Read more about the White Perch from Maryland DNR.
Yellow Perch
- Yellow perch are generally freshwater fish and can be found in all Maryland reservoirs.
- In Maryland, yellow perch have adapted to the estuarine waters of the Susquehanna Flats in the Chesapeake Bay and have historically been reported in all of its major tributaries and streams.
- Yellow perch can reach a maximum size of 18 inches.
- Read more about the Yellow Perch from Maryland DNR.
Blue Crabs
- Blue crabs can be found in a variety of salinities ranging from the high saline waters at the mouth of the bay to the tidal fresh waters of the upper bay and tributaries. The blue crab isa bottom-dwelling species that utilizes a diversity of benthic habitats such as mud flats, oyster bars, channel edges, and tidal marshes. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) areas also serve as important nursery habitats that provide refuge for both juvenile blue crabs and molting crabs that are vulnerable to predation.
- Blue crabs mate from May to October in the brackish or slightly salty waters of Chesapeake Bay.
- Read more about the Blue Crab from Maryland DNR
Blue Catfish
- Blue catfish are the largest of the catfish family in North America and can weigh in excess of 100 pounds.
- The Maryland State record blue catfish is 84 pounds.
- One way to reduce the impact of this invasive fish is to eat them! Try this Crispy Maryland Blue Catfish recipe.
- University of Maryland Extension fact sheet on the invasive Blue Catfish
