Raleigh, North Carolina – The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has suspended the season for harvesting striped bass by hook-and-line in the Roanoke River Management Area from 12:00 a.m. on Monday, March 9, through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, 2026. This action covers the Roanoke River and its tributaries from Roanoke Rapids Dam downstream to the mouth of the river at Albemarle Sound, as well as the Cashie, Middle, and Eastmost rivers.
In these inland and joint waters, all striped bass caught, regardless of condition, must be immediately returned to the water where they were taken. Additional regulations apply from April 1 through June 30 in the Roanoke River upstream of the U.S. Highway 258 Bridge. During this period, anglers using live or natural bait may use only a single barbless circle hook. With other tackle, only a single barbless hook—either with no barb or a barb bent downward—is permitted.
The decision comes despite harvest reductions implemented over the past four years, as the Roanoke River striped bass population has shown little improvement. In 2025, NCWRC biologists continued to observe a declining trend in abundance during the spawning grounds survey. Factors such as low abundance and high mortality have led to poor spawning success over the past eight years, even under optimal river conditions for reproduction.
NCWRC is collaborating closely with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries to address declines in the Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound striped bass stock. The agency plans to evaluate the next harvest season ahead of the March 1, 2027, opening.
Striped bass, scientifically known as *Morone saxatilis*, are prized anadromous game fish characterized by their silver-white bodies adorned with seven to eight horizontal black stripes along the sides. The back often appears greenish-blue, with a white underside and large scales that glisten in sunlight. Featuring two separate dorsal fins—the first with nine spines and the second with one spine and soft rays—they also have two spines on the gill cover and narrow tooth patches on the tongue. Adults typically measure 1 to 3 feet in length and weigh 2 to 20 pounds.
These fish spend most of their lives in saltwater but migrate to freshwater rivers like the Roanoke River to spawn each spring. The Roanoke serves as North Carolina’s major spawning river for striped bass, where adults travel approximately 130 miles from Albemarle Sound. Spawning commences when water temperatures reach 62°F in rocky rapids near the fall line, the transition from hilly piedmont to flat coastal plain. Up to 20 males surround a single female in frenzied surface events known as “rock fights,” releasing milt to fertilize semi-buoyant eggs. These eggs drift for 2-3 days before hatching, relying on adequate river flow to avoid sinking into sediment.
Yolk-sac larvae are carried by currents to nursery areas in the lower Roanoke River and western Albemarle Sound. They subsist on yolk-sac energy for 7-14 days before transitioning to zooplankton, reaching 1-2 inches by two months and preying on small fish. Juveniles spend 2-4 years maturing in Albemarle Sound before returning to spawn, potentially living over 20 years and migrating repeatedly.
While natural reproduction sustains the Roanoke population, NCWRC stocks striped bass in reservoirs across the state, including popular sites like Lake Gaston, Lake Norman, and Badin Lake, where habitat and food support growth but natural spawning does not occur. The Roanoke River run from March to May draws anglers seeking this native fishery, using live or cut baits such as gizzard shad, threadfin shad, or hickory shad, along with bucktail jigs, spoons, rattling crankbaits, or large flies.
Ongoing management includes regular spawning stock assessments, with recent reports such as the 2023 Roanoke River Striped Bass Spawning Stock Assessment providing critical data on population health. These conservation measures underscore NCWRC’s commitment to sustainable fisheries management and protecting wildlife resources amid environmental pressures.
For more information, visit North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.