Striped Bass are migratory fish and if you want to catch them you’ll need to know where they’re located during different months of the season.

There are two big striper migrations that you’ll want to pay attention to—the spring migration and the fall migration. Familiarizing yourself with these migrations will put you in the best possible position to catch Striped bass consistently throughout the season.

Seasonal migration patterns for stripers will fluctuate a bit based on weather conditions and water temperatures, but their general migration paths are somewhat consistent.

During late winter and early spring (late February through March) Striped Bass begin to move from the open ocean—where they spent the winter months—into the major tributaries including the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and the Hudson River to breed.

At this time of the year, most stripers will be in one of these three tributaries, but you’ll also find stripers in many smaller tributaries—as well as bays, creeks, and canals.

During early spring I recommend targeting the back bays and tributaries. The water in these areas is relatively shallow and tends to warm the fastest as air temperatures rise.

As late spring approaches, both air and water temperatures continue to rise and larger stripers begin showing more activity in the deeper waters of bays, inlets, and coastal waters.

Moving from April into May, larger stripers begin to move out of the tributaries and up the coast, although some fish will remain in these tributaries throughout the season.

The above map shows striper concentrations along the East coast for late May 2023. This represents typical concentrations of stripers this time of year, but again concentrations and migratory patterns will fluctuate from year to year based on weather and water conditions.

Migratory stripers prefer water temperatures ranging from 55° to 65° fahrenheit so you really want to pay attention to water temperatures and fish the areas where temperatures fall within this range.

By mid June Striper migration up the coast is well under way with highest concentrations of larger bass found north of New Jersey through Maine. While you’ll still find pockets of decent sized Striped bass from the Carolinas through Delaware, most of your lunkers will be farther north.

Stripers start migrating as early as 2 years of age, but most don’t start migrating until they reach full maturity at 3 years—at which point you’re average striper will be between 18-24 inches long and weigh about 3-5 pounds.

Fall striper migration gets underway end of August beginning of September in waters off southern Maine and crescendos by early October. Fall migration provides a small window of opportunity to target stripers as they move soutbbound down the coast.

During fall migration it’s not uncommon to see large surface blitzes of striper persuing baitfish to the surface. These blitzes provide a great opportunity to throw in a topwater lure and start getting hookups almost immediately. At night soft plastics and minnow plugs are your go-tos.

Finding fishing during the fall is a little bit more challenging than in the summer, but when you find them they’ll almost always bite. During the summer stipers can be a bit easier to locate but less willing to hit your bait.

If you’re set on catching striper, you’ll want to prepare yourself to visit several of the states along the “Striper Coast” from the Carolinas north to Maine.