The striper ranges along the Atlantic coast from Chesapeake Bay to Nova Scotia. Stocked on the West coast, the striped bass is now popular in waters around San Francisco. Economically speaking, stripers are the most important coastal sportfish in the United States. Due to its inshore and estuarine habits, the striped bass is readily accessible from beaches and small craft.
Female stripers mature by their fourth year, the males by their third.
Spawning areas include the Chesapeake, Hudson, and lesser rivers such as the Kennebec in Maine and the Annapolis in Nova Scotia. A thirteen year-old female can lay up to 5,000,000 eggs, yet most sows are caught before they reach that age. The Chesapeake spawning commences in April. Shortly thereafter, the fish begin their journey north, running the gauntlet. In May, the stripers arrive off the famed shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.