VA · Striped bass
Virginia striped bass limits
For landlocked striped bass and their white bass hybrids, Virginia's statewide limit is 4 a day and nothing under 20 inches. Buggs Island Lake (Kerr), Claytor Lake, Lake Gaston and Smith Mountain Lake replace that rule for part or all of the year. Striped bass may not be possessed at all in the Meherrin, Nottoway, Blackwater (Chowan drainage), North Landing and Northwest rivers, their tributaries, and Back Bay.
Verified 2026-11-04Limits at a glance
Regulation period: January 2026 through Dec. 31, 2026.
Daily limit
4 per day, landlocked striped bass and landlocked striped bass x white bass hybrids combined
DatesOpen all year
ReleaseMay keep
Size ruleMinimum length 20 inchesThe 2026 digest sets a year-round season for freshwater fish other than the trout closures and some nongame methods. This row is the landlocked rule. Coastal fish are a different row below.
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Daily limit
2 per day, striped bass and hybrid striped bass combined
DatesOctober 1 through May 31
Size ruleOnly fish from 20 to 26 inches may be keptDWR's line bars any striped bass or hybrid under 20 inches or over 26 inches.
Daily limit
4 per day, striped bass and hybrid striped bass combined
DatesJune 1 through September 30
Size ruleNo length limit
Daily limit
2 per day, striped bass and hybrid bass combined
DatesSeptember 16 through June 30
ReleaseMay keep
Size ruleMinimum length 20 inches
Daily limit
4 per day, striped bass and hybrid bass combined
DatesJuly 1 through September 15
Size ruleNo length limit
Daily limit
4 per day, striped bass and hybrid striped bass combined
DatesOctober 1 through May 31
ReleaseMay keep
Size ruleMinimum length 20 inches
Daily limit
4 per day, striped bass and hybrid striped bass combined
DatesJune 1 through September 30
Size ruleNo length limit
Daily limit
2 per day, in the aggregate (combined)
DatesNovember 1 through May 31
Size ruleNo striped bass from 30 to 40 inches may be keptThe length line names striped bass and does not mention hybrids. It also does not say whether a fish under 30 inches or over 40 inches may be kept, so ask DWR before you keep one outside that range.
Daily limit
2 per day, in the aggregate (combined)
DatesJune 1 through October 31
Size ruleNo length limit
Daily limit
Check source (set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission)
Size ruleNo length limit is printed in the DWR tableDWR's exception columns say none apply. The digest says coastal striped bass rules, above and below the fall line in tidal Chesapeake rivers, are set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (mrc.virginia.gov). This page does not restate a VMRC bag.
Daily limit
None: no harvest or possession
Size ruleNo possessionThe heading on this row says striped bass. It does not say hybrid striped bass.
Watch for
- White bass are a different row in the same table: 5 a day with no statewide length limit, 10 a day and 14 inches on Gaston and Buggs Island, and no harvest on South Holston. A white bass does not count in the striped bass bag.
- Striped bass are a Virginia game fish. It is unlawful to have more than the daily creel limit in possession while afield or on the water, and fish kept alive count toward it.
- A striped bass of 37 inches or 20 pounds qualifies for a DWR Trophy Fish Award. A hybrid striped bass award (24 inches or 8 pounds) is only for Lake Anna, Claytor Lake, Carvins Cove and Flannagan Reservoir. The state record striped bass is 53 lb 7 oz from Leesville Reservoir (March 16, 2000).
- DWR's species page says striped bass are native to tributaries of Albemarle Sound, the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic, and have been stocked in reservoirs. Coastal anglers call them rockfish. The page describes two distinct tooth patches on the tongue.
- These figures come from the 2026 digest, which runs to Dec. 31, 2026. The regulations page still links only the 2026 PDFs. We will re-check this page when the 2027 digest is published.
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Virginia · Striped bass
Quick answers
What is the daily limit for striped bass in Virginia?
Statewide landlocked waters (no listed exception): 4 per day, landlocked striped bass and landlocked striped bass x white bass hybrids combined. Size rule: Minimum length 20 inches. Other waters and date windows have different rules; see the table. Verify with Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Which regulations do these Virginia figures come from?
January 2026 through Dec. 31, 2026, as published by Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Last verified 2026-11-04.