Atlantic striped bass
Morone saxatilis
Striped bass have a long life, living up to 30 years. Their growth depends on where they live, but in some places can grow up to 5 feet in length and weigh 77 pounds.
Overview
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) can be found in the CT River year-round, but large schools of stripers follow the spring runs of bait fish (smaller migratory fish such as alewife, shad and herring) up the Connecticut River. A large range of age classes make the journey, with similar sized stripers tending to travel together. Striped bass fishing is popular along the CT River, particularly during spring in the lower river. Although they are not marked as a species of concern, they are overfished, and populations are significantly below target levels.
Adult stripers are piscivorous (fish-eating) and eat almost any kind of small fish as well as invertebrates, particularly crabs and squid. Adults have few predators, apart from seals, sharks, and humans.
Fish Facts
- Species type Anadromous
- Size 1 – 5 feet long
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Conservation
Least concern
A species of least concern is one that has been evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. They do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or conservation dependent.
- Migration period April – June
- Where to see them StanChem and Holyoke dams
River population trends
Fun fact!
The recreational harvest of striped bass regularly exceeds the commercial harvest.
What do they look like?
Striped bass have stout bodies with seven to eight continuous horizontal stripes on each side, from their gills to their tails. They are light green, olive, steel blue, black or brown on top, with a white or silver iridescent underside.
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Edwin Morales and his catch, Holyoke, MA. -
Where and when can I see them?
Holyoke Dam
About the facility
The Holyoke Dam is a granite dam that spans the Connecticut River between Holyoke and South Hadley and diverts water from the river into the Holyoke Canal System and Holyoke Gas & Electric’s (HG&E) Hadley Falls Facility. The dam that you see today was constructed between 1895 and 1900. The Hadley Falls Facility is located on the Holyoke side of the Holyoke Dam and contains two hydroelectric generating wheels with a total installed capacity of approximately 33 megawatts. Hadley Falls also houses a fish lift to help fish traveling upstream pass over the dam, and is open to the public for Fishway viewing and tours during the public viewing season.
Who passes through this dam?
When do fish migrate?
Upstream
Downstream
How are they moving?
At the Holyoke Dam, fish move upstream primarily using a fish elevator. With this elevator, fish swim into a collection area at the base of the dam. When enough fish enter the collection area, they are moved into a hopper that carries them toa flume that empties above the dam. At the Holyoke Dam, two elevators lift 500 fish at a time up the 52 foot dam. At this site there is also an eel ladder. The eel wrap around the pegs as they move upward. Unlike the fish ladder, the eel ladder does not span the height of the dam. The eel drop into a bucket after traversing the ladder and are deposited above the dam by fishway staff. To move downstream, fish at this site either go over the dam spillway or through a bypass around the dam.
Where and when can I see them?
The Robert Barret Fishway at the Holyoke Dam is open to the public during the migration season, but visitors must reach out via their online form to request a tour. The fish ladder is located at the following address:
Robert Barrett Fishway
1-3 County Bridge
Holyoke, MA 01040
Tel: (413) 536-9460
Email the Fishway
StanChem Dam
About the facility
The StanChem fish ladder was built in 2013 to allow fish to swim upstream around the dam that was built in 1900. The passageway opened the upper 15 miles of the Mattabesset River to native migratory fish populations. The fishway, built in partnership with property owner Stanchem Corp and several nature advocacy non-profits, is on Stanchem property in the East Berlin section of Berlin. The fish ladder operation is monitored by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), which issues weekly fish count reports during the fish run season.
Who passes through this dam?
When do fish migrate?
Upstream
Downstream
How are they moving?
At the StanChem Dam, fish move upstream by using the fish ladder. With stepped pools of flowing water, fish can hop up the ladder from the base of the barrier to the waters behind. To move downstream, fish at this site go over the dam spillway.
Where and when can I see them?
The StanChem Dam fish ladder is not open to the public. The fish ladder is located at the following address:
StanChem Dam
401 Berlin St
Berlin, CT 06023