In 2023, the Division of Marine Fisheries and the Wildlife Resources Commission launched an aggressive three-year stocking plan to address concerns over poor striped bass recruitment in the Roanoke River.


The 2025 stocking effort was completed this week, and here are the final production numbers:

Fry (2–4 days old): 200,000 fish stocked near Jamesville on the Roanoke River in May by the Edenton National Fish Hatchery


Phase I (1–2 inches): 774,814 fish stocked into Albemarle Sound in June by the Watha State Fish Hatchery


Phase II (5–8 inches): 68,726 fish stocked into Albemarle Sound in November and December by the Edenton National Fish Hatchery


The management strategy calls for pausing any future stocking in the system until the effectiveness of the 2023–2025 treatments can be formally evaluated. We’ll do a deep dive into fisheries genetics in a future edition of Coastal Insights to explain how each stocking group can be identified by a unique genetic “tag.” In the meantime, here are the early findings provided by Charlton Godwin, Biologist Supervisor with the Division of Marine Fisheries.


2023 Genetic Results: Of 227 juvenile striped bass surveyed in Albemarle Sound, 220 were identified as hatchery-origin fish produced earlier that same year (97% hatchery contribution).


2024 Genetic Results: Of nearly 500 juvenile striped bass surveyed, 97% were identified as wild origin (naturally spawned), with only 3% identified as hatchery fish.

Two data years, two completely opposite findings!


The evaluations above reflect the survival and contribution of juveniles that are 2–5 months old and have not yet survived their first winter. While it is far too early to assess stocking success, we can at least note the following: assuming a similar survival rate of hatchery fish in 2023 and 2024, the apparent masking of hatchery fish in 2024 by naturally spawned juveniles suggests a good native spawn occurred on the Roanoke that year. That would be great news for a system in need of a boost!


Genetic testing will continue to be used by the agencies to evaluate hatchery contribution over time for each stocking treatment. Our Foundation is pleased to provide financial support for these important management efforts as we move into 2026.