Into the Wild: Striped bass and flowing water

Dr. Tom Mullikin, de SCDNR, explains how spring conditions shape striped bass reproduction. As water temperatures rise each spring, striped bass move upstream for spawning, and the success of the run depends on a basic factor: enough flowing river water. Females release semi-buoyant eggs into the current, where multiple males fertilize them. For survival, the eggs must remain suspended while developing; if they settle too quickly to the bottom, survival rates drop. Mullikin notes South Carolina’s role in pioneering striped bass hatchery work and that stocking supports many reservoir fisheries, but when fish can complete the journey naturally, the river itself functions as the hatchery.