If you have fished on the Chesapeake Bay in the summer, you may have caught a spotted seatrout. This fish is dark gray on top fading to silver at the belly. The upper body is marked with dark spots which extend to the fins. The dorsal fin and tail of the spotted seatrout are yellowish green.

Spotted seatrout are a member of the drum family. The fish move into the Bay in April and May. In the fall when the water temperatures drop, they leave the Bay for warmer waters off the coast of North Carolina.

The fish spawn from April to September at the mouth of the Bay. Spawning takes place at night and the fish constantly jump and mill around. A croaking sound is made by the males during spawning and can be heard one to two hours before sunset. Female fish produce an average of five to six hundred thousand eggs.

Male spotted seatrout mature at 2 years of age, while females mature at 3. Females at maturity are usually larger than the males. Spotted seatrout can live up to 10 years and weigh up to 16 pounds.

The spotted seatrout is a voracious predator that feeds on a number of animals during the morning hours. They like to eat shrimp, crabs and fish such as menhaden, Atlantic croaker, spot, anchovies and silversides. Adults swim in small schools with incoming tides and move into shallow areas to feed.

Many fishermen troll or bottom fish for spotted seatrout. Artificial lures, peeler and soft crabs, shrimp and live minnows are good fishing baits.