Striped bass fingerlings of two sizes, 1.7 and 6.0g, were stocked in the fall of 1974 into floating cages placed in a sea water lagoon off of Shelter Island, New York. Duplicate stocking densities of 100, 200, 300 and 400 fish per 1.82m3 cage were established. Low water temperature (1.0 C) occurred in January and February 1975 and resulted in heavy mortality of the caged fish. In order to prevent the complete loss they were removed and overwintered in indoor pools from February until June at which time they were restocked in the floating cages at densities of 50 and 90 fish per cage. The mean growth rates by stocking densities indicated that fastest growth occurred with 100 fish per cage. Owing to mishaps which included escapes from the cages and mortalities, only 14% of the fingerlings stocked were harvestable as 0.25 and 0.5 Kg fish in the fall of 1975. The mean dress‐out weight of these 280 fish was 81%. Relative food conversion values were between 1.4 and 1.8:1.