The oscillatory properties of a striped bass (Morone saxatilis) population model controlled by a Ricker function were examined by plotting the value of the parameter alpha above which the population will oscillate with an amplitude equal to or greater than 1% of the equilibrium stock size. The value of alpha required for persistent oscillation was affected by the age distribution and the reproductive age structure of the model population. The most stable age structure was found to exist at an instantaneous mortality rate of about 1.0. The results support the notion that fluctuations in the abundance of striped bass stock are largely due to density-independent influences on survival.