Albie Fever Takes Hold on Long Island Sound as Fall Run Builds
Water temps are holding in the mid-60s across Long Island Sound: 64°F at New London, 65.1°F at New Haven, and 66.4°F at Bridgeport, per NOAA CO-OPS readings taken this morning, with the Full Moon pushing extra water through the system. False albacore are the story this week: J&B Tackle in Niantic reports albies "everywhere from Black Point to Fishers Island," with Avery Point, Sarah's Ledge, Ocean Beach, Harkness, Seaside, Niantic Bay and Black Point all producing. AW Marina says "albie fever has really taken hold," with anglers burning through epoxy jigs and tins. Striped bass are feeding on heavy bait but haven't started blitzing, per J&B Tackle, bluefish are active from snappers to gators, and the Tartan II reports fantastic bottom fishing with numerous, large black sea bass.
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Expect the albie bite to hold through the week with water sitting squarely in their comfort range for the Sound's fall run. Watch the tide swings: New London's next high lands near 9:45 AM with a low around 4:15 PM, while New Haven and Bridgeport turn roughly ninety minutes later, high near 11:30 AM and low near 5:50 PM. Moving current around those turns should sharpen the albie and bluefish bite along rips and points.
Striped bass are still working scattered bait rather than blitzing, per J&B Tackle; a run of cooler nights, which typically pushes bait tighter to shore, is the trigger worth watching heading into the weekend. Fluke fishing is winding down as the season closes out, per Black Hawk.
Context
This is a typical late-September pattern for Long Island Sound: fluke fading out, black sea bass and false albacore carrying the middle of the fall run, and striped bass building toward the more consistent blitz activity that usually follows as nights cool further into October. Tautog season prep already underway at local shops is the next signal on the calendar.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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