Cow Stripers Stacking Long Island Sound Reefs as June Bite Peaks

What's Biting

What's Next

The next two to three weeks look promising for Long Island Sound striper anglers. Bobby J's calls the coming weeks 'the best action of the season,' and with bait — bunker, squid, and butterfish — spread across the Sound per Rock and Roll Charters, the ingredients for a sustained and deepening bite are firmly in place.

Water temperatures are running a few degrees cooler than typical for early June, per On The Water's June 5 striper migration map, which notes fish are 'beginning to settle into their summering grounds' but haven't fully locked in. That slight thermal lag is likely keeping stripers more active and less selective than they would be in warmer conditions — a window worth exploiting before temperatures climb and bass settle into deeper, more sluggish summer holding patterns.

For boaters, deep-water ledges remain the high-percentage play for quality fish. Fisherman's World CT identifies Green's Ledge, 28C, Cable and Anchor, 11B, Eaton's Neck, Can 13, and the OB Buoy as productive addresses, with flutter spoons, mojos, and bunker spoons all drawing strikes. Bobby J's adds that glide baits and topwater are also in the mix. Rock and Roll Charters reports bunker scattered throughout the water column rather than pinned near the bottom, so fishing a range of depths — not just jigging the floor — makes sense until you locate where bass are feeding on a given tide.

Shore anglers should find access to quality fish as well. Captain Morgan's notes memorable battles from shore as well as from the depths of The Race, suggesting stripers are accessible at both ends of the structure spectrum. The Race, where the Sound's tidal exchange drives ripping currents, typically produces best during the moving tide — target the final two hours of the ebb and the first hour of the flood.

The Last Quarter moon this week generates moderate tidal swings rather than the extreme ranges of a new or full moon. Expect the sharpest bite windows during tide transitions rather than at slack water. Early morning and evening low-light periods should remain consistently productive, particularly where bass are corralling bait to the surface.

Bluefish remain scattered; The Fisherman — Connecticut's roundup notes only 'a few reports of bluefish showing up here and there.' Expect numbers to build gradually as June temperatures nudge upward. Black sea bass are adding variety to boat trips but are not yet a primary focus.

Context

For Long Island Sound, the first two weeks of June traditionally mark the transition from the spring migration peak into early summer residency — the window when big fish that stacked during the May run either settle onto local structure or continue rolling northeast. On The Water's June 5 striper migration map notes water temperatures are running a few degrees cooler than normal for this date, which tends to extend spring-style feeding behavior and delay the summer slowdown. In a cooler-than-average June, stripers on mid-depth structure typically feed more aggressively and across longer daily windows than in warmer years — entirely consistent with the widespread high-quality catches CT shops and captains are describing this week.

OTW Saltwater's June 2 Striper Migration Report specifically highlights Long Island Sound as hosting a 'baitfish buffet,' reinforcing that 2026 is a well-stocked season rather than one dependent on a single dominant forage. The bait composition described across CT sources — mixed-size bunker, squid, butterfish — is typical for early June in the Sound and sets up sustained predator activity at multiple depths and locations.

The Fisherman (Northeast)'s June 4 regional forecast notes that 20-pound class stripers have been 'staggering for the last month or more' across the region, placing the current CT excellence in a broader context rather than treating it as an isolated local fluke. The 40-inch-plus cow activity at The Race reported by Captain Morgan's is on the larger end of what's typical for early-June inshore Sound structure; fish of that class more commonly concentrate at staging areas or hard structure with strong tidal exchange, which The Race supplies in abundance.

Fluke action is running behind the typical pace for this time of year — a pattern echoed in reports from RI waters to the east per The Fisherman — Rhode Island — consistent with the slightly cool water temperatures. Black sea bass are on schedule. Bluefish arrivals are a touch delayed but not alarming. On balance, the 2026 season is shaping up as a standout striper year for Long Island Sound.