New Jersey fishing reports
397 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Smallmouth and Catfish Turn On as Delaware River Settles Into Summer
The Delaware River corridor is running below normal after a dry, uneven June, according to JB Kasper of The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater. Even so, the summer bite is settling in. Near Ewing, Old School Outdoors reports smallmouth bass fishing is good and should keep improving through July, with catfishing also productive in the river. On the Passaic, Fairfield Fishing Tackle notes low water has pushed northern pike and smallmouth into deeper holes, eddies, and bridge pilings, so anglers need to work for them. Tackle World says the northern streams remain full of trout and should keep producing with any rain, and July traditionally marks the start of deepwater smallmouth action in the bigger reservoirs. On area lakes, Dow's Boat Rentals notes largemouth are locked into early morning and late afternoon shade patterns, with walleye and hybrid stripers feeding after dark around drop-offs and points.
Striped bass and sea bass turn red hot as NJ summer pattern locks in
Striped bass are "crushing it on every trip" according to Blue Chip Sportfishing, and black sea bass fishing is running red hot, with boats limiting out on nearly every outing. Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands reports keeper sea bass showing steadily on the drops, with small Gulp sand eels working best on simple rigs. Fluke are trending upward from the surf to the reefs per On The Water's Northern New Jersey report, and bluefin tuna remain within 15 to 40 miles of shore on the midshore grounds. Grumpys Tackle notes striped bass still eating clams in the surf, fluke coming on bucktails and scented soft artificial baits, and a couple of weakfish showing in the mix. Fishermans HQ LBI reports bluefin tuna pushed into range behind a massive squid invasion off the Jersey coast. Early July has the summer pattern locked in solidly across the board.
Sea bass stay hot in Raritan Bay as fluke rally on the reefs
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands worked through choppy conditions this week, still boating keeper sea bass and multiple three-fish limits on small Gulp sand eels once the tide turned. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports sea bass fishing 'red hot,' with boats limiting out on nearly every trip, and shark fishing has busted open too, three Mako sharks landed and released on a recent Friday run. Just north of here, On The Water's July 9 Northern New Jersey report has fluke fishing trending upward from the surf to the reefs, with bluefin tuna still working the midshore grounds and small bluefish and stripers showing on the beaches. Grumpys Tackle in Seaside Park describes striped bass still taking clams in the surf alongside a steady fluke bite on bucktails. Conditions are choppy and current-dependent day to day, per Capt Ron, so timing the tide change is paying off more than raw effort right now.
Fluke Bite Takes Over the Jersey Shore as Summer Patterns Lock In
Southern New Jersey's back bays are thick with summer flounder — Waterfront Marine says "everyone is flounder fishing," with keeper numbers climbing at spots like the Ocean City Reef Site, where Fin-Atics logged an 8-pound fish, and Boulevard Bait & Tackle weighed a 7-pound, 8-ounce back-bay flattie. Central Jersey mirrors the trend: Creekside Outfitters reports an 8.5-pound keeper striper mixed in with fluke on live spot, while Barnegat Light produces steady action once water temps stabilized after a cool spell, per Miss Barnegat Light. Striped bass are thinning out in the surf — Hook House in Toms River says most anglers around Island Beach State Park are pivoting to fluke as errant stripers fade. Offshore, bluefin tuna remain the story, with Fin-Atics and Hands Too Bait and Tackle both logging fish to 40-60 pounds at the inshore lumps and canyons. Sea bass, meanwhile, closed out one of its poorer seasons per Northern Jersey boat captains.
Delaware River Smallmouth Bite Building as Flows Run Lean
USGS gauge 01408000 is reading a lean 32.8 cfs this morning, consistent with what Old School Outdoors in Ewing describes as a river still running below normal even after late-June rains. The good news: smallmouth fishing is good there now and should get better in July, per the shop, with catfishing also holding up well in the river. Crappie action has cooled off as the bite shifts into a more typical summer pattern. JB Kasper notes June's 90-degree days and inconsistent weather made for tricky reading, but expects more stable Dog Days conditions to settle in through July, which should tighten up topwater windows early and late in the day. At Dow's Boat Rentals, largemouth are keying on shadow lines during the coolest parts of the day as open season draws more traffic to local lakes and ponds, with vegetation left standing after recent cutting holding fish close to structure.
Bluefin Push In as Delaware Bay's Summer Bite Rounds Into Form
Delaware Bay's shift into summer is delivering across the board, per Eric Burnley's regional column for The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake, which reports croaker, spot, sheepshead, bluefin tuna, and flounder all showing in stronger numbers than any point so far this year, with more fishable weather than blowouts for the first time all season. Smith's Bait Shop says the Bowers Beach jetty is turning out spot, croaker, and flounder alongside occasional bluefish, while stripers there are still taking bloodworms and cut mullet. Offshore, Fin-Atics and Hands Too Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Offshore) report bluefin tuna from footballs to 60 pounds working the inshore lumps and the Cigar on trolled ballyhoo and poppers, with tilefish holding steady in the canyons. Cape Henlopen's pier continues to produce spot, croaker, and the occasional keeper flounder on live minnows. Conditions favor a continuation of this pattern into the coming weeks.
Fluke bite trends upward as bluefish crash poppers off Sandy Hook
Fluke fishing is trending upward on the reefs approaching Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook, with OTW's Northern New Jersey report noting bluefin holding within 15 to 40 miles offshore while surf fluke and bluefish stay steady. Closer to the beach, The Fisherman's NJ/DE Surf report has bluefish running 3 to 5 pounds on poppers most mornings, with stripers and black drum still picking off clam baits along the suds, a pattern corroborated by Grumpys Tackle's own shop report of bass back on clams and fluke turning on with bucktails. Bucktail-and-Gulp combos are the go-to as fluke fishing enters its most productive July stretch. Sea bass action is mixed: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands boats are still finding keepers on small Gulp sand eels, but several Northern New Jersey charter captains describe this spring's sea bass season as one of the poorest in years and are shifting focus to fluke and bluefish for July. Water conditions data wasn't available this cycle, so check a local buoy and tide chart before heading out.
Fluke bite builds along the Jersey Shore as summer settles in
Doug Itjen landed an 8.5-pound keeper striper on live spot while drifting for fluke, per Creekside Outfitters' Barnegat Bay report — a preview of the mixed-bag pattern locking in along the Jersey Shore this week. Fluke is the story of the moment: The Fisherman's Central and Southern NJ correspondents describe improving keeper ratios from Barnegat Light down to the back bays behind the Wildwoods, with bigger baits and jigged Gulp outproducing bait on cooler days. Striped bass linger in the surf on clams per Grumpys Tackle and Hook House, though shops call the remaining fish "remnants" as summer sets in — even as Blue Chip Sportfishing reports crushing stripers on every trip. Sea bass is a split story: Northern NJ party boats call this one of the poorest seasons in years, while Blue Chip logs limits regularly. Offshore, bluefin have pushed to within 15-40 miles per OTW Northern New Jersey, with footballs to 60 pounds working sand eel schools, and Blue Chip released three makos on a recent shark trip.
Smallmouth bass fire up on the Delaware as summer heat settles in
Field & Stream's smallmouth-focused summer advisory frames the pattern shaping up on the Delaware River this week: warming water is pushing river smallmouth into shaded cover and current seams by day, with the bite spreading into open pools come evening. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for New Jersey waterways this cycle, so this update leans on that seasonal read plus what's biting elsewhere in the region. Pine Barrens anglers chasing largemouth bass should lean into July's aggressive metabolism window; Tactical Bassin's rundown of top July baits lists moving baits and soft plastics worked over shallow cover as current producers. Chain pickerel, the signature Pine Barrens predator, stay active in the tannic, slow-moving rivers through summer, typically ambushing from weed edges. Catfish remain a reliable after-dark option in both systems as water temps climb. With a Last Quarter moon this week, expect moderate feeding windows rather than one dominant bite trigger.
Delaware Bay settles into typical summer striper and weakfish patterns
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Delaware Bay (NJ side) this cycle, and today's angler intel skewed heavily toward the Atlantic coast — Atlantic Highlands, Long Beach Island, and northern Jersey Shore reports — rather than the bay itself, so this update leans on general seasonal knowledge instead of fresh bay-specific eyewitness accounts. Early July on Delaware Bay typically has striped bass and weakfish working the channels and marsh edges on the tide changes, summer flounder scattered across the sandier flats, and blue crabbing picking up nicely in the back bays and tidal creeks. Whatever you keep should be checked against current statewide size and possession limits (NJ Saltwater Fisherman is a useful reference point) before harvesting. Dawn and dusk are the usual high-percentage windows once summer heat sets in and midday activity slows. We'd rather flag that today's report is thin on direct Delaware Bay testimony than stretch reports from other regions to fit.
Fluke Turns Upward on the Reefs as Bluefin Push Within Range
Fluke fishing is trending upward on the reefs after last month's upwelling faded, and stripers and bluefish are holding a steady bite in the surf, per OTW Northern New Jersey's latest report. Closer to Sandy Hook, Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands boat has been mixing shorts with keeper fluke and a pool fish around four pounds, though the bite has swung from tough to solid depending on the day's current. Grumpys Tackle reports bass still eating clams in the surf, fluke responding to bucktails and flavored soft baits, and a weakfish or two mixed into the catch. Blue Chip Sportfishing is calling sea bass fishing red hot with limits nearly every trip, plus a strong striper bite and several mako sharks caught and released. Offshore, bluefin tuna have pushed to within 15 to 40 miles of the coast chasing a squid push, according to Fishermans HQ LBI, putting them in range for day boats working the reefs and lumps.
Smallmouth Bass Turn On Along the Delaware Despite Low Water
Smallmouth bass fishing is good and trending up along the Delaware River corridor, according to Old School Outdoors in Ewing, which also reports solid catfishing this week even with the river still running below normal after a dry stretch. The Fisherman's regional freshwater notes describe a rough June — swinging between 90-degree days and cool 50-degree nights, an undependable forecast, and drought-thinned flows — that kept fish patterns inconsistent, though a more stable summer setup should settle things into an easier read soon. Crappie action has slowed for now, a normal seasonal fade as those fish slide off their spring haunts. In the Pine Barrens' tannic ponds and slow cedar streams, largemouth bass and chain pickerel typically hold tight to whatever vegetation survives the heat, feeding hardest in low light. With low water still the dominant storyline, anglers working deeper holes, eddies, and shaded banks should find the most consistent action into the weekend.