New Jersey fishing reports
254 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Sandy Hook delivers striper super slams as sea bass lag behind
Water temps holding at 55°F (NOAA buoy 44065) are keeping the spring fishery locked in striper mode around Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook. Blue Chip Sportfishing calls the current run "the best Striper Fishing possible," and the sentiment is backed up across the board. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf's Tackle Box report from Hazlet described a Sandy Hook super slam this week — bass, bluefish, fluke, black drum, and blackfish all in one session using a bobber live killie rig at the Hook's tip. Bug Light is producing bass to 30 pounds on metal lip swimmers and glide baits. The sea bass story is a different one: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands boats report mostly throwback sea bass and ling dominating bottom drops, and the Big Mohawk III captain (The Fisherman — Northern NJ) is waiting for a southerly shift to push warmer water onto the nearshore grounds. Fluke are beginning to stir near Keansburg Pier but water temps need to climb before the bite fully materializes.
Big Stripers Rule the Jersey Shore as Memorial Day Surf Action Peaks
Water temps at 55°F on NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 have striped bass firing in force along the Jersey Shore. Fishermans HQ LBI reported the surf striper bite "still cranking" as of May 20, with fish working every cut, bowl, and gutter from north to south end on LBI on clam baits and bunker chunks. Blue Chip Sportfishing called it "the best Striper Fishing possible" heading into Memorial Day weekend. Black drum have joined the action, with Grumpys Tackle reporting 15- to 30-pound fish eating fresh clam in the Seaside Park surf alongside the bass. Bluefish made their first showing just ahead of the holiday: a 9.15-pound chopper was weighed in on May 17 per The Fisherman Central NJ. Sea bass season is open but running slow on the party-boat fleet, with most captains pointing to cool water as the holdback. Fluke are beginning to stir near the inlets on outgoing tides, though the bite remains inconsistent.
Big Stripers and Black Drum Running Strong Along Delaware Bay Beaches
Water at 58°F (NOAA buoy 44009, May 24) is keeping Delaware Bay's spring striper run locked in and firing hard. The Fisherman — Southern NJ describes the bite as 'firing on all cylinders' this week, with bayfront beaches from Fortescue south producing oversize stripers to 46 inches on bloodworms, bloodworm balls, and clam. Higbee's Bait and Tackle's report in The Fisherman — Southern NJ notes almost exclusively oversize fish in the 36-to-46-inch range — anglers experimenting with bloodworm ball and spawn-net combos are finding consistent hook-ups. Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) calls it 'the best Striper Fishing possible' on current day trips. Black drum have joined the mix, with bay anglers picking up fish to 15 pounds on clam baits. Flounder remains the weak link — wind-stirred water and cool bay temps kept fluke sluggish through mid-May, though early-morning anglers using live minnows and Gulp scratched out limits during the calmer windows, per The Fisherman — Southern NJ.
Stripers and spawning bass prime the Delaware as the shad run winds down
Striped bass are still producing along the tidal Delaware from Trenton to Lambertville, with Old School Outdoors in Ewing reporting solid action through the tidal water that should hold into early June. The shad run is nearing its seasonal close: Old School Outdoors notes it winds down at the start of June, and Tackle World echoes that June traditionally marks the end of the run on the Delaware. Largemouth bass are on the spawning beds across the region per Tackle World, making this a prime window for sight-fishing before summer heat sets in. In the Pine Barrens cedar streams, pickerel remain active per The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater reports. The D&R Canal is also worth a look for trout, with JB Kasper noting good fishing in stocked waters throughout May. USGS gauge 01408000 registered 143 cfs on May 24, consistent with Tackle World's note of falling water levels from recent dry conditions heading into June.
Sandy Hook stripers surging as bluefish crash the party for Memorial Day
Water at 55°F (NOAA buoy 44065) is keeping some species waiting but doing nothing to slow the striped bass bite at Sandy Hook. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf reports Danny at the Tackle Box in Hazlet describing elevated action at Sandy Hook tip, where one angler landed a five-species super slam (bass, bluefish, fluke, black drum, and blackfish) on a bobber live-killie rig. Bug Light has been yielding bass up to 30 pounds on metal lip swimmers, glide baits, and Jersey Jellies; Keansburg Pier is also holding fish on chunks. OTW Northern New Jersey confirms stripers, bluefish, and black drum are on the beaches as of May 21, and Blue Chip Sportfishing calls it the best striper fishing possible right now. The trade-off: sea bass and fluke are lagging. Multiple Northern NJ party-boat captains aboard the Skylarker, Golden Eagle, and Big Mohawk III report ling dominating the boxes with sea bass mostly throwing back. A warming push heading into Memorial Day could shift that balance.
Big stripers running Delaware Bay beaches as the spring push peaks
Delaware Bay buoy 44009 recorded 57°F water on May 24, and the spring striper push is delivering oversized fish. Per The Fisherman's Southern NJ coverage, Big Dave's Tackle reports fishing 'firing on all cylinders,' with stripers to 46 inches from the bayfront beaches on bloodworms, bloodworm balls, and clam. Higbee's Bait and Tackle out of Fortescue confirms 'all oversize fish from 36 to 46 inches' this week, with bloodworms still leading the way. Black drum are in the mix as well, with fish to 15 pounds on clam baits confirmed in bay waters per Dockside Café and Marina. Flounder remain a work in progress, held back by wind-driven dirty water and cooler temperatures through most of last week, per Anthony Califano's South Jersey report in The Fisherman. The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay regional forecast for May 21 flagged Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial summer kickoff, noting the first registered Cape May County doormat fluke of the season at 11.86 pounds.
Bass on the beds and pickerel in the pines as Delaware spring bite peaks
Largemouth are locked onto spawning beds across Delaware River tributaries and Pine Barrens lakes, with Dow's Boat Rentals reporting fish actively holding despite the season's fluctuating water temperatures. Crappie fishing has been strong all month — JB Kasper cites good reports statewide through the first half of May — with fish now beginning to school toward their summer haunts as Memorial Day approaches. In the tidewater reach of the Delaware, Old School Outdoors in Ewing reports solid striper action from the Trenton area down through Lambertville, while the shad run is expected to wind down by early June. Chain pickerel remain active in the cedar-stained waters of the Pine Barrens, per JB Kasper. Water is running lean: USGS gauge 01408000 logged 29.7 cfs on the evening of May 23, consistent with the dry stretch Tackle World flagged as a concern for trout-stream fishing heading into June.
Delaware Shad Run Fading as Bass Hit Spawning Beds
Largemouth bass are locked onto spawning beds across NJ lakes and ponds as Memorial Day approaches, while the Delaware River's shad run enters its final weeks. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater collected reports from multiple shops this week showing scattered but quality catch-and-release largemouth action through May, with fish visible on beds as spring temperatures fluctuated. Old School Outdoors in Ewing reports striped bass running well from the Trenton area down through Lambertville in the tidal Delaware — good news for freshwater bass anglers — while confirming the shad bite will begin winding down by early June. Chain pickerel remain active in Pine Barrens cedar-water fisheries per JB Kasper. Crappie have been a consistent bright spot all month, with Dow's Boat Rentals noting fish beginning to school up and shift toward summer haunts as June nears. USGS gauge 01408000 recorded 24.9 cfs on the evening of May 19; Tackle World flags falling stream levels from a dry spring stretch as a concern heading into June.
Sandy Hook delivers a spring super slam as NJ sea bass season gets underway
Water at 57°F per NOAA buoy 44065 — a meaningful climb from the 46–48°F readings that had suppressed early-season bottom fishing — sets the stage for improving action across Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook. The headline this week belongs to Sandy Hook itself: per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf (Tackle Box Fishing Co.), one angler working the Hook's tip on bobber-and-live-killie rigs landed a genuine super slam of bass, bluefish, fluke, black drum, and blackfish in a single outing. Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) calls the striper bite "the best striper fishing possible" right now, while OTW Northern New Jersey (May 14) reports the action has shifted from Raritan Bay proper to the beachfront. Party boats out of Atlantic Highlands are posting fair ling counts with tog in the mix, per Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ, but sea bass — whose season opened May 15 with a 12.5-inch minimum — remain well below last year's pace across the fleet. A Memorial Day warming trend is the next key variable to watch.
Oversize Stripers Running Hot at Fortescue as Delaware Bay Spring Push Peaks
Water at NOAA Buoy 44009 checked in at 59°F on May 19, and the Delaware Bay's NJ shoreline is producing one of the better striper runs of the spring. The Fisherman — Southern NJ's Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports 'plenty of fish' from the Fortescue beaches this week — oversize stripers running 36 to 46 inches, with bloodworms, bloodworm balls, and spawn-net combos leading the charge. Big Dave's Tackle, also via The Fisherman — Southern NJ, calls the fishing 'firing on all cylinders,' noting bayfront beaches on both sides of the bay are producing oversize fish on bloodworm and clam presentations. Black drum have arrived as well: Dockside Café and Marina (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) logged fish to 15 pounds on clam baits in the bay. A South Jersey correspondent for The Fisherman — Southern NJ notes that persistent winds and cooler water have actually kept both stripers and drum locked into the bay. Flounder remains the weak spot — winds have dirtied the water — though Tuckerton Bait and Tackle reports early-morning anglers squeezed limits to 20 inches on live minnows and Gulp before the chop built.
Spring Striper Run Peaks on Jersey Shore as Sea Bass Season Kicks Off
Water temps of 56–57°F logged at NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 mark a textbook mid-May Jersey Shore window, and the striped bass fishery is as hot as it gets. Blue Chip Sportfishing calls it "the best Striper Fishing possible" right now, and Fishermans HQ LBI confirms the LBI surf is alive from north to south end — fresh clam leading the charge, with lures and frozen bunker also connecting. Along the Seaside Park stretch, Grumpys Tackle (NJ) reports some holes holding six to ten fish per tide on clam, while The Fisherman — Southern NJ places stripers spread from Cape May to Atlantic City eating clams, bunker, soft plastics, glide baits, and live eels. Black drum have joined the surf mix statewide, with 15- to 30-pound fish gobbling fresh clam per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf. Black sea bass season opened May 15 but northern party boats are reporting a slow start — cold inshore water at wreck sites is the culprit, with captains across the board hoping a warming trend ahead of Memorial Day flips the switch.
Delaware stripers strong, Pine Barrens pickerel biting as shad run nears close
Old School Outdoors in Ewing reports solid striped bass action on the tidal Delaware from the Trenton area north to Lambertville, with fish biting through the tidal water to the south as well — and that bite should hold into early June. American shad remain catchable on the river, but The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater notes June traditionally closes the shad run, so the window is narrowing fast. On the Pine Barrens side, JB Kasper calls pickerel in the cedar waters "still good" heading into the back half of May. Largemouth bass are staged on spawning beds across ponds and lakes, with crappie having been consistent all month per Dow's Boat Rentals. The USGS gauge 01408000 recorded 24.9 cfs at midday May 19 — low and falling — reflecting the dry stretch Tackle World flags as a concern heading into June.