New Jersey Fishing Reports

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.

6d ago

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.

6d ago

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.

May 20

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.

May 19

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.

May 19

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.

May 19

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.

May 19

Water temps at NOAA buoy 44065 hit 55°F on May 19 — a meaningful rise from the 46–48°F readings that stalled sea bass bottom fishing earlier this month. The real headline is striped bass: The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf reports an angler at Sandy Hook tip landing a 'super slam' of bass, bluefish, fluke, black drum, and blackfish on a bobber-rigged live killie, while Bug Light has been yielding bass to 30 pounds on metal lip swimmers and Jersey Jellies. Blue Chip Sportfishing calls recent striper trips 'the best striper fishing possible.' The Raritan Bay striper bite has eased per OTW Northern New Jersey (May 14), with fish transitioning to the beaches. On the bottom, Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ and a string of party-boat captains via The Fisherman — Northern NJ report sea bass as scarce — ling are dominating the boxes while water temps finish their climb.

May 19

NOAA buoy 44009 is reading 59°F today, and the Delaware Bay (NJ side) is delivering some of the season's best inshore action. The Fisherman — Southern NJ reports Big Dave's Tackle calling fishing "firing on all cylinders," with oversize striped bass running 36 to 46 inches eating bloodworm, bloodworm ball, and clam rigs from bayfront beaches — a pattern echoed by Higbee's Bait and Tackle at Fortescue, where notably large fish have been the story all week. Black drum have joined the party, with Dockside Café and Marina customers landing fish to 15 pounds on clam baits. On the downside, Anthony Califano (via The Fisherman — Southern NJ) reports that persistent winds and cooler bay temps have kept flounder fishing frustratingly slow, and the newly opened black sea bass season has been sluggish at nearshore structure. The Fisherman (Northeast) confirms sea bass opened May 15; a warming trend heading into Memorial Day weekend should improve conditions on multiple fronts.

May 19

Water temperatures of 55–56°F (per NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091) are keeping the Jersey Shore's spring striper run firing coast-wide into the third week of May. Blue Chip Sportfishing describes the current bass action as "the best Striper Fishing possible," with fish on every trip. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf confirms fresh clam is the dominant daylight producer from Sandy Hook to the LBI beaches, while swim plugs and glide baits shine on the night shift. Black drum have entered the surf mix — The Fisherman — Southern NJ reports oversize fish to 46 inches from Cape May to Atlantic City eating clams and bunker. The newly opened sea bass season (check NJ state regs for current size and bag limits) is off to a rough start; captains speaking to The Fisherman — Northern NJ report ling dominating catches while sea bass run well below last year's pace. Everyone is eyeing the warmth forecast into Memorial Day weekend as a potential turning point.

May 19

Striped bass are running hard through the tidal Delaware River from Trenton south through Lambertville, with Old School Outdoors in Ewing reporting solid action that should hold into early June. American shad remain in the mix on the upper river but are expected to taper off around early June — anglers have a closing window on this migration. Largemouth bass are fully on spawning beds across area lakes and ponds, and Dow's Boat Rentals confirms crappie are schooling near bridges and pilings as they begin their transition toward summer haunts. Chain pickerel continue to hold in the cedar-stained Pine Barrens backwaters, consistent with late-spring patterns here. USGS gauge 01408000 on the Toms River clocked 26.8 cfs early this morning; The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater sources warn a dry stretch is pushing stream levels down regionwide, and smaller tributary fishing could tighten if rainfall stays absent through late May.

May 19

Water temperatures measured at 55°F by NOAA buoy 44065 early Monday, and the striper bite around Sandy Hook is delivering. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf's Tackle Box report has Sandy Hook tip producing elevated action heading into Memorial Day weekend, including a standout multi-species session on bobber-and-live-killie rigs that turned up bass, bluefish, fluke, black drum, and blackfish in one outing — plus quality fish to 30 pounds on metal lip swimmers at Bug Light. Blue Chip Sportfishing is calling it "the best Striper Fishing possible." OTW Northern New Jersey's May 14 report confirmed the bite has shifted from Raritan Bay to the beaches, where momentum continues to build with bunker schools active throughout northern NJ waters. The new sea bass season (opened May 15) is a different story: Capt. Ron's Atlantic Highlands fleet is grinding ling with throwback sea bass in the mix, and The Fisherman — Northern NJ reports the Golden Eagle sees numbers well below last season's early-May pace.

May 19