New Jersey fishing reports
254 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Pine Barrens pickerel sizzling as stripers reach Trenton on the Delaware
Dave's Sport Shop (via The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater) reports mixed-size striped bass at Trenton on the Delaware River, with a handful of fish pushing as far north as Lambertville — a timely signal as the coastal spring run matures. In the Pine Barrens, Creekside Outfitters confirms cedar-water chain pickerel are producing steadily on killies, swimbaits, and spinners, while largemouth bass are active in local ponds on spinnerbaits. Hands Too Bait and Tackle echoes the same picture: pine-stained streams are yielding solid pickerel and campground ponds are "full of nice bass." Trout action has quieted since the April 11 opener, per Dave's Sport Shop and Creekside Outfitters, though Ponderlodge Lake continues to give up holdovers alongside catfish and bass. Allen's Dock on Bass River notes white perch have been unusually absent from tidal streams this spring. USGS gauge 01408000 recorded a manageable 50.3 cfs on May 11, keeping access comfortable for kayak and small-craft anglers.
Sandy Hook Stripers Hit Full Stride Ahead of the Sea Bass Opener
Water at 52°F per NOAA buoy 44065 hasn't slowed what veterans are already calling one of the best spring striper runs in years along Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook. Per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, Keansburg Pier is 'lit up' with bass hitting clams, chunks, plugs, and shads indiscriminately, while Sandy Hook's Parking Lot areas and North Beach are producing quality fish on chunked bunker — anglers making the hike to the Rip are scoring on wooden swimmers. OTW Northern New Jersey confirms stripers hitting chunks, clams, and bottle plugs throughout the surf and bay system, and Blue Chip Sportfishing reports 'crushing' stripers on every charter. The fluke season opened May 4, but Capt. Ron's Atlantic Highlands notes a slow start — SW winds on opening day yielded just a couple of keepers. All eyes now turn to May 15, when the sea bass opener arrives; per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, the Big Mohawk III is returning to the water specifically to target sea bass.
Stripers to 48 Inches Stacking the Delaware Bay as Drum Bite Builds
Water temp sitting at 56°F at NOAA buoy 44009 on May 11, and the Delaware Bay (NJ side) is delivering on that warmth in a big way. Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports stripers to 48 inches from Fortescue Beach this week, with bloodworms far and away the top producer and a few black drum already falling for bloodworms alongside. Big Dave's Tackle confirms an outstanding bite running Cape May to Salem County — bloodworms, bloodworm bag combos (Vamp Bites and live bloodworm in a spawn net), fresh clam, glide baits, and soft plastics are all scoring, with fish to 46 inches and solid numbers of slot-size keepers. More drum are showing up along the bayshore, with Hands Too Bait and Tackle noting fish to 20 pounds on fresh shucked surf clams. Evening and early morning moving tides remain the prime windows per both shops. Important for boaters: NJ Fish & Wildlife News reports Spicers Creek Boat Ramp in Cape May County is closed May 11–14 for dock replacement and parking-area upgrades — identify your alternate launch before you head south.
Spring Striper Surge Delivers Best Jersey Shore Bass Run in Years
Striped bass to 48 inches are stacking from Sandy Hook to Cape May in what multiple sources are calling one of the best spring runs in memory. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf says it plainly: 'old heads are calling it one of the best spring bass runs in a long time,' with fish from 24 to 45 inches blanketing all surf zones and clams the dominant bait. Per The Fisherman — Southern NJ, Higbee's Bait and Tackle confirms stripers to 48 inches at Fortescue Beach on bloodworms, and Big Dave's Tackle reports fish to 46 inches from Cape May to Salem County. Hook House, per The Fisherman — Central NJ, describes 'tons' of fish in the wash. NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 put nearshore water temps at 53–55°F. Summer flounder season opened May 4 to a slow start, but keepers are already turning up in rivers and inlets per OTW Northern New Jersey. Black drum to 20 pounds are also showing along the Delaware Bay shore, per The Fisherman — Southern NJ.
Shad stacking and stripers pushing upriver on the Delaware
Shad hauls of 30 to 65-plus fish at the Lewis Shad Fishery are headlining this week's Delaware River freshwater action, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater. Spawning stripers have pushed past Trenton and into the non-tidal river — a 35-inch bass was netted near Lambertville — while the shad count itself jumped after mid-week rains. Crappies and trout round out the freshwater picture: solid crappie catches are coming from river and lake structure, and the Delaware & Raritan Canal is fishing well for stocked trout. NJ Fish & Wildlife News confirmed the state placed over 180,000 rainbow trout statewide when the season opened April 11. Pine Barrens streams are in fishable shape; USGS gauge 01408000 on the Metedeconk registered 39.4 cfs early this morning. Recent rains also activated northerns, smallmouth bass, and catfish in the upper Passaic drainage, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater.
Sandy Hook stripers on fire as spring migration peaks
Water at 54°F per NOAA buoy 44065, and striped bass are making the most of it. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf's Nick Honachefsky called this one of the best spring bass runs in memory, with fish from 24 to 45 inches stacked from Sandy Hook down to Cape May. The Tackle Box report in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf has Sandy Hook's Parking Lot areas firing on bunker chunks, and anglers hiking to the Rip scoring on wooden swimmers. Blue Chip Sportfishing describes every recent charter as "crushing" stripers. Grumpys Tackle confirms the bay bite is also solid — clams and bunker lead in the surf, while jointed glide baits are the hottest artificials in the lineup. Fluke season opened May 4 but OTW Northern New Jersey rates the start slow; keepers are trickling in through rivers and inlet areas. Black sea bass opens May 15, and several Northern NJ party boats are already gearing up for the switch.
Stripers and Black Drum Running Hot Along the Delaware Bay Shore
Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports a parade of striped bass at Fortescue Beach this week, with fish ranging from slot keepers all the way to 48 inches — bloodworms have been the standout bait. The Delaware Bay shore is delivering one of the better spring bass runs in recent memory. Hands Too Bait and Tackle confirms the pattern, with stripers to 40 inches along the Delaware Bay shoreline hitting bloodworms and clams, best on early-morning moving tides. Black drum are becoming an increasingly prominent part of the picture: Big Dave's Tackle notes drumfish have grown "even more prevalent" from Cape May to Salem County, and Hands Too reports fish to 20 pounds on fresh-shucked surf clams. On The Water's May 8 striper migration map places post-spawn bass spreading hard out of the Chesapeake right into this corridor — timing and water temperature at 56°F per NOAA buoy 44009 are squarely in the strike zone for both species. Fluke season opened May 4 with early keepers already showing.
Jersey Shore Striper Run Called One of the Best in Years
Water temperatures of 53–57°F across NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 are anchoring an exceptional spring striper run that veteran sources describe as the strongest in recent memory. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf reports 'old heads are calling it one of the best spring bass runs in a long time,' with fish from 24 to 45 inches stacked from Sandy Hook to Cape May. Fishermans HQ LBI confirms the surf bite is firing north to south, fresh clam leading the charge alongside lures and frozen bunker. Grumpy's Tackle notes jointed glide baits have been the hottest artificials of the spring. The fluke season opened May 4, but OTW Northern New Jersey reports a slow start, with scattered keepers turning up in rivers and near inlets. Black drum are adding to the excitement — Creekside Outfitters is tracking fish near Tuckerton, and The Fisherman — Southern NJ sources report drum to 20 pounds along the Delaware Bay on fresh shucked surf clams. The black sea bass opener arrives May 15.
Stripers and Drum Stacking Up Along NJ's Delaware Bay Shore
Water temperature holding at 54°F per NOAA buoy 44009 is sustaining what multiple Southern NJ tackle shops are calling one of the stronger spring striper runs in recent memory. Hands Too Bait and Tackle reports stripers to 40 inches from Cape May's oceanfront beaches and along the Delaware Bay shoreline, with bloodworms and clam baits producing best on early morning tides. Higbee's Bait and Tackle notes fish to 48 inches flooding in from Fortescue Beach, again with bloodworms the clear top producer. Big Dave's Tackle confirms the bite stretches from Cape May to Salem County — fish to 46 inches are hitting bloodworms, fresh clam, and artificials including glide baits and soft plastics, with evening and early morning moving tides most productive. Black drum are becoming a genuine story too: Hands Too reports drum to 20 pounds on fresh shucked surf clams along the Bay, and Big Dave's notes drumfish growing more prominent daily. Pier 47 Marina adds that bluefish to 36 inches have mixed in with stripers in the back bay creeks from The Crest to North Wildwood.
Delaware shad and spawning stripers pushing past Trenton in strong spring run
American shad hauls of 30 to 65-plus fish are coming in at the Lewis Shad Fishery, and spawning stripers have pushed well past Trenton into the non-tidal stretch of the Delaware River, according to JB Kasper via The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater. A 35-inch striper was reported in catch-and-release nets near Lambertville this past week — a strong indicator of upriver migration. Old School Outdoors in Ewing corroborates the picture, noting good-sized crappies in the river alongside shad action and solid trout fishing in the canal since the latest stocking. On the Pine Barrens side, USGS gauge 01408000 is reading a steady 37.1 cfs as of Sunday morning — modest, stable flow that keeps wading and small-boat access straightforward. Fairfield Fishing Tackle notes that bass are cycling on and off spawning beds as water temps fluctuate, while northerns and smallies continue producing in upper-river tributaries on a mix of live bait and soft plastics.
Sandy Hook Stripers: Best Spring Run in Years
NOAA buoy 44065 logged 49°F water at Sandy Hook on the morning of May 7, with 3-foot seas and winds around 12 knots — framing a striper season that multiple captains and shop owners are calling one of the best in recent memory. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf reports Keansburg Pier lit up on clams and plugs, while Sandy Hook's parking lot areas and North Beach are producing big bass on chunked bunker; anglers making the hike out to the Rip are scoring on wooden swimmers. OTW Northern New Jersey noted larger bass pushing into Raritan Bay on the heels of bunker schools as of late April, and Blue Chip Sportfishing reports crushing stripers on every trip. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf's Nick Honachefsky put it plainly: 'Old heads are calling it one of the best spring bass runs in a long time,' with fish from 24 to 45 inches from Sandy Hook down the coast. Fluke season opened May 4th; Capt. Ron's Atlantic Highlands had a tough first sail on southerly winds but reports flatfish present and building.
Stripers to 48 Inches Along Delaware Bay
Water at NOAA buoy 44009 is reading 53°F — prime spring territory for Delaware Bay striped bass, and the reports confirm it. Higbee's Bait and Tackle (via The Fisherman — Southern NJ) reports stripers to 48 inches out of Fortescue Beach on bloodworms, with slot keepers and oversize fish appearing throughout the week. Big Dave's Tackle confirms an outstanding bite from Cape May to Salem County on bloodworms, clam combos, and artificials including glide baits and soft plastics, with fish to 46 inches — evening and early morning moving tides producing the best windows. Black drum are a growing part of the Bay picture: Hands Too Bait and Tackle logs drum to 20 pounds on fresh shucked surf clams, and Big Dave's echoes that drumfish presence is building. Bluefish have entered the back bay creeks near North Wildwood, with racer blues to 36 inches feeding alongside stripers to 38 inches on soft plastics per The Fisherman — Southern NJ. Fluke season opened May 4th, and early scouting suggests the back bays are well-stocked with flatfish.