New Jersey fishing reports
665 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Delaware Bay flounder keepers stack up before the September close
Delaware Bay's flounder bite remains the story on the New Jersey side, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle reporting customers bringing home limits to 23 inches around the EP Tower and areas near the lighthouse. Big Dave's Tackle in Southern New Jersey echoes the pattern, noting flounder running from the beaches out to the shipping channel alongside croakers and spot. Structure fishing keeps producing too: Boulevard Bait & Tackle says tautog action is heating up inshore around back bay bridges and jetties, with fish to 8 pounds on green crabs, while sheepshead push past 10 pounds on the same baits near bridges and bulkheads per Hands Too Bait and Tackle. Anglers are already ranging farther for keeper flounder as the season winds down — Pier 47 Marina notes trips to the Old Grounds and Reef Site 11 are paying off. Per The Fisherman's DE/MD/Chesapeake report, NJ-side Delaware Bay flounder season is slated to close September 25, so this stretch is prime time to fill a cooler.
Raritan Bay fluke and jumbo sea bass carry the bite toward fall
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has strung together a strong week right in the heart of Raritan Bay, with action on keeper fluke and "jumbo" sea bass most drifts, though the crew noted sea bass crowding the bottom sometimes beat the fluke to the bait, and a good drift made the difference between a top-ten day and a frustrating one. Just up the shore, Grumpys Tackle (NJ) reports warm water pushing Spanish mackerel and bonito into the area, and On The Water's Northern New Jersey report (Aug. 27) adds that big keeper fluke are stacking on reefs and wrecks while the midshore tuna bite stays inconsistent and mahi remain abundant around the pots. Belmar-area boats covered by The Fisherman — Northern NJ are mixing bluefish with bonito and Spanish mackerel and expect the good run to carry into September. Striped bass are still quiet in the bay, with captains watching for the first signs of a fall push.
Smallmouth improving on the Delaware as Pine Barrens bass hold steady
The regional USGS gauge (01408000) is reading a lean 22.2 cfs overnight into Sunday, the kind of low, warm late-August flow that pushes Delaware River and Pine Barrens gamefish tight to structure and shade rather than open current. Freshwater shop reports back that up: Allen's Dock says local ponds and cedar-water pickerel are still eating killies, though the recent heat has kept some anglers off the water, while Dave's Sport Shop notes largemouth coming on weedless plastics worked through vegetation at Lake Nockamixon, plus bass and panfish on topwater at Galena and Towhee lakes. On the main river, Dave's Sport Shop also reports smallmouth fishing has been improving, with livelining baits expected to get better as September approaches. Smith's Bait Shop adds early-morning and late-day topwater largemouth (and snakeheads) around vegetation, with perch and panfish starting to show in area spillways. Overall a patience bite — work the green, shaded, and vegetated water until temperatures ease.
Bait Buildup Signals Big September as Sea Bass Rule the Jersey Shore
Black sea bass are stealing the show along the Jersey Shore this week, with Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands reporting fish crushing bait on every bit of bottom before fluke can get to it, mixed with a scattering of keeper flounder. Grumpys Tackle notes warm water has pushed Spanish mackerel and bonito into the mix, with epoxy jigs the go-to producer, while Surf City Bait and Tackle (via The Fisherman — Central NJ) says the same species are hitting Deadly Dick jigs as September bait movement builds. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI's Hi Flier has been running 25-to-40-pound bluefin within 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet on trolled ballyhoo and live squid, with bonito mixed in. Fishermans HQ LBI also flagged spearing, peanut bunker, and mullet stacking up in the surf and bay — an early fall signal — and Northern New Jersey captains (per The Fisherman — Northern NJ) expect a strong September once stripers push through behind the bait.
Delaware Bay flounder heats up before NJ's Sept. 25 close
Delaware Bay's NJ-side flounder bite is running hot heading toward Labor Day weekend, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle reporting customers bringing home limits of fish to 23 inches, with the EP Tower and grounds near the lighthouse consistently giving up keepers. Big Dave's Tackle echoes the trend, finding flounder, croakers and spot from the beaches out to the shipping channel, while anglers working structure are picking off tog and sheepshead on green crabs and sand fleas. At Boulevard Bait & Tackle, tog fishing is picking up inshore and around back-bay bridges, with keepers to 8 pounds and sheepshead pushing nearly 11 pounds; Hands Too Bait and Tackle has seen sheep over 10 pounds off the same baits. One scheduling note from Eric Burnley (The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake): NJ's Delaware Bay flounder season closes September 25, while Delaware's side keeps a 4-fish, 17.5-inch limit open through year-end. Tonight's Full Moon means stronger tidal swings.
Jumbo Sea Bass, Bonito Fire Up Sandy Hook Ahead of the September Turn
Capt. Ron out of Atlantic Highlands logged a big rebound this week, per Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ — Eric limited out on fluke within the first two drifts and boated a 6-pound, 10-ounce pool fish, while jumbo sea bass filled coolers on nearly every drop. That's the pattern across Sandy Hook Bay and the Raritan Bay grounds right now: fluke are inconsistent, with the shop noting a stretch of poor cooperation just days earlier, but sea bass are thick enough that most trips are limiting on bottom rigs. Warmer water has pulled bonito and Spanish mackerel into range too — Grumpys Tackle (NJ) is pointing anglers to epoxy jigs for the "funny fish," and OTW Northern New Jersey's August 27 report confirms bonito and Spanish mackerel working the surf and inlets. Striped bass remain quiet, though The Fisherman — Northern NJ notes area captains are already eyeing the switch to bass once fluke season wraps.
Delaware River Smallmouth Build as Pine Barrens Pickerel Turn On
Pickerel are working the tannic cedar waters of the Pine Barrens this week, with anglers at Allen's Dock picking fish on killies in the region's classic dark-water creeks and ponds. Largemouth bass are cooperating too — Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown reports weedless plastics fished tight to vegetation producing in local lakes, with an early-and-late topwater bite also showing. The bigger story for river anglers: smallmouth fishing on the Delaware has been improving, and Dave's Sport Shop expects the trend to hold into September if conditions stay favorable. Panfish and perch are stacking in spillways as summer winds down, a seasonal pattern also noted along the Delaware freshwater corridor. Under this week's full moon, expect stronger low-light feeding windows for pickerel and bass alike. Freshwater levels are reported as generally good across the watershed, with fair-to-good fishing expected to carry into September barring major weather disruption.
Sea Bass Stay Hot While Fluke Grind Toward the September Push
Black sea bass are red-hot up and down the Shore right now — Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ logged a "top ten day" this week with big sea bass mixed into every drift, and Mary M IV out of Central Jersey put anglers on limits of sea bass, porgies, and ling alongside a solid fluke pick. Fluke itself remains a grind: Capt Ron's crews are sorting plenty of shorts for a handful of keepers, though OTW Northern New Jersey notes big keeper fluke are still coming off the reefs and wrecks. Offshore, Hands Too Bait and Tackle reports bluefin tuna and mahi working the 19-to-30-fathom pots and temperature breaks with white marlin mixed in, while Fishermans HQ LBI (NJ) has boats going 4-for-8 on 30-40 lb bluefin within 20 miles of Barnegat Inlet. Inshore, Grumpys Tackle (NJ) says warm water has pushed bonito and Spanish mackerel into range, best worked on epoxy jigs.
Delaware Bay Flounder Stay Hot on NJ Side Before Season Closes
Full-moon saltwater conditions find Delaware Bay's New Jersey side still delivering limit-worthy flounder. Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports customers bringing home fish to 23 inches around the EP Tower and areas near the lighthouse, while Big Dave's Tackle notes flounder spread from the beaches out to the shipping channel, with tog and sheepshead working structure on green crabs and sand fleas. Along the Cape May surf and back bays, Hands Too Bait and Tackle reports kingfish and snapper blues showing on the oceanfront, hardheaded croaker crushing squid and clam baits bayside, and weakfish in the 18-24 inch range hitting floated bloodworms around bayshore structure piles. Tog and sheepshead are also working the inlet rockpile areas and the Anglesea rocks. Anglers should watch the calendar: per The Fisherman's Eric Burnley, New Jersey's Delaware Bay flounder season is slated to close September 25, while Delaware's side keeps its four-fish, 17.5-inch limit running through year's end.
Sea bass stack up thick as fluke sort short from keeper in Raritan Bay
Sea bass are stacking up thick in Sandy Hook Bay and the surrounding Raritan Bay grounds — Capt. Ron out of Atlantic Highlands reports every drop loaded with sea bass on recent trips, with customers sorting through big numbers of shorts to find keepers and some jumbo bass mixed in. Fluke fishing has been more inconsistent: one midweek trip produced limits early and a 6-pound, 10-ounce pool fish, while other days described a stubborn bite with mostly short fluke and only the occasional keeper, especially when the drift died. Meanwhile Spanish mackerel and bonito have pushed into the surf and inshore waters per Grumpys Tackle and this week's Northern New Jersey report from On The Water, giving light-tackle anglers a warm-water bonus target on epoxy jigs. Striped bass remain a background player for now — NJ Fish & Wildlife notes the species around nearby Shark River structure, but no fresh striper reports have surfaced yet for this stretch of coast.
Delaware River Smallmouth Improve as Pine Barrens Bass Hold Steady
Weedless-rigged plastics are drawing largemouth out of the vegetation on Lake Nockamixon this week, and Dave's Sport Shop notes Delaware River smallmouth fishing is improving heading toward September, per this week's Fisherman NJ/DE Freshwater column. Elsewhere in the same report, Smith's Bait Shop describes good topwater action for largemouth and snakeheads around vegetation in area ponds, with early perch and panfish already showing in the spillways at Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, and Silver Lake. Lake Wallenpaupack continues turning out smallmouth and largemouth, according to Hyper Striper Sportfishing, while Allen's Dock calls the bass bite picky but fair and notes pickerel taking killies in the Pine Barrens' cedar-stained waters. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat flow and temperature as general knowledge until updated data arrives. With a full moon overhead, expect the best feeding windows to cluster around dawn, dusk, and overnight low light.
Sea Bass Bite Stays Hot as Jersey Shore Fluke Turns Picky
Sea bass are stealing the show up and down the Jersey Shore this week. Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands reports "every drop was loaded" with sea bass on recent trips, while fluke has been stingy — mostly shorts with an odd keeper mixed in. Offshore, Blue Chip Sportfishing says shark fishing has "busted wide open," with a Friday trip landing three nice mako sharks that were released, alongside steady mahi around the lobster pots. Fishermans HQ LBI is finding 25-40 lb bluefin tuna within 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet on trolled and live-bait spreads, with sand eels, spearing, mullet and peanut bunker stacking up near the inlet. Grumpys Tackle notes warm water has pushed Spanish mackerel and bonito into the mix, best worked with epoxy jigs. Northern NJ boats, per The Fisherman, are already eyeing the switch to striped bass once fluke season closes out.