New Jersey fishing reports
250 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Sea bass stay red hot as fluke rebuilds along the Jersey Shore
Water temps around Atlantic Highlands climbed to 65.7°F this week, and Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands reports fluke fishing finally turning a corner, with several keepers pushing close to 5 pounds mixing in with the usual shorts on gulp sand eels. Sea bass fishing is "red hot" according to Blue Chip Sportfishing, with anglers limiting out on almost every trip, and the same boat logged a strong shark bite this week, including three Mako sharks caught and released. Fishermans HQ LBI says the spring-to-summer transition is underway, with bluefin tuna moving into range 20 to 30 miles offshore behind a wave of squid, a pattern OTW Northern New Jersey corroborates, placing bluefin as close as 15 to 40 miles from shore. Grumpys Tackle notes the surf bite rebounding, with striped bass taking clams again and fluke responding to bucktails and flavored soft baits as beach traffic and weather both improve.
Delaware River smallmouths, Pine Barrens pickerel settle into summer rhythm
Low, clear summer flow is the story on the Delaware River and through the Pine Barrens cedar-water system this week, the classic setup for a dawn-and-dusk smallmouth bass bite around structure and current breaks. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch in the latest pull, and this cycle's angler-intel feed leaned almost entirely coastal (Jersey Shore charter and tackle-shop reports out of Atlantic Highlands, Long Beach Island, and the northern shore), so there's no direct freshwater testimony to cite for the Delaware or the Barrens this week. That's typical for high-summer conditions, when warmwater species like smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, and channel catfish settle into predictable heat-driven patterns rather than news-making pushes. Expect smallmouth to favor riffles and shaded seams early and late, pickerel to hold tight to Pine Barrens cedar structure, and catfish to feed best after dark in the slower pools. Check current USGS flow before launching.
Blue crabs and weakfish carry NJ's bay bite into July
Blue crab hauls are running strong off local docks and a few weakfish are mixing into bay-flat catches, per Grumpys Tackle's latest Jersey shore report. Striped bass are still answering the bell in the surf on clams, though as water keeps warming through July many bay-side bass typically slide toward cooler, deeper water for the season. Fluke are cooperating on bucktails and soft plastics, a pattern echoed by Fishermans HQ LBI's reports of blues and fluke working the bay and inlet with stripers mixed in. Offshore, bluefin tuna are holding within 15 to 40 miles of the Jersey coast per On The Water's Northern New Jersey report, though that's a boat run rather than a Bay pattern. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Delaware Bay this cycle, so treat water temp as seasonal for early July and confirm locally before you launch. NJ Saltwater Fisherman's 2026 bluefin retention limits remain in effect for anyone running offshore.
Sea Bass Limits and a Building Fluke Bite Highlight Sandy Hook
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged water temperatures back up to 65.7°F this week, with the first quality fluke of the season showing up: one angler boxed a three-fish limit topping four and a half pounds on gulp sand eels, per the shop's report. Black sea bass remain the most consistent bite in the bay and nearshore, with Blue Chip Sportfishing calling the action red hot and limiting out on almost every trip. Striped bass aren't exploding but are holding steady, with OTW's Northern New Jersey report (July 2) noting stripers and bluefish providing steady surf action while fluke fishing trends upward on the reefs. Bluefin tuna remain a realistic target 15 to 40 miles offshore per that same report, with Fishermans HQ LBI noting squid schools pulling fish within range. Current has been inconsistent on some recent drifts, so timing the tide change matters.
Jersey Shore stripers, sea bass and sharks turn on as fluke improves
Water temps pushing into the mid-60s off Atlantic Highlands are locking in a strong early-summer pattern up and down the Jersey Shore. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports striped bass getting crushed on nearly every trip along with sea bass limits, and shark fishing has "busted wide open," with a recent trip releasing three mako sharks. Fluke are finally coming together too: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged its best-quality flounder of the season, with fish pushing 4 to 4.5 pounds on gulp sand eels, while Grumpys Tackle notes the bite rebounding on bucktails and flavored soft baits after a slower stretch, with bass back on clams in the surf. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI and OTW's Northern New Jersey report both put bluefin tuna 15 to 40 miles off the beach, arriving behind a heavy squid push. It's a full-spread summer setup, with inshore, surf, and offshore options all producing at once.
NJ's Delaware feeders and Pine Barrens creeks settle into July rhythm
The USGS gauge at site 01408000 in the Delaware River watershed measured flow at 45.3 cfs as of Saturday morning, a modest, stable read typical of a Pine Barrens-fed tributary settling into its usual summer base flow. No water-temperature reading came through with this cycle's data, but for early July in this region that generally means water has warmed well into the range where smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and chain pickerel feed most actively, while stocked trout fishing slows as streams lose their spring chill. This week's tackle-shop and charter dispatches were concentrated on the Jersey Shore surf and inshore boats (fluke, sea bass, striped bass) rather than the Delaware River or Pine Barrens freshwater systems, so there's no fresh on-the-water testimony to attribute for this specific region today. Anglers here should lean on typical July patterns: early and late light for bass, deep cedar-stained holes for pickerel, and channel catfish after dark.
Blue Crabs and Weakfish Stir as Delaware Bay Eases Into Summer
Grumpys Tackle's shore report notes crab hauls have been strong off local NJ docks and that a couple of weakfish are starting to show in the mix, both classic signs of a Delaware Bay backwater season waking up as water warms into summer. Direct reports from the bay itself were thin in this cycle's angler intel, but corroborating signals from up the coast point the same direction: Blue Chip Sportfishing says striped bass are being crushed on nearly every trip right now, and Grumpys adds that surf bass are back on clams. Fluke remain a mixed bag elsewhere in the state, per Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands and Fishermans HQ on LBI, with Gulp-style baits and bucktails producing best. For Delaware Bay anglers, that regional pattern usually means blue crabs, weakfish, and striper action building through the bay's channels and marsh edges as the holiday week settles in. Check current NJ size and possession limits before keeping anything.
Striped bass, sea bass fire up Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook
Water temperatures crept into the mid-60s off Atlantic Highlands this week, and Capt Ron's reports fluke finally showing quality after a slow start to the season, with several keepers pushing 4-5 pounds landed on bucktails tipped with Gulp sand eels. Just south, Blue Chip Sportfishing says striped bass fishing is 'the best possible' right now, with clients limiting out on nearly every trip, while black sea bass are running red hot with boats getting enough for everyone aboard. Shark fishing has also busted wide open for Blue Chip, including three released Mako sharks on a recent trip. Grumpys Tackle notes the surf bite rebounded with stripers back on clams and fluke working bucktails and soft baits, plus a few weakfish reported and good blue crab hauls in the back bays. Offshore, OTW Northern New Jersey has bluefin tuna running 15-40 miles out, with bluefish and stripers keeping the surf active in the meantime.
Fluke Trending Up and Bluefin in Range as Jersey Shore Enters Summer
Sea bass charters aboard Blue Chip Sportfishing have been limiting out on nearly every trip this week, with shark action simultaneously "busting wide open" and Mako releases on recent runs. As the Fourth of July arrives, the Jersey Shore is fully in its summer transition: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands logged keeper fluke sessions on Gulp sand eels at the tide change, with water temperatures near 65 degrees. OTW Northern New Jersey's July 2 report places bluefin tuna 15 to 40 miles from shore, within range for equipped boats, while reef fluke continues trending upward. In the surf, Grumpys Tackle notes stripers are back on clams and fluke are responding to bucktails and flavored soft baits, with a couple of weakfish spotted in the mix. Fishermans HQ LBI confirms the summer pattern is underway: blues and fluke active in the bay and inlet, with stripers still hanging around. The bite is firmly on.
Delaware River smallmouth in stride as drought flows push fish to deep structure
Old School Outdoors in Ewing reports smallmouth fishing 'good and should get better in July' on the Delaware River, with catfishing holding steady alongside it. The backdrop, per The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater correspondents, is a June that served up 90-plus-degree days, overnight lows in the 50s, drought conditions, and unreliable weather; JB Kasper called it 'a great big puzzle.' Heading into July, anglers expect more stable Dog Days conditions and tighter feeding windows. Largemouth in local lakes and ponds have locked into early-morning and late-afternoon cycles as heavy vegetation fills the shallows, per Dow's Boat Rentals. Low, clear river flows are concentrating fish: Fairfield Fishing Tackle advises targeting deeper holes, eddies, and below bridge pilings on the Passaic rather than covering broad water. Tackle World notes northern streams still carry trout, and July marks the traditional start of deepwater smallmouth action on the bigger reservoirs throughout the region.
Flounder Dominates Delaware Bay as Summer Species Flood the Back Bays
Flounder fishing has lit up across the southern New Jersey and Delaware Bay corridor heading into the Fourth of July weekend. Per Waterfront Marine (via The Fisherman — Southern NJ), 'the number of fish being caught in the back waters and the bay has been astonishing this year,' with quality fish also turning up at offshore reef sites. Boulevard Bait & Tackle reports keepers topping 5 pounds, including one back-bay flatty at 7 pounds 8 ounces, with bigger bait presentations proving key to landing quality fish. Pier 47 Marina confirms stabilized back-bay water temps with flounder aggressively hitting live minnows and Gulp baits in as little as 6 feet of water along the ICW behind the Wildwoods. Eric Burnley (The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake) reports that June closed with croaker, spot, and sheepshead pushing into the bay in solid numbers and sees no reason that momentum won't carry into July. Weakfish are also trickling into bay jetty reports.
Fluke bite building in Raritan Bay as summer heat settles in
Capt. Ron's Atlantic Highlands reports quality fluke emerging in Raritan Bay, with water temperatures around 65°F on recent trips and keepers up to 5 pounds on better tides. Gulp sand eels have been the top producer, with the morning tide change delivering the most consistent action. OTW Northern New Jersey's July 2 report confirms the regional picture: fluke are trending upward on the reefs following last week's cold-water upwelling, while stripers and bluefish continue to provide steady surf action. Bluefish in the 3–5 pound range are hitting poppers during early-morning hours per Grumpy's Tackle, while remnant stripers are still picking up clam baits along the beachfront. Sea bass, despite being catchable, have run below recent norms — multiple Northern NJ captains cited in The Fisherman — Northern NJ are pivoting to fluke and blues, noting that warmer bottom temperatures are needed before the groundfish bite truly fires. Blue Chip Sportfishing adds that shark fishing has 'busted wide open,' with mako releases on recent offshore runs.