New Jersey Fishing Reports

Chain pickerel are delivering one of spring's better freshwater bites across the Pine Barrens cedar waters. Creekside Outfitters and Allen's Dock on Bass River — both via The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater — confirm strong pickerel action on killies, swimming plugs, and spinners, with largemouth bass also active in area ponds. Hands Too Bait and Tackle adds that Ponderlodge Lake is producing trout, catfish, and bass. On the Delaware River corridor, Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown reports mixed-size stripers at Trenton with a few fish pushing as far north as Lambertville — a welcome mid-May milestone. USGS gauge 01408000 shows local drainage at 27.7 cfs as of Sunday afternoon, indicating low, clear conditions suited to finesse presentations. Trout fishing has quieted from its early-season pace, per Dave's Sport Shop, with only scattered reports from the Tohickon and Unami drainages remaining. Anglers should note NJ Fish & Wildlife News has confirmed seasonal WMA closures beginning May 21.

May 17

The Fisherman — Southern NJ (via Boulevard Bait & Tackle) reports a 51-inch striped bass pulled from the surf on salted clams and black drum to 38 inches right alongside — a snapshot of Delaware Bay's active spring fishery as NOAA Buoy 44009 reads 57°F on May 17. Multiple Southern NJ sources confirm the pattern: stripers ranging from slot keepers to well-over fish are crushing fresh and salted clams in beach cuts and back bays, while an early black drum push has joined the bite. Fin-Atics adds flounder to 20 inches in the back bay on minnows and strip baits, though Ray Scott's Dock notes keeper fluke remain tough with bay temps still in the low 50s in some areas. Black sea bass season opened May 15, per The Fisherman (Northeast), broadening the inshore menu. And with today's new moon, The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf's Nick Honachefsky specifically flags weakfish as a species to target right now on the tidal current push along the bayshore.

May 17

NOAA buoy 44065 recorded 53°F at Sandy Hook on May 17, right in the spring striper migration window. Per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, Capt. Pete Wagner of Hyper Striper had another outstanding week in Raritan Bay, with fish to 25 pounds and consistent keeper counts, adding that significant numbers of linesiders are still pushing north from the south. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf's Tackle Box in Hazlet correspondent described Sandy Hook beaches as "lit up" with bass on bunker chunks and clams; Blue Chip Sportfishing echoed that it's some of the best striper action possible this spring. OTW Northern New Jersey (May 14) notes the bay boat bite has eased slightly as fish move up on the beaches. Black drum are mixing in along the surf on clam baits. Black sea bass opened May 15 per The Fisherman — New Jersey edition but early bottom reports are mixed, and fluke is underway but spotty as inshore water temps remain cool.

May 17

Water temps have reached 53–54°F per NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091, and the Jersey Shore spring run is firing on all cylinders. Fishermans HQ LBI reports 'the spring fishery is as good as it gets for surfcasters working the sands of Long Beach Island,' with bass stacked in cuts and gutters from north to south. Boulevard Bait & Tackle (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) confirmed a 51-inch fish from the surf on fresh clam, and Grumpys Tackle (NJ) reported a 41-inch personal best at Seaside Park on an SP Minnow. Black drum have joined the party along the oceanfront, with The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf noting 'a push of black drum surprising many a clamslinger.' Stripers and drum to 38 inches are eating soaked clams in the wash. New Jersey's black sea bass season opened May 15 per The Fisherman — New Jersey edition — check current state regs for size and bag limits before keeping fish. The Garden State Surf Fishing Classic runs today at Island Beach State Park.

May 17

Water at 51°F per NOAA buoy 44065 hasn't slowed the striped bass bite one bit. Capt. Pete Wagner of the Hyper Striper called it "another super week" in Raritan Bay, landing fish to 25 pounds on every trip and noting more linesiders still pushing north (The Fisherman — Northern NJ). On the beach side, the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported Sandy Hook "lit up" with bass hammering bunker chunks and clams, with Jersey Cape Glides and NLBN rubbertails also producing; black drum and a few bluefish mixed into the wash at The Hook on clam baits and yellow mag darts (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf). OTW Northern New Jersey noted the bay bite eased slightly heading into May 14 while beach action picked up. Black sea bass season opened May 15 — Capt. Ron at Atlantic Highlands found water still too cold for a strong opener on day one, though the bite should improve as temperatures climb through the week.

May 17

Water temps at NOAA buoy 44009 are running 56°F this morning — right in the zone for a productive mid-May window on the Delaware Bay's New Jersey shore. Per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, it's been a phenomenal week of surf fishing statewide, with a fresh push of black drum arriving alongside an already-strong striper run. The Fisherman — Southern NJ reports clam-soaking anglers landing stripers to 51 inches and black drum to 38 inches from the surf, with back bay, oceanfront, and jetties all producing on bloodworms and fresh clams. Summer flounder season is open but off to a slow start; pool fish are running 19–22 inches with keeper counts expected to improve as waters warm. Black sea bass season opened May 15 per NJ Fish & Wildlife News — verify current regs before heading out — adding a bottom-fishing option for bay crews. Today's new moon is worth flagging for weakfish along the bay, a timing window specifically noted by The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf.

May 17

Water temps of 52–54°F along the Jersey Shore — confirmed at NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 — are fueling what may be the strongest spring striper run in years. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports "crushing" bass on every trip, calling conditions "the best Striper Fishing possible," and The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf echoes that with another phenomenal week coast-wide. Surf anglers soaking fresh clams at dawn are the consistent producers: The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf notes two bass at 50 and 46 inches released in a single Point Pleasant session, and Grumpys Tackle logged a 41-inch personal-best at Seaside Park on an SP Minnow. Black drum have pushed into the oceanfront wash alongside the bass, with The Fisherman — Southern NJ reporting fish to 38 inches on salted clam. The May 15 black sea bass opener is now active — a 12.5-inch minimum and 10-fish bag limit apply through June 21, per The Fisherman — New Jersey edition. Fluke action remains slow, with most catches running short.

May 17

Chain pickerel are putting on a strong mid-May showing in the Pine Barrens cedar waters, with The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater reporting active bites on killies, swimbaits, and spinners across the tannin-stained streams. Creekside Outfitters (via The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater) confirms solid trout action in lower-state lakes and ponds on meal worms, Trout Magnets, and Berkley Trout Worms, while largemouth bass are connecting on spinnerbaits in small ponds and campground water. Allen's Dock on Bass River notes they've been selling more killies to freshwater anglers than to fluke fishermen — a telling indicator of how active the inland bite has been. On the Delaware River, Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown (via The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater) reports mixed-size stripers at Trenton, with fish as far north as Lambertville. USGS gauge 01408000 recorded 29.7 cfs on May 16 — a modest, fishable flow for Pine Barrens drainages. One notable gap this spring: white perch have been scarce in tidal streams, a pattern Allen's Dock attributes to heavy overwintering striper predation on local baitfish.

May 17

Water temps at 54°F per NOAA buoy 44009 are powering a strong spring run on both sides of Delaware Bay. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf describes "another phenomenal week of surf fishing" with striped bass running the full length of the state's beaches and a notable black drum push catching clam-fishers off guard. The Fisherman — Southern NJ's Boulevard Bait & Tackle reports bass from slot keepers up to 48-inch fish on salted and fresh clams, with black drum to 38 inches joining on the same rigs. One Stop Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) notes keeper flounder to 20 inches from back bays and jetties on live minnows and strip baits — encouraging early returns from the fluke opener. OTW Saltwater's May 12 migration update places 50-pound class post-spawn fish off New Jersey, with that wave pushing into Delaware Bay. Weakfish deserve a close watch as the approaching new moon tightens tidal swings, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf.

May 13

Cedar-water pickerel are the standout story this week in the Pine Barrens. The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater correspondents report strong pickerel action on swimbaits and live killies in local cedar streams, with Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May noting the bite is 'on fire.' Creekside Outfitters confirmed decent largemouth bass on spinnerbaits in small ponds, while Allen's Dock on Bass River is logging quality bass and big pickerel in campground ponds. On the Delaware River corridor, Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown is tracking mixed-size stripers at Trenton, with some fish reaching as far north as Lambertville. Trout fishing has faded from its April opener peak; Dave's Sport Shop reports only scattered activity on the Tohickon and Unami, though stocked fish persist in lower lakes like Ponderlodge per Hands Too. One notable absence: Allen's Dock flags white perch missing from tidal streams this spring — attributed to a heavy wintering striper population that likely preyed them out of the corridor.

May 13

Water temps at 54°F (NOAA buoy 44009) haven't slowed the Delaware Bay NJ surf bite. Boulevard Bait & Tackle, writing in The Fisherman — Southern NJ, reported a 51-inch striped bass pulled from the surf on fresh clams this week — part of a broad wave of slot-to-overslot fish that has The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf columnist Nick Honachefsky calling it "another phenomenal week." The same stretch of oceanfront is delivering black drum to 38 inches alongside the stripers, with shucked clams working best for both. Summer flounder season opened May 4, and back-bay action has been inconsistent in the cold water, though Ray Scott's Dock reports the Captain Robin is still putting customers on fish to 22 inches per trip. Boat anglers in Cape May County should note Spicers Creek Boat Ramp is closed May 11–14 for dock renovations per NJ Fish & Wildlife News, with reopening expected May 15.

May 12

Water temps holding at 53°F across both NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 have done nothing to slow the striper bite on the Jersey Shore. Fishermans HQ LBI called the spring fishery "as good as it gets for surfcasters," with cuts, bowls, and gutters along Long Beach Island loaded with fish as of May 11. The Fisherman — Central NJ contacts at Yakitty Yaks Kayaks describe Barnegat and Raritan bays as shaping up to be "one of the best spring bass seasons they've seen in years." Fresh clam leads as the top bait coast-wide, with glide baits and bunker chunks also producing quality fish. Boulevard Bait & Tackle in Southern NJ, per The Fisherman — Southern NJ, reported a surf-caught 51-inch striper this week. Adding to the excitement, a strong push of black drum has surprised anglers along the oceanfront wash, with fish to 38 inches on clam baits. Summer flounder opened May 4 but remains slow at current water temps, and the sea bass opener lands May 15.

May 12