New Jersey fishing reports
397 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Croakers and sheepshead lead a strong Delaware Bay summer bite
Croakers are thick along Delaware Bay this week, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle reporting the bay "giving up lots of different types of fish including blues, croakers, weakfish, flounder, sheepshead and on some trips, several black drum," with pool-winning fish ranging from a 5-pound flounder to a 15-pound drum. Fortescue Beach is producing croakers on blood or lung worms per Higbee's, while white perch action has picked up in the creeks. Big Dave's Tackle confirms strong Delaware Bay croaker numbers alongside kingfish, spot, and smaller weakfish, and calls back-bay sheepshead fishing "exceptionally strong." Down toward Cape May, Hands Too Bait and Tackle has flounder stacked right out front and inside the inlet on bucktails, with sheepshead and triggerfish mixing in on the rocks while togging, and night shark fishing described as "insane." Across the bay in Delaware, Smith's Bait Shop notes flounder on minnows and Gulp, black drum on clams, and bluefish on metal lures and cut bait.
Fluke Turns On Around Sandy Hook as Bluefish and Bonito Mix In
Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged back-to-back banner days this past week, boxing double limits of quality fluke in the 3-to-5-pound range, with Mustache Richie topping the pool at 4 pounds, 3 ounces — per the captain, the best flatfish action the boat has seen all season. Black sea bass are filling in steadily behind the fluke on most drifts. Farther up the coast, OTW's Northern New Jersey report has bluefin tuna working within roughly 30 miles, bonito mixed into schools of bluefish out front, and keeper fluke stacking up on wreck and reef sites, with party boats picking off 6-to-10-pound bluefish on diamond jigs. It's shaping up as a solid mid-August stretch for Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook: fluke are the clear headline, sea bass are filling coolers behind them, and bluefish and bonito are giving light-tackle anglers something to chase out front.
Pine Barrens pickerel turn on as Delaware River stays off-color
USGS gauge 01408000 is reading a modest 23.1 cfs as of early Wednesday morning, a sign of low, stable flow moving through the Delaware River and Pine Barrens system. That water is behaving differently depending on where you fish it. Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown reports the Delaware River ran dirty from recent storms and put the smallmouth bite on hold, while nearby Nockamixon is still giving up bass and hybrids when conditions cooperate, per the same shop's report carried in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater roundup. South Jersey's cedar waters are faring much better: Allen's Dock and Hands Too Bait and Tackle both note the pickerel bite has come on strong with improved water clarity, with live killies and topwater baits doing the damage. Allen's Dock also flags solid largemouth action in local campground lakes and ponds. Net read for the region: river fisheries are still shaking off runoff while the Pine Barrens' still-water spots are fishing well right now.
Sea Bass Limits and Shark Action Heat Up the Jersey Shore
Sea bass are running hot along the Jersey Shore right now, with Blue Chip Sportfishing reporting boats limiting out on almost every trip. Fluke fishing has finally turned a corner too: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged a banner day of double limits with quality fish in the 3 to 5 pound range, while Central Jersey shops like Jingles Bait and Tackle and Boulevard Bait & Tackle are mixing keeper flounder in with plenty of shorts. Shark fishing has busted wide open per Blue Chip, with multiple mako sharks hooked and released, and night surf anglers at Hands Too Bait and Tackle and Riptide Bait and Tackle describe the shark bite as insane along the beaches. Offshore, Hands Too says mahi are hot around the lobster pots off Cape May, and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore reports have bluefin tuna and white marlin biting ahead of the 35th MidAtlantic tournament. Triggerfish continue showing up around jetties and reef structure up and down the shore.
Delaware Bay croakers and flounder keep NJ anglers busy
Croakers are stacked up and down the bay side this week, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) reporting the beaches along Fortescue loaded on blood and lung worms alongside blues, weakfish, flounder, sheepshead, and even a few black drum. Big Dave's Tackle notes keeper flounder holding on the nearshore and offshore reefs, though the back bays are thick with short fluke making for mostly catch-and-release action there. Sheepshead have also turned on strong in the back bay per that same report. Across the state line, Smith's Bait Shop (The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake) has flounder eating minnows and Gulp-tipped jigs, black drum on clams, and weakfish working bucktails dressed with yellow worms. Hands Too Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf) adds bucktail flounder right at the inlet mouth and a hot night shark bite along the beachfront.
Fluke feast holds at Sandy Hook as bluefish push rolls in
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands called this past Saturday a banner day, with anglers "on the meat" from start to finish and quality fluke running 3 to 5 pounds, including a pair of 5-pound fish that tied for the pool. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition backs up the trend, noting double-digit fluke catches out of the nearby Shark River Inlet fleet along with what it calls a recent Sandy Hook bluefish invasion. Bluefish are showing in mixed sizes elsewhere along the Northern Jersey coast too, per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, with 2- to 4-pound choppers mixed in with some bigger slammers. Sea bass are filling coolers on Capt Ron's bottom-fishing drops, and NJ Fish & Wildlife News notes striped bass, tautog, and summer flounder are all part of the typical mix at nearby inlet access points. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so check local conditions before you head out.
Delaware River smallmouth stall as Pine Barrens pickerel heat up
The Delaware River around Bucks County turned murky this week after storms rolled through, and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater column reports the smallmouth bite is on hold until it clears. Better news sits nearby at Nockamixon, where largemouth bass and hybrid stripers are still coming to net when conditions cooperate. Down in the Pine Barrens cedar-water country off Route 47, the same freshwater roundup has pickerel biting well on live killies and topwater baits, while small ponds and campground-area lakes near Dennisville and Ponderlodge keep giving up solid largemouth on topwater frogs, poppers, and weedless plastics fished early and late in the day. It's a mixed bag right now: river fishing is stalled by runoff, but still-water largemouth and pickerel are holding a steady, typical-for-August pattern. Anglers working the slower, tannin-stained cedar water are having the better week of it at the moment.
Fluke and Sea Bass Fire Up Along the Jersey Shore as Bluefin Push Inshore
Fluke are lighting up inshore grounds this week: Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands reported a rare "meat from start to finish" Saturday, with double limits across the boat and a pair of five-pound fluke tying for the pool. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition's regional roundup backs it up, noting double-digit fluke counts out of the Shark River Inlet fleet, while Central Jersey shops like Fisherman's Headquarters and Jingles Bait and Tackle describe solid keeper ratios mixed with plenty of shorts. Sea bass are running just as hot: Blue Chip Sportfishing says its boats are limiting out on almost every half and full day trip. Offshore, bluefin tuna are holding within roughly 30 miles per OTW Northern New Jersey, working jigs and poppers, while triggerfish and tautog fill out the bottom mix at inlet jetties. Night surf anglers along the southern beaches, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, are also seeing heavy shark action.
Croaker Blitz and Black Drum Keep Delaware Bay Busy
Croakers are thick along the Delaware Bay right now — Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports a mixed bag of blues, croakers, weakfish, flounder, sheepshead and the occasional black drum, with pool winners running from 5-pound flounder to a 15-pound drum. Big Dave's Tackle backs that up, noting steady croaker action alongside kingfish, spot and smaller weakfish, plus back-bay sheepshead fishing that's been exceptionally strong. Flounder is more a numbers game than a trophy hunt: Big Dave's says the nearshore and offshore reefs are giving up plenty of keepers, but the back bays are so loaded with short fluke that keepers barely get a look. Weakfish are toothing up bloodworms at the seawall per The Fisherman's Cape May surf report, where flounder are also showing right out front and inside the inlet on bucktails, and the one-fish blackfish (tog) season just opened on a good early bite. Typical early-August variety-over-size pattern for the bay.
Fluke pool winners climb as August opens at Sandy Hook
Fluke are keeping Raritan Bay boats busy this week, with Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands reporting quality catches in multiple spots to open August — Cobie led one trip with four keepers, and Justin took over as the new monthly pool leader with a 5-pound, 1-ounce doormat. Black sea bass are showing up mixed into those fluke drifts. Current is doing a lot of the work: Capt Ron's crew has been "getting the lead out" through strong tide swings before the bite settles into a workable drift. Just up the coast, OTW's Northern New Jersey report (July 30) notes keeper fluke coming from rivers and reefs plus bluefish in the 6- to 10-pound class hitting diamond jigs on party boats, while The Fisherman's Northern NJ boats (Miss Belmar Princess, Golden Eagle) are mixing bluefish with bonito and mackerel off the inlet. Striped bass remain a background player inshore for now, typical for early August.
Pine Barrens ponds heat up as Delaware River clears from storms
The Delaware River is running high and stained after recent storms, which has put smallmouth fishing on hold in the upper stretches near Bucks County, according to Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown - though Nockamixon is still giving up bass and hybrids when conditions cooperate. Rain also eased fire-danger concerns further south, and Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May reports the better water conditions have turned on largemouth around Dennisville and Ponderlodge lakes plus small local ponds. Allen's Dock echoes that pattern, noting improved bass action in campground lakes alongside a solid pickerel bite in the nearby cedar waters on live killies and topwater baits. Up in Delaware, Smith's Bait Shop in Leipsic is seeing good largemouth and snakehead action at Garrisons Lake, Silver Lake, Massey Mills, and Mcculleys Pond, with morning topwater frogs, poppers, and weedless plastics producing best. With the Last Quarter moon overhead, early and late-day windows remain the play across the region's ponds and cedar-water systems.
Sea Bass Limits and Night Sharks Fire Up the Jersey Shore
Fluke are showing up thick in the surf and back bays this week, but most Jersey Shore anglers are sorting through a lot of shorts to find keepers. Grumpys Tackle calls the surf fluke bite "steady improvement" on bucktails and scented soft artificial baits, while Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven reports plenty of fish with shorts dominating, though Rich Sherman still stuck a 19-inch keeper on Gulp. Black sea bass are the more reliable meal ticket right now; Blue Chip Sportfishing says trips are "limiting out on almost every trip." Sharks have turned on too. Blue Chip put three nice makos in the water Friday, and Hands Too Bait and Tackle reports night surf shark fishing has gone "insane" from Cape May on south. Triggerfish and tautog are mixing in around inlet rocks and reefs now that the one-fish tog season has opened. Offshore, mahi are firing hard beyond the Cape May Reef on trolled ballyhoo.