New Jersey fishing reports
397 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Sea Bass and Fluke Keep NJ Anglers Busy as Striper Bite Heats Up
Sea bass fishing is red hot up and down the Jersey coast right now, per Blue Chip Sportfishing, which reports limiting out on almost every trip alongside a shark bite that has busted wide open, including three released mako sharks in a single day. Fluke action is also building: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands found quality keepers to 5 pounds this week, while Grumpys Tackle notes steady improvement in the surf on bucktails and scented soft artificials. Striped bass are showing well too, with Blue Chip crushing them on every trip even as Grumpys calls the surf bite only occasional. Back in the bays, croaker and spot remain plentiful per Grumpys, and Fishermans HQ on LBI reports croakers cooperating even when weakfish and kingfish stayed quiet on shedder crab. No direct reports came in from the Delaware Bay side this cycle, so treat this as a statewide read on the pattern.
Quality Fluke Keep Rolling as Sea Bass Fill In at Sandy Hook
Justin kicked off August as the new monthly pool leader with a 5lb 1oz fluke, one of several quality flounder boated this week per Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands, where anglers worked two separate areas and found fluke up to 4 pounds with beauty sea bass mixed in throughout the trips. Just up the coast, OTW's Northern New Jersey report (July 30) notes the fluke bite holding solid from the rivers to the reefs, while party boats put 6- to 10-pound bluefish in the box on diamond jigs. Grumpys Tackle NJ reports the surf bite improving on bucktails and scented soft artificial baits, with bunker pulling occasional striped bass and croaker and spot working the back bay on FishBites. Tides should stay workable through the week under the waning gibbous moon; check current NJ size and possession limits before keeping fluke or bass.
Delaware River smallmouth dig in as August heat sets the pattern
No fresh gauge or buoy readings came through the Delaware River corridor this cycle, so the clearest signal for Pine Barrens and river anglers is the seasonal pattern itself: early-August water is warm enough to push smallmouth and largemouth off the banks and into deeper current seams and submerged cover, the shift Tactical Bassin's latest reports describe for summer bass ('Two Baits That Everyone Overlooks In August', 'Top 5 Baits For August Bass Fishing'). Expect largemouth to key on offshore vegetation and drop-shot presentations once the sun gets high, with topwater windows narrowing to dawn and dusk. Chain pickerel should stay willing in the Pine Barrens' cedar-stained water, and channel catfish typically turn on after dark on cut bait through mid-August. Also worth knowing before a trip: Wired 2 Fish reports Pennsylvania just raised its statewide trout minimum size from 7 to 9 inches starting January 2027, the first change to that rule in over four decades, relevant for anyone fishing the PA side of the Delaware.
Sea Bass and Fluke Bites Stay Red Hot Along the Jersey Shore
Buoy readings this morning put water temps at 75 to 76°F off the Jersey Shore, with a manageable 3-foot swell and light wind, prime late-summer conditions for the mixed bag showing up on local reports. Sea bass fishing is 'red hot' per Blue Chip Sportfishing, with boats limiting out on almost every trip, and the same fleet says shark fishing has 'busted wide open,' including three Mako sharks released on a recent run. Fluke remains the shore's bread-and-butter: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands is finding quality fish to open August, Grumpys Tackle reports steady surf improvement on bucktails and soft artificials, and The Fisherman's Southern New Jersey report has flounder spread from the back bays to the Cape May Reef Site, with fish to 8 pounds. Offshore, The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore report has bluefin tuna to 80 pounds on ballyhoo and spreader bars as boats prep for the White Marlin Open. Bluefish have also pushed in, per The Fisherman's Northern NJ coverage.
Jumbo sea bass and keeper fluke headline a hot Raritan Bay bite
Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged genuinely good numbers this week, with quality fluke to 3-5 pounds, a mixed bag of keepers and shorts, and — after a quiet stretch — jumbo black sea bass finally showing around the boat, with the pool fish weighing in at 5 pounds 14 ounces. Just up the bay toward Sandy Hook, OTW Northern New Jersey's July 30 report has bluefin tuna hitting jigs and poppers inshore while party boats keep filling coolers with 6- to 10-pound bluefish on diamond jigs. The Fisherman's Northern NJ desk notes some boats have swapped over to targeting bigger bluefish as larger fish push into the area, while fluke fishing on other trips "finally came to life" after a slow midsummer lull. Sea bass remain structure-dependent, but boats working jigs and bait combos over hard bottom are connecting. With the full moon pushing bigger tidal swings this week, expect faster drifts and stronger current on the usual spots.
Pine Barrens bass turn to topwater as summer flows stay low
Freshwater anglers across the Delaware River corridor and Pine Barrens are finding a building topwater bite as July gives way to August. Largemouth bass are eating weedless plastics and surface baits worked through vegetation, with a shop source in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater column reporting surface action for bass and snakeheads at Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, and Silver Lake building through July and expected to carry into August. Recent rain has refreshed water levels in South Jersey ponds and small lakes near Cape May, per the same report, setting up better conditions heading into the month. Another shop in that roundup described a slower July for bass, perch, and pickerel due to heat, storms, and holiday traffic, but expects improvement once those interruptions clear. USGS gauge 01408000 is running a modest 25.8 cfs, consistent with typical low summer base flow for the region. Perch and crappie fishing traditionally picks up in August as waters begin to cool.
Fluke bite builds on Delaware Bay's NJ-side reefs and back bays
Summer flounder are carrying the Delaware Bay (NJ side) report this week. Big Dave's Tackle in Cape May, via The Fisherman — Southern NJ, says flounder catches have been very good lately and are spread from the back bays out into Delaware Bay proper and onto the deeper reef sites, with most keepers running 20 to 22 inches on Gulp baits and some fish pushing to 7 pounds at the Cape May Reef Site and Old Grounds. Pier 47 Marina backs that up, with Reef Site #11 giving up consistent limits to 7 pounds on larger strip baits and bulkier Gulp. Along the beachfront, Hands Too Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf) reports sand fleas and strip baits working through triggerfish to reach keeper sheepshead near the Cape May Jetty, while croakers keep hitting clam and squid strips on the bay beaches. A solid, typical mid-summer bottom-fishing week under the full moon.
Fluke and sea bass turn on around Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook
Fluke are stacking up around Sandy Hook and Raritan Bay heading into this full moon, with Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands landing a new monthly pool leader at 6 pounds 12 ounces and reporting several fish over 4 pounds on a recent drift day. Grumpys Tackle (NJ) says surf fluke fishing is showing steady improvement on bucktails and scented soft artificial baits, while OTW Northern New Jersey pegs the bite as solid from the back rivers out to the reefs. Black sea bass are red hot too — Blue Chip Sportfishing reports limiting out on almost every trip, and Capt Ron's crew is finally connecting with jumbo sea bass around the boat on bait, jigs, and gulp. Striped bass remain a mixed bag: Blue Chip calls it some of the best striper fishing possible, while Grumpys is only seeing occasional fish mixed in with bluefish and croaker in the back bay.
Sea Bass and Stripers Turn Red Hot Along the Jersey Shore
Blue Chip Sportfishing is limiting out on black sea bass almost every trip and calling this the best striper fishing of the season, with anglers crushing striped bass on every run. Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands backs up the sea bass action with jumbo bass coming on jigs and Gulp, while fluke keepers continue trickling in on bait and soft plastics. Fluke fishing is holding steady too: OTW Northern New Jersey reports a solid bite from the rivers to the reefs as of late July, and Grumpys Tackle notes the surf fluke bite improving on bucktails and scented soft baits. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI says bluefin tuna have moved onto the midshore grounds behind a squid push, with drifted live bait working best. Shark fishing is active too, per Blue Chip's recent Mako releases and a notable tiger shark landed in the surf per On The Water.
Dog-days bass push deep as Pine Barrens pickerel stay steady
Late-July heat has settled the Delaware River and Pine Barrens freshwater fishery into its classic dog-days pattern, with smallmouth and largemouth bass sliding toward deeper pools, current breaks, and shaded structure during peak sun. No river-specific reports surfaced in this cycle's regional feeds, so this update leans on general seasonal knowledge for the corridor rather than fresh on-the-water testimony from local sources. Bass anglers working comparable summer conditions elsewhere are finding fish by dropshotting deeper cover and working moving baits over submerged vegetation early and late in the day, per Tactical Bassin's recent summer coverage, tactics that should translate well to Delaware River tailwater pools and Pine Barrens pond edges. The Pine Barrens' tannic, slow-moving cedar streams continue to favor chain pickerel and panfish over trout, which are typically pushed into thermal refuge by late July. Expect a slow, steady bite rather than a hot one until temperatures ease. Full moon nights this week may also shift feeding toward overnight hours.
Full moon current fuels fluke, sea bass, and shark action across NJ
Croaker are showing up thick in NJ back bays right now, with Grumpys Tackle (NJ) reporting anglers finding 'plenty of them, and decent size' while fluke in the surf show 'steady improvement' on bucktails and scented soft plastics. In Atlantic Highlands, Capt Ron's crew has been limiting out on sea bass with jumbo fish finally showing around structure, best on bait, jigs, and Gulp. Offshore, Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) describes recent striper trips as 'the best Striper Fishing possible,' and shark fishing has 'busted wide open,' with multiple mako sharks hooked and released. Fishermans HQ LBI (NJ) is seeing bluefin tuna push inshore behind what it calls a 'massive squid invasion,' alongside bluefish and fluke in the bay and inlet. No live buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat water temperature as unconfirmed. It's a full moon week, which typically sharpens current and moving-water bites across NJ's bay systems.
Doormat fluke and jumbo sea bass headline the Sandy Hook bite
A 6-pound, 12-ounce fluke topped the monthly pool at Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands this week, edging out a 6-pound-4-ounce runner-up from the same boat, a sign the doormat bite around Sandy Hook Bay and the nearby reefs is running strong under this full moon. Capt Ron's crew is also finally connecting with jumbo sea bass, working bait and jig-and-Gulp combos for the bigger fish. To the north, OTW's Northern New Jersey report has the fluke bite 'solid from the rivers to the reefs,' with midshore bluefin working stickbaits, jigs, and live bluefish, and cocktail bluefish stacking up in the rivers and inlets. Fishermans HQ on Long Beach Island is seeing a similar late-July mix of bluefish, fluke, and stripers in the bay and inlet. Striped bass remain a steady side dish here rather than the headline act, with the hottest keeper action reported farther down the Jersey coast.