New Jersey Fishing Reports

NOAA buoy 44065 logged 49°F water at Sandy Hook on the morning of May 7, with 3-foot seas and winds around 12 knots — framing a striper season that multiple captains and shop owners are calling one of the best in recent memory. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf reports Keansburg Pier lit up on clams and plugs, while Sandy Hook's parking lot areas and North Beach are producing big bass on chunked bunker; anglers making the hike out to the Rip are scoring on wooden swimmers. OTW Northern New Jersey noted larger bass pushing into Raritan Bay on the heels of bunker schools as of late April, and Blue Chip Sportfishing reports crushing stripers on every trip. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf's Nick Honachefsky put it plainly: 'Old heads are calling it one of the best spring bass runs in a long time,' with fish from 24 to 45 inches from Sandy Hook down the coast. Fluke season opened May 4th; Capt. Ron's Atlantic Highlands had a tough first sail on southerly winds but reports flatfish present and building.

1d ago

Water at NOAA buoy 44009 is reading 53°F — prime spring territory for Delaware Bay striped bass, and the reports confirm it. Higbee's Bait and Tackle (via The Fisherman — Southern NJ) reports stripers to 48 inches out of Fortescue Beach on bloodworms, with slot keepers and oversize fish appearing throughout the week. Big Dave's Tackle confirms an outstanding bite from Cape May to Salem County on bloodworms, clam combos, and artificials including glide baits and soft plastics, with fish to 46 inches — evening and early morning moving tides producing the best windows. Black drum are a growing part of the Bay picture: Hands Too Bait and Tackle logs drum to 20 pounds on fresh shucked surf clams, and Big Dave's echoes that drumfish presence is building. Bluefish have entered the back bay creeks near North Wildwood, with racer blues to 36 inches feeding alongside stripers to 38 inches on soft plastics per The Fisherman — Southern NJ. Fluke season opened May 4th, and early scouting suggests the back bays are well-stocked with flatfish.

1d ago

The Lewis Shad Fishery on the Delaware River is producing single-session hauls of 30 to 65-plus fish, per JB Kasper's report in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater — a marked improvement over the sluggish early-season pace. Spawning striped bass have pushed well above Trenton into the non-tidal river, with a 35-inch fish documented in nets near Lambertville and catch-and-release bass confirmed in the same stretch. Old School Outdoors in Ewing, also reporting in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater, independently corroborates both the shad pickup and the presence of large, releasable stripers in the Trenton area. Canal trout continue to hold well following recent stockings, and crappie are actively working mid-river structure on jig-and-minnow rigs. On the Pine Barrens side, USGS gauge 01408000 on the Manasquan River registered 36 cfs as of early May 7, indicating moderate, fishable stream levels. With the moon now waning from last week's full phase, feeding windows are trending more consistent across daylight hours.

2d ago

Water temperatures are locked at 52°F at both NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 as of May 5, providing a solid read on Jersey Shore conditions. The Fisherman (Northeast) filed their NJ/DE Bay Region forecast from the Belmar docks this week confirming New Jersey's fluke season kicked off Monday, May 4, with regulatory certainty restored after NOAA Fisheries approved the Recreational Measures Setting Process Framework. On the striper front, The Fisherman's Long Island report — closely tracking fish that will soon press into New Jersey waters — describes schoolies and slot-size bass running consistently, with larger stripers into the 30-inch-plus class being held in position by bunker schools. On The Water's May 1 striper migration map notes the push accelerates once post-spawn females begin clearing the Chesapeake. Buoy 44091 recorded 4.9-foot swells and winds are running near 9 m/s — plan timing carefully for open-water trips. Best striper action has been coming on plugs, soft plastics, bucktails, and fresh bunker chunks, per The Fisherman.

3d ago

Schoolie stripers pushing into Barnegat Bay through the inlet. Bait pods visible on the sounder around bridge pilings and channel edges.

Apr 9

Opening week of trout season seeing heavy pressure but good catches. Stocked rainbows and browns eager to eat in the upper Delaware tributaries.

Apr 8

Surfcasters reporting scattered catches of schoolie stripers along the Sandy Hook beaches. Fish mostly in the 18-24 inch range.

Apr 7

Spruce Run producing excellent trout fishing following recent stockings. Bank anglers and boaters both finding fish.

Apr 5

Blackfish bite consistent around the rock piles and jetties before the season closes. Quality fish in the 4-7 lb range.

Apr 3