Atlantic Highlands Fluke Bite Picks Up as Summer Species Arrive

What's biting

What's next

With the First Quarter moon underway as of June 22, tidal swings stay moderate — a workable window for targeting structure and sandy transitions in Raritan Bay and around the Sandy Hook rip. Fluke should continue to improve as water temps stabilize in the low-to-mid 60s. Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands has been finding the best keeper action on rocky bottom with a medium-action rod, a heavy sinker (6–10 oz), and gulp sand eels fished a couple cranks off the bottom. Cold-water pockets have been the wild card this week — anglers should probe multiple areas until the warmer water is located, as the difference between 56°F and 62°F has been the difference between a slow pick and a genuine bite.

Striped bass remain in a transitional posture but are still in play. Grumpys Tackle confirms surf fishing with clams "remains the thing to do" for linesiders, and OTW Northern New Jersey (June 18) documents stripers and bluefish still hitting plugs, clams, and chunks along the beachfront. On The Water's June 19 striper migration map notes bigger bass are now concentrating around sand eels, squid, bunker, and herring as the spring run transitions into summer patterns. For Sandy Hook surf casters, early morning and dusk sessions with clam or bunker chunks on moving tides should remain productive through the weekend.

Sea bass targeting is effectively on pause as of today. The one-fish bycatch limit is now in effect through September 22, when the 10-fish limit returns, per The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay Region forecast. Charter boats from the Northern NJ fleet — including the Big Mohawk III, Golden Eagle, and Ol' Salty II, per The Fisherman Northern NJ — were hammering limits through the final weekend, ending the spring season on a strong note. Bottom boats will now pivot toward fluke, ling, and offshore opportunities.

Offshore and in near-coastal waters, shark activity is building. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports multiple Makos caught and released in recent outings — a clear sign that warmer blue water is pushing closer to the coast. Bluefin tuna are also on anglers' radar, with OTW Northern New Jersey noting the bluefin bite is picking up to the south. For those with offshore capability, a southwest wind lay-down would be the signal to run. Early summer species — spot, croaker, and kingfish — are also beginning to show, signaling the inshore bay fishery is diversifying beyond its spring striper-and-sea-bass axis.

Context

Late June in Raritan Bay and the Sandy Hook area historically marks the pivot from the spring run to summer patterns. Fluke season typically hits its stride as water temps clear 60°F and stabilize into the mid-60s — and based on Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands on-water logs, that threshold is being reached right on schedule this year, with temps fluctuating between 56°F and 62°F over the past week. The rocky-bottom approach Capt Ron's has been employing reflects a longer local trend: the sandy bottom has been less productive in recent seasons, and keeper fluke have migrated toward structure and hardpan areas.

The spring sea bass season wrapping up today is an annual fixture on the Northern NJ fishing calendar. The Fisherman's Northern NJ fleet coverage shows boats were still delivering five-limit trips in the final week — a solid close. The consensus from boats like the Big Mohawk III was that anglers had to pick through short fish to find keepers, which is typical late-spring behavior for this area as the biomass begins redistributing ahead of summer.

One notable timing signal from The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay Region forecast: summer transients — spot, croaker, kingfish, and even a striped burrfish — have arrived at the Shore already, which is at or slightly ahead of typical mid-to-late June timing for these southern migrants in this region. Mako shark activity reported by Blue Chip Sportfishing is also consistent with late-June warming in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, when sea surface temps in offshore canyons and near-coastal waters reach levels that draw pelagics closer to the beach.

No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data was available for this update. All water temperature figures are sourced directly from Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands on-water reports and should be treated as observational spot readings rather than calibrated station averages.