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Reports / New Jersey / Barnegat Bay
New Jersey · Barnegat Baysaltwater· April 9, 2026

Stripers Entering the Back Bays

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

Current Conditions

Water temp
50°F
Moon
New Moon
Tide / flow
Outgoing tide pulling bait past ambush points
Weather
Partly cloudy, SW winds 10-15 mph, 58°F

New to these readings? What do water temp, cfs, tide, and moon phase actually mean for fishing?

What's Biting

Hot

Striped Bass

Paddletail swimbaits

Active

Winter Flounder

Bloodworms on bottom

Slow

Bluefish

Not arrived yet

What's Next

The back bay bite is on. Fish the channel edges on outgoing tide for best results. New moon this week should produce stronger tidal flow and better feeding windows.

Context

Barnegat Bay had an exceptional striper spring last year with fish arriving 10 days earlier than average.

This report is synthesized by Hooked Fisherman from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Source names are cited inline where they appear. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.