Flounder Limits Pour In as Delaware Bay Croakers Flood the Shallows

What's biting

What's next

With the moon at First Quarter, tidal swings should stay moderate over the next few days rather than the bigger push that comes around new and full moon — typically a window when the deeper channel bite for flounder stays steady rather than spiking, which matches what Higbee's Bait and Tackle and Big Dave's Tackle are both describing right now: consistent limits rather than one big blowup day.

The croaker push looks like it has more room to run. Hands Too Bait and Tackle and Pier 47 Marina both describe thick schools moving into the back bays, inlet, and beachfront, with Hands Too noting the fish are "just starting to approach eating size." If that trend holds, expect the croaker bite to keep building toward late August as more fish move up to keeper-sized Cape May Goodies. Anglers working the deeper channels in 15 to 25 feet of water on the outgoing tide, per Pier 47 Marina, should keep finding the densest schools.

For flounder, the pattern favors going deeper and further offshore for a better keeper ratio — both Hands Too Bait and Tackle and Big Dave's Tackle point to Reef Site #11, the Old Grounds, and similar deepwater reef/wreck structure over shallower nearshore spots. Incoming tide has been the better window for flounder according to Pier 47 Marina, so anglers planning a weekend trip should target the two to three hours around the tide change for the best shot at a keeper.

Weakfish and sheepshead activity noted by Hands Too Bait and Tackle along the jetty rocks and seawalls is worth watching into the weekend — jumbo bloodworms floated near structure have been producing, and that bite typically holds as water temperatures stay warm through late August. Black drum have been mixed into the flounder and croaker catches at Higbee's; that's typically a fish that tapers off as summer progresses, so anglers wanting a shot at one should not wait too long. Overall, conditions favor a stable, multi-species pick over the next several days rather than a single dominant bite, with the deep channel and reef structure remaining the go-to program.

Context

Flounder and croaker both filling out the Delaware Bay mix in mid-to-late August is a typical late-summer pattern for this region — fluke fishing in the bay's deeper channels and nearshore reef sites is a long-running staple, and croaker numbers building through summer into a thick, easily-located school (as Pier 47 Marina and Hands Too Bait and Tackle both describe) tracks with the normal seasonal buildup rather than anything unusually early or late. The turnout of over 380 boats for the Paradise Pounder flounder tournament, reported by Higbee's Bait and Tackle, suggests the fishery is drawing solid participation this year, consistent with a healthy summer flounder season along this stretch. NJ Fish & Wildlife News is currently collecting angler catch data through its Summer Flounder & Black Sea Bass Tally Form to help inform potential future regulation changes, a reminder that season structure for this fishery is an active management conversation — anglers should check current state regulations before harvesting. Beyond that regulatory context, the angler intel available here doesn't give a clean year-over-year comparison, so it's presented as this week's on-the-water picture rather than a verified trend against prior seasons.