Fluke closes out strong as blues and albies run Sandy Hook beaches
Water at Sandy Hook is holding at 67.5°F this morning per NOAA CO-OPS station 8531680, still warm enough to keep the late-summer bite going as flounder season winds down. Fluke are having one last strong week: Capt Ron out of Atlantic Highlands scored fast, steady action on a recent trip with several anglers boxing their three-fish limit, though the bite has been inconsistent day to day depending on the drift and tide stage. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition notes the state's summer flounder season closes September 25, so this is the final stretch for keepers. Blues have taken over as the story on the beaches. OTW Northern New Jersey reports bluefish continuing to run the sand alongside a strengthening false albacore push, and The Fisherman — Northern NJ says the Golden Eagle's bluefish bite 'switched around big time,' with good numbers of slammers and albies working through the chum slick. Fishermans HQ LBI found similar action working live peanut bunker, converting a slow start into a loaded box of false albacore once anglers switched off jigs.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
What's next
Expect the fluke bite to stay the headline through the week's close before the season shuts off Friday, September 25. It's worth planning one more trip around the morning high near 6:47 AM or working the last of the outgoing tide ahead of the 12:54 PM low. Bluefish and false albacore should keep pushing through the surf as peanut bunker and mullet stage in the back bays and pour out on the tide, a pattern The Fisherman — Northern NJ expects to hold into October barring a weather shift.
Striped bass haven't shown in numbers around Sandy Hook yet, but The Fisherman — Northern NJ notes captains farther north are already mixing striper fishing in as bass begin showing, and boats plan to pivot toward stripers once the migration reaches local waters, worth watching over the next couple of weeks as nights cool. The waxing gibbous moon builds toward full over the next few days, which should sharpen the night bite for any early stripers or holdover blues working the lighted stretches along the bay.
Context
Late September is the hinge point for Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook: summer species like fluke are on the way out by regulation as much as by weather, while the fall run of bluefish and false albacore is arriving on schedule and the striper migration that defines the region's autumn is just beginning to stage farther north. Water in the upper 60s is typical for this point in the season and keeps the transition gradual rather than abrupt. Striper fishing in this area typically builds through October and into November as bait pushes out of the back bays, so the current pattern of fluke fading, blues and albies active, and stripers pending is right on the seasonal calendar for the region.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
EVERY SATURDAY MORNING
Weekly fishing intelligence
Nationwide conditions, what's biting, and honest gear deals. One email, no noise.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.