Fluke Limits and Sea Bass Red Hot as Summer Sets In Off Sandy Hook

What's biting

What's next

Tonight's full moon means maximum tidal amplitude across Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook. Strong rips at the inlet and along the beachfront typically concentrate predators, including stripers and bluefish, on the edges. Plan to fish the first two hours of the outgoing tide after the peak and the push of the incoming before it goes slack; those windows have consistently produced for charter captains working this coastline.

Fluke action should remain solid through the week. Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands reports that the bite has been best at the change of tide with simple bait rigs over jigs, and quality fish are finally showing after a stretch of smaller keepers earlier in the season. With water temps in the mid-60s, conditions remain favorable for fluke to hold in bay channels and near the inlet. Keep plenty of Gulp sand eels aboard; they've been the go-to presentation over multiple recent trips per Capt Ron's.

Sea bass should stay red hot inshore and on nearby structure. Blue Chip Sportfishing has been limiting out on nearly every charter, a pace that can hold through the first half of summer as fish settle into their warm-season haunts. Mid-week slots typically have shorter wait times if you haven't booked yet.

For stripers, OTW Northern New Jersey's June 25 report noted that ocean fluking was on the upswing after an upwelling the previous week; that same cooler, oxygenated water may be holding larger bass near deeper drop-offs and rip lines along Sandy Hook. The On The Water June 26 Migration Map shows concentrations around sand eels and squid. Glide baits and rigged soft plastics in the Slug-Go mold have been highlighted as top presentations by OTW Surfcasting for this exact transition period.

Shark activity has picked up noticeably offshore. Blue Chip Sportfishing released three Mako Sharks on a recent trip and describes the fishing as "busted wide open." With increasing bait concentrations driven by the full moon pull, expect mako and other pelagic sharks to remain active on offshore runs out of Sandy Hook.

Bluefish should show up in mixed-bag surf sessions, particularly around dawn and dusk during the full moon phase. OTW Northern New Jersey's June 18 report noted bluefish hitting plugs and clams alongside stripers in the surf, and that pattern should persist through the week.

Context

Late June marks the unofficial turning point for Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook fishing. The spring striper push winds down, summer species like fluke and sea bass take center stage, and offshore action builds. The fluke season typically hits its stride in this window, with fish moving from deeper channel edges into a more spread pattern along bay shoals and near Sandy Hook inlet, consistent with what Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands is reporting right now.

Sea bass in legal sizes are generally abundant on structure from June through late August, and Blue Chip Sportfishing's "limiting out on nearly every trip" report aligns with what is historically a reliable period for the species in New Jersey waters.

The spring striper run is winding down by late June, as reflected in the On The Water Striper Migration Map: bigger bass are shifting from their spring migratory feed to more localized summer hangouts in cooler, deeper water. That said, the transition is gradual, and the weeks around the June full moon can produce some of the last quality striper opportunities of the spring season before fish scatter offshore for the summer.

Shark sightings and catches typically ramp up in late June as water temperatures warm and forage fish concentrate, so Blue Chip's mako reports are on schedule for the season.

OTW Northern New Jersey's June 25 report flagged that an upwelling the previous week had temporarily slowed ocean fluking before rebounding. This is a common early-summer pattern driven by southwest winds pushing warmer surface water offshore and pulling cooler water up from depth. Once the upwelling relaxes, fluke fishing typically rebounds quickly, which aligns with Capt Ron's improving reports from the bay. Overall, the 2026 season appears on track for this region, with the spring-to-summer transition playing out across expected timelines and multiple NJ sources reporting solid fishing across several species simultaneously.