Jersey Shore Fluke and Bluefin Heat Up for the 4th of July Weekend

What's biting

What's next

With water temps holding in the low 70s and the holiday weekend drawing large crowds to the water, the next 48 to 72 hours look promising across multiple fisheries.

**Bluefin tuna** are the clear headliner. OTW Northern New Jersey places schools just 15 to 40 miles from shore, and The Fisherman — NJ/DE Offshore confirms fish to 40 pounds stacking over inshore lumps loaded with sand eels — trolling Redhead/crystal Joe Shutes on ballyhoo at speed or dropping 500-gram jigs have been the primary producers. Yellowfin have also begun to appear along the shelf edge per The Fisherman — Central NJ, signaling the full offshore summer machine is clicking into gear. Keep in mind that the Southern New England trophy bluefin fishery (73 inches CFL and larger) closes July 3 per OTW Northern New Jersey, so verify current HMS permit rules before targeting big fish this weekend.

**Fluke** should continue trending upward through the week. The Fisherman — Central NJ's Miss Barnegat Light report shows gradual improvement, with jigged Gulp outperforming bait on recent drifts. The Fisherman — Southern NJ confirms offshore reef sites are delivering quality fish — an 8-pounder was weighed in off the Ocean City Reef Site — while back-bay flatties are feeding aggressively on live minnows and 6-inch Gulp Mullets in as little as 6 feet of water behind the Wildwoods. Live minnows remain the edge bait for picky fish; larger Gulp and mackerel strip combinations are the offshore key.

**Surf and inshore:** The morning bluefish window on topwater poppers looks reliable through the weekend. Striped bass continue to show at Island Beach State Park on clam baits per The Fisherman — Central NJ and The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, with black drum still in the mix for clam baiters — though both species are in the trailing end of their spring run.

**Sharks:** Blue Chip Sportfishing reports the bite has "busted wide open" following back-to-back Mako releases, making this a timely holiday weekend for big-game anglers. Plan fluke drifts around moving water — the waning gibbous moon is producing strong, predictable tidal flows, the fluke angler's best friend at inlet mouths and reef edges.

Context

July 2 typically marks the point when New Jersey's saltwater fishery shifts fully into summer mode, and 2026 appears broadly on schedule — though with notable unevenness across species.

Fluke are the traditional anchor of the July inshore season, and captains across the region confirm the species is finally hitting stride after a sluggish June. The Fisherman — Northern NJ fleet interviews tell a consistent story: cooler-than-expected bottom temps held back the early season, with the Miss Belmar Princess captain explicitly noting "we simply need some warmer water temps in July if we are to see the kind of fluke and bluefish that a normal summer produces." Surface readings of 72–73°F at NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 suggest that warmup is now underway, and back-bay and offshore fluke reports are responding accordingly.

Sea bass had a disappointing spring by local historical standards. The Fisherman — Northern NJ's Skylarker captain called this one of "the poorest" sea bass seasons in several years — a stark contrast to Blue Chip Sportfishing's near-daily limits reported at the same time. The split likely reflects the temperature and structure differences between inshore and offshore grounds, a common NJ mid-season pattern.

Bluefin tuna's arrival is consistent with historical New Jersey timing. Fish typically begin staging inshore in late June and early July as squid concentrations peak along the shelf, and reports from The Fisherman — NJ/DE Offshore and OTW Northern New Jersey confirm that pattern is playing out on cue. Yellowfin beginning to appear along the shelf edge is another textbook early-July signal for the region.

Shark action ramping up — particularly Makos showing at Blue Chip Sportfishing — is a typical July development as warming surface water pulls pelagic species closer to the coast. Overall, 2026 reads as a late-blooming fluke season now catching up fast, a tuna program running on historical cues, and a surf scene pivoting cleanly from spring stripers to summer bluefish and flatties.