July Opens Strong for Fluke and Bluefish Off Sandy Hook

What's biting

What's next

The 72°F surface reading at NOAA buoy 44065 puts Raritan Bay squarely in summer territory, and light winds around the holiday weekend should favor comfortable runs to the reefs and beyond.

Fluke is the primary story at the moment, and conditions point toward continued improvement. Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ showed the formula this past week: the best action came at the turn of tide, with Gulp sand eels outproducing straight bait and quality fish starting to show — a 5-lb 2-oz pool winner headlined a recent trip. Bigger flatties are responding to larger presentations, and that trend should strengthen as July bottom temperatures stabilize. The Fisherman — Northern NJ noted that both Capt. Al Shinn of the Miss Belmar Princess and Capt. Michael Doren of Lady K Fishing Charters identified warmer bottom temps as the key trigger for a stronger summer fluke bite — July is traditionally when that window opens in this region. Keep drifts methodical and downsize to live minnows on days when current slackens or bites go picky.

Striped bass and bluefish should remain in the surf mix through the holiday weekend. Clam baits have been the consistent producer for bass along the beach per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, while Grumpys Tackle confirms bluefish in the 3-to-5-pound range are hitting morning topwater reliably. That surface bite typically runs with first light before the sun climbs — early starts pay off. One variable worth monitoring: Capt Ron flagged factory bunker vessels working inshore with menhaden running sparse and small. Compressed bait concentrations can scatter stripers or push them tighter to structure — consider sand eels, soft plastics, or smaller presentations if the clam bite slows.

Offshore, with bluefin tuna 15 to 40 miles out per OTW Northern New Jersey, the holiday window is enticing for boats that can make the run. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Offshore reports fish to 40 pounds on inshore lumps stacked with sand eels. Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) notes mako sharks are also in the mix, with multiple releases in recent trips.

The waning gibbous moon shifts tidal timing a bit each day — plan fluke drifts around the morning moving tide or the evening outgoing for the best windows. Sea bass remain a reliable close-to-home option if offshore conditions or trip length don't line up.

Context

Water temperatures at 72°F for early July sit right in the historical range for Raritan Bay — surface temps typically climb from the mid-60s in late June into the mid-70s through the summer months, and NOAA buoy 44065 is tracking that seasonal curve normally.

What has been less typical is the spring trajectory leading here. Multiple Northern NJ charter captains reported to The Fisherman — Northern NJ that the spring sea bass season was among the worst in recent memory. Capt. Steve Spinelli of the Skylarker called it "some of the poorest in the last several seasons," and Capt. Rich Falcone of the Golden Eagle described a recurring pattern of one good day followed by one slow day throughout June. Both Capt. Al Shinn of the Miss Belmar Princess and Capt. Michael Doren of Lady K Fishing Charters flagged warmer bottom temperatures as the prerequisite for a proper summer fluke bite — a sentiment that surfaces every June but carried extra weight after an inconsistent spring.

The shift into July historically resolves much of that variability. This is typically when fluke populations settle onto summer structure, bluefish push reliably into the surf zone, and offshore tuna make their first significant appearance within daytrip range — all of which are occurring on schedule in 2026. The surf striper and bluefish action noted by OTW Northern New Jersey and Grumpys Tackle aligns with normal early-July patterns for Sandy Hook and the surrounding shore.

One element worth tracking through the month: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ flagged factory bunker vessels working close inshore with menhaden running sparse and small. Whether that reflects a localized concentration or broader forage thinning could influence how bait-dependent species — stripers in particular — behave as midsummer progresses.