Oversize Stripers Running Hot at Fortescue as Delaware Bay Spring Push Peaks
Water at NOAA Buoy 44009 checked in at 59°F on May 19, and the Delaware Bay's NJ shoreline is producing one of the better striper runs of the spring. The Fisherman — Southern NJ's Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports 'plenty of fish' from the Fortescue beaches this week — oversize stripers running 36 to 46 inches, with bloodworms, bloodworm balls, and spawn-net combos leading the charge. Big Dave's Tackle, also via The Fisherman — Southern NJ, calls the fishing 'firing on all cylinders,' noting bayfront beaches on both sides of the bay are producing oversize fish on bloodworm and clam presentations. Black drum have arrived as well: Dockside Café and Marina (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) logged fish to 15 pounds on clam baits in the bay. A South Jersey correspondent for The Fisherman — Southern NJ notes that persistent winds and cooler water have actually kept both stripers and drum locked into the bay. Flounder remains the weak spot — winds have dirtied the water — though Tuckerton Bait and Tackle reports early-morning anglers squeezed limits to 20 inches on live minnows and Gulp before the chop built.
Current Conditions
- Water temp
- 59°F
- Moon
- Waxing Crescent
- Tide / flow
- Outgoing tides in shallow bay water have been the most productive window for flounder; no wave height data available from Buoy 44009.
- Weather
- Persistent bay winds near 18 mph with air temps around 63°F; choppy conditions much of the week.
New to these readings? What do water temp, cfs, tide, and moon phase actually mean for fishing?
What's Biting
Striped Bass
bloodworms and clam baits from bayfront beaches
Black Drum
clam baits at dusk along bayfront structure
Fluke
live minnows and Gulp on early-morning outgoing tides
What's Next
With Memorial Day weekend approaching and a warming trend in the forecast, expect conditions on the Delaware Bay's NJ side to shift meaningfully over the next few days.
The striper bite at the Fortescue and bayfront beaches — rated 'firing on all cylinders' by Big Dave's Tackle via The Fisherman — Southern NJ — is likely to stay productive through the weekend. Water is still in that prime late-50s-to-low-60s window where large staging stripers hold and feed actively. Bloodworm and clam presentations have been the clear leaders; early morning and evening outings typically outproduce midday sessions as larger fish feed more aggressively in lower light and calmer bay conditions.
Black drum are a legitimate secondary target right now and may actually be at peak timing. Dockside Café and Marina (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) has been logging fish to 15 pounds on clam baits, and Smith's Bait Shop via The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake confirms drum holding along bay structure on the Delaware side on sand fleas and clams at dusk — the same pattern applicable to the NJ bayfront. The drum window typically closes by early June, making this weekend a meaningful opportunity.
Flounder should see the most improvement as the thermometer climbs toward the Memorial Day holiday. A South Jersey correspondent for The Fisherman — Southern NJ and Tuckerton Bait and Tackle both point to the wind as the primary suppressor of the bay flounder bite this week. Once conditions settle, cleaner bay water and rising temperatures should wake up more fish. Tuckerton Bait's standing advice — outgoing tide, shallow water, live minnows or Gulp — is the reliable starting framework whenever windows of calm appear.
Black sea bass season opened May 15 with a 12.5-inch minimum and 10-fish bag limit through June 21, per The Fisherman (Northeast), adding another option at nearshore wrecks and structure. Northern NJ party boat captains note sea bass numbers are running below last season's pace — they attribute this to stubborn cold inshore water — but the warming trend heading into the holiday should help those bite counts improve.
Plan early-morning or evening tides this weekend; midday bay winds have been the recurring obstacle all week, per multiple South Jersey shop reports.
Context
The Delaware Bay's NJ shoreline typically experiences its best striper fishing during a concentrated spring window in mid-to-late May, when large migratory fish stage in the bay before dispersing to summer grounds or pushing into feeder rivers. The oversize fish running 36 to 46 inches reported by Higbee's Bait and Tackle and Big Dave's Tackle via The Fisherman — Southern NJ are characteristic of this annual peak — these trophy-class linesiders are what draw dedicated bayfront surf anglers specifically to spots like Fortescue each spring.
By historical norms, this run is landing on schedule. Water temperatures in the upper 50s are right in the productive zone where large stripers hold and actively feed in the bay; once temperatures consistently push into the mid-60s, migratory fish tend to disperse and the bayfront striper show winds down. The current 59°F reading at NOAA Buoy 44009 suggests that window remains open, at least through early June.
On a regional scale, the 2026 spring has been a standout season. OTW Surfcasting tagged April as 'Best April Ever' for NJ striper fishing following a cold winter, indicating the migration arrived with strong numbers. A South Jersey correspondent for The Fisherman — Southern NJ notes that cool water and persistent winds, while limiting flounder success, have actually extended the striper and black drum hold in the bay — a pattern less common in warmer springs when fish move through more quickly. This dynamic appears to have given Delaware Bay NJ-side anglers a longer-than-usual window at oversize fish.
Black drum's presence along the NJ bayfront at this time is consistent with long-established late-May patterns for the region. Their arrival on clam and sand flea baits, confirmed by both Dockside Café and Marina and Smith's Bait Shop reports via The Fisherman publications, is typical seasonal behavior — they show up just ahead of Memorial Day and generally clear the bay by early June.
This report is synthesized by Hooked Fisherman from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Source names are cited inline where they appear. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.