Stripers light up Sandy Hook beaches as new moon and sea bass opener arrive

What's Biting

What's Next

The new moon lands today (May 17), which typically triggers aggressive feeding windows in Raritan Bay and along the Sandy Hook beachfront as tidal swings intensify. OTW Saltwater noted that 50-pound-class fish from the Chesapeake were stationed off New Jersey and Long Island ahead of this new moon — expect the peak of that push to move through over the next 48–72 hours.

For stripers, the transition from bay to beach is already underway. OTW Northern New Jersey reported as of May 14 that the bay bite had eased while beach fishing picked up momentum. Sandy Hook beaches are currently the stronger play, with bunker chunks and fresh clams drawing consistent action in the wash. Surfcasters working Jersey Cape Glides and NLBN rubbertails have also been producing (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf). Dawn and dusk windows around the new moon — with their stronger tidal flow — should concentrate bait and push fish into predictable feeding lanes along the outer beach through the weekend.

Black drum remains a bonus target. A push arrived this past week and fish are eating clams in the wash at The Hook (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf). This should continue through the weekend; drum often travel with the same bunker schools driving the striper push northward in mid-May and typically show for only a week or two before dispersing.

Black sea bass season opened May 15, but cold water has been the obstacle. Capt. Ron at Atlantic Highlands reported 46–48°F on the grounds opening day and called it "a tough day," noting warmer weather should help through the week. With buoy 44065 now reading 51°F and climbing, party-boat sea bass action off Sandy Hook and Atlantic Highlands should improve meaningfully by next weekend. Check current state regulations before heading out — the season opened with a reported 12.5-inch minimum and 10-fish bag limit through June 21 (The Fisherman — New Jersey edition).

Fluke remain a secondary story. OTW Northern New Jersey called the bite "spotty from the rivers to the surf," with first-of-season flatties showing at Keansburg Pier and North Beach but mostly shorts in the mix. Outgoing tides in the rivers and back bays give the best current shot at keepers. Meaningful improvement is likely a few weeks out as water pushes into the upper 50s.

Context

For Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook, mid-May is typically the heart of the spring striper migration. Fish that staged in the Chesapeake over winter push north along the Jersey coast through April and May, with the run historically peaking in the bay and along the ocean beaches during the May new and full moons. This year's run appears to be tracking at the stronger end of historical norms. OTW Surfcasting described it as the "Best April Ever" for NJ striper fishing following a cold winter, and multiple local sources confirm that momentum has carried into May. Capt. Pete Wagner's reports of fish to 25 pounds on every Raritan Bay trip, paired with the Tackle Box's account of Sandy Hook beaches "lit up," suggest the 2026 spring run ranks among the stronger in recent memory.

The 51°F water reading at buoy 44065 is slightly below typical mid-May levels for this stretch of coast. That lingering chill explains both the slow sea bass opener — Capt. Ron's reports from Atlantic Highlands noted 46–48°F on the grounds — and the spotty fluke action consisting mostly of short fish. A few degrees of additional warming over the next two to three weeks should bring both fisheries into more productive mode.

Black drum appearing in the wash at Sandy Hook on clams is a normal mid-to-late May pattern for this area. These fish track north with the same bait schools that carry the stripers and tend to show along the beachfront for only a brief window before dispersing. The new moon today aligns with the timing that historically produces the strongest striper and drum action on the outer beach before the migration thins toward Memorial Day. It is worth noting that Jersey Nutz Sportfishing reported a slower-than-expected week on the Raritan Bay striper grounds — a reminder that the migration is uneven — with the crew planning to pivot to sea bass after one more week (The Fisherman — Southern NJ). The picture that emerges is a classic mid-May hand-off: bay fish thinning as beach and ocean action builds.