Summer Arrives at Raritan Bay: Fluke Rising as Sea Bass Season Closes

What's biting

What's next

Fluke fishing should continue to build through this week and into the weekend. Water temperatures at Atlantic Highlands were sitting at 62°F as of Father's Day — still on the cooler side of ideal, and Capt. Ron noted that readings in the mid-50s earlier in the week dramatically shut things down. Every degree of warming heading into July will improve fluke action, particularly along rocky bottom structure. Capt. Ron's crew has been scoring keepers on small Gulp sand eels and plain Gulp, with better fish showing when current eases. Multiple Northern NJ captains — including the Lady K and Miss Belmar Princess — note that July is traditionally when this region's bottom temperatures hit the sweet spot for fluke productivity; expect the bite to ramp up further over the next two to three weeks (The Fisherman — Northern NJ). Downsizing to live minnows and targeting current edges on rocky patches remain the most consistent near-term approach.

Stripers are still in the picture along Sandy Hook, though the spring run is clearly shifting to its summer footing. OTW Northern New Jersey's June 18 report confirmed stripers actively taking plugs, clams, and bunker chunks in the surf. On The Water's June 19 striper migration map shows bigger bass concentrating around sand eels, squid, and bunker as the seasonal shift progresses — fish are becoming more localized around structure rather than migrating in broad waves. The First Quarter moon this week generates favorable tidal movement; dawn and pre-sunrise windows will be the prime slot for topwater and plugging action before the sun climbs. Bluefish are a reliable fill-in: Grumpys Tackle reported 3- to 5-pound blues hitting poppers consistently during early-morning surf hours, a pattern likely to hold as long as bait stays on the beach.

Offshore, summer is arriving in force. Blue Chip Sportfishing recently reported mako sharks breaking open, with three released on a single Friday trip, and thresher interest is growing as bunker move through coastal waters (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Offshore). Bluefin tuna are drawing attention at inshore lumps stacked with sand eels, with fish to 40 pounds reported south of our area — well within range for well-equipped boats running out of Sandy Hook. Anglers making offshore runs should monitor bunker concentrations closely, as both makos and threshers are keyed on them. The overall picture over the next week points toward steady improvement: fluke building as temps stabilize, stripers and blues filling in the surf and bay windows, and a robust offshore summer program underway.

Context

Late June is historically a pivot point for Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook saltwater fishing. The sea bass transition to a one-fish bycatch limit on June 21 is a standard annual regulatory shift, and fluke stepping in as the primary target is the expected seasonal cadence for this region. What stands out this year is the breadth of the sea bass disappointment: across Northern NJ boats, the 2026 spring run is being widely characterized as one of the weakest in recent memory, with multiple captains citing inconsistent fishing and cooler-than-ideal water temperatures as primary factors. Capt. Al Shinn of the Miss Belmar Princess specifically flagged the need for warmer water if a normal July fluke and bluefish season is to materialize (The Fisherman — Northern NJ) — a note worth tracking closely as bottom temperatures evolve through the month.

Fluke typically emerge as the dominant Raritan Bay target from late June through August, and this year's trajectory — slow early start, gradual improvement, keepers mixing in more reliably by mid-June — tracks broadly with historical norms for the area. The cold water intrusions that pushed inshore temps into the mid-50s in early June are a well-known fluke suppressor in this region; when they recede and bottom temps stabilize above 60°F, keeper action historically improves quickly and consistently.

The spring striper run's late-June wind-down is also consistent with typical patterns. Fish become more structure-oriented and bait-driven as July approaches, transitioning from the broad migratory push to localized summer holding behavior — a shift reflected in On The Water's June 19 migration map noting bass concentrating around sand eels and bunker. If water temperatures follow normal seasonal trajectories, July should bring more stable conditions and broader fluke productivity from the bay out to nearshore reef structures, along with a reliable bluefish and shark fishery along the Sandy Hook corridor.