Tautog and stripers hold as Delaware Bay settles post-storm
Delaware Bay's water temperature reads 66.9°F this morning per the NOAA tide station at the mouth of the bay, still mild enough to keep several species working as the fall transition gets underway. Per The Fisherman's Southern New Jersey report, Big Dave's Tackle says the bay and back bays have produced the week's best action, with a good tautog bite at the bridges and bay lighthouses on sandfleas and green crabs, and plenty of baitfish pushing up into the inlets. Hands Too Bait and Tackle, also filing for Southern New Jersey, reports striped bass to 30 inches holding along the sod banks and reef-site black sea bass stacked up on the local wrecks. Along the Delaware Bay surf, Hands Too Bait and Tackle's report for that stretch lists blackfish, weakfish, stripers, bluefish, croakers and kingfish all in the mix heading into this week's blow, and Old Inlet Bait and Tackle logged bluefish on metal lures during the incoming tide on the Delaware side. Fluke season has closed for the year, per Waterfront Marine's note on keeper flounder caught before the closure.
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What's next
Smith's Bait Shop, reporting for the Delaware side of the bay, expects fishing to keep improving into October now that the storm has cleared. Today's tide swings from a low near 7:05 AM to a high near 12:59 PM local time, and this week's reports point to the flood stage as when the striper and tautog bites have turned on, so plan sod-bank and bridge trips around that window.
With baitfish still pushing into the inlets by multiple Southern New Jersey shops' accounts, the tautog bite at the bridges and lighthouses should hold through the week, and the black sea bass bite on the reef sites is set to pick back up quickly once boats can safely run back out to the wrecks.
Heading into the first weekend of October, with the moon past full and waning toward the next quarter, tide ranges should settle back to normal after this week's storm surge, a good stretch to get back on schedule.
Context
Late September into early October is the seasonal hinge for the New Jersey side of Delaware Bay: back-bay stripers and bluefish typically hold through the fall push as baitfish clear out of the marshes, while tautog fishing around bridge and lighthouse structure usually strengthens as the water settles into the mid-60s, in line with today's reading.
Summer flounder season closing out this time of year is normal for New Jersey. This week's storm disruption is a typical fall pattern for the region rather than a sign the season is behind schedule, and the bay should keep tightening up through October as it usually does.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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