New Jersey fishing reports
379 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Sea Bass Limits, Fluke Rebound, and Mako Sharks Opening Up Off Jersey
Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands is logging water at 65.7 degrees as fluke finally show quality off the bay grounds, with a 5-pound 2-ounce doormat claiming the pool last week and several customers landing three-fish limits using simple bait rigs and gulp sand eels. The bite had been grindy earlier; short counts dominated early trips. OTW Northern New Jersey's June 25 report confirms ocean fluking is back on the upswing after last week's upwelling pushed fish deeper. Black sea bass are the headline story closer to structure: Blue Chip Sportfishing calls the bite "red hot," reporting near-limits on almost every charter. Shark fishing has "busted wide open" per Blue Chip, with multiple Mako releases in recent days. The striper surf bite rebounded into the weekend, with Grumpys Tackle (NJ) reporting bass taking clams off the beach and a couple of weakfish in the catch. Bluefish are also in the mix along the shoreline, per OTW Northern New Jersey.
Bluefin Push Meets Surging Fluke Bite Along the Jersey Shore
Water temps running 64 to 66°F along the Jersey Shore as late June transitions into July, setting up an increasingly productive summer fishery. Fishermans HQ LBI reports a massive squid invasion off the Jersey coast that has drawn bluefin tuna within striking distance, just 20 to 30 miles out, with fish ranging from football-sized to 60-pound class. Per The Fisherman NJ/DE Offshore, fish are hitting at the Cigar on poppers and the hoo troll, and inshore lumps stacked with sand eels are also producing. Fluke is the other headline: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands is seeing quality keepers up to 5 pounds on Gulp sand eels, and The Fisherman Southern NJ correspondents report an improving back-bay bite with fish to 7 pounds 8 ounces. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports sea bass trips nearly limiting out alongside wide-open shark action, including Mako releases. The spring striper run is winding down, but errant bass continue picking up clams at Island Beach State Park and Barnegat Inlet.
Smallmouth and Catfish Active on a Low Delaware as Dog Days Set In
Old School Outdoors, via The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater, reports smallmouth fishing is good on the Delaware River and catfishing has been productive, even as drought conditions have pushed flows below normal through late June. Anglers are finding fish stacked in deeper holes, eddies, and beneath bridge pilings as water levels drop. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater also notes June brought 90-plus degree days alongside lows in the 50s and unreliable forecasts: conditions JB Kasper describes as 'a great big puzzle.' As July arrives, the pattern is settling into classic dog-days timing, with bass active in early-morning and late-afternoon windows when shadows cool the shallows. Crappie fishing has slowed considerably. Tonight's full moon may push catfish and smallmouth into extended evening feeding windows on the river. In Pine Barrens systems, largemouth hold tight to heavy vegetation along blackwater streams and bog edges.
Flounder Bite Hits Its Stride as Summer Species Flood Delaware Bay
An 8-pound flounder weighed in from the Ocean City Reef Site and a 7-pound, 8-ounce back-bay flattie at Boulevard Bait & Tackle — both per The Fisherman — Southern NJ — signal that quality fish are now in the mix along the NJ side of Delaware Bay. Pier 47 Marina reports fish from shorts to 26 inches taking live minnows and 6-inch Gulp Mullets in as little as 6 feet of water along the ICW behind the Wildwoods, while Fin-Atics notes the back-bay bite has taken off with stabilized water temps. The summer species mix is broadening fast: Hands Too Bait and Tackle reports sheepshead, croakers, and kingfish filtering in, and Eric Burnley in The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake describes June's showing of croaker, spot, and sheepshead as the best of 2026. Grumpys Tackle adds a couple of weakfish to the mix, and crab hauls off local docks have been good. With the Full Moon on June 30, strong tidal movement should push the bite even further over the holiday weekend.
Quality Fluke Showing at Raritan Bay as Summer Patterns Arrive
Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands is reporting quality fluke finally materializing in Raritan Bay, with water temps hovering around 64 to 65°F and fish reaching the 4- to 5-pound class after weeks of grinding for keepers. Per Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ, Gulp sand eels have been the top producer on recent trips, with multiple anglers landing three-fish limits on tide-change morning sessions. Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) calls sea bass fishing 'red hot,' limiting out on nearly every trip, and shark fishing has 'busted wide open' with mako sharks recently caught and released. The broader NJ coast is transitioning to summer: stripers are holding in the surf on clams and plugs but beginning to thin as the season shifts, per OTW Northern New Jersey. Bluefish in the 3- to 5-pound range are showing early mornings on poppers along the surf, per Grumpys Tackle (NJ). The Fisherman, New Jersey edition flagged a 12.3-pound doormat weighed at Bayonne, underscoring the quality fluke circulating near Sandy Hook.
Jersey Shore Turns Summer: Sea Bass Limits and Bluefin Push In on Squid
Sea bass are running hot off the Jersey Shore right now, with Blue Chip Sportfishing reporting near-limit catches on virtually every trip. As of June 25, OTW Northern New Jersey confirms ocean fluking has rebounded after last week's upwelling, striper fishing is decent along the beaches, and the bluefin bite continues to the south. Water temperatures at Atlantic Highlands have climbed into the mid-60s, per Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands, nudging the season firmly into summer mode. The biggest news offshore: Fishermans HQ LBI reports a massive squid invasion along the Jersey coast has drawn bluefin tuna within striking distance — just 20-30 miles out. In the bays and inlets, bluefish and fluke are mixing with scattered stripers per Fishermans HQ LBI, while Capt Ron's notes Gulp sand eels have been the top fluke producer on recent open-boat trips. Tonight's full moon will push strong tidal current through the inlets — prime conditions for bass and fluke at the turn.
Pine Barrens and Delaware River settle into summer low-water pattern
Flow at USGS gauge 01408000 registered 22.2 cfs on the evening of June 29, signaling lean summer conditions across the Pine Barrens watershed. No freshwater-specific angler reports were available from this region this cycle, so conditions here are grounded in gauge data and seasonal pattern. NJ Fish & Wildlife News notes that warm-water fisheries at Hamburg Mountain WMA, including Silver Lake and Franklin Pond Creek, remain productive through summer alongside their stocked trout populations. Tonight's full moon should favor catfish and bass along the Delaware River corridor after dark, historically one of the better night-bite windows of the summer. Largemouth bass in the tannic Pine Barrens ponds tend to retreat to shaded edges and deeper structure by midday. Anglers should confirm WMA access before heading out, as NJ Fish & Wildlife reports seasonal closures at five management areas running through September 7.
Full Moon Tides Fuel Stripers and Fluke in Delaware Bay's Summer Turnover
On The Water's June 26 striper migration map shows bigger bass now concentrating around sand eels, squid, bunker, and herring as the spring run transitions into summer across New Jersey's coastal system. Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) confirms the bite has been strong, with stripers crushed on every trip and mako sharks now entering the region. OTW Northern New Jersey (June 25) adds that ocean fluking rebounded after last week's cold upwelling and beach striper action is holding steady. No NOAA buoy data is available for Delaware Bay today. Atlantic Highlands boats logged 64 to 65.7 degrees mid-week per Capt Ron's, offering a rough regional temperature benchmark, though bay-side readings may differ. Today's full moon drives peak tidal push through Delaware Bay's channel edges and shoals, historically one of the most productive tidal windows of any summer month for bay stripers and fluke. Gulp sand eels and fresh-cut bait are leading the way at the change of tide per Capt Ron's recent trip reports.
Fluke Limits and Sea Bass Red Hot as Summer Sets In Off Sandy Hook
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands is putting anglers on quality fluke right in Raritan Bay, with water temps reported around 64–65°F and fish up to 5 pounds 2 ounces taking the monthly pool. Multiple anglers have been landing three-fish limits, with Gulp sand eels producing best on recent trips, especially at the change of tide. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports sea bass charters are "red hot" and limiting out on nearly every trip, while sharks have "busted wide open," including three Mako Sharks released on one recent outing. Striped bass remain in the mix: Blue Chip confirms they're "crushing the Striped Bass on every trip," and OTW Northern New Jersey's June 25 report notes striper fishing is "decent on the beaches." The On The Water Striper Migration Map from June 26 shows bigger bass concentrating on sand eels, squid, bunker, and herring as the spring run transitions into summer. Tonight's full moon will drive strong tidal swings across the bay.
Fluke Action Heating Up as Inshore Bluefin Arrive Along the Jersey Shore
A 12.3-pound doormat fluke weighed at Bayonne Bait & Tackle — highlighted in The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay region forecast — signals the state of the Jersey Shore fishery heading into the July 4th weekend. Water temps at Atlantic Highlands climbed back to 65.7°F per Capt Ron's, and reports from Barnegat Bay to Southern NJ confirm an improving keeper fluke bite with genuine slabs on the boards. The Fisherman's Southern NJ correspondents note an 8-pounder at the Ocean City Reef Site through Fin-Atics and a 7 lb 8 oz back-bay flattie near Wildwood via Pier 47 Marina, with bigger baits and live minnows the key separator. Offshore, a massive squid invasion has drawn bluefin tuna within 20-30 miles of shore; Fishermans HQ LBI and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore both report fish to 70 pounds trolling ballyhoo at the Cigar and Elephants Trunk. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports shark fishing has "busted wide open," including mako releases. The season's sore spot remains sea bass — Northern NJ fleet captains called it one of the poorest runs in years and have shifted programs to fluke and bluefish for July.
Smallmouth and cats holding in low Delaware as summer patterns lock in
The Delaware River is running below its seasonal norm after a June defined by drought, heat spikes into the 90s, and erratic weather, but fishing is holding up. Old School Outdoors in Ewing (per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater) confirms the river still runs low even after late-month rains, with smallmouth bass described as good and expected to improve into July, alongside solid catfishing. JB Kasper (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater) frames the month as 'a great big puzzle' of extreme temps and drought, but points toward early-morning and late-afternoon topwater windows as the reliable play heading into summer. On the lake side, Dow's Boat Rentals reports largemouth locked into shadow-chasing dawn-and-dusk patterns, with fish holding tight to remaining vegetation after weed-cutting programs. Tonight's full moon could spark nocturnal feeding runs for catfish and walleye. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data was available for this report cycle.
Delaware Bay flounder bite surges as summer species move in
Summer flounder is dominating the NJ side of Delaware Bay as the season hits its stride. Waterfront Marine, per The Fisherman — Southern NJ, calls back-bay fluke action "astonishing," with fish turning up from skinny ICW flats to offshore reef structures. Keeper rates have been climbing — Boulevard Bait & Tackle recently weighed in a 7-pound, 8-ounce back-bay fish, and Pier 47 Marina reports fluke to 26 inches hitting live minnows and Gulp Mullets in as little as 6 feet of water along the ICW behind the Wildwoods. Hands Too Bait and Tackle confirms sheepshead, croakers, and kingfish are now moving in alongside the flounder, signaling that the full summer species transition is underway. The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake's Eric Burnley wrapped up June on an optimistic note — flounder, croaker, spot, sheepshead, and bluefin tuna all showing in improved numbers bay-wide — and sees no reason for that momentum to stall entering July. Tonight's Full Moon should power up feeding windows on both the incoming and outgoing tidal pushes.