New Jersey fishing reports
375 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Pine Barrens Pickerel Wake Up as Cedar Waters Get a Rain Boost
Chain pickerel are turning on in the tannic cedar-water streams that thread through the Pine Barrens, with tackle shops along the Delaware River & Pine Barrens corridor crediting recent rain for the improved bite. Hands Too Bait and Tackle, reporting via The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater roundup, says pickerel action in the nearby cedar waters has picked up since the last soaking, while bass fishing in local campground ponds continues to supply the bulk of the catch on simple worm-and-minnow presentations. Allen's Dock echoes the same pattern, noting decent pickerel in the cedar waters and a solid minnow bite on largemouth at Stafford Forge Pond. Catfishing is also improving at Ponderlodge Lake, especially in the evenings, per Hands Too. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for this cycle, so treat flow and temperature as seasonal August norms until the next update. Early and late remain the productive windows across the board.
Fluke and sea bass limits stack up along the Jersey Shore
Fluke and sea bass are carrying the Jersey Shore right now. Blue Chip Sportfishing calls the sea bass bite "red hot," with boats limiting out on almost every trip, while Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands landed fluke and sea bass from 3 to 5 pounds once the tide turned. The Fisherman's Northern NJ reports have bigger fluke pushing closer to shore aboard the Miss Belmar Princess, and keeper fluke to 23 inches are coming from Townsend's Inlet per The Fisherman's NJ/DE Surf report. Offshore, bluefin tuna from 25 to 90 pounds are working the 30-mile range off Barnegat Inlet and the canyon edges near the Tea Cup and Elephant Trunk, according to Fishermans HQ LBI and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore desk. Bonito and Spanish mackerel have moved onto northern beaches per OTW Northern New Jersey, and Blue Chip says the shark bite has "busted wide open," with multiple mako releases this week.
Fluke Bite Turns Hot Along Delaware Bay's Jersey Shore
Fluke fishing is running hot on the Delaware Bay side this week, per Hand's Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May, with bucktails tipped with mackerel strips and minnows scoring keeper-class flatties out front by the jetties. Croakers are thick at Higbee's Beach and the Ferry Jetty, according to both Hand's Too and Higbee's Bait and Tackle, which also reports spot, white perch, and a mixed bag of flounder from bay boaters, plus a standout 22-pound black drum this week. Big Dave's Tackle in Port Elizabeth notes similar action along the bay's bridges and lighthouses, turning up small weakfish, tog, and sheepshead to 8 pounds. Kingfish are reloading near Wildwood Crest, and the Cape May Inlet is holding tog and sheepshead, with anglers watching for cobia after one was livelined up in the surf. No live buoy or gauge readings came in for this stretch today, so check local conditions before heading out.
Fluke and sea bass keep rods bent around Sandy Hook and Raritan Bay
Fluke are the story around Sandy Hook and Raritan Bay this week: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has logged four straight days of customers boxing three-fish limits, with a 5-pound, 8-ounce doormat topping Friday's pool and quality black sea bass mixed in on nearly every drift. Grumpys Tackle backs it up, calling this a hot flukin' stretch and restocking gear to match demand, though OTW Northern New Jersey's August 13 report is more cautious, describing the bite as "hot and cold from the rivers to the reefs." Farther out, bonito and Spanish mackerel have pushed onto the beaches and inlets, with The Fisherman — Northern NJ noting big bluefish ("slammers") mixed with bonito and King Mackerel aboard the Miss Belmar Princess, and Golden Eagle reporting bonito outfishing bluefish on some days. Striped bass remain a background presence per NJ Fish & Wildlife's Shark River WMA notes, with fall numbers still to build.
Pine Barrens Pickerel, Delaware-Area Bass Stay Active in Summer Heat
Largemouth bass and snakeheads are keeping rods bent at Massey Mills, Garrisons Lake and Silver Lake, with surface temps running low to mid 80s after this week's heat, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater — best action remains early and late in the day. Farther up the Delaware corridor, that same feed reports bass working Lake Nockamixon's dawn and dusk windows, suspended hybrids holding in 15 to 20 feet, topwater and weedless plastics producing bass at Lake Towhee, and panfish stacking up around Lake Galena's docks. Down in the Pine Barrens, cedar-water pickerel fishing has turned decent after recent rain, while campground ponds continue supplying steady bass and panfish action on simple worm-and-minnow rigs, plus catfish biting well in Ponderlodge Lake during the evenings.
Fluke and Sea Bass Keep Jersey Shore Anglers Busy Ahead of Fall Run
Keeper-grade fluke are stacking up along Jersey Shore jetties and reef sites this week. Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ reports customers boating full three-fish limits on quality flatties day after day, and per Grumpys Tackle (NJ) the bite has turned distinctly "flukin'" with fresh lure restocks flying off shelves. The Fisherman - NJ/DE Surf notes fluke are "really hot right now" on bucktails tipped with mackerel strips off Cape May jetties, while The Fisherman - Northern NJ says the bigger fluke are finally pushing closer to the beach. Black sea bass is riding along too: Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) calls the bite "red hot," with boats limiting out on nearly every trip. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI (NJ) and The Fisherman - NJ/DE Offshore are both on 25 to 90 lb bluefin tuna within roughly 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet, with bonito and mahi mixed in around the lobster pots. Sand eels, spearing, and peanut bunker are thick in the bays, setting up bigger predators as the season turns toward fall.
Fluke and Sea Bass Limits Keep Jersey Anglers Busy on the New Moon
Open-boat fluke trips out of Atlantic Highlands are producing limits and doubles on quality 3-5 lb fish, with Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ reporting four straight days of strong action heading into this week. Black sea bass fishing is "red hot" on half- and full-day trips per Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ), with boats limiting out on almost every run. Closer to the inlets, Fishermans HQ LBI (NJ) reports 2-4 lb bluefish hitting soft plastics around jetty structure, plus bluefin tuna and mixed bonito holding within roughly 30 miles offshore per OTW Northern New Jersey's most recent report. NJ Fish & Wildlife News notes striped bass, bluefish, fluke, tautog and winter flounder all move through shore-adjacent access points like the Shark River WMA this time of year. Delaware Bay-specific reports weren't in this cycle's feed, but statewide fluke and sea bass action has been strong through early August.
Fluke bite stays red hot off Atlantic Highlands as bluefin work the 30-mile line
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has logged four straight days of what the boat is calling banner fluke action on Raritan Bay, with multiple anglers boxing their three-fish limit and several doubling up on quality fish in the 3-to-5-pound class; the pool fish over the stretch ran as heavy as 5 lb 12 oz. That puts summer flounder squarely as the region's headline species right now, with open-boat trips leaving daily out of the bay. Offshore, OTW's Northern New Jersey report has bluefin tuna holding within about 30 miles, with bonito mixed into bluefish schools further out, while keeper fluke are also showing on the wreck and reef sites outside the bay proper. Striped bass are quiet for now, typical for the mid-August lull before the fall push. NJDEP is asking anglers to log catches on its summer flounder and black sea bass tally form as it explores future regulation changes, so log your trip if you're keeping fish.
Pine Barrens smallmouth and pickerel settle into a typical August rhythm
Early August has the Delaware River and Pine Barrens settling into a classic summer holding pattern, with no NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings logged for this stretch this cycle and this week's angler-intel feeds concentrated on the Jersey Shore's saltwater bite rather than Delaware River structure. That gap means this update leans on typical seasonal behavior: smallmouth bass and chain pickerel pulling into deeper runs, shaded eddies, and cedar-stained Pine Barrens water as midday temperatures climb, with the sharpest feeding windows compressing toward dawn and dusk. Wired 2 Fish's broader coverage of summer bass patterns this week backs that rhythm, noting gamefish push baitfish to the surface at first and last light during the hottest stretch of the year, a dynamic that tracks for Delaware River smallmouth as much as anywhere else. New moon conditions this week favor low-light feeding activity. Check NJ Fish & Wildlife News for region-specific Delaware River updates before heading out, and expect a slower midday bite until water temps ease.
Fluke and sea bass keep Jersey Shore boats loaded through the new moon
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has strung together several days in a row of what the crew is calling very good to excellent fluke fishing, with many customers boxing their three-fish limit and quality doormats in the 3-to-5-pound range, including a 5-pound-12-ounce pool winner. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports black sea bass fishing "red hot," with boats limiting out on almost every trip, plus shark fishing that has "busted wide open" with multiple mako sharks hooked and released. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI is finding 25-to-40-pound bluefin tuna within roughly 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet on the troll and drift, a pattern OTW's Northern New Jersey report corroborates alongside bonito mixed into bluefish schools. Water off LBI sat in the low 70s as of August 11 per Fishermans HQ, with sand eels, spearing, mullet, and peanut bunker stacking up at the inlet under this week's new moon. Striped bass remain the quiet piece of the puzzle, typical for the summer lull.
Croaker and Kingfish Keep Delaware Bay Anglers Busy
Croakers are thick along the Delaware Bay backwaters this week. Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports steady action at Fortescue Beach on croaker, spot, and white perch, with Fortescue Creek loaded with perch and plenty of crabs in the traps. Boaters working the bay are mixing in flounder, spot, croaker, and kingfish, and one angler pulled a black drum to 22 pounds. Down in Port Elizabeth, Big Dave's Tackle says customers fishing the lower bay and beaches like Higbee's Beach are finding croaker, kingfish, and flounder, while the bay's bridges and lighthouses are holding small weakfish, tog, and sheepshead running up to 8 pounds. Ocean reefs off Wildwood and the Old Grounds are reportedly producing as well, per The Fisherman. With a new moon pushing bigger tidal swings, current-fed structure should stay productive through the bay this week. Check state regs before keeping sheepshead or black drum, as size and possession limits apply.
Bluefish Invasion Hits Sandy Hook as Fluke Limits Pile Up
Fluke fishing right off Atlantic Highlands has been the headline this week, with Capt Ron's open boat reporting back-to-back trips of limits and double limits — Chef Lou topped the pool board with a 5-pound, 12-ounce flattie, and Friday's report had customers stacking three-fish hauls even through a picky morning bite. Bluefish have muscled in hard along the way: The Fisherman — New Jersey edition is calling it a recent Sandy Hook bluefish invasion, and Miss Belmar Princess logged mixed-size slammers with bonito mixed in per The Fisherman — Northern NJ. OTW Northern New Jersey's latest report has bluefin holding within 30 miles and keeper fluke showing on wreck and reef sites, with bigger fluke pushing closer to shore as summer peaks. Sea bass and tog limits are rounding out bottom-fishing trips region-wide. With a new moon pushing stronger tides, expect bite windows to sharpen around the moving water this week.