New Jersey fishing reports
377 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
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.
Pickerel and Bass Turn On in NJ's Pine Barrens Cedar Waters
Bass are coming off Stafford Forge Pond on minnows this week, and pickerel fishing in the Pine Barrens' tea-stained cedar waters has picked up since recent rain moved through the region, according to Allen's Dock as reported in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater. The same feed's Hands Too Bait and Tackle report out of Cape May notes similar action: campground ponds producing bass on worms and minnows, a decent pickerel bite in the cedar systems, and better catfishing at Ponderlodge Lake, especially in the evenings. Neither shop reported major changes in water clarity beyond the rain bump, and both point to early- and late-day windows as the most productive stretches right now. With a New Moon overhead this week, expect low-light bites at dawn and dusk to stay the most reliable pattern. Overall, freshwater conditions across the Delaware River and Pine Barrens region read as a fairly typical mid-August setup: warm-water species active, structure-oriented, and rain-refreshed cedar waters giving pickerel a modest boost.
Sea Bass Runs Hot, Fluke Push Toward Jersey Shore Structure
Chef Lou boated a 5-pound, 12-ounce fluke to top the pool aboard Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands this week, one of several multiple-limit days as flattie action holds up and down the coast. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports sea bass fishing is red hot, with boats limiting out on almost every trip, while shark charters have busted wide open after Friday produced three nice mako sharks released. The Fisherman's Northern NJ correspondents note fluke moving into closer water with better keeper numbers on the Big Mohawk III and Miss Belmar Princess, while Central and Southern NJ shops describe a mixed inshore bite of tog, triggerfish, and sheepshead. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore report both point to solid bluefin tuna action in the 25-to-90-pound range within roughly 20-30 miles, bigeye and white marlin mixed in. Striped bass are the quiet species this week, mostly background rather than a headline bite.
Croakers and sheepshead lead a strong Delaware Bay summer bite
Croakers are thick along Delaware Bay this week, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle reporting the bay "giving up lots of different types of fish including blues, croakers, weakfish, flounder, sheepshead and on some trips, several black drum," with pool-winning fish ranging from a 5-pound flounder to a 15-pound drum. Fortescue Beach is producing croakers on blood or lung worms per Higbee's, while white perch action has picked up in the creeks. Big Dave's Tackle confirms strong Delaware Bay croaker numbers alongside kingfish, spot, and smaller weakfish, and calls back-bay sheepshead fishing "exceptionally strong." Down toward Cape May, Hands Too Bait and Tackle has flounder stacked right out front and inside the inlet on bucktails, with sheepshead and triggerfish mixing in on the rocks while togging, and night shark fishing described as "insane." Across the bay in Delaware, Smith's Bait Shop notes flounder on minnows and Gulp, black drum on clams, and bluefish on metal lures and cut bait.
Fluke Turns On Around Sandy Hook as Bluefish and Bonito Mix In
Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged back-to-back banner days this past week, boxing double limits of quality fluke in the 3-to-5-pound range, with Mustache Richie topping the pool at 4 pounds, 3 ounces — per the captain, the best flatfish action the boat has seen all season. Black sea bass are filling in steadily behind the fluke on most drifts. Farther up the coast, OTW's Northern New Jersey report has bluefin tuna working within roughly 30 miles, bonito mixed into schools of bluefish out front, and keeper fluke stacking up on wreck and reef sites, with party boats picking off 6-to-10-pound bluefish on diamond jigs. It's shaping up as a solid mid-August stretch for Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook: fluke are the clear headline, sea bass are filling coolers behind them, and bluefish and bonito are giving light-tackle anglers something to chase out front.
Pine Barrens pickerel turn on as Delaware River stays off-color
USGS gauge 01408000 is reading a modest 23.1 cfs as of early Wednesday morning, a sign of low, stable flow moving through the Delaware River and Pine Barrens system. That water is behaving differently depending on where you fish it. Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown reports the Delaware River ran dirty from recent storms and put the smallmouth bite on hold, while nearby Nockamixon is still giving up bass and hybrids when conditions cooperate, per the same shop's report carried in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater roundup. South Jersey's cedar waters are faring much better: Allen's Dock and Hands Too Bait and Tackle both note the pickerel bite has come on strong with improved water clarity, with live killies and topwater baits doing the damage. Allen's Dock also flags solid largemouth action in local campground lakes and ponds. Net read for the region: river fisheries are still shaking off runoff while the Pine Barrens' still-water spots are fishing well right now.
Sea Bass Limits and Shark Action Heat Up the Jersey Shore
Sea bass are running hot along the Jersey Shore right now, with Blue Chip Sportfishing reporting boats limiting out on almost every trip. Fluke fishing has finally turned a corner too: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged a banner day of double limits with quality fish in the 3 to 5 pound range, while Central Jersey shops like Jingles Bait and Tackle and Boulevard Bait & Tackle are mixing keeper flounder in with plenty of shorts. Shark fishing has busted wide open per Blue Chip, with multiple mako sharks hooked and released, and night surf anglers at Hands Too Bait and Tackle and Riptide Bait and Tackle describe the shark bite as insane along the beaches. Offshore, Hands Too says mahi are hot around the lobster pots off Cape May, and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore reports have bluefin tuna and white marlin biting ahead of the 35th MidAtlantic tournament. Triggerfish continue showing up around jetties and reef structure up and down the shore.
Delaware Bay croakers and flounder keep NJ anglers busy
Croakers are stacked up and down the bay side this week, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) reporting the beaches along Fortescue loaded on blood and lung worms alongside blues, weakfish, flounder, sheepshead, and even a few black drum. Big Dave's Tackle notes keeper flounder holding on the nearshore and offshore reefs, though the back bays are thick with short fluke making for mostly catch-and-release action there. Sheepshead have also turned on strong in the back bay per that same report. Across the state line, Smith's Bait Shop (The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake) has flounder eating minnows and Gulp-tipped jigs, black drum on clams, and weakfish working bucktails dressed with yellow worms. Hands Too Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf) adds bucktail flounder right at the inlet mouth and a hot night shark bite along the beachfront.
Fluke feast holds at Sandy Hook as bluefish push rolls in
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands called this past Saturday a banner day, with anglers "on the meat" from start to finish and quality fluke running 3 to 5 pounds, including a pair of 5-pound fish that tied for the pool. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition backs up the trend, noting double-digit fluke catches out of the nearby Shark River Inlet fleet along with what it calls a recent Sandy Hook bluefish invasion. Bluefish are showing in mixed sizes elsewhere along the Northern Jersey coast too, per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, with 2- to 4-pound choppers mixed in with some bigger slammers. Sea bass are filling coolers on Capt Ron's bottom-fishing drops, and NJ Fish & Wildlife News notes striped bass, tautog, and summer flounder are all part of the typical mix at nearby inlet access points. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so check local conditions before you head out.
Delaware River smallmouth stall as Pine Barrens pickerel heat up
The Delaware River around Bucks County turned murky this week after storms rolled through, and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater column reports the smallmouth bite is on hold until it clears. Better news sits nearby at Nockamixon, where largemouth bass and hybrid stripers are still coming to net when conditions cooperate. Down in the Pine Barrens cedar-water country off Route 47, the same freshwater roundup has pickerel biting well on live killies and topwater baits, while small ponds and campground-area lakes near Dennisville and Ponderlodge keep giving up solid largemouth on topwater frogs, poppers, and weedless plastics fished early and late in the day. It's a mixed bag right now: river fishing is stalled by runoff, but still-water largemouth and pickerel are holding a steady, typical-for-August pattern. Anglers working the slower, tannin-stained cedar water are having the better week of it at the moment.
Fluke and Sea Bass Fire Up Along the Jersey Shore as Bluefin Push Inshore
Fluke are lighting up inshore grounds this week: Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands reported a rare "meat from start to finish" Saturday, with double limits across the boat and a pair of five-pound fluke tying for the pool. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition's regional roundup backs it up, noting double-digit fluke counts out of the Shark River Inlet fleet, while Central Jersey shops like Fisherman's Headquarters and Jingles Bait and Tackle describe solid keeper ratios mixed with plenty of shorts. Sea bass are running just as hot: Blue Chip Sportfishing says its boats are limiting out on almost every half and full day trip. Offshore, bluefin tuna are holding within roughly 30 miles per OTW Northern New Jersey, working jigs and poppers, while triggerfish and tautog fill out the bottom mix at inlet jetties. Night surf anglers along the southern beaches, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, are also seeing heavy shark action.