New Jersey fishing reports
379 reports for New Jersey — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Pickerel and largemouth keep biting as Delaware River runs off-color
Storm runoff has the Delaware River corridor murky this week — Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown reports the river went dirty after recent rain, putting smallmouth bass fishing on hold, though nearby Nockamixon is still giving up bass and hybrids when conditions cooperate. Down in Pine Barrens cedar-water country near Cape May, Hands Too Bait and Tackle says largemouth are coming from Dennisville and Ponderlodge lakes (Ponderlodge sits inside the Cox Hall Creek WMA, per NJ Fish & Wildlife News) thanks to better water conditions, with pickerel also active on live killies and topwater baits in the tannin-stained creeks off Route 47. Allen's Dock echoes a good pickerel bite in those same cedar waters and adds solid largemouth action in local campground lakes and ponds. Up toward the Poconos end of the watershed, Hyper Striper Sportfishing reports smallmouth and hybrid stripers still producing well in Lake Wallenpaupack, best early and late in the day. It's a classic Pine Barrens split: stained, structure-heavy water fishing well while the main-stem river shakes off runoff.
Sea Bass Limits Out as Bluefin Fire Up Off the Jersey Shore
Black sea bass are limiting out boat after boat right now, with Blue Chip Sportfishing calling the bite 'red hot' on nearly every trip out of the northern Shore. Fluke fishing is a mixed bag along the coast: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands is finding quality doormats to 6 pounds on slower-current days, while Jingle's Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven reports plenty of fluke but mostly shorts in the surf and bay, and Fisherman's Headquarters notes an impressive 12-pound fish mixed into an otherwise smaller-fish pattern. Striped bass remain in the mix on bunker per Grumpys Tackle, alongside bluefish and a strong croaker and spot bite in the back bays. Offshore, bluefin tuna are firing: Fishermans HQ LBI boated 30-to-35-pound bluefin on the troll, and boats working the Barnegat Ridge and Masseys are finding 30-to-60-pound fish on jigs, poppers, and chunk baits. Blackfish season has also opened along the surf line, with triggerfish and sheepshead mixed into inlet structure.
Fluke and sea bass carry NJ shore action into early August
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Delaware Bay today, so this update leans on what nearby NJ shops and boats are reporting along the coast this week. Fluke are the headline: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has put customers on 3- to 6-pound doormats on bucktails and slugged baits, and Fishermans HQ LBI is mixing keeper fluke with croaker and short bluefish. Grumpys Tackle says the surf fluke bite is showing steady improvement on bucktails and scented soft artificial baits, with occasional bluefish and striped bass still working around bunker schools, plus croaker and spot active in the back bays. Sea bass are red hot for Blue Chip Sportfishing, who report limiting out on nearly every trip. One LBI report had weakfish quiet while croaker cooperated instead. Expect similar back-bay and inshore patterns to carry over into Delaware Bay proper this week.
Fluke Bite Holds Steady as Sea Bass Turn Red Hot Off Sandy Hook
Capt. Ron out of Atlantic Highlands has put anglers on quality fluke all week, with Justin's 5-pound, 1-ounce flatfish claiming the new monthly pool lead to open August and "beauty" sea bass mixed in on nearly every trip. Blue Chip Sportfishing echoes the pattern, calling the sea bass bite "red hot" right now with boats limiting out on almost every trip, while a Friday charter also released three nice Mako sharks as shark season ramps up. Farther up the coast, OTW's Northern New Jersey report (July 30) has the fluke bite solid from the rivers to the reefs, with bluefin tuna working jigs and poppers inshore and party boats stacking 6- to 10-pound bluefish on diamond jigs. Striped bass are around but scattered — Grumpys Tackle notes only the occasional striper mixed into the surf lineup behind fluke and blues. Current and wind have been swinging drift speed trip to trip, so plan to fish heavy.
Topwater Bass and Snakeheads Heat Up Pine Barrens Waters
USGS gauge 01408000 is reading a lean 23.1 cfs this week, typical low-summer base flow for the small streams threading through the Pine Barrens toward the Delaware River system, with water temperature not currently reported at the gauge. That low, warm-water pattern lines up with what shops are seeing: a Delaware-side shop, Smith's Bait Shop, in this week's The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater roundup, describes surface fishing for largemouth bass and snakehead building through July in Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, and Silver Lake, with perch and crappie starting to show as August arrives. Further up the watershed, Dave's Sport Shop reports early-morning bass action in the shallows at Lake Nockamixon, and Hyper Striper Sportfishing says smallmouth bass and hybrid stripers remain the backbone of the bite at Lake Wallenpaupack, with some real trophies mixed in. Pickerel and perch continue as a steady, if unspectacular, presence across the smaller Pine Barrens ponds per Allen's Dock.
Inshore Bluefin, Keeper Fluke Lead Jersey Shore Bite
Keeper fluke are coming from the rivers and reefs while bluefin tuna are hitting jigs and poppers inshore, per OTW Northern New Jersey's July 30 report — party boats there are also stacking 6-to-10-pound bluefish on diamond jigs. Sea bass fishing has been especially strong: Blue Chip Sportfishing out of Belmar says trips are 'limiting out' almost daily. Fluke remain the backbone of the summer bite south of there too — Capt Ron's in Atlantic Highlands logged multiple keepers over 5 pounds this week, and Grumpys Tackle notes steady surf fluke on bucktails and scented soft baits. Offshore, The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore desk has bluefin in the 40-to-80-pound class showing at the East Lump and 19 Fathom Line on ballyhoo and spreader bars, with mahi activity building around the Sea Isle Ridge pots. A rare tiger shark also came out of the NJ surf this week, per On The Water. Waning gibbous moon; check the local marine forecast before running offshore.
Sea Bass and Fluke Keep NJ Anglers Busy as Striper Bite Heats Up
Sea bass fishing is red hot up and down the Jersey coast right now, per Blue Chip Sportfishing, which reports limiting out on almost every trip alongside a shark bite that has busted wide open, including three released mako sharks in a single day. Fluke action is also building: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands found quality keepers to 5 pounds this week, while Grumpys Tackle notes steady improvement in the surf on bucktails and scented soft artificials. Striped bass are showing well too, with Blue Chip crushing them on every trip even as Grumpys calls the surf bite only occasional. Back in the bays, croaker and spot remain plentiful per Grumpys, and Fishermans HQ on LBI reports croakers cooperating even when weakfish and kingfish stayed quiet on shedder crab. No direct reports came in from the Delaware Bay side this cycle, so treat this as a statewide read on the pattern.
Quality Fluke Keep Rolling as Sea Bass Fill In at Sandy Hook
Justin kicked off August as the new monthly pool leader with a 5lb 1oz fluke, one of several quality flounder boated this week per Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands, where anglers worked two separate areas and found fluke up to 4 pounds with beauty sea bass mixed in throughout the trips. Just up the coast, OTW's Northern New Jersey report (July 30) notes the fluke bite holding solid from the rivers to the reefs, while party boats put 6- to 10-pound bluefish in the box on diamond jigs. Grumpys Tackle NJ reports the surf bite improving on bucktails and scented soft artificial baits, with bunker pulling occasional striped bass and croaker and spot working the back bay on FishBites. Tides should stay workable through the week under the waning gibbous moon; check current NJ size and possession limits before keeping fluke or bass.
Delaware River smallmouth dig in as August heat sets the pattern
No fresh gauge or buoy readings came through the Delaware River corridor this cycle, so the clearest signal for Pine Barrens and river anglers is the seasonal pattern itself: early-August water is warm enough to push smallmouth and largemouth off the banks and into deeper current seams and submerged cover, the shift Tactical Bassin's latest reports describe for summer bass ('Two Baits That Everyone Overlooks In August', 'Top 5 Baits For August Bass Fishing'). Expect largemouth to key on offshore vegetation and drop-shot presentations once the sun gets high, with topwater windows narrowing to dawn and dusk. Chain pickerel should stay willing in the Pine Barrens' cedar-stained water, and channel catfish typically turn on after dark on cut bait through mid-August. Also worth knowing before a trip: Wired 2 Fish reports Pennsylvania just raised its statewide trout minimum size from 7 to 9 inches starting January 2027, the first change to that rule in over four decades, relevant for anyone fishing the PA side of the Delaware.
Sea Bass and Fluke Bites Stay Red Hot Along the Jersey Shore
Buoy readings this morning put water temps at 75 to 76°F off the Jersey Shore, with a manageable 3-foot swell and light wind, prime late-summer conditions for the mixed bag showing up on local reports. Sea bass fishing is 'red hot' per Blue Chip Sportfishing, with boats limiting out on almost every trip, and the same fleet says shark fishing has 'busted wide open,' including three Mako sharks released on a recent run. Fluke remains the shore's bread-and-butter: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands is finding quality fish to open August, Grumpys Tackle reports steady surf improvement on bucktails and soft artificials, and The Fisherman's Southern New Jersey report has flounder spread from the back bays to the Cape May Reef Site, with fish to 8 pounds. Offshore, The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore report has bluefin tuna to 80 pounds on ballyhoo and spreader bars as boats prep for the White Marlin Open. Bluefish have also pushed in, per The Fisherman's Northern NJ coverage.
Jumbo sea bass and keeper fluke headline a hot Raritan Bay bite
Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged genuinely good numbers this week, with quality fluke to 3-5 pounds, a mixed bag of keepers and shorts, and — after a quiet stretch — jumbo black sea bass finally showing around the boat, with the pool fish weighing in at 5 pounds 14 ounces. Just up the bay toward Sandy Hook, OTW Northern New Jersey's July 30 report has bluefin tuna hitting jigs and poppers inshore while party boats keep filling coolers with 6- to 10-pound bluefish on diamond jigs. The Fisherman's Northern NJ desk notes some boats have swapped over to targeting bigger bluefish as larger fish push into the area, while fluke fishing on other trips "finally came to life" after a slow midsummer lull. Sea bass remain structure-dependent, but boats working jigs and bait combos over hard bottom are connecting. With the full moon pushing bigger tidal swings this week, expect faster drifts and stronger current on the usual spots.
Pine Barrens bass turn to topwater as summer flows stay low
Freshwater anglers across the Delaware River corridor and Pine Barrens are finding a building topwater bite as July gives way to August. Largemouth bass are eating weedless plastics and surface baits worked through vegetation, with a shop source in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater column reporting surface action for bass and snakeheads at Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, and Silver Lake building through July and expected to carry into August. Recent rain has refreshed water levels in South Jersey ponds and small lakes near Cape May, per the same report, setting up better conditions heading into the month. Another shop in that roundup described a slower July for bass, perch, and pickerel due to heat, storms, and holiday traffic, but expects improvement once those interruptions clear. USGS gauge 01408000 is running a modest 25.8 cfs, consistent with typical low summer base flow for the region. Perch and crappie fishing traditionally picks up in August as waters begin to cool.