Albie blitzes light up Long Island as the fall run kicks off
False albacore are thick off the North and South Forks and pushing west into Long Island Sound, per On The Water's Long Island and NYC report from September 24, which also has striped bass picking up steam in the Sound as anglers expect this week's nor'easter to kickstart the broader fall run. Water read 64.6°F at Montauk (NOAA CO-OPS 8510560), 65.1°F at Kings Point in the Sound (8516945), and 67.1°F at the Battery (8518750), all typical for the tail end of September. Big fluke continue working out of South Shore inlets as they exit the backwaters for deeper water, a pattern On The Water has tracked through its September 10 and 17 reports.
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The approaching nor'easter is the story to watch. NY DEC's Safe Boating advisory is urging anglers still on the water to monitor VHF radio and barometric pressure and get in well ahead of the front, and On The Water's own report ties the storm directly to an expected fall-run kickoff right behind it. Expect the albie bite to keep building off the Forks and into the Sound as bait gets pushed around by the wind shift, with the better windows lining up on the outgoing tide: Montauk drops to low near 3:55 AM before building to high by 9:55 AM, while the Western Sound at Kings Point bottoms out near 6:02 AM ahead of an 11:56 AM high.
Dawn sessions working that outgoing water, sight-casting to breaking fish, should stay the highest-percentage play into the weekend under this week's full moon. Striped bass should keep filling in behind the front as water temperatures ease off, and fluke leaving the backwaters for deeper water will remain catchable from the South Shore inlets a while longer before that bite tapers for the season.
Context
A nor'easter arriving in the last week of September lines up with when Long Island typically sees its fall transition accelerate, as cooling water and shifting wind push bait out of the back bays and trigger the albie and striper runs anglers chase through October. Fluke moving out of South Shore inlets toward deeper water on this timeline is normal for the calendar. Overall the region reads as on schedule for late September, with the front more likely to accelerate the run than disrupt it.
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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