Albie push fills Long Island Sound as big fluke exit the inlets

What's biting

What's next

Expect the albie push to keep building through the week. The moon is waxing toward full, and On The Water's September 17 report already had Spanish mackerel showing alongside the albies, a sign the fall baitfish run is fully underway. At Montauk, the next high tide falls around 6:44 AM ET with the low following near 12:49 PM ET, and that morning swing is worth building a trip around since both albies and fluke tend to stage on moving water.

Saltwater Edge's Rhode Island report this week notes striper fishing has been lackluster through the warm stretch but should improve with the colder nights and northerly winds moving into the region. That kind of front typically reaches Long Island a few days to a week behind Rhode Island, so anglers here should watch for the same shift building through the weekend rather than expecting an immediate turn.

With the fall run gaining momentum and the moon heading toward full, the stretch through early next week looks like the best window yet for albies and exiting fluke, ahead of the pattern tipping more toward striped bass as the water keeps cooling.

Context

Late September on Long Island sits in the heart of the fall run, when striped bass, false albacore and bonito move down the coast and inshore fluke wrap up their season before shifting to deeper water. The albie and fluke activity here tracks a normal-to-slightly-early seasonal clock for the region, echoing the same push Rhode Island's coastal spots are seeing a little further north this month. Water in the upper 60s to low 70s across the Sound and ocean side is typical for this point on the calendar and still well within range for both species before the sharper cool-down arrives in October.