Albies Push Into Long Island Sound As Fall Run Builds

What's biting

What's next

Expect the albie push to keep building over the next few days. On The Water's pattern across its last two reports, Montauk fill-in on September 10 followed by a westward push into the Sound by September 17, points to fish continuing to work through the Sound and along the South Shore into this weekend. Fluke should stay catchable through the inlets as they stage for their fall exit, though that window is closing as water cools.

Saltwater Edge Blog's forecast calls for northerly winds and chilling overnight temperatures this week to finally kick the striped bass bite into gear after a slow stretch. Watch for that shift to show up locally as Sound and South Shore water temps, currently in the low-to-mid 70s, start trending down.

Montauk's next high tide lands around 5:30 PM today, with Kings Point pushing later toward 8 PM and The Battery around 4:15 PM. The First Quarter moon this week means moderate tidal swings rather than the bigger push of a full or new moon. This is a good stretch to fish the turn around each afternoon high before the bigger fall-moon tides arrive later in the month.

Context

This is right on schedule for Long Island and Montauk in late September: the fall run is in full swing, baitfish are pushing out of the back bays and estuaries, and predator species are following behind them along the beaches and rips. False albacore typically arrive off Montauk in September and work west through the Sound as water cools, which matches the pattern showing up in this week's reports. Fluke fishing is winding toward its close as fish move out of the shallows and offshore. Striped bass, generally the last piece to fall into place locally, tend to strengthen through October as nighttime temperatures drop, consistent with the slow-but-building bite described this week.