Big Stripers Running Island-Wide as Memorial Day Weekend Arrives

What's Biting

What's Next

The first quarter moon this week supports decent tidal movement without the extreme swings of a full or new moon, giving anglers more flexibility in their daily windows. Moving tides have been the consistent trigger for striper action all season, and that pattern should hold through the Memorial Day holiday. Early mornings and active tides remain the prescription for big bass along the South Shore back bays and western waters, per River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin.

Water temperature at 55°F is the key variable to watch going into the weekend. Multiple local sources have flagged conditions running slightly below average for late May, and the fluke bite will accelerate meaningfully once temperatures push into the upper 50s. Star Island Yacht Club at the East End projects fluke action improving quickly once the water warms a few more degrees. A string of seasonably warmer days heading into the holiday should help push that needle, making back-bay fluke trips increasingly worthwhile as the week progresses. Outgoing tide on bucktails tipped with squid or Gulp has been the most reliable presentation so far.

Bluefish have just arrived and will continue to spread. J&J Sports in Patchogue reported the first scattered fish at around 5 pounds, and WeGo Bait and Tackle on the North Fork noted chatter of bluefish around Orient Point. The Fisherman (Northeast) confirmed bluefish presence across multiple southern New England locations as of May 21, and these fish will push further west and south as surface temps climb. Expect more consistent bluefish action at bay mouths and around active bait schools through the holiday weekend.

Sea bass season opened May 16 and the early returns are modest. Tom Melton on the South Shore notes the bite opened quietly but expects it to build quickly. J&J Sports reports local wrecks and artificial reefs are already producing keeper sea bass alongside porgy and ling, with clam or squid bait rigs and jigging both working.

For surf anglers, Shinnecock Inlet remains a prime target. Tight Lines Tackle reported fish to 35 pounds on bucktails, with Thursday and Saturday morning producing some of the better bites of the past week. Poppers and diamond jigs are also effective on the sand beaches flanking the inlet. Creek mouths on the North Fork are worth targeting after dark on smaller swimming plugs, with weakfish in the 18- to 20-inch range mixing into striper catches, per WeGo Bait and Tackle.

Context

At 55°F, water temperatures are running a few degrees below what Long Island anglers typically expect heading into Memorial Day weekend. By this date in an average year, nearshore and sound waters are usually approaching the upper 50s to low 60s, the range that triggers full fluke migration into the bays and consistent topwater striper activity. Multiple local sources have flagged the gap: Matt Broderick at the East End explicitly cited cooler-than-average temperatures as the factor holding back the first keeper fluke, and Star Island Yacht Club echoed the same, projecting a quick improvement once the water warms a few degrees. Dick's B&T on the South Shore also noted water in the low 60s at inland bridges but close to 40°F near the inlet, underscoring how the thermal gradient is still playing out.

Despite the cooler-than-average water, the spring striper class stands out as exceptional. The Fisherman (Northeast) described the current push of 20- to 30-pound fish as one 'the likes of which we haven't seen in many years.' Reports from across Long Island back that assessment: Cold Spring Charters recorded bass to 44 inches being caught and released in Cold Spring Harbor, and On The Water — New York / Long Island tracked fish to 25 pounds-plus chasing bunker schools east along the North Shore as early as May 7. That kind of consistent size class across multiple venues over several weeks is notable.

The porgy and weakfish showing is in step with normal late-May arrival timing for this region. Porgies tend to move into Peconic Bay waters around this window, and weakfish mixing into those catches are a typical seasonal signal. Sea bass opening on May 16 aligns with standard NY DEC seasonal timing, and the bluefish arrivals confirmed regionwide around May 21 are right on the historical Memorial Day schedule.

If water temperatures climb toward 58 to 60°F over the coming week, the overall fishing picture should become significantly more well-rounded, with fluke numbers improving, sea bass settling into summer patterns, and the striper fishery potentially producing one of its stronger late-May showings in recent memory.