Big stripers running the east end as Long Island shifts to summer pattern

What's biting

What's next

The full moon falling on June 28 is one of the most significant tide events of the month, and Long Island anglers should plan around peak tidal flows rather than mid-tide slack periods. Strong moon tides pull current through inlets, rip lines, and around structure, which are prime conditions for striped bass ambushing bait in the wash. On The Water's June 26 striper migration map notes that bigger bass are now concentrating around sand eels, squid, bunker, and herring as the spring run transitions into summer patterns, which means the east end and Montauk remain the focal point for serious bass fishing over the coming days.

The Saltwater Edge Blog's full moon seasonal forecast offers a useful frame: the second half of June is when stripers tend to push out to deeper, cooler oceanfront water. If water temps trend upward over the next few days, expect the surf and inshore action to soften slightly while the offshore and deeper-water bite strengthens. Night fishing during the full moon window, particularly the first two hours after sunset and around tide changes, is your best opportunity for big bass on squid-imitating soft plastics and bucktails.

Fluke action looks poised to keep improving into the first week of July. On The Water noted keeper fluke chewing in the bays and the Peconics through late June, and The Fisherman's forecast calls the trend positive. Standard summer flounder tactics apply: drifting Gulp-style baits and spearing-tipped jigs over sandy bottom in 20 to 40 feet of water. South Shore inlets and the back bays are your best shot at numbers, while deeper reef edges give you a better shot at larger fish.

Sea bass are a split picture. The Fisherman's New England forecast notes that reports have been dominated by shorts this month, but anglers who move around to find the right piles are mixing in keeper fish. South Shore reefs are specifically called out by On The Water as producing on rigs and jigs, worth targeting before summer pressure builds in earnest.

Offshore conditions are as strong as they have been so far this season. OTW Saltwater's northeast offshore report from June 24 puts the canyons in red-hot territory for yellowfin and bigeye tuna, and The Fisherman's Long Island forecast echoes encouraging canyon reports. This week's full moon tides and warm offshore push could represent the best offshore window of early summer for anglers willing to make the run.

Context

Late June at Montauk and along the Long Island east end typically marks a transitional moment in the saltwater calendar. The spring striped bass migration has largely run its course, with fish that pushed north through the Sound and around the tip in April and May now settling into their summer holding patterns. Per the Saltwater Edge Blog's full moon forecast, this is the time of year when bass move from the inshore shallows to cooler, deeper oceanfront water, a classic seasonal shift that east end regulars recognize as the summer slide.

What makes this year notable is the sustained strength of the bass fishing relative to that transition window. The Fisherman's Long Island forecast for the week of June 25 calls the action outstanding, and On The Water's mid-June report was already flagging Montauk as seeing an excellent bass bite on squid and sand eels, language that suggests the east end has been carrying productive fishing well into the period when inshore action often softens.

Fluke season timing appears on schedule. Summer flounder season is now in full swing per NY DEC Saltwater Fishing and Boating, and keeper fish are showing up in the typical locations: South Shore bays, the Peconics, and the Sound. The gradual improvement pattern reported by On The Water in both the June 18 and June 25 reports is consistent with how fluke fishing normally develops in early summer. Fish scatter and settle after the season opener, and keepers become more reliable once the bait they follow has also stabilized.

Offshore, the early heat in the canyons is an encouraging sign. A strong yellowfin and bigeye start in late June, as reported by OTW Saltwater, is not always guaranteed this early in the season and bodes well for a productive July offshore calendar. No buoy or gauge data was available for this report, so direct water temperature comparisons to historical averages are not possible this cycle.