Excellent Striper Action at Montauk as Fluke Builds and New Moon Tides Arrive

What's Biting

What's Next

The next two to three days set up well for Long Island saltwater anglers, particularly those chasing stripers from the North Fork through Montauk. The June 12 striper migration map from On The Water highlights that the new moon this weekend should drive significant tidal swings that push bass and bait toward summer haunts. New moon periods historically produce aggressive feeding windows, especially on the turn of strong tides around structure, rips, and bait concentrations along the Montauk Point area and the Eastern Sound.

Striped bass should remain the headliner. On The Water's June 11 report describes action as excellent at Montauk and the North Fork, with fish continuing to press east and north. Expect the best windows around tide changes at dawn and dusk. Rip lines, inlet mouths, and rocky structure are the go-to terrain when bass are keyed on bait moving with the current.

The South Shore fluke bite is trending in the right direction. Per On The Water's June 11 update, the bite is "slowly but surely picking up steam," continuing a pattern that began showing improvement around New York City in early June. As water temperatures climb through mid-June, flounder should push into productive sand flats and channel edges. Natural bottom rigs and drifting with the tide remain the standard approach for working these fish.

Bluefish remain the wildcard. After showing up in stronger numbers in late May per On The Water's May 28 report, the June 4 update described action as "spotty across the island." With the new moon pushing bait schools and creating aggressive feeding windows, a blitz scenario is plausible. Keep a rod rigged with metal lures or a popper as a backup.

Black sea bass and scup (porgy) seasons are confirmed open per NY DEC, adding bottom-fishing options for anglers looking to mix it up. Mid-June is typically productive for both species on hard bottom and inshore wrecks along Long Island's South Shore and around Montauk, though no specific catch reports are available from this week's regional feeds for those species. Check current state regulations before keeping fish, as rules on black sea bass in particular have seen recent adjustments.

Context

Mid-June is historically one of the prime windows for Long Island saltwater fishing, and the 2026 season appears to be tracking on schedule, or perhaps slightly better than average. By this point in a typical year, the spring striper push has largely moved through and fish are settling into summer stations from the North Fork to Montauk. The fact that multiple recent reports from On The Water describe the bite as "excellent" through mid-June suggests the 2026 migration is delivering sustained quality fishing rather than a brief early-season blitz that fizzles before summer.

Stripers pressing east and north through the Eastern Sound and stacking at Montauk is a textbook June pattern. Fish that moved up from the Chesapeake and mid-Atlantic during April and May continue tracking baitfish concentrations, including bunker, squid, and sand eels, along the East End. The June 12 migration map from On The Water confirms this pattern is playing out as expected, with fish widespread from New Jersey to Maine.

The South Shore fluke bite building gradually in June also aligns with typical timing. NY DEC has confirmed the recreational summer flounder season is open, and the gradual improvement noted from early June onward mirrors what anglers generally see as water warms and fish spread across productive inshore grounds.

One regional data point worth noting: the Saltwater Edge Blog (Rhode Island) reports this week that water temperatures across the Northeast have been running cooler than average so far this season, keeping both stripers and squid active rather than pushing offshore. If that pattern extends to Long Island waters, it could be prolonging the quality inshore striper window into the back half of June, a scenario anglers should take advantage of while it lasts. No local buoy temperature data is available to confirm this for Long Island specifically, but the sustained excellent striper reports through mid-June from On The Water are consistent with cooler-than-average conditions holding fish close to structure and in feeding mode.