Gator Bluefish Push Into Montauk as the Fluke Bite Builds

What's biting

What's next

With buoy 44025 recording 73°F and buoy 44065 slightly warmer at 75°F, water temperatures across Long Island and Montauk sit squarely in the range that pushes summer species into full swing. Expect water temps to hold steady or nudge a degree or two higher over the next two to three days given calm-to-light wind conditions (near 6 m/s, roughly 13 mph) and modest wave heights of 1.3 to 2 feet, comfortable conditions for both surf and boat trips.

Fluke should keep building on the momentum described in this week's Long Island and NYC Fishing Report from On The Water, which notes more keeper-sized fish moving up from the South Shore reefs and bays into Long Island Sound. That trend typically continues through late July as fish settle into deeper summer holding areas; anglers working bucktails tipped with Berkley Gulp (per On The Water's color guide) or 3-way rigs in the Sound's deeper rips should keep finding fish.

Bluefish look like the best bet for excitement right now. On The Water's latest report has gator bluefish freshly arrived off Montauk, and that kind of push typically holds for at least a week or two before fish either scatter or move offshore with the bait. Anglers timing trips around dawn and dusk feeding windows should find the most consistent action.

Striped bass are the wildcard. The July 9 report already flagged the big Montauk bass bite beginning to slow, and with water in the mid-70s, expect stripers to keep favoring cooler, deeper structure or nighttime and early-morning windows rather than midday feeding. Surf anglers sticking with sand fleas along the beach lip or rigged Slug-Gos, techniques highlighted by On The Water and OTW Surfcasting this season, are still the better play than searching for a daytime blitz.

Offshore, midshore bluefin remain catchable but restless, described as 'on the move' in the Long Island report and consistent with the Northeast Offshore Report's note that bluefin are spreading from New Jersey up toward the Gulf of Maine. That migration pattern suggests a narrowing window before the best midshore bluefin action shifts north; anglers planning offshore trips this week have a better shot than waiting into August.

With a First Quarter moon in play, expect moderate tidal swings rather than the extremes of a new or full moon, a reasonable setup for planning around the stronger tide stages rather than needing to chase peak current.

Context

Mid-to-late July conditions here are tracking close to a typical Long Island and Montauk season. Water temperatures in the low-to-mid 70s (73-75°F per NOAA buoys 44025 and 44065) are in line with what this fishery usually sees once summer fully sets in, with striped bass pushed toward deeper, cooler water and inshore species like fluke and bluefish taking center stage.

The pattern of a slowing big-bass bite off Montauk following an earlier stronger run, as described in On The Water's July 9 and July 16 Long Island and NYC Fishing Reports, is a fairly typical mid-summer shift for the region: the spring and early-summer trophy bass push tends to taper by mid-July as fish disperse or move to deeper, cooler holding water, while fluke and bluefish fill the gap. The arrival of gator bluefish off Montauk and the continued build of keeper fluke from the South Shore into the Sound both fit that seasonal script well.

Regionally, Saltwater Edge's July New Moon forecast describes this stretch of summer as the 'summer doldrums' further north in Rhode Island waters, a characterization that broadly tracks with the slower striper bite locally, even though Long Island specifically is still showing solid fluke and bluefish action.

On the regulatory side, NY DEC's recent newsletters cover open recreational seasons for summer flounder, scup, and bluefish, consistent with normal mid-summer management timing for these fisheries; anglers should still check current state regs before harvesting, since rules can be adjusted in-season.

No clear year-over-year comparison signal is available in this data set beyond the general seasonal pattern described above.