Long Island Striper Run at Peak as Fluke and Sea Bass Seasons Open

What's Biting

What's Next

The near-term challenge is offshore sea state. NOAA buoy 44025 recorded wave heights near 6 feet, with winds around 9 m/s (roughly 20 mph) per buoy 44065 — conditions that will push many boats into inlets and back bays. The silver lining: bass have been working bay systems and inlets just as aggressively as open water, so staying inshore doesn't mean missing the action.

As water temps inch from 55–56°F toward the low-60s threshold, the fluke bite should sharpen considerably. Multiple sources note that cooler-than-average water has muted flatfish action — The Fisherman — Long Island East End reports first keeper fluke arriving 'despite cooler-than-average temperatures,' and Star Island Yacht Club expects improvement 'once the water warms another few degrees.' Watch the back-bay fluke bite accelerate on the South Shore: Sea Rogue Charters in Freeport already drilled nine keepers on the outgoing tide, and LI Outdoorsman is seeing heat building at West End Inlet and Reynolds Channel on pink Gulp.

Black sea bass season opened May 16 with a quiet start — The Fisherman — Long Island South Shore's Tom Melton expects the bite to be 'up and running' soon. J&J Sports in Patchogue reports local wrecks and artificial reefs already holding keeper sea bass alongside porgy and ling on clam or squid rigs and jigs; structure fishing should improve as more fish settle in over the coming week.

For striped bass, the migration hasn't crested. OTW Saltwater's May 19 report confirms Long Island Sound remains loaded with big bass on bunker while spawning fish hold in the Hudson River — fresh waves of fish are still pushing through. The waxing crescent moon will produce building tidal swings through the week ahead. Stronger incoming and outgoing tides as the moon fills will concentrate stripers on inlets, points, and rips. WeGo Bait and Tackle on the North Fork notes creek mouths are producing well after dark on smaller swimming plugs, making a tide-change window after sunset worth building a trip around.

Context

Mid-to-late May is historically the apex of Long Island's spring striped bass season, and 2026 appears right on pace — possibly even a step ahead. Large migrating bass from Chesapeake Bay spawning grounds typically push through Long Island Sound and the South Shore in earnest from late April through mid-May, with peaks often coinciding with moon phases. On The Water — New York / Long Island's April 30 report noted the striper bite had 'taken off' around the full moon, and their May 14 report confirmed 'very big bass' along the South Shore surf and Western Sound as the new moon approached. That sustained multi-week push spanning the western bays all the way to Montauk is consistent with a strong migration year rather than isolated blitzes.

Water temps at 55–56°F are running slightly cool for the third week of May — the shallower South Shore bays typically approach the mid-60s by now. That coolness, noted explicitly by The Fisherman — Long Island East End as 'cooler-than-average,' accounts for the slower fluke opener and the still-developing sea bass season. In warmer springs, keeper fluke arrive in force by early May; in 2026, reliable numbers are only just building.

Porgy and weakfish returning to Peconic Bay are on schedule. The Fisherman — Long Island East End notes both species showing around Jessup's Neck and farther west, consistent with typical late-spring patterns for the eastern Sound and bays. Weakfish in the 18-to-20-inch range at North Fork creek mouths and scattered inside Northport Harbor are a welcome sign — the species has been recovering in recent years and spring appearances on Long Island, while expected, are not guaranteed in strong numbers every season.

Overall, 2026 reads as a solid-to-strong spring: stripers are the clear standout story, and warm-water species like fluke and sea bass are simply waiting on a few more degrees to deliver the best of their season.