Montauk Bass Bite Excellent as Keeper Fluke Heat Up Across the Bays

What's biting

What's next

The striper picture at Montauk looks strong heading into this weekend. On The Water's June 19 striper migration map confirms that bigger bass are actively concentrating on sand eels, squid, bunker, and herring as the season shifts from the spring push into established summer feeding patterns. That bait diversity typically holds through late June, making the coming days a solid window to target quality fish on drifted squid or sand eel rigs around the Montauk rips.

For fluke, the improving keeper bite noted by On The Water across the South Shore bays and Peconics should continue as we move toward the end of June. Traditional bay drifts with bucktails tipped with squid or Gulp are the go-to presentation on the sandy flats. The Peconics offer added structure for anglers working the eastern bays, and the First Quarter moon's moderate tidal push, rather than an extreme spring-tide run, can actually favor more manageable drifts and longer productive windows on the flats.

Striper anglers in Long Island Sound should track that eastward migration closely. Fish sliding east through the Sound often concentrate around Plum Gut and the eastern rip systems by late June. Work tidal transitions at dawn and dusk with topwater presentations rather than fighting mid-cycle current; last light sessions on the rips have historically been productive during this phase of the season.

Black sea bass regulations have been revised this season per NY DEC newsletters; review the updated DEC rules before targeting sea bass on offshore reefs and wrecks. Sea bass make a productive secondary target for boats already running to fluke and porgy grounds.

For weekend planning: target Montauk rips at first light on squid and sand eel rigs for stripers, shift to South Shore bay drifts mid-morning for keeper fluke, and keep bluefin on the radar if conditions cooperate offshore. On The Water has covered giant bluefin showing within range of New York City boats this season, making a multi-species offshore day realistic for captains willing to run. Verify the local marine forecast before committing to any offshore run.

Context

Late June on Long Island historically marks the inflection point between the concentrated spring striper push and the more dispersed summer fishery. The fact that Montauk is still reporting an excellent bass bite as of June 18, per On The Water, suggests the eastward migration is running on or near schedule. Montauk typically sees the tail end of the spring run pack into the Point rips and offshore structure through late June before fish scatter to deeper summer haunts or continue northeast. The ongoing bait concentration of sand eels, squid, bunker, and herring noted in On The Water's migration map is characteristic of this transition period, when forage diversity is high and stripers feed opportunistically before settling into summer holding patterns.

Keeper fluke chewing across the South Shore bays and Peconics in mid-to-late June is consistent with typical seasonal expectations. Summer flounder move up from depth to feed on baitfish as water temperatures climb into their preferred range, and the bay systems between Fire Island and the Peconics reliably produce keeper-size fish during this window.

NY DEC's recent newsletters reflect an active regulatory season across multiple species: bluefish bag limits have been revised, scup and summer flounder seasons have opened, and black sea bass regulations have changed. Anglers should also note that NY ECO enforcement is active on the water this season. On The Water reported a recent operation on Long Island in which conservation officers seized 19 illegally taken striped bass from anglers retaining fish outside the slot size. Slot compliance is being actively monitored, and a quick review of current DEC striped bass regulations before each trip is strongly advised for anyone targeting bass at Montauk or in the Sound this summer.