Montauk striper bite peaks as bluefish arrive and yellowfin hit the docks

What's biting

What's next

With the First Quarter moon overhead, tidal movement builds toward the half-moon phase over the coming days, a window that typically cranks up rip current activity and bait-stacking along Montauk Point. Striped bass should remain the dominant story through the weekend. On The Water — New York / Long Island reports the bite is keying heavily on squid and sand eels at the Point; work bucktails and jigs through the rips at dusk and dawn, or rig live eels for the overnight shift when larger fish tend to roam.

Bluefish arrived in force at Montauk this week per The Fisherman — Long Island East End, and expect their presence to expand westward along the South Shore as summer temperatures settle in. Early morning topwater offerings or fast-retrieved metal lures will draw strikes as blues push bunker pods inshore.

The fluke picture is showing its first real signs of improvement. The Fisherman (Northeast) flagged the first doormat summer flounder arriving from Nantucket Shoals and noted catch increases in Long Island Sound at Port Jefferson and Northport, a trend that should continue into the coming weekend. On The Water — New York / Long Island confirmed keeper fluke are already chewing in the South Shore bays and the Peconics. The Fisherman (Northeast) also reported a 7.3-pound weakfish from Great South Bay, a welcome surprise for bay anglers worth targeting on the inside. Plan drifts over sand and shell bottom with live killifish, squid strips, or soft plastics; with the summer flounder season open per NY DEC Saltwater Fishing and Boating, conditions are trending in the right direction.

Sea bass fishing is gaining momentum across multiple East End marinas per The Fisherman — Long Island East End, and reef and hard-bottom structure around the Point should only improve through the end of June. Porgies (scup) are also starting to spread around Montauk, adding to the bottom-fishing options now that the scup season is open.

Offshore, the arrival of the first yellowfin tuna from the canyons, confirmed through The Fisherman — Long Island East End, is the signal the offshore fleet has been waiting for. Weekend canyon runs could produce action for boats rigged for pelagics. On The Water also highlights giant bluefin tuna as a realistic option within sight of New York City right now, representing a genuine bucket-list window for offshore-ready boats. Plan around dawn and dusk tide exchanges for the bass bite, especially where current rips over structure at the Point; bluefish and porgies can fill the midday hours.

Context

By late June, Long Island's saltwater calendar is in full transition from the spring migration push to summer holding patterns. Striped bass typically see their peak concentration around Montauk from late May through early July before the largest fish scatter to deeper summer grounds, and this year that window is very much on schedule, arguably running strong.

The quality of the current bass fishery stands out. The Fisherman (Northeast) has described the assault of stripers as continuing its reign across the Northeast, with big fish turning up at multiple hot spots from the Vineyard to Newport and Montauk. The sustained presence of fish to 50 pounds on both boat and shore, as reported by The Fisherman (Northeast), is a strong showing by any measure for this time of year. The Fisherman — Long Island East End's reporting from multiple Montauk-area marinas paints a consistent picture: bait concentrations of squid, sand eels, and bunker are holding fish at the Point longer than a typical early-summer dispersal pattern would suggest.

Fluke is the caveat. "Slow to start and painfully inconsistent" is how The Fisherman (Northeast) characterized the summer flounder season so far, matching a calendar running a few beats behind expectations. The appearance of doormat-class fish from Nantucket Shoals and improving numbers in LIS this week may mark the inflection point, but the flatfish picture has been playing catch-up relative to a normal June.

The yellowfin tuna showing at the Montauk docks aligns with typical late-June timing, when Gulf Stream water intrusions push pelagic species within reach of the offshore fleet. Bluefish arriving at the Point is likewise on the normal June schedule, with intensity usually building through July. NY DEC Saltwater Fishing and Boating has updated several regulations for the 2026 season, including changes to the bluefish bag limit and the opening of summer flounder and scup seasons. Verify current NY DEC Saltwater Fishing and Boating guidelines before any outing, as limits and rules can update mid-season.