Montauk stripers at peak form as offshore canyons ignite with tuna action

What's biting

What's next

With the Full Moon peaking today, tidal movement is at its strongest, and the next 24 to 48 hours represent the prime window for inlet and rip fishing across Long Island. White Water Outfitters reports Shinnecock Inlet producing reliably on the incoming tide in the mornings and after dark. Bucktails and swim shads are leading the way at the inlet itself, with eels a strong backup option when wind conditions cooperate. Plan around these tidal windows rather than fishing the full day.

As 71°F water temperatures push stripers toward their summer holding grounds along the oceanfront, the Montauk Point concentration looks likely to persist and potentially intensify through the holiday weekend. The Saltwater Edge's June Full Moon forecast notes that the second half of June typically moves bass to deeper, cooler oceanfront structure, and current East End reports confirm that transition is well underway. Squid remain the primary trigger at the rips, while bunker chunks and live spot are accounting for fish at South Shore inlets per Dick's Bait and Tackle in Mastic Beach. Sand eels and squid were also key at Montauk, per On The Water's June 25 report.

Fluke should continue gaining ground through the weekend. The West End fleet out of Freeport, including Sea Rogue Charters and the Super Hawk, is beginning to see keeper flatties in the ocean, which signals the outer-bay and open-water bite is opening up. Bucktail rigs tipped with squid and spearing, or Berkley Gulp on a Spro Bucktail, are the most consistent producers. The North Shore stretch between Crab Meadow Beach and Smithtown Bay remains the current hot spot for quality fish on the keeper side.

Offshore, the canyons at West Atlantis are the week's headline target. Multiple East End marina and club reports cite yellowfin to 90 pounds, bluefin, bigeye, and swordfish already in the mix. The 2.3-foot wave heights recorded at NOAA buoy 44025 indicate manageable offshore conditions, though check a current marine forecast before committing to a canyon run. As July approaches and warmer Gulf Stream water pushes the bait edge northward, the offshore bite should only deepen.

Porgy and sea bass remain solid backup options for shorter trips. Sea bass are producing on South Shore reefs and the Pocketbook grounds south of Montauk per multiple East End sources. NY DEC has announced recent regulatory changes for black sea bass and scup, so confirm current size and bag limits before heading out.

Context

Late June is the traditional inflection point for Long Island's saltwater fishery, and 2026 is tracking squarely within historical norms. The Saltwater Edge's June Full Moon forecast frames the pattern well: June is typically a month of two distinct halves, with the first half an extension of spring and the second half the beginning of summer, when fish move to their established warm-weather locations. That shift is clearly visible in this week's reports. Stripers that were dispersed through Long Island Sound in mid-June are now concentrating around Montauk Point and the East End rips, which is the classic late-June transition toward cooler oceanfront structure.

On The Water's June 25 report noted stripers sliding east in the Sound, a movement that typically precedes the strong Montauk Point concentration that defines late June and early July. The presence of overslot bass reaching 45 inches at multiple South Shore and North Shore reporting stations, combined with dominant squid and bunker bait profiles, aligns closely with typical early-summer conditions.

The fluke fishery is developing on the expected arc. NY DEC noted the opening of recreational summer flounder season, and reports from the West End to the North Shore reflect the standard bay-first, ocean-second progression: quality keepers emerging from the bays and harbors, with ocean fish just beginning to show for the Freeport charter fleet. This is normal late-June behavior, and the 71°F water readings appear to be accelerating the movement compared to cooler-starting seasons.

Offshore, canyon action at West Atlantis with yellowfin tuna to 90 pounds and bigeye mixed in is consistent with late-June timing for the New York Bight. Canyon runs typically begin producing reliably in the final week of June as Gulf Stream water presses the bait edge northward. The addition of bigeye and swordfish in current reports suggests the offshore grounds are performing at or above the typical seasonal pace.

One notable item on the margins: a hammerhead shark was landed off Moriches Inlet on June 28 by anglers live-lining bunker on bass gear, per On The Water. Warm-water sharks are a regular presence along the South Shore in late summer, but a hammerhead encounter this early in the season is a timely reminder that bait-rich inshore waters draw large predators into the mix alongside the stripers.