Stripers Hot at Montauk as Fluke and Porgy Action Builds

What's Biting

What's Next

Water at 58°F is squarely in the prime feeding range for striped bass, and the bite should stay strong through at least mid-June as the northward migration continues. OTW Saltwater's June 2 migration report notes a baitfish buffet across Long Island Sound and confirms that post-spawn fish from the Hudson River are now active and feeding. That combination of bunker, squid, and river herring in the water column gives anglers multiple presentation options and keeps the bite window wide throughout the tidal cycle.

With a waning gibbous moon still generating strong tidal pull, the rip lines off Montauk Point should remain productive over the next several days. Multiple East End correspondents from The Fisherman (Long Island East End) pinpoint bucktails and diamond jigs as the go-to setups for working through rips, while surface poppers have been drawing strikes during calmer periods, per Star Island Yacht Club's account in the same outlet. Target the flood and outgoing tides near sunrise and in the final two hours of daylight, when bait movement and low-light conditions favor the largest fish.

Bluefish numbers are trending up. On The Water's May 28 report described them "showing in stronger numbers," and The Fisherman's East End sources echo the same, noting bluefish are "becoming more common around the Point." As June progresses and water warms toward the low 60s, expect bluefish to push into more concentrated schools. A fast-retrieved metal lure or popper covers them when they are pushing bait to the surface.

For fluke, NY DEC has opened the recreational summer flounder season, and while the action is still building, The Fisherman's West Lake Marina correspondent called it "beginning to show signs of life," particularly inside Shinnecock Inlet. A drifted bucktail or soft-bait rig in the inlet mouths and back bays is worth the effort. Expect catches to improve as inshore temperatures edge toward the low 60s in the coming weeks.

Porgies round out the card as a reliable option when wind limits access to offshore structure. Greenport to Peconic Bay is producing steady scup action per The Fisherman, and that fishery should hold through summer. NY DEC has the recreational scup season open; check current state regulations for applicable size and bag limits before keeping fish.

Context

Early June conditions off Long Island's East End are tracking close to typical for the region. Water temperatures of 58°F at the offshore buoys fall within the normal range for this time of year. Nearshore Long Island waters typically climb from the mid-50s in May to the low 60s by mid-June, with inshore bays running a few degrees warmer. Historically, this is when the spring striper push is at full stride, and the 2026 season appears to be delivering on schedule.

On The Water's seasonal reporting through late May paints a consistent picture. As of May 28, the outlet noted that "striped bass fishing is hot from New York City to Montauk," building on earlier reports of big bass and bunker pushing into western Long Island Sound in mid-May. OTW Saltwater's striper migration map from May 29 described fish "pushing north while feeding heavily on bunker, squid, and river herring," standard late-spring behavior as post-spawn fish disperse from their river spawning grounds and begin the coastal feed north.

OTW Saltwater's June 2 migration report specifically calls out a "baitfish buffet in Long Island Sound," suggesting bait concentrations are running strong this year. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) noted heading into the late-May full moon that "this May has brought us some incredible fishing" across the broader Northeast, a sentiment that lines up with what local East End sources are reporting for New York.

Bluefish arriving in stronger numbers, as On The Water noted on May 28, is also consistent with typical early-June patterns. The species follows bait schools northward and usually makes its presence felt at Montauk by late May and early June. Overall, the 2026 season appears to be tracking ahead of recent lean years for stripers, likely driven by strong bait abundance, and on par with typical June patterns for the broader multi-species mix.