Stripers Running Hot From Montauk to the Sound as Memorial Day Arrives

What's Biting

What's Next

The main obstacle heading into the holiday weekend is sea state. Both NOAA buoys reported wave heights between 4.6 and 5.6 feet Monday evening, conditions that will limit offshore and exposed-coast access through at least early in the week. Anglers should prioritize protected inlets, back bays, and harbor-mouth structure, which is also where the majority of striper and fluke action has been concentrated.

Striped bass should remain the dominant target through Memorial Day and beyond. On The Water Long Island reported as recently as May 21 that Western Long Island Sound received a fresh push of big bass and bunker, with action heating up along the North Fork and at Montauk. The First Quarter moon is producing moderate tidal swings, and multiple shops are pointing to moving tides as the critical ingredient. River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin specifically noted early mornings, moving tides, and overcast conditions as the formula for the most consistent trophy-bass shots on the South Shore. Swim shads, SP Minnows, bucktails, and bunker chunking wherever schools are stacked are the recommended presentations. Star Island Yacht Club on the East End notes the bite should improve further once water temperatures climb a few more degrees, meaning some of the best striper action may still lie ahead.

Fluke numbers should build steadily. Northport Charters on the North Shore has been logging keepers to 5 pounds, and LI Outdoorsman reports action heating up at West End Inlet and Reynolds Channel, with pink Gulp drawing an edge. The back-bay shallows, which warm faster than offshore buoy readings reflect, are the spots to watch for an early surge. A few warm, sunny days pushing water temps into the low 60s could flip the fluke bite from promising to genuinely strong.

Bluefish are spreading. J&J Sports has them on the South Shore near Patchogue's Mascot Dock, and WeGo Bait and Tackle on the North Fork is picking up scattered reports around Orient Point. The Fisherman (Northeast) framed Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial kickoff for summer fishing on Long Island, and the bluefish presence should expand rapidly across the island as water temps climb over the coming two weeks.

Sea bass season is now open, per NY DEC Saltwater Fishing and Boating, and J&J Sports and The Fisherman Long Island South Shore both report keepers on wrecks and artificial reefs south of the island, with clam or squid bait rigs and vertical jigging producing fish. With holiday boat traffic peaking this weekend, planning a mid-week wreck trip before or after the holiday should mean quieter conditions and more consistent bottom fishing.

Context

Late May on Long Island typically marks the pivot from a concentrated spring striper migration to a more dispersed summer fishery, with fluke, bluefish, and porgy all entering the picture around Memorial Day. By this point in a typical year, offshore water temps are approaching or exceeding 60°F. The current 56°F reading from both NOAA buoys is running a few degrees behind the usual pace, which explains why East End captains and shops are flagging cooler-than-average conditions as a headwind for fluke. Shallow back-bay waters warm faster than offshore buoys reflect and may already be several degrees ahead of what the instruments show, particularly in Moriches Bay, Great South Bay, and the Peconic system.

What is notably above the historical average is the striper fishing itself. The Fisherman (Northeast) described the current spring push of 20- to 30-pound fish as "the likes of which we haven't seen in many years," a meaningful assessment from a publication with deep regional data. Consistent quality-fish reports dating back through late April from On The Water Long Island and the full Fisherman Long Island franchise reinforce that picture: this has been a standout spring run, not a single-week fluke.

Porgy (scup) season is open, per NY DEC Saltwater Fishing and Boating, and reports from The Fisherman Long Island East End and North Shore show scup in characteristic late-spring form around bay structures and sandy bottom. Weakfish, a species that has been rebuilding slowly in this region after years of population pressure, are appearing as a welcome bonus in multiple reports. WeGo Bait and Tackle documents fish in the 18- to 20-inch range mixing with stripers on the North Fork, and Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle notes scattered fish inside Northport Harbor. The Rhode Island-based Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) also flagged weakfish starting to show in decent numbers this late-May window, suggesting a regional trend running across southern New England and into New York waters.

On balance, the 2026 season is shaping up as one of the stronger recent years for Long Island's saltwater fishery, with Memorial Day weekend landing at a genuinely favorable window.