Stripers to 50 pounds running Long Island as bluefish push kicks off

What's Biting

What's Next

With water temps at 56°F and a full moon peaking today, the next two to three days set up well for anyone targeting stripers. Full moon tidal swings push bait hard through inlets and rip lines, and multiple sources confirm that big bass are dialed into those feeding windows right now. The Fisherman's East End correspondent specifically calls out flood tide rips at Montauk Point for fish to 50 pounds. Expect those rips to fire hardest during the first two hours of the incoming tide over the next couple of days. Glide baits, SP Minnows, and Mag Darters are all producing per The Fisherman's Long Island Surf reports, while bucktails and swim shads are the ticket at Shinnecock and Moriches inlets per J&J Sports coverage in The Fisherman.

Bluefish should intensify over the coming week. The South Shore and East End reports both confirm the first meaningful wave of blues in local bays and harbors, and On The Water — New York / Long Island noted stronger numbers as of May 28. Once water temps begin nudging past 60°F, which is typical for early June in this region, expect bluefish to spread into more areas and feed more aggressively throughout the water column. Small metals, poppers, and chunked bunker are solid starting points.

Fluke anglers need patience, but there are fish to be found. The King Cod VII out of Captree has been running far back into the bays where water warms fastest, with pool fish consistently in the 5.5- to 7-pound range per The Fisherman's South Shore report. The State Channel and the Moses Bridge-to-inlet stretch are worth working on an incoming tide. As temperatures climb through June, the feeding window should lengthen considerably.

Weakfish are quietly building as a legitimate target. The Fisherman's South Shore and surf correspondents both report a good push near Ocean Beach and through South Shore inlets, with fish to 24 inches on soft plastics. Shad patterns and pink-tailed paddle tails have been drawing strikes, and evening tides around bridge pilings and drawbridge structures are the prime timing window to target them.

Context

Late May is historically the peak of the spring striper migration on Long Island, and 2026 appears to be tracking that timeline with unusual intensity. The Fisherman (Northeast) noted as of May 28 that the current push of 20- to 30-pound fish is "the likes of which we haven't seen in many years," with fish approaching the 50-pound barrier in western Long Island Sound, a benchmark that defines an exceptional late-May striper season in this region. Reports of 50-pound-class fish at Montauk, a 46-pounder from the Triangle per The Fisherman's North Shore report, and fish to 40 pounds from the South Shore bays all reinforce that this is an above-average spring run by any measure.

The bluefish arrival aligns with typical seasonal timing. Blues traditionally begin showing in Long Island's South Shore bays and inlets in late May, following the bunker schools that have been drawing stripers all month. Their current appearance is on schedule, with On The Water's May 21 report documenting their arrival first in southern New England before spreading into Long Island waters.

Fluke season is running slightly cold. Water temperatures at 56°F are on the cool side for peak summer flounder activity; flatties typically feed most aggressively as bottom temps push toward 60°F. The back-bay bite described by The Fisherman's South Shore correspondents, far up in the bays away from colder inlet and ocean influence, is the historically reliable play when outer temperatures lag. Expect improving conditions through June as the season progresses.

Weakfish deserve attention this season. Multiple South Shore and surf reports document fish to 24 inches in inlet areas, consistent with the broader regional pattern that Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) flagged: weakfish starting to show in decent numbers across the Northeast. This species had seen reduced catches in recent years, making a consistent early-June presence in Long Island inlets a positive indicator worth watching as the season develops.