North Shore Fishing Reports
Captain Stu of Northport charters in Northport reports “A Big body of Stripers just moved in on June full moon & still chewing hard! Limiting out on most trips and blues are now starting to show in LI Sound. Lots of sand eels, bunker and mackerel are in our area now! Last couple of Striper trips whole mackerel were in their belly! Fluke fishing is still improving weekly but have to get thru lots of shorts to get a keeper. Call or text 631-707-3266 to get in on the action or go to www.Northportcharters.com”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) in the eastern sound reports “Fish were pretty picky, there are alot of small fish popping on the surface. Nonetheless, there are a few good fish mixed in if you put in the work. The larger fish seemed to be glued to the bottom, a purple game on soft plastic straight tail is key! I think it’s still a sandeel feed, but I’m sure those big girls could be gobbling up those shad too.”
Tom Truehart (@northshoretommy) in the eastern sound reports “The mid-June bass bite has been outstanding. I’m starting to wonder what they won’t eat at this point. From topwater spooks to flutter spoons, diamond jigs, and live bait—they seem to crush it all. This past weekend, the northeast wind kept me off the water, but Friday night I was able to get out with my girlfriend, and it was one striped bass after the next. Anytime I’m out with a moving tide, working ledge, you’ll see them blowing up on top, especially around sunrise and sunset. There have been some slower days this past week, during that time live bunker seems to be the trick; they just can’t resist them. Out in the deeper parts of the Sound, you’ll see some bunker schools where the big blues have been hanging out. Once again, those topwater spooks seem to pull in the gator blues as well. Excited to see how the rest of June plays out, looking forward to it.”
Dave Flanagan (@northislandfly) in the eastern sound reports “It seems like we are in a never ending spring pattern. Cold temperatures, hardly any southerly breezes and really, really good bass fishing! The Long Island Sound continues to pump out some absolutely beautiful Striped Bass, basically from the Throgs Neck all the way out to Orient. Waves of bass have been pushing further east with each passing moon. Locally, you can find fish in just about any situation you could want. Fish feeding on sand eels in 2-50’ of water, pods of bunker with some fish trailing them, lots of good fishing in the boulder fields with some moving water and of course, the highlight is the big bass bite on the deepwater reefs. Time it right and you will be in for a treat. Sonars loaded with fish and then the magic happens, big fish pushing up big baits like bunker, hickory shad, butterfish and even a few squid. I’ve been lucky enough to stay on the bite consistently and get my clients into some quality catches. Dan Fry boated this behemoth at 45” on the fly early Tuesday morning, along with 4 other fish in the 15-20lb class. Look for the new moon to bring in another wave of fish and expect some seriously good fishing to come with it! The heat wave coming up should also get those big bluefish going again, so get your bite tippet and wire leaders ready. As a side note, the fluke fishing remains hot along all the sandy shoals and beaches and you might even run into some tide runners. My calendar is full for the month of June, but I have some availability starting in the second week of July. I really expect July to be one of the best in recent memory.”
Dan Fry (@danielflyfishing) in the eastern sound reports “Late last week I focused on dialing in a few areas where I’d had success the previous week. Most of the bass I caught were in the 32 in to 36-in range, and they were a little bit pickier than the preceding moon period. Early Friday morning I ran into some charged up blues in the mix, and then more and more boats as the morning went on. I took the weekend off to avoid boat traffic and adverse conditions. On Tuesday I went out with Dave Flanagan, I had booked the trip back in January. You never know what you’re going to be faced with that far in advance, and we had some East winds and some swells but the conditions were manageable. That’s the great thing about going out with a guide, you don’t have to worry about the boat, and you know you will be in the highest probability scenario. I totally would have stayed at the dock on Tuesday if I was fishing by myself. Dave took us to a productive area and we immediately got into breaking fish. They were charged up, and luckily I had brought my TFO BC Big Fly 12wt, 500 grain sinking line, and the Biggie Hollow I’ve been tying on joke-sized BKK swimbait hooks. The fish were mostly in that 36-in class range, with one small schoolie in the mix (think he was lost). And then something special happened, I hooked into something big, managed to bring it to the boat quickly, and Dave measured it out at 45”. We snapped a quick pic and then gave her a good revival and off she swam. We had a few more fish after that, hit the sand eel bite on the way back, and then I drove home and took a huge nap haha. I’m taking the next couple days off for the 100-hour service and some family time. Looking forward to getting the kids out soon once school is over, I’ve been checking on that local slow pitch jig bite but it hasn’t really taken off yet.”
Captain Joe Diorio of Joe Diorio Guide Service (@joe.diorio.guide.service) in the eastern sound reports “Fishing has been locked and loaded lately. Lots of stripers ranging from 35 to 42 inches, with fish up to 49 inches. There has been steady topwater action all week long, which has kept us busy. Our top producer has been the Joe Baggs Skipper in 8.5 inches. When we are fishing, the bottom, a 3 way’d bucktails had been a great producer for us. I only anticipate the fishing to continue to get better with the warmer weather moving in. Contact Joe to book your trips!”
Christian Bellomo (@cjb_fishing_longisland) in the western sound reports “We are experiencing one of the last pushes of migratory fish moving east. As we see the blue fish moving in on the bunker schools it’s been tougher to live line bass, that said the chunk bite has turned on. I have been fishing the outgoing tides on the chunks catching anything 30-45” inch fish. Additionally, at night these fish are very active as they feed and bulk up before heading east. The artificial bite has been very intermittent. We are still seeing blitzes but nothing like we had a week ago.”
Mark at Cow Harbor reports “Spot are catching beautiful fluke, the crew from the shop went out and crushed fluke and bass. The guys on the beach are having a tough time, the east wind has muddled up the water. There is a ton of seaweed, the fish are there but they are tough. There are bass from oyster bay to stony brook podded up, the bluefish we have are anywhere from 6-10 pounds and over with some giants mixed in! The bluefish are in the channel finning, the porgy bite has been super slow lately. We’re hoping it picks up. Spot lock is out fishing guys on the anchor, these challenging winds have made anchoring tough. Call 631-239-1631 for reel repair, rod repair, and any tackle needs. Visit us at 81 W Fort Salonga Rd, Northport, 11731! https://cowharbortackle.com/
South Shore Fishing Reports
Derek (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) in eastern Long Island reports “After multiple bassless sessions, I returned to the fluke grounds. There were a lot more small fish in the mix, but I still had some quality fish with some spike weaks to keep it interesting.”
Wulber Alberto Ruiz (@the_striper_hunt) on the South Shore reports “The bite is picking up coming off the full moon, although it was very tough some days, now they’re hitting big topwater spooks and big metal lips off the surf.”
Brandon Sausele (@bsausele42) in Montauk reports “The surf in Montauk continues to be a grind, as the main body of fish is sitting just out of casting range even for those wetsuiting the outer rocks. Along with those fish sitting off, I’m hearing there’s every kind of bait you can imagine, but as far as in the surf, the most I’m seeing is some anchovies. With that being said, the most action to speak of has really only been the blues ranging from 8-15 lbs scattered across the south side and north side with a shot of bass after dark. I had a couple nights this past week with a pick of bass into the teens on super strike needlefish plugs. Tide has seemed arbitrary, only finding action when I was able to find some bait.”
Nick Cherkas (@surfcasting_the_Island) from the western South Shore reports “With less fish came quality fish. Multiple reports have come in from dependable sources of fish in the high 30s to over 40 lbs. While areas have been producing around the same amount of fish numbers-wise per outing, I’ve stuck to unconventional methods in more low key areas. I use the term “unconventional” loosely since chunking is more of a “lost art” that most people shy away from. On that note, it was safe to say that the strawberry moon allowed me to dissect a specific area I’ve always wanted to figure out and crack the code on that magical window.”
Amanda Jensen (@lady.osprey) on the South Shore reports “This whole spring, bucktails have been my go-to lure—they’ve been particularly effective in fast moving water. Inlets have been the sweet spot, and the incoming tide has outperformed the outgoing by a mile, producing the bulk of my fish. The bluefish blitzes have been nothing short of electric—producing their famous non-stop rod bending action and amid the chaos some quality striped bass have also made impressive appearances. It’s been a thrilling mix of quality and quantity, and timing the tide just right has made all the difference. Overall, it’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting spring runs I’ve ever had!”
The Ebb Tide in Montauk reports “Fluke fishing has been off the charts lately, there are big fish and a lot of em. This week Mr SI slammed a 13 pound monster fluke! Bass fishing has been crazy, the jumbos are here and they are eating eels! On jigs blues and porgies are flying over the rail.”
Nick at Whitewater Outfitters in the Hamptons reports “Striped bass has been slow locally, there are fish around but it’s not red hot. Fluke fishing in the bay has been on fire, it’s on the upswing. There have been double digits landed and a bunch in the 5+ range. Montauk has great bass and fluke fishing, no sign of tuna yet. They should show any day now.”
Steve at Wego Fishing in Southold reports “It’s been so foggy that the bass can’t see the bucktail! The weather has been horrible but fishing is still good, bass fishing in the gut is as good as it gets, fish are in the race as well. Porgies and fluke are still hot, weakfish got better in the last week. Loads of 3-5 pound weakfish are in the area. The best way to catch them is with a high-low rig and squid strips. There are a few blues mixed in with the bass in the gut and race. There are also a few seals around, be careful when reeling in fish! There are plenty of butterfish and threadfin herring mixed in. The water is 65 to 66 degrees which is still good for a bite. There is a hot fluke bite off Mattituck as well! Bucktails in 20-30 feet of water anywhere from ¾ to 1 ounce bucktail work great! Fluking in Peconic is a pic. It’s been tough.”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) of Chasing Tails Tackle Shop in Oakdale reports “Fluke reports are coming in hot this week. Lots of big fish made their way into our local waters, fish well over ten pounds have been caught every day. Our shop fluke rigs have been putting in work, as usual. Fish light, and fish bright! Same goes for all of the beautiful weakfish coming through this week. Small soft plastics on light rods are key to a good weak trip. Bluefish are all over the bay in pretty much every size, as many as you want, and even more than that. They are all over top water poppers and spooks, crushing SPs and bucktails, and ripping soft plastics to shreds. To shreds you say? Bass reports are coming in mostly at night, but the bite is still on. Quality fish can still be found if you know where and when to look. The North Shore is still very active, and worth the trip. Give North Island Fly a shout if you need a captain that knows what he’s doing up there. Soft plastic swimbaits like the Stack Tackle Tail Clapper have been getting munched hard. Darters and bucktails continue to excel.
Now is the time to get after it if you’re into a top water bite in the local lakes. Bass and pickerel are looking up and crashing hard on poppers, spooks, and frogs. Early in the morning or just before sunset are your best times. If you want to go midday, slow it down with a senko or jig. Schooled up panfish like bluegills and yellow perch are going to be in every lake around. They are easily caught with a worm and bobber rig, or you can get fancy and throw small in-line spinners and soft plastic jigs. For the trout, hatches are happening early morning and at night, match it up with the closest thing in your box and give it a try. Terrestrials like beetles and spiders are getting smacked up too! Be mindful of the water temperatures as the outside temperatures start to increase.”
Captain Tim O’Rourke (@mtkpointflyfishing) in Montauk reports “Still plenty of large bass around, bluefish of all sizes have moved in pretty thick so it’s making getting down to the bass a bit more challenging, but the fishing quality is still really good. Hopefully over the next week or so we’ll start looking for some tuna and try to get a report in.”
Alfred Allen (@surfcaster11) in the mid-sound reports “Monday and Tuesday, I fished “pre”-first light on the backside of Moriches Inlet. Mostly small blues and a couple of small bass around. An occasional “tank” bluefish can surprise you if you’re not ready!”
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New York City
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reported: “Another solid week of fishing aboard both boats! Some days were obviously better than others but we are putting anywhere between 15 and 40 keepers on deck each trip. As the water continues to warm, the bite should continue to heat up! This week we checked out a few new areas and had fish to 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Call/text (516) 659-3814 for info and reservations, which are required.”
Captain Arthur Cortes of Cortes Outfitters in NYC reports “Fishing has picked up in the past week with the most recent moon, there are even more schoolies and larger fish moving in at night. Additionally there are tons of anchovies and bluefish. The skinny and shallow water has exploded this past week. The rebel jumpin’ minnow is the HOT plug, as far as flies… small poppers and crabs are the ticket! Call or text to get in on the action or go to cortesoutfitters.com to book a trip today.
The Author’s Experience
Over the last week I’ve focused my fishing efforts on the edge of NYC in the Western Sound. On Sunday afternoon, an east wind swept across the Sound which created wind against the outgoing tide. This creates less than ideal conditions when attempting to fish current seams and rip lines. That said, I stuck it out and hammered the surface with a small spook until a willing 20-pound fish annihilated my plug boatside. The fish didn’t even boil on the plug — it absolutely caught me off guard close to the boat, spraying water in my face. Nonetheless, fishing has been solid!
Toward the middle of the week, I was able to get out and find some bass hugging bottom in 30-45 feet. My buddy Andrew was also fishing this school in his boat—admittedly, he put me to shame! Andrew womped on a few fish to 36 pounds on the flutter spoon while I was scratching my head trying to get fish to commit to flies, flutters, and plastics. In the mix we had a few bluefish pushing 10 pounds.
Fast forward to June 17th, Andrew Bernat (@tactical-bassin26) and I went out on his boat for a post-work session. We smashed a few big fish on flutter spoons, snap jigs, and live bunker. Fighting fish vertically in 30-45 feet of water really zaps the energy right out of you! The fish below slammed the flutter spoon and worked me for a few minutes before finally being wrangled into the boat.
Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
We’ve been riding a high the past couple weeks, with big stripers, quality fluke, and even some chunky weakfish keeping rods bent from the back bays to the boulder fields. But heads up—things are about to get steamy. Starting this weekend and carrying into next week, we’re looking at daytime temps pushing into the upper 80s and low 90s. That kind of heat isn’t just uncomfortable—it slows the bite, especially in skinny water during the day.
That said, the fishing is still solid—just expect to work a little smarter to stay in the game. Your best shot at bass is early and late. Low light and moving water are key. Spooks, flutter spoons, and live bunker continue to get crushed in 30-45 feet, especially in the Western Sound where guys like Andrew and Dave have been finding big bass stacked on the sonar. Bluefish are in the mix too, especially around the bunker schools, and they’re big enough to keep things spicy. Surfcasters are still picking away at quality fish at night, with swimming plugs and topwater doing damage when bait’s around.
If you’re looking for a steadier daytime bite, it’s a good time to pivot to fluke and porgies. The fluke grounds are lighting up, with everything from shorties to legit doormats showing up. The crew at Ebb Tide saw a 13-pounder come over the rail this week. I’ve been throwing Z-Man Scented Jerk Shadz and 5” Gulp grubs on Spro jigs from ½ to 3 ounces depending on current—and it’s been fun getting back to the roots, hopping jigs and grinding 12-hours for bites like it’s summer break again.
Weakfish are also showing up stronger, with 3- to 5-pounders falling for squid strips on high-low rigs, especially in the Peconic and the Gut. If you’re lucky, you’ll find them mixed with bass or even blitzing blues. Fluking has been good from the bays out to the ocean shoals, and porgy fishing is worth a look when you need a reliable bend in the rod. Just be ready to contend with seaweed and some tough drifts when the wind opposes the tide.
Looking ahead, the new moon tides will start building midweek, which could fire up the bass bite again offshore and around the reefs—especially if the wind lays down and the water stays clean. Just keep your eyes on water temps: we’re hovering around 65–66°F, which is still prime, but it won’t last forever if the heat holds.
Bottom line—plan around the heat, get out early or stay late, and don’t be afraid to switch gears. Whether you’re hunting cows on the flutter spoon or bouncing bucktails for fluke, there’s plenty of action to be had if you play it right.