Striper Migration Map - June 26, 2026

Bigger bass are concentrating around sand eels, squid, bunker, and herring as the spring run transitions into summer patterns.

Striper Migration Map June 26, 2026

With the spring run winding down, and the bass settling into their summering grounds, this is our final Striper Migration Map of 2026. The weekend’s full moon should move around some stripers, with another wave of fish expected to move into areas like Cape Cod, Boston Harbor, and Block Island. After that, striper fishermen will be left to learn the summer routines of their resident fish until the cold winds and shortening days of fall drive them back south.

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Maryland/Chesapeake Bay Striper Fishing Report

Schoolie sized bass are moving around Chesapeake Bay and Ocean City Inlet, with activity highest early and late in the day.

 

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New Jersey Striper Fishing Report

A good number of resident fish are feeding in New Jersey’s bays, rivers, and beaches. Fish are focused on small baitfish and crustaceans, especially mole crabs (sand fleas, sand bugs) which have been the most productive bait in the surf over the past week.

New York Striper Report

Go east!  The bulk of the bass have moved East in both the Sound and along the South Shore, where they are grouping up and feeding hard.

 

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Connecticut/Rhode Island Striper Report

Bunker in the Sound are keeping stripers happy in Connecticut, while the ocean front in Rhode Island is producing, as is Block Island. The cool, bit rich waters will keep the stripers here fat and happy for the next couple months.

 

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Cape Cod/Massachusetts Striper Report

Finally, word of some bunker inshore in the Bay State. If bunker settle in for the summer, expect bass to hang close to them. For now, most of the fish are chasing bait over deep water, but they’ll move in and out throughout the summer, driven by baitfish and water temperature. The full moon could bring one last push through Cape Cod from Rhode Island and Buzzards Bay, and as waters warm in Vineyard and Nantucket sounds, look for more fish to move toward Monomoy and along the backside beaches.

 

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New Hampshire/Maine Striper Report

More bass have moved into Vacationland, joining the schools that began arriving in May. While the rivers are still holding fish, as the waters warm and the herring run dwindles, bass will continue to spread along the ocean fronts of New Hampshire and Maine.

 

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The On The Water staff is made up of experienced anglers from across the Northeast who fish local waters year-round. The team brings firsthand, on-the-water experience and regional knowledge to coverage of Northeast fisheries, techniques, seasonal patterns, regulations, and conservation.

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