New Jersey fishing report for the week of September 10, 2026. I edited the New Jersey reports at The Fisherman for years, and this is the week the fall run always started to feel real. The albies have shown up along the beaches and around the inlets, bluefish are on the peanut bunker, the fluke season is in its last days, and the first schoolie stripers are moving in Raritan Bay. September in New Jersey is all about being in the right place when the bait moves.
What’s Hitting
What’s hitting this week is false albacore along the beach and around the inlets. Manasquan, Shark River, Barnegat, and the Cape May rips have all had albies this week, with the fish feeding on peanut bunker and rainfish. Bluefish from 2 to 8 pounds are mixed in and blitzing on the beaches from Sandy Hook to Island Beach. Fluke are still in the ocean on the lumps and reefs in 40 to 70 feet, and the season is closing soon, so this is the last call. Striped bass are showing in Raritan Bay and around Sandy Hook on the bunker, mostly schoolies with some keepers. Sea bass are on the reef sites and wrecks.
Offshore, the canyons have yellowfin, some bigeye, and mahi, and the inshore lumps have had bonito and Spanish mackerel.
Where to Find Them
For albies, the inlets at Manasquan, Shark River, and Barnegat on the incoming tide, and the beaches just outside them. The Cape May rips have been the most consistent for boat anglers. Bluefish are on the beaches wherever the bunker is — Sandy Hook, Sea Bright, Island Beach State Park. Fluke are on the Sea Girt Reef, the Axel Carlson Reef, and the lumps off Barnegat in 40 to 70 feet. Stripers are around Sandy Hook and in Raritan Bay near the channels at dawn.
Tides & Conditions
The new moon this weekend brings strong tides through the inlets, which helps the albies feed and pushes bait along the beach. Winds have been northeast at 10 to 15 with some rough surf days, and the ocean is in the low 70s. The northeast wind has stacked bait against the beaches, which has been good for surf anglers. Seas have been 3 to 5 feet offshore.
Tackle & Tactics
For albies, a light spinning outfit with 15-pound braid, 20-pound fluorocarbon, and small metals like Deadly Dicks or epoxy jigs, retrieved as fast as you can. For bluefish, metal-lipped swimmers, poppers, and cut bunker on a wire leader. Fluke want a bucktail tipped with Gulp or a strip of squid on a 3 to 6-ounce rig on the deeper lumps. Stripers in the bay are taking topwater plugs at dawn and live bunker on a circle hook.
Local Intel This Week
Public ramps: the Leonardo State Marina ramp on Raritan Bay, the Belmar Marina ramp on Shark River, and the Barnegat Light ramp are the busiest state-run launches this week. Island Beach State Park has a bay-side ramp and excellent surf access. Shore anglers have been catching albies and blues from the Manasquan Inlet jetties and the Sandy Hook beaches. Fish are concentrating at the inlets on the incoming tide and on the beaches wherever the bunker is stacked. Check current New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife regulations before keeping fish — fluke and sea bass seasons and limits are strict, and striped bass have a slot limit and require a free bonus tag for the extra fish.
This Week’s Tip
Albies at the inlets follow the bait in on the incoming tide, and they feed in the current seams where the inlet meets the ocean. Fish the seam, not the middle of the channel. Cast across the seam and retrieve through it fast, and be ready — the fish will be there for ten minutes and then gone.
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