Long Island fishing report for the week of September 24, 2026. Late September on Long Island means albies, and they are here in good numbers. The water is starting to cool, the peanut bunker and bay anchovies are streaming out of the bays, and the fall run is building. With the full moon on Saturday, the inlets are going to be moving a lot of water.
What’s Hitting
What’s hot this week is false albacore at the South Shore inlets and along the beaches. Striped bass are building on both shores and in the Sound, feeding on peanut bunker and mullet. Bluefish are mixed in with the bass, and porgies are thick on the reefs and rock piles in the Sound. Weakfish are showing up in the bays, and blackfish anglers are getting ready for the fall season.
Where to Find Them
Albies are at Jones Inlet, Fire Island Inlet, and Shinnecock Inlet, and along the ocean beaches. Stripers and blues are along the South Shore beaches, at the inlets, and in the Sound off the North Shore points. Porgies are on the reefs and rock piles off Port Jefferson, Mount Sinai, and Orient Point.
Tides & Conditions
The full moon on Saturday means strong tides at the inlets. The albie bite has been best on the moving water, especially the outgoing. Water temperatures are in the upper 60s and falling. Watch for fall northeast winds.
Tackle & Tactics
For albies, cast small metal jigs, epoxy jigs, or flies into the breaking fish and retrieve fast. Use a light spinning rod and 10- to 15-pound fluorocarbon leader. For stripers and blues, cast plugs, soft plastics, or bucktails. For porgies, a two-hook bottom rig with clams or squid.
Blackfish season on the Sound opens in the fall, so this is a good time to get green crabs lined up and check your rigs. Meanwhile, the South Shore bays are holding weakfish and small stripers at night around the bridges and lit docks. A small white soft plastic drifted with the tide under the lights has been the go-to presentation.
Local Intel This Week
Robert Moses State Park provides access to the Fire Island Inlet, and the Shinnecock Inlet jetties are a popular spot. Captree State Park has fishing piers and a boat basin. On the North Shore, the Port Jefferson and Mount Sinai harbors provide access to the Sound. Fish are concentrating at the inlets and along the beaches. Check current New York State DEC marine regulations, size limits, and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
Albies have excellent eyesight. Use a light fluorocarbon leader and a small, natural-looking lure to fool them. Match the size of the bait they are feeding on.
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