Updated: Thursday, July 23, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, July 30, 2026
This New Jersey fishing report for late July finds the summer suite fully assembled. Fluke (summer flounder) on ocean structure are the lead target, as the better fish shift out of the bays onto the reefs and lumps. The mid-range tuna grounds give up both yellowfin and bluefin, and the back bays offer the usual warm-water mixed bag, with a bonus triggerfish invasion on the wrecks. The main condition to plan around is warm bay water, which pushes the quality fish to the ocean.
What’s Hitting
The better fluke sit on the Axel Carlson, Sea Girt and Shark River reefs, with fish to 8 pounds among the throwbacks. The mid-range grounds, including the Chicken Canyon, Atlantic Princess and the mudhole edges, give up yellowfin on the troll and chunk, plus bluefin on the jig early. Inside, kingfish work the surf, triggerfish crowd every piece of structure, and back-bay evenings mean small stripers and cocktail blues on the sod banks.
Where to Find Them
Fish ocean structure in 40 to 80 feet for fluke, with the biggest flatties tight to the snags. Structure breaks the current and concentrates the sand lance, squid and small baitfish that fluke ambush, so the biggest fish claim the edges where food funnels past. Tuna sit 30 to 50 miles out on the mid-range grounds, with the best action at gray light. Surf sharpies working the north-end jetties find fluke in the wash too.
Skip the bay flats; they are bathwater and mostly hold shorts.
Tides & Conditions
Tides strengthen into the full moon, and the inlets run hard, which improves the back-bay evening bass window on the outgoing. A strong outgoing pulls bait off the sod banks and out of the creek mouths, giving stripers and blues an easy meal at the edges. Ocean water temperatures in the low 70s keep the summer species settled in, and the weather windows for the mid-range run look workable most mornings.
Tackle & Tactics
- Reef fluke: heavier bucktails than the bay calls for, 2 to 4 ounces, with a Gulp grub and a teaser 18 inches up. The extra weight keeps the bucktail in contact with the bottom in deeper water and current, where fluke feed.
- Tuna: rig both the troll (small ballyhoo and spreader bars) and the jig, because the fish decide daily.
- Triggerfish: a small hook and a clam bit dropped right on the wreck; they steal everything else.
Local Intel This Week
The Manasquan River ramp at Point Pleasant, the Belmar municipal ramp and Leonardo State Marina cover the northern and central coast launches. From Point Pleasant, Manasquan Inlet is the nearby gateway to the ocean reefs, and Belmar puts you close to the Shark River reef. Fluke rules are strictly enforced at the busy ports, so measure and count before leaving the grounds. New Jersey rules apply in state waters. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
On the reefs, the trophy fluke aren’t on the open sand between snags; they’re inches from the structure. Fish braid, keep the rod high, and accept that losing a few rigs a trip is the entry fee for a doormat.
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