New Jersey Fishing Report — July 9: Reef Fluke, Bluefin

This week along the Jersey coast, July is delivering the goods. The fluke fishing has shifted into its summer ocean pattern, the mid-range tuna grounds are alive, and the surf crowd is scratching out kingfish and blues between beach crowds.

What’s Hitting

Fluke are the bread and butter, with keepers coming off the ocean reefs and lumps in 40 to 80 feet and steady action in the back bays on the moving tide. Bluefin tuna are within mid-range reach, from the Mud Hole out to the 30-fathom lumps, with mahi starting to show around the pots. Sea bass are mixed in on the structure, kingfish are in the surf wash, and blues are around the inlets.

Where to Find Them

Ocean fluke want structure — the reef sites off Sea Girt, Axel Carlson, and the Old Grounds south are all producing. In the bays, fish the channel edges of Barnegat and Great Bay on the last of the incoming. The bluefin have been on the inshore lumps early, with bird play giving them away.

Tides & Conditions

A stretch of light wind has kept the ocean drift-friendly — ideal for the reef fluke game. Water temperatures in the suds are in the low 70s, right for kingfish. Pop-up thunderstorms remain the main scheduling hazard this week.

Tackle & Tactics

Ocean fluke want a 4- to 6-ounce bucktail tipped with Gulp, worked vertically on braid. Bay fish take the lighter version of the same rig. For the bluefin, run-and-gun with poppers and stickbaits when they show on top, or troll ballyhoo and bars when they stay down. Kingfish in the surf eat bloodworm bits on small hooks.

Local Intel This Week

Leonardo State Marina serves Raritan Bay, the Belmar Marina ramp covers the Shark River and northern ocean grounds, and the Somers Point ramp is the workhorse for Great Egg Harbor. Fish are concentrating on ocean structure and the channel edges on tide. Fluke size and bag rules differ by region and change annually — check current New Jersey regulations before keeping fish.

Spots & Access This Week

The Leonardo State Marina ramp serves Raritan Bay and the Sandy Hook reef sites, with the Shark River, Manasquan, and Barnegat Bay public ramps covering the central coast reefs where the fluke have been holding. Shore anglers have the Sandy Hook beaches, the Shark River and Manasquan inlet jetties, and Island Beach State Park for bluefish and the occasional fluke on the sand. The Sea Girt, Axel Carlson, and Barnegat Light reef sites in 50 to 80 feet have been the most consistent fluke structure this week.

Fine-Tuning the Approach

Early July fluke on the ocean reefs want a bucktail worked right on the edge of the structure rather than across the sand between the pieces, so line up your drift on the plotter and stay on the reef line. A 3 to 4-ounce bucktail tipped with Gulp and a teaser above it handles the current, and a longer strip bait separates the keepers from the shorts. For the bluefish along the beach, a metal spoon or a popper with a wire leader at first light covers the schools moving along the surf, and a chunk of bunker after dark takes the larger fish at the inlets.

This Week’s Tip

On the reefs, a fluke drift that dies is a drift wasted. If the wind and tide cancel each other out, power-drift with the motor bumped in and out of gear to keep the bucktail moving — motion is what triggers the bigger flatfish.

More New Jersey Resources

New Jersey Fishing Guide · New Jersey Seasonal Calendar · All New Jersey reports →

Also read: New Jersey Fishing Report — Week of July 30, 2026: Fluke on the Reefs, Canyon Tuna

Reports updated every Thursday on fishing.digital.