Surf and beach fishing

Fishing Forecast

A Long Island beach fishing guide that blends local seasonal patterns with NOAA tides, NOAA water temperature when available, and NWS weather.

What Should I Target Now? Species Guide

Right now

What looks fishy today?

Pick a beach and we will score likely targets from the current season, time, tide stage, weather, and water temperature where the station reports it.

Beach

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Beach-by-beach

What fish show up where?

South Shore

Sore Thumb / Robert Moses

Tide-sensitive access. Focus on moving water, outer bars, troughs, bait pods, and low-light striper windows.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Weakfish Kingfish / Northern Kingfish

South Shore

Democrat Point

Inlet water can be excellent for bass, bluefish, fluke, and structure-oriented fish when current is manageable.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Weakfish Tautog / Blackfish

South Shore

Gilgo / Jones Beach Area

Classic open-surf setup: read bars, cuts, troughs, sweep, and bait movement.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Kingfish / Northern Kingfish

South Shore

Smith Point

Oceanfront and inlet-adjacent water produce different bites. Watch beach closures and current.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Weakfish Kingfish / Northern Kingfish

South Shore

Cupsogue / Moriches Inlet

Excellent mixed habitat: surf, inlet, bay edges, and structure. Moving water is usually the main ingredient.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Weakfish Tautog / Blackfish Kingfish / Northern Kingfish

South Fork

Shinnecock East

Inlet and ocean access can line up for bass, bluefish, fluke, weakfish, and structure fish.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Weakfish Tautog / Blackfish Black Sea Bass Kingfish / Northern Kingfish

South Fork

Southampton Trustee Ocean Beaches

Open beach fishing rewards reading the wash: cuts, bowls, bars, bait, birds, and sweep.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Kingfish / Northern Kingfish

East End

Hither Hills / Napeague

East End surf can shine during migrations, especially with bait and clean moving water.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Kingfish / Northern Kingfish

East End

Montauk County Park

Rock, point, and structure influence makes this a different game than open sand.

Striped Bass Bluefish Fluke / Summer Flounder Tautog / Blackfish Black Sea Bass

North Fork / Sound

Riverhead Sound Beaches

Sound beaches are good for porgy, bass, bluefish, and structure-oriented fishing where access allows.

Striped Bass Bluefish Scup / Porgy Tautog / Blackfish Winter Flounder

North Fork / East End

Cedar Point / Orient Point

Current, rocks, and Sound-side habitat make this better for structure and bottom species.

Striped Bass Bluefish Scup / Porgy Tautog / Blackfish Black Sea Bass Winter Flounder

Species guide

Season, temperature, time, and bait.

Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov

Striped Bass

Prime surf target around inlets, cuts, bars, bunker schools, and moving water.

Best water temp: 50-68 F
Time of day: Dawn, Dusk, Night
Tide: Incoming, Outgoing
Common baits: bucktails, swimmers, poppers, diamond jigs, bunker, clam, eel at night

May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

Bluefish

Aggressive spring through fall predator that can show up anywhere bait is getting pushed.

Best water temp: 55-72 F
Time of day: Dawn, Day, Dusk
Tide: Incoming, Outgoing
Common baits: poppers, metal lips, diamond jigs, spoons, bunker chunks

May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Fluke / Summer Flounder

Best around sandy bottom, edges, channels, and inlet drift lanes during warmer months.

Best water temp: 58-76 F
Time of day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
Tide: Incoming, Outgoing
Common baits: bucktails, Gulp, spearing, squid strips, killies

May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Weakfish

Low-light bay and inlet target, especially around bait, current seams, and soft plastics.

Best water temp: 58-74 F
Time of day: Dawn, Dusk, Night
Tide: Incoming, Outgoing
Common baits: soft plastics, bucktails, spearing, pink or white jigs

Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec

Tautog / Blackfish

Structure-oriented fall and spring fish around rocks, jetties, bridge rubble, and inlet structure.

Best water temp: 48-62 F
Time of day: Day
Tide: Slack, Incoming, Outgoing
Common baits: green crabs, Asian crabs, white-leggers

Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Black Sea Bass

More common around structure, reefs, wrecks, and deeper inlet-adjacent water.

Best water temp: 55-72 F
Time of day: Day
Tide: Incoming, Outgoing, Slack
Common baits: clam, squid, jigs, bucktails

Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Scup / Porgy

Reliable warm-season bottom fish around sound beaches, piers, rocks, and structure.

Best water temp: 60-75 F
Time of day: Day
Tide: Incoming, Outgoing
Common baits: clam, squid, sandworms, small jigs

Jul, Aug, Sep

Kingfish / Northern Kingfish

Summer surf and bay target on small baits around clean sandy wash and troughs.

Best water temp: 66-78 F
Time of day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
Tide: Incoming
Common baits: bloodworms, Fishbites, clam strips, small hi-low rigs

Mar, Apr, May

Winter Flounder

Cool-water bay and harbor species, usually a spring target where local rules allow.

Best water temp: 38-55 F
Time of day: Day
Tide: Incoming, Slack
Common baits: sandworms, bloodworms, clam chum