September is a premier transition month locals call the start of “locals summer” and the fall run. With summer crowds gone, warm ocean waters, and migrating fish feeding aggressively before winter, you can catch some of the best variety of the entire year.
What You Can Catch Right Now
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- Fluke (Summer Flounder): The 2026 fluke season is in its final countdown and official closes on September 25. Anglers are currently pulling in massive “doormat” fluke by fishing deep ocean wrecks, reefs, and inlets.
- Striped Bass & Bluefish: The highly anticipated fall run is just starting. Smaller resident striped bass and hungry bluefish are active in the surf and back bays, especially during early-morning “first light.”
- Exotic & Speed Species: Warm water temperatures have brought fun, fast-moving fish close to the beaches. You can target Bonito, Spanish Mackerel, and False Albacore right from the inlets or inshore boats.
- Crabs & Bottom Fish: Back bays are full of action for Blowfish, Sheepshead, and Tautog (Tog) around bridges and sod banks.
Best Fishing Hotspots
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- Inlets: Manasquan Inlet, Barnegat Inlet, and Shark River Inlet act as “highways” for migrating fish moving in and out of the bays.
- The Surf: Beaches in Lavallette, Seaside Park, and Long Beach Island offer plenty of room for surf casting without swimmers in the way.
- Ocean Reefs: For keeper fluke, head out on a charter or party boat from Belmar or Point Pleasant to hit the structural wrecks.
Quick Tips for Success
- Beat the clock for fluke: If you want summer flounder, you must get out before the season ends on September 25th. Use heavy bucktails tipped with Berkley Gulp or live minnows.
- Fish early or late: Hit the water during sunrise or sunset when predatory fish like stripers and bluefish push bait up against the sod banks and jetties.