Best Times & Seasons to Fish in New Jersey (Complete Guide)

New Jersey offers some of the best freshwater and saltwater fishing on the east coast. Knowing the best seasons and times of day to fish in New Jersey can make a huge difference in your fishing success.

The best time to fish in New Jersey is from April through the end of September for striped bass, bluefish, tuna, largemouth bass, mahi-mahi, catfish, flounder, and sharks. Winter is typically the slowest fishing time in New Jersey.

New Jersey is a small state that has gained huge popularity among fishermen. The region provides easy access to numerous fishing spots and has something to offer to every angler. New Jersey is best known for its amazing fishing. The Atlantic coast of the state offers endless fishing opportunities.

Best Time to Fish New Jersey

New Jersey is home to a number of species. So, anglers can experience fishing in the region all year round. Fishermen can target seasonal species as well as fish species that are active throughout the year.   

A fishing season in the region starts in March and ends in November. The vast majority of fish species are active at this time of the year.  

The best time of the year to go fishing in New Jersey depends on what species an angler wants to target during his/her trip. It’s necessary to study bite times in advance. Go fishing when your favorite species are the most active. 

Spring is a good time to target such species of fish like bluefish, flounder, striped bass as well as tautog. Mahi-mahi, marlin, tuna, sharks, and wahoo get active during the summer months.

Flounder, striped bass, tautog, and weakfish bite well in the fall. It would be great to visit New Jersey during the winter months if you are a big fan of ice fishing.  

Recommended Fishing Charters in New Jersey

These New Jersey-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.

Recommended Fishing Charters	Location
Brown Eyed Girl Sportfishing	Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Heavy Hitter Sport Fishing	Cape May, NJ
PrimeTime Fishing Charters	Highlands, NJ
Brynnie-B Inshore Fishing	Stone Harbor, NJ
Let It Fly Fishing Charters	Barnegat Light, NJ
Allyn’s Ocean City Wee Cat Charters	Ocean City, NJ
Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Point Pleasant	Brielle, NJ
Mighty Heron Charters	Ocean City, NJ
Tara Anne Sport Fishing	Wildwood, NJ
Jessie James Fishing Charters	Brigantine, NJ
Prime Time II Sport Fishing	Wildwood, NJ
Fins and Feathers Outfitters	Avalon, NJ
Midnight Fleet – Midnight Star	New York City, NY

New Jersey Species Breakdown: Best Times

Striped bass

The season to catch striped bass is high between November and January and between May and June. Striped bass bites well in the early morning and late afternoon. Delaware Bay is the perfect place to fish for striped bass in New Jersey. 

Bluefish

The best months to target bluefish in New Jersey are April – July, and October. Bluefish feeds actively in the early morning. It makes sense to catch bluefish near Great Bay. 

Flounder

Flounder fishing season in New Jersey starts in the early spring and finishes in the late fall. The best months to target flounder in the region are between July and September. Great Bay is a New Jersey fishing destination where anglers can catch flounder. 

Black seabass

Black seabass fishing is best between May and December. Go to Delaware Bay if you would like to catch black seabass during your New Jersey fishing adventures.

Mahi-mahi 

Mahi fishing season starts in the late spring and ends in the late fall. The best months to target mahi-mahi are July – September. Mahi bites well during the morning and evening hours. Go fishing in the Atlantic Ocean to catch mahi-mahi during your angling trip. 

Bluefin tuna

Bluefin tuna fishing is excellent in June, July and October. Bluefin tuna bites well in the early morning and late afternoon. Bluefin tuna can be found in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Tautog

Tautog fishing in New Jersey is best in April, October, and November. Tautog bites well during morning hours. Go fishing in the Atlantic City to catch tautog during your fishing trip. 

Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin tuna fishing season in New Jersey starts in the late spring and finishes in the late fall. The best months to target yellowfin tuna are July and August. Yellowfin tuna bite well between dusk and dawn.

Trout

Fishing for trout in New Jersey is best in the late spring. Fishing for trout is good in the early morning. Trout are found in abundance in the Round Valley Reservoir. 

Largemouth bass

Fishing for largemouth bass in New Jersey is best during the spring and fall months. Largemouth bass bites well in the early morning. The waters of Manasquan Reservoir are full of largemouth bass.  

I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic if you want to create your combo.  

New Jersey Regions: Best Fishing Times

Delaware

Fishing in Delaware is best during the spring months. Anglers have an opportunity to fish on Delaware’s beaches. It’s a good time to target such species as bluefish and striped bass.

Highlands

The best months to fish Highlands are April – May, and September – October. 

Ocean City & Cape May

Ocean City fishing season starts in the late spring and finishes in the early fall.

Maryland

Fishing in Maryland is best during the summer months. 

Best Time of Day to Fish New Jersey

A New Jersey fishing trip requires preparation and meticulous planning. When preparing for fishing adventures, anglers need to decide when it’s the best time of day to go fishing in New Jersey. Angler’s choice depends on several factors. 

It would be great to fish in New Jersey during the morning hours in summer. Fishing in the afternoon or evening is best during the spring, fall, and winter months.

It’s crucial for New Jersey anglers to decide what species they are going to target during their fishing trips. Fish can feed actively during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours.

Some fish species bite well at night. That’s why anglers should study the bite times of their favorite fish species carefully in advance. Fish New Jersey when the chance to catch your target species is high.     

New Jersey Fishing & Tidal Impacts

The success of New Jersey fishing depends on tides. There is a direct link between bite times and tide times. The outgoing tide is the best tide to fish in New Jersey.

Rising tides cause water movement. Oxygen-rich waters are brought to the area during the rising tides and fish begin to feed actively. Anglers find it easy to do fishing in the region when fish search for food.

Is Winter Fishing Bad in New Jersey? 

New Jersey has a lot to offer to those anglers, who give a preference to ice fishing. Visit the state to enjoy ice fishing during the winter months. There are many lakes as well as ponds in New Jersey where anglers can enjoy ice fishing. 

Ice fishing provides anglers with a great experience. During New Jersey ice fishing adventures, anglers can target bass, perch, trout, pike, and walleye. These fish species are active during the winter months.   

Ocean fishing is less productive in New Jersey during the winter months. Cold weather affects the activity of many fish species in the ocean.

Nevertheless, fishing is still possible. Anglers can target species that are active all year round and the seasonal species which are active during the winter months. 

December is a great time of the year to target tautog. Cod and stripers can be caught in New Jersey in January. Many anglers choose to go fishing in Delaware Bay this month.  

Fishing the Raritan Bay and the Delaware Bay in February is possible. Stripers are the main target this month. Plus, flounder begin to bite in February.     

Top Fishing Spots in New Jersey

The Atlantic Ocean

Book a fishing charter to enjoy deep sea fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. During a fishing trip, anglers can go to the Gulf Stream where the chance to catch a trophy fish is always high.

Here, fishing is excellent. The ocean is abundant with mahi-mahi, marlin, tuna, swordfish, sailfish, and many other species.   

Delaware Bay

Many New Jersey anglers choose to fish in Delaware Bay. The bay is the place where several small rivers merge with the sea. So, anglers have easy access to many great fishing spots.

It’s the place where fishermen can target a great variety of fish species. Anglers can fish for black seabass, bluefish, tautog, tilefish, striped bass, and many other fish species in the bay. 

Great Bay

Great Bay is a good fishing spot for anglers, who prefer to use the light tackle technique. The bay is known for its calm waters.

So, anglers find it comfortable to fish in this place. The waters of the Great Bay are full of fish. Some of the fish species that you can target here include bluefish, flounder, kingfish as well as seabass, and striped bass. 

Round Valley Reservoir

Don’t miss an opportunity to fish in the pristine blue waters of Round Valley Reservoir. This place impresses anglers with its beautiful nature.

While fishing in the reservoir, anglers can enjoy beautiful natural views. Here, anglers have fantastic fishing opportunities. Round Valley Reservoir is home to such fish species as bass, perch, and trout.         

Merrill Creek Reservoir

This fishing spot offers excellent trout fishing. The reservoir is full of brown trout, lake trout, and rainbow trout. Besides trout, it’s possible to fish for such fish species as bass and walleye. Merrill Creek Reservoir impresses fishermen with beautiful nature and abundant wildlife. 

Lake Hopatcong

Lake Hopatcong is a big lake in the state. The lake impresses with its diversity of fish. Here, fishermen can target such fish species as bass, carp, catfish, perch, and walleye.  

Delaware River

The Delaware River is the perfect choice for anglers, who want to experience river fishing in New Jersey. Fishing in the river is fun and exciting. The Delaware River is the home to such species as bass, carp, perch, trout, and walleye. 

Booking Guides & Charters in New Jersey

– Best season to go 

New Jersey impresses with its abundance of fish. The list of species you can target in the region is almost endless. So, there is no bad time to go fishing in the state. 

Fishing in New Jersey is the most productive in summer. On the other hand, New Jersey attracts so many anglers during the summer months. That’s the reason why fishing charters can be busy in summer. 

Those anglers, who want to avoid crowds, should go fishing in New Jersey during the spring and fall months. The demand for fishing is lower in spring and fall, but angling opportunities are still excellent. 

– Morning vs. afternoon 

Morning fishing is best during the hot summer months. It’s more comfortable to fish in the morning because anglers are not exposed to heat and sun. It’s also important to note that morning fishing is very productive in summer.

Water cools down and fish begin to feed actively. That’s why anglers usually get excellent results when fishing during morning hours in summer. However, fish doesn’t bite well in the morning during spring, fall, and winter. Also, it’s necessary to get up early if you would like to fish in the morning. 

Fishing in the afternoon is more productive during cold months. The water heats up during the afternoon hours and the activity of fish increases. Afternoon fishing is not good during the summer months. It’s also important to note that afternoon fishing trips are short.       

-1/2 day, full-day, multi-day charters 

Half-day trips are more suitable for beginners, families, and kids. It makes sense to book a 1/2 day trip if you are planning to fish in the waters near shore. Half-day fishing trips are the cheapest option. However, the angler’s time will be limited if you choose to book a half-day fishing trip.

It takes anglers some time to get to the deep-sea waters of the Atlantic Ocean. That means that deep-sea trips require more time. Full-day trips are a better option if you want to experience deep-sea fishing in New Jersey.

It’s also important to note that full-day trips are a good choice for experienced anglers. It’s important to know that New Jersey fishing trips are more expensive than half-day ones. 

Avid anglers can consider booking a multi-day fishing charter. Such fishing trips last several days and allow anglers to get the most out of their fishing adventures in New Jersey. However, multi-day charters are the most expensive option.     

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Atlantic City, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Maryland, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Ocean City, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in New York City, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Cape May, please check out this helpful article. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Delaware.