FishCondishGreat Bay, NJ Fishing Report & Live Conditions
Great Bay, NJ fishing report
Great Bay and the Mullica River mouth offer a genuine mixed bag through the season. Striped bass push through early spring and again hard in fall, with the river mouth acting as a natural funnel — fish stage here before moving upriver or scattering offshore. Bluefish roll through in warmer months and can show up almost anywhere in the bay in big surface-feeding schools. Fluke arrive as water temperatures climb past 60 degrees and dominate midsummer action across the bay's sandy bottom. Weakfish, though less predictable than they once were, show best in spring and early summer near the edges of marsh drainages. Tautog and black sea bass hold on the hard structure at the bay mouth and nearby inlets, with tautog best in spring and fall.
Fish moving water hard — the strongest tidal flow through the Mullica mouth concentrates everything from fluke to stripers around channel edges and drop-offs. For fluke, drift sandy bottom with bucktails tipped with Gulp or a strip bait, keeping contact with the bottom in 10 to 20 feet. Stripers and bluefish respond to poppers and swim shads worked over shallow marsh edges at dawn and dusk, especially when wind is light and bait is visibly showering on the surface. Weakfish are soft-bitten and need lighter jig heads fished slowly on the drop. Incoming tide with clear water pushes fish onto flats; outgoing concentrates them in deeper channel bends near the river mouth.
Great Bay, NJ tide times
The closest NOAA tide station to Great Bay, NJ is Little Sheepshead Creek (station 8534287), about 1.3 miles away. The mean tide range at this station is 3.1 ft. Predictions below are referenced to MLLW in local time.
| Date | Tides |
|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 1 | ▼ Low 5:07 AM 0.1 ft▲ High 10:53 AM 3.1 ft▼ Low 5:15 PM 0.5 ft▲ High 11:00 PM 3.4 ft |
| Sun, Aug 2 | ▼ Low 5:40 AM 0.1 ft▲ High 11:32 AM 3.2 ft▼ Low 5:54 PM 0.5 ft▲ High 11:41 PM 3.3 ft |
| Mon, Aug 3 | ▼ Low 6:13 AM 0.2 ft▲ High 12:15 PM 3.3 ft▼ Low 6:37 PM 0.6 ft |
| Tue, Aug 4 | ▲ High 12:29 AM 3.2 ft▼ Low 6:50 AM 0.2 ft▲ High 1:03 PM 3.4 ft▼ Low 7:30 PM 0.6 ft |
| Wed, Aug 5 | ▲ High 1:22 AM 3 ft▼ Low 7:34 AM 0.3 ft▲ High 1:56 PM 3.5 ft▼ Low 8:38 PM 0.7 ft |
| Thu, Aug 6 | ▲ High 2:20 AM 2.9 ft▼ Low 8:33 AM 0.4 ft▲ High 2:52 PM 3.5 ft▼ Low 9:55 PM 0.7 ft |
| Fri, Aug 7 | ▲ High 3:22 AM 2.8 ft▼ Low 9:44 AM 0.4 ft▲ High 3:53 PM 3.6 ft▼ Low 11:06 PM 0.6 ft |
| Sat, Aug 8 | ▲ High 4:30 AM 2.8 ft▼ Low 10:57 AM 0.4 ft▲ High 5:02 PM 3.6 ft |
| Sun, Aug 9 | ▼ Low 12:09 AM 0.4 ft▲ High 5:43 AM 2.9 ft▼ Low 12:03 PM 0.3 ft▲ High 6:12 PM 3.8 ft |
| Mon, Aug 10 | ▼ Low 1:07 AM 0.1 ft▲ High 6:50 AM 3.1 ft▼ Low 1:04 PM 0.1 ft▲ High 7:14 PM 3.9 ft |
Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS, regenerated daily. For the live water level, wind, and today's fishing score, open the Great Bay, NJ dashboard.
What's biting near Great Bay, NJ
The species most likely to be feeding the Mullica River mouth and Great Bay: striped bass, fluke (summer flounder), bluefish, black sea bass, tautog, weakfish, and kingfish. FishCondish grades every hour of the day for Great Bay, NJ and gives each species its own bite forecast, so you can see which window is worth fishing before you load the truck.
Great Bay, NJ fishing FAQ
What fish can you catch at Great Bay, NJ?
The species bite forecast for Great Bay, NJ covers what's likely feeding there, including striped bass, fluke (summer flounder), bluefish, black sea bass, tautog, weakfish, and kingfish — and updates with the live conditions.
What's the best time of day to fish Great Bay, NJ?
Dawn and dusk are usually the strongest windows at Great Bay, NJ, especially when they line up with moving water around a tide change. FishCondish grades every hour of the day so you can pick the best one.
When is the best season to fish Great Bay, NJ?
Spring and fall typically bring the most active fishing along the Mullica River mouth and Great Bay as fish migrate and feed heavily, with summer steady for warm-water species. It varies year to year, so check the live score before you head out.
How do I know if it's a good day to fish Great Bay, NJ?
FishCondish combines wind, tide movement, water temperature, pressure trend, and moon phase into a single 1–10 fishing score for Great Bay, NJ, updated in real time — a quick go/no-go read before you make the trip.
Fishing tips for Great Bay, NJ
New to these waters? Start with these beginner-friendly guides: