FishCondishRaritan Bay, NJ Fishing Report & Live Conditions
Raritan Bay, NJ fishing report
Raritan Bay runs a dependable seasonal rotation that keeps rods bent nearly year-round. Striped bass and bluefish kick things off in spring as baitfish push through the channels, and bass linger well into fall, making the bay a premier fall striper fishery on the Jersey side. Summer belongs to fluke on the sandy flats and channel edges, with black sea bass stacking on the reefs and rock piles. Weakfish and kingfish show in warmer months, often mixed together over clean sandy bottom. Once water temps drop into the low 50s, tautog take over the hard structure and hold through late fall and winter.
Structure is everything here. Fluke stack on channel drop-offs and current seams — drift live or rigged killies on a bucktail with a teaser, keeping contact with the bottom as you sweep through. Stripers and blues key on moving bait near channel mouths; drifted bunker chunks and big soft-plastic swimbaits both produce. Tautog want fiddler crabs or green crabs tight to rock piles. Work incoming tides for fluke on the flats and outgoing for stripers pushing bait out of coves. Northwesterly winds clarity the water fast and often trigger bites; murky water after heavy rain typically shuts fluke down but bass can still be caught near outflows.
Raritan Bay, NJ tide times
The closest NOAA tide station to Raritan Bay, NJ is Keyport (station 8531545), about 0.7 miles away. The mean tide range at this station is 5.1 ft. Predictions below are referenced to MLLW in local time.
| Date | Tides |
|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 1 | ▼ Low 4:29 AM 0.1 ft▲ High 10:14 AM 5.1 ft▼ Low 4:37 PM 0.7 ft▲ High 10:21 PM 5.6 ft |
| Sun, Aug 2 | ▼ Low 5:02 AM 0.2 ft▲ High 10:53 AM 5.2 ft▼ Low 5:16 PM 0.8 ft▲ High 11:02 PM 5.4 ft |
| Mon, Aug 3 | ▼ Low 5:35 AM 0.2 ft▲ High 11:36 AM 5.4 ft▼ Low 5:59 PM 0.9 ft▲ High 11:50 PM 5.2 ft |
| Tue, Aug 4 | ▼ Low 6:12 AM 0.4 ft▲ High 12:24 PM 5.5 ft▼ Low 6:52 PM 1 ft |
| Wed, Aug 5 | ▲ High 12:43 AM 5 ft▼ Low 6:56 AM 0.5 ft▲ High 1:17 PM 5.7 ft▼ Low 8:00 PM 1.1 ft |
| Thu, Aug 6 | ▲ High 1:41 AM 4.8 ft▼ Low 7:55 AM 0.6 ft▲ High 2:13 PM 5.8 ft▼ Low 9:17 PM 1.1 ft |
| Fri, Aug 7 | ▲ High 2:43 AM 4.6 ft▼ Low 9:06 AM 0.7 ft▲ High 3:14 PM 5.9 ft▼ Low 10:28 PM 0.9 ft |
| Sat, Aug 8 | ▲ High 3:51 AM 4.6 ft▼ Low 10:19 AM 0.6 ft▲ High 4:23 PM 6 ft▼ Low 11:31 PM 0.6 ft |
| Sun, Aug 9 | ▲ High 5:04 AM 4.8 ft▼ Low 11:25 AM 0.4 ft▲ High 5:33 PM 6.2 ft |
| Mon, Aug 10 | ▼ Low 12:29 AM 0.2 ft▲ High 6:11 AM 5.1 ft▼ Low 12:26 PM 0.2 ft▲ High 6:35 PM 6.4 ft |
Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS, regenerated daily. For the live water level, wind, and today's fishing score, open the Raritan Bay, NJ dashboard.
What's biting near Raritan Bay, NJ
The species most likely to be feeding the bay channels, reefs, and flats: striped bass, fluke (summer flounder), bluefish, black sea bass, tautog, weakfish, and kingfish. FishCondish grades every hour of the day for Raritan Bay, NJ and gives each species its own bite forecast, so you can see which window is worth fishing before you load the truck.
Raritan Bay, NJ fishing FAQ
What fish can you catch at Raritan Bay, NJ?
The species bite forecast for Raritan 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 Raritan Bay, NJ?
Dawn and dusk are usually the strongest windows at Raritan 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 Raritan Bay, NJ?
Spring and fall typically bring the most active fishing along the bay channels, reefs, and flats 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 Raritan Bay, NJ?
FishCondish combines wind, tide movement, water temperature, pressure trend, and moon phase into a single 1–10 fishing score for Raritan Bay, NJ, updated in real time — a quick go/no-go read before you make the trip.
Fishing tips for Raritan Bay, NJ
New to these waters? Start with these beginner-friendly guides: