Fishing at the Jersey Shore Bays & Inlets
Explore fishing in the Fishing at the Jersey Shore Bays & Inlets of New Jersey. Island Beach State Park, Barnegat Bay, B
Island Beach State Park is a 10-mile barrier island offering the finest surf fishing on the New Jersey coast with 4-wheel-drive beach access and protected natural beach habitat.
1. Island Beach State Park (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum, Winter Flounder)
Island Beach State Park, Ocean CountyIsland Beach State Park is a 10-mile barrier island offering the finest surf fishing on the New Jersey coast with 4-wheel-drive beach access and protected natural beach habitat.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: State of NJ Yacht Basin Marina →
2. Barnegat Bay (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Winter Flounder, Tautog, Porgy, Crabs)
Barnegat Bay, Ocean CountyBarnegat Bay is a 42-mile-long estuary stretching from Point Pleasant to Little Egg Inlet, offering world-class striped bass and fluke fishing with multiple boat launches and charters.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Barnegat Light Boat Ramp →
3. Barnegat Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Porgy, Sea Bass)
Barnegat Inlet, Ocean CountyBarnegat Inlet connects Barnegat Bay to the Atlantic Ocean between Island Beach State Park and Long Beach Island, offering excellent jetty fishing for striped bass and tautog.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Barnegat Light Boat Ramp →
4. Long Beach Island (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum, Tautog, Porgy)
Long Beach Island, Ocean CountyLong Beach Island is an 18-mile barrier island offering excellent surf fishing from beach access points and the Barnegat Inlet jetties with multiple tackle shops and charter services.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Duck Cove Marina →
5. Manasquan Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Porgy, Blackfish, Sea Bass)
Manasquan Inlet, Monmouth CountyManasquan Inlet is a popular jetty fishing location at the northern end of the Jersey Shore, offering excellent striped bass and tautog fishing year-round.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Manasquan Boat Launch →
6. Point Pleasant Canal (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Winter Flounder, Tautog)
Point Pleasant Canal, Ocean CountyThe Point Pleasant Canal connects the Manasquan River to Barnegat Bay, offering excellent fishing from the canal banks and bulkheads.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
7. Seaside Heights Pier (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Kingfish, Porgy, Winter Flounder)
Seaside Heights, Ocean CountyThe Seaside Heights boardwalk pier offers excellent surf fishing with deep water access and a popular fishing destination for visitors.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Cranberry Inlet Marina →
8. Seaside Park Beach (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Kingfish, Weakfish, Black Drum)
Seaside Park, Ocean CountySeaside Park offers good surf fishing along its natural beachfront with less development than the boardwalk areas.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Cranberry Inlet Marina →
9. Lavallette Beach (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Kingfish, Winter Flounder)
Lavallette, Ocean CountyLavallette offers good surf fishing in a quiet beach community on Barnegat Bay peninsula.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Cranberry Inlet Marina →
10. Ortley Beach (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish)
Ortley Beach, Ocean CountyOrtley Beach offers good surf fishing with public beach access between Seaside Heights and Lavallette.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Cranberry Inlet Marina →
11. Normandy Beach (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Kingfish)
Normandy Beach, Ocean CountyNormandy Beach offers quiet surf fishing on Barnegat Bay's barrier peninsula.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Shore Acres Yacht Club →
12. Chadwick Beach (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish)
Chadwick Beach, Ocean CountyChadwick Beach offers good surf fishing on the Barnegat Bay barrier island.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Shore Acres Yacht Club →
13. Bay Head Beach (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Winter Flounder)
Bay Head, Ocean CountyBay Head offers beach and bay fishing at the northern end of Barnegat Bay.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
14. Mantoloking Bridge (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Crab)
Mantoloking, Ocean CountyThe Mantoloking Bridge area offers good fishing for striped bass and tautog in the Barnegat Bay thoroughfare.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Mantoloking Marina →
15. Toms River Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, White Perch)
Toms River, Ocean CountyToms River inlet at the mouth of the Toms River offers good fishing in Barnegat Bay with public access at the municipal dock.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
- Panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, white perch) · Limit: 50 combined (some waters 25)
Boat Launch: Cranberry Inlet Marina →
16. Waretown (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Crabs)
Waretown, Ocean CountyWaretown on Barnegat Bay offers good fishing with boat ramps and bay access in southern Ocean County.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
17. Forked River (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Crabs)
Forked River, Ocean CountyForked River is a popular boating and fishing community on Barnegat Bay with multiple marinas and launch facilities.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: North Branch Yachting Center →
18. Lanoka Harbor (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Winter Flounder)
Lanoka Harbor, Ocean CountyLanoka Harbor offers good bay fishing on the western shore of Barnegat Bay in Lacey Township.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
19. Bayside Beach (Ocean Co.)
Bayside Beach, Ocean CountyBayside Beach offers good Barnegat Bay fishing access in the Waretown area.
Boat Launch: North Branch Yachting Center →
20. Bamber Lake (Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Crappie, Bluegill, Sunfish)
Bamber Lake, Ocean CountyBamber Lake in Lacey Township offers good freshwater fishing.
- Chain pickerel · Limit: 5
- Panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, white perch) · Limit: 50 combined (some waters 25)
- Panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, white perch) · Limit: 50 combined (some waters 25)
- Panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, white perch) · Limit: 50 combined (some waters 25)
Boat Launch: Ore Pond Kayak Launch →
21. Atlantic City Beaches (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum, Porgy)
Atlantic City, Atlantic CountyAtlantic City's beaches offer excellent surf fishing with the famous steel pier providing deep-water access along the Absecon Inlet.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
22. Absecon Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Porgy, Sea Bass)
Absecon Inlet, Atlantic CountyAbsecon Inlet between Atlantic City and Brigantine offers excellent jetty and boat fishing for striped bass and tautog.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
23. Brigantine Beach (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum, Winter Flounder)
Brigantine, Atlantic CountyBrigantine offers excellent surf fishing on its beaches and jetty access at the Brigantine Inlet.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Brigantine Marina →
24. Brigantine Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Flounder)
Brigantine Inlet, Atlantic CountyBrigantine Inlet offers excellent fishing in the Atlantic City backbays with access from both Brigantine and the Edwin B. Forsythe Refuge.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Brigantine Marina →
25. Great Egg Harbor Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Porgy)
Great Egg Harbor Inlet, Atlantic CountyGreat Egg Harbor Inlet between Longport and Ocean City offers excellent inlet fishing with jetties and beach access.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
26. Ocean City Beaches (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum, Tautog)
Ocean City, Cape May CountyOcean City's beaches offer good surf fishing along the family-friendly resort's 8 miles of shoreline.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
27. Ocean City-Longport Bridge (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum)
Ocean City-Longport Bridge, Atlantic/Cape May countiesThe Ocean City-Longport Bridge offers excellent fishing for striped bass and tautog in the Great Egg Harbor Inlet thoroughfare.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
28. Corson's Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Porgy)
Corson's Inlet, Cape May CountyCorson's Inlet between Ocean City and Strathmere offers excellent fishing in a protected state park natural area.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Beesley's Point Sea-Doo Inc. →
29. Strathmere Beach (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish)
Strathmere, Cape May CountyStrathmere offers quiet surf fishing on a narrow barrier island between Corson's Inlet and Townsend Inlet.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
30. Townsend Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Porgy, Sea Bass)
Townsend Inlet, Cape May CountyTownsend Inlet between Sea Isle City and Avalon offers excellent jetty and surf fishing.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
31. Avalon Beaches (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Tautog, Black Drum)
Avalon, Cape May CountyAvalon offers excellent surf fishing with 4-wheel-drive beach access permits available for fishermen.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Avalon Yacht Club →
32. Stone Harbor Beaches (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum)
Stone Harbor, Cape May CountyStone Harbor offers good surf fishing and access to Hereford Inlet on the Cape May peninsula.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
33. Hereford Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Porgy, Sea Bass)
Hereford Inlet, Cape May CountyHereford Inlet between Stone Harbor and North Wildwood offers excellent jetty fishing with deep water access.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Hereford Inlet Marina →
34. North Wildwood Beaches (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum, Tautog)
North Wildwood, Cape May CountyNorth Wildwood offers excellent surf fishing at the Hereford Inlet area with public beach access.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
35. Wildwood Beaches (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum, Porgy)
Wildwood, Cape May CountyWildwood's expansive beaches offer excellent surf fishing with multiple fishing piers and beach access points.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
36. Wildwood Crest Beaches (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Kingfish, Black Drum)
Wildwood Crest, Cape May CountyWildwood Crest offers good surf fishing at the southern end of the Wildwood barrier island.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
37. Cape May Point (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Black Drum, Tautog, Porgy, Sea Bass)
Cape May Point, Cape May CountyCape May Point at the southern tip of New Jersey offers excellent surf fishing in Cape May Point State Park with views of the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: Cape May Marina →
38. Cape May Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Porgy, Sea Bass)
Cape May Inlet, Cape May CountyCape May Inlet between Cape May and Wildwood Crest offers excellent boat and jetty fishing with access from Cape May Harbor.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: U.S. Coast Guard - Training Center Cape May →
39. Cape May Harbor (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Winter Flounder, Porgy)
Cape May Harbor, Cape May CountyCape May Harbor is a major fishing port offering head boat charters, party boats, and excellent shore fishing for striped bass and tautog.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
Boat Launch: U.S. Coast Guard - Training Center Cape May →
40. Cold Spring Inlet (Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Weakfish, Tautog, Black Drum, Porgy, Sea Bass)
Cold Spring Inlet, Cape May CountyCold Spring Inlet at Cape May offers excellent inlet fishing from the jetties and beaches of Cape May Point State Park and the Cape May Canal.
- Striped bass (freshwater) · Limit: 1 per day · 28-31 in slot (marine regs apply)
41. Makepeace Lake (Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Crappie, Bluegill, Sunfish)
Makepeace Lake, New JerseyPopular fishing lake in the Fishing at the Jersey Shore Bays & Inlets region of New Jersey.
- Chain pickerel · Limit: 5
- Panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, white perch) · Limit: 50 combined (some waters 25)
- Panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, white perch) · Limit: 50 combined (some waters 25)
- Panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, white perch) · Limit: 50 combined (some waters 25)
Fishing Tips for the Fishing at the Jersey Shore Bays & Inlets
- Get a licence — All anglers need a valid state fishing licence — check your state's wildlife agency site.
- Check the weather & water conditions — always check forecasts and wind before heading out, especially on big water.
- Know the regulations — size and catch limits vary by water body in New Jersey; check the local regulations first.
- Best times — early morning and late evening are prime. Many Fishing at the Jersey Shore Bays & Inlets waters fish best in spring and fall.
- Use the right gear — match your rod, line, and tackle to the species you're chasing and the water you're fishing.
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