Bield: fish

Single-species migration calendar

Black Sea Bass in New Jersey Coast june fishing.

  • Centropristis striata
  • Migratory
  • Peak

Peak inshore season — wrecks, reefs, and rock piles.

Verify with the agency before fishing

Fishing regulations change every season. This page is a summary maintained by Bield — bag limits, exact dates, and species-specific rules must be verified with New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (Marine) before each trip.

Year-round calendar

Black Sea Bass · 12-month view.

Each month encodes typical migration status. The current month is outlined in gold. Hover a cell for the month-specific note and typical water temperature.

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JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJan — Absent Offshore wintering. Typical water temp: 40–46°FFeb — Absent Same. Typical water temp: 42–48°FMar — Absent Closed season pre-migration. Typical water temp: 46–52°FApr — Possible Migration arriving in southern part of region. Typical water temp: 52–58°FPossibleMay — Good Spring sea bass on inshore wrecks and structure. Typical water temp: 58–64°FGoodJun — Peak Peak inshore season — wrecks, reefs, and rock piles. Typical water temp: 64–70°FPeakJul — Peak Same — best month for keeper-size fish on structure. Typical water temp: 68–76°FPeakAug — Good Summer fish holding on structure. Typical water temp: 72–78°FGoodSep — Good Fall season — fish active on structure. Typical water temp: 66–72°FGoodOct — Fair Fish moving offshore. Typical water temp: 58–64°FFairNov — Absent Most fish have moved offshore. Typical water temp: 50–58°FDec — Absent Offshore wintering. Typical water temp: 44–52°F

Migration pattern

Spring inshore migration to wrecks and reef structure April–May, peak summer fishing on wrecks, fall offshore migration October–November. Stock has expanded northward in recent decades.

Best locations

  • Sandy Hook
  • Manasquan Inlet
  • Cape May rips
  • Barnegat Inlet

Top lures

  • Squid strips on hi-lo rig
  • Clam chunks
  • Diamond jigs
  • Bucktails on wreck structure
  • Sea bass jigs

Black Sea Bass in other regions

Massachusetts, Cape Cod & Islands →Rhode Island & Connecticut Sound →Long Island Sound & New York Bight →All black sea bass regions →

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Bield: Fish ties NOAA buoy data and water-temperature readings to species arrival windows so you're on the water the day they arrive in New Jersey Coast.

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