Know What's Biting
Before You Go

Water sitting at 62°F off the Jersey Shore per NOAA buoy 44091, early June has delivered a strong one-two punch for saltwater anglers. Black sea bass are the clear bottom story: Blue Chip Sportfishing reports limiting out on knuckleheads on nearly every trip, and The Fisherman's Northern NJ correspondents confirm the Big Mohawk III and Miss Belmar Princess both maxed out on sea bass and ling through the past week, with Ol' Salty II noting the bite improved each successive day. Meanwhile, the spring striper run refuses to quit. Fishermans HQ LBI called the surf-side striper bite alive and strong as of June 1, noting the first two weeks of June historically produce some of the largest fish of the year. The Fisherman's Central NJ desk backs that up — Bobbie's Boats reports very good striped bass throughout the bay and inlet on salted clams and live spot. Bluefish are patrolling beaches sporadically per The Fisherman's surf correspondents, while fluke remain slow as cool nearshore water continues to suppress keeper catches.

1d ago

Louisiana Sportsman reports Brad Ferguson of Grand Cane, La., landed an 11.55-pound largemouth bass while fishing Toledo Bend solo on May 29, a late-May giant that signals the reservoir's trophy-class fishery is primed heading into June. USGS gauge 08025500 shows the Sabine River running at just 27.1 cfs as of June 2, an extremely lean inflow pointing to stable, low-turbidity reservoir conditions well-suited to finesse and reaction presentations. With the spawn winding down, largemouth are shifting from shallow staging areas to transitional structure: submerged timber, brush piles, and the first breaks off creek channel ledges. The waning gibbous moon supports prime morning and evening windows before summer heat pushes fish deeper by midday. Crappie and blue catfish round out the target list, though no specific tackle-shop or captain intel came in for those species this week. Check current LDWF regulations before keeping any bass.

2d ago

NOAA buoy 42012 is registering 82°F water temperatures off the Panhandle as of June 2, confirming the Gulf of America has fully transitioned into its summer pattern. Light winds are keeping offshore conditions favorable, and Captain Rick Murphy's Florida Insider Fishing Report has devoted recent coverage to Florida's red snapper season — the annual centerpiece for Destin and Pensacola charter fleets. Sport Fishing Mag reinforces what local captains already know: northern Gulf rigs from Mobile Bay to the Texas coast offer the most diverse offshore structure fishing on the continent, with snapper, amberjack, and other bottom species concentrated around platforms. Inshore, Salt Strong highlights the importance of targeting redfish along grass edges and oyster bars as temperatures climb into the low 80s. With near-zero winds recorded at buoy 42039 and a waning gibbous moon, the next few days set up well for both offshore platform runs and early-morning inshore sessions.

2d ago

USGS gauge 11455420 recorded a net outflow of 81,700 cfs at Cache Slough near Rio Vista on June 2, signaling strong Delta export conditions pushing water seaward through the system. Water temperature was unavailable from the gauge, though the Delta typically reaches the 65–72°F range by early June. With bass largely through their spawn, Tactical Bassin's post-spawn breakdown highlights the chatterbait, neko rig, and dropshot around isolated offshore structure and channel breaks — presentations that translate directly to Delta tule edges and mid-channel humps. NorCal Fish Reports tracks Delta conditions on a weekly cadence, though beat-specific intel wasn't available in this cycle's pull. Striped bass typically scatter widely through the estuary after their spring spawn and should be in active post-spawn mode now. Under the waning gibbous moon, first and last light remain the highest-percentage windows. Anglers should time their casts to outgoing tide transitions, when strong current concentrates bait in the slough mouths and channel cuts.

2d ago

The OTW Saltwater migration report from June 2 confirms big stripers pushing north and feeding heavily on bunker, squid, and river herring — fish that have been staging along the Bay corridor are now working toward Long Island Sound and Boston. For Chesapeake Bay anglers, that puts early June at a transition point: the peak spring run has largely cleared the lower stem, but staging fish remain around channel edges, structure, and tributary mouths. Water temperature near the Bay entrance reads 60°F per NOAA buoy 44009 — right in the striper comfort zone. Saltwater Edge Blog's late-May outlook noted that "big bass are crushing big baits" around the full-moon window, and that momentum appears to be carrying into June. Weakfish are beginning to show to the north per Saltwater Edge, a signal that they may be working Bay waters as well. The waning gibbous moon this week typically softens peak night-bite pressure while keeping daytime windows productive.

2d ago

The USGS gauge below Flaming Gorge Dam (site 09234500) clocked 1,310 cfs and 52°F on June 2 — water temperature squarely in the prime trout feeding range for this world-class tailwater. Unlike nearby freestone rivers still clearing from Rocky Mountain snowmelt, the Green River runs clear and cold year-round thanks to its reservoir origin. No shop or guide reports from this specific corridor surfaced in this cycle's intel feeds, so conditions here are grounded in gauge data and seasonal patterns typical for early June on the A, B, and C sections below the dam. At 52°F, brown and rainbow trout on a clear tailwater typically feed reliably through midday, not just at the bookend hours. MidCurrent's tying roundup this week flagged midge patterns designed for "the clear, pressured water of stillwaters and tailraces" — a style of fishing the Green River practically invented. Fine-tippet nymphing is the play.

2d ago