NJ Fishing Inlets
10 detailed inlet guides — tide strategies, target species, shore spots, and the captains who fish each inlet from Sandy Hook to Cape May.
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Fish an inlet with a local captain
Inlets are tide-and-structure games. A captain who fishes the same inlet daily knows where the fish stage on every tide window.
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North Jersey Inlets
3 inlets in the Sandy Hook to Manasquan stretch.
Sandy Hook Inlet
Sandy Hook Inlet: striper runs April–June & Oct–Nov, fluke June–Sept, bluefish all summer. Best spots, tide windows, and what bait locals actually use.
Read guide →Shark River Inlet
Shark River Inlet (Belmar): stripers April–June on live bunker, fluke July–Sept on the channel edges. Best tide windows, shore spots, and jetty access tips.
Read guide →Manasquan Inlet
Manasquan Inlet: stripers on the north jetty in spring, fluke on channel drops, bluefish all summer. Incoming tide windows and what bait the locals use.
Read guide →Central Jersey Inlets
2 inlets in the Manasquan to Beach Haven stretch.
Barnegat Inlet
Barnegat Inlet: big stripers at the north jetty spring and fall, fluke inside the bay all summer. Best tide stages, access points, and live bait strategies.
Read guide →Beach Haven Inlet
Little Egg Inlet (Beach Haven): summer flounder in the bay channels, stripers at the south jetty in fall. Tide timing, access points, and what works in summer.
Read guide →South Jersey Inlets
5 inlets in the Atlantic County and Cape May stretch.
Absecon Inlet
Absecon Inlet (Atlantic City): stripers at the inlet mouth on live bunker, fluke over sandy flats, blues all summer. Best jetty spots and incoming tide windows.
Read guide →Great Egg Inlet
Great Egg Harbor Inlet between Ocean City and Longport: stripers, fluke, and bluefish. Best access spots, tides for each species, and summer flounder hot zones.
Read guide →Townsends Inlet
Townsends Inlet (Sea Isle City/Avalon): weakfish and fluke in summer, stripers on outgoing tide in fall. Kayak-friendly access, best spots, and local tactics.
Read guide →Hereford Inlet
Hereford Inlet (North Wildwood): stripers and weakfish on outgoing tide, fluke at channel edges June–Sept. Free beach access for shore anglers, tide strategies inside.
Read guide →Cape May Inlet
Cape May Inlet (Cold Spring): trophy stripers in spring, tautog on the jetty rocks Oct–Dec, fluke inside the harbor. Best tides and what bait captains use.
Read guide →Inlet Fishing FAQs
What's the best NJ inlet for striped bass?
Manasquan, Barnegat, and Shark River inlets are top producers for stripers, especially during the fall run (September–December) when migrating bass concentrate at inlet jaws on outgoing tides. Sandy Hook fishes well in spring (April–May) when stripers stage on their way north.
Do I need a license to fish from an inlet jetty?
Yes — for saltwater fishing in NJ you need the free Saltwater Registry, even from public jetties. Sandy Hook is federal land and requires no NJ registration. Charter and party boats fishing the inlets cover the registry as part of their license.
When is inlet fishing best — incoming or outgoing tide?
Both windows produce, but outgoing tides typically beat incoming for striped bass and bluefish (predators ambush bait flushed out of the bay), while incoming tides can be better for fluke and tautog (gamefish following bait inward). The 90 minutes either side of slack tide are usually slowest.
More to Explore
More fishing resources
- Verified NJ captains — book the captains who fish these inlets daily.
- NJ tides — plan around the bite.
- NJ Fishing Guide hub