New Jersey · United States

Barnegat Light NJ fishing forecast

93 Good of 100

Barnegat Light NJ is a saltwater fishing spot in New Jersey, United States. Anglers here target Striped Bass, Bluefish, Weakfish. The most productive months are typically April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November.

Quick answer

Best monthsApril, May, June, July

Top speciesStriped Bass, Bluefish, Weakfish

Score now93/100

Local rulesUnited States — Federal Waters

Today’s verdict

Ranks #47 of 439 spots FishRadar scored worldwide today

Trending up — 10 points above this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most

Water temperature+25.0Chlorophyll+18.0Waves+9.0

Pressure trend

Pressure data unavailable

Best window today

08:00 · Light wind (0 km/h) and calm seas

Next solunar peak

minor 10:00

Current conditions

Sea surface temp	25.6 °C
Wind	18 km/h from WNW, gusting 23 km/h
Wave height	0.3 m at 4 s
Current	0.03 m/s toward NNE
Pressure	1011 hPa
Depth	2 m
Cloud cover	100%
Chlorophyll	1.12 mg/m³
Salinity	31.3 PSU
Mixed-layer depth	11 m
UV index	0
Precipitation (24h)	0.6 mm
Wind sea	0.0 m at 1 s
Ground swell	0.2 m at 4 s from SSE
Current shear (surface vs 50 m)	0.03 → 0.00 m/s

Nearest buoy: New York Harbor Entrance - 15 NM SE of Breezy Point , NY (42 km): water 25.6 °C, waves —

The water here is 3.5 °C warmer than the August average of 22.1 °C. Warmer-than-normal water pushes cool-water species deeper and brings warm-water species in earlier than the calendar suggests. The water is mixed to about 20.0 m, with the thermocline below that.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Barnegat Light NJ

Barnegat Light NJ currently scores 93 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 25.6 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +25.0: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Chlorophyll +18.0: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Thermal front +6.4: temperature edges concentrate bait and predators
Current +3.4: moving water concentrates bait

What’s biting now

The model expects today: bluefin-tuna, weakfish, chub-mackerel, swordfish, scup, summer-flounder, black-seabass, northern-kingfish

[object Object] — Protected here — release immediately

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Crescent · 1% lit

Solunar day rating

70 / 100

Best months for Barnegat Light NJ:

Score history at this spot

15 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-08-05, 96/100

11 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

3 points below the same day last week

About this spot

Water type

Sea

Open coastal saltwater — conditions and safety depend heavily on the live wind, wave, and tide forecast, so check them before you head out.

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore-only

What you can catch

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis
Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix
Weakfish

Cynoscion regalis

Best months by species at Barnegat Light NJ

Striped BassMorone saxatilis
BluefishPomatomus saltatrix
WeakfishCynoscion regalis

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

U.S. federal fisheries authority

United States — Federal Waters

Species	Bag limit	Min size	Open season
Striped Bass	1/day	71.1–78.7 cm slot	Jan 1 – Dec 31
Federal Atlantic EEZ: 1 fish, 28–31" slot limit. State waters have separate rules.

Licensing:

saltwater-recreational — residents Federal Recreational Fishing License may be required in addition to state license when fishing federal (EEZ) waters., non-residents Same as residents. Many states require their own license even in federal waters.

FishRadar regulations are summaries only. Federal and state waters rules overlap — always verify current federal and state agency rules before fishing.