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Montauk sits at the eastern tip of Long Island, where the Atlantic Ocean meets Block Island Sound. The Point, Montauk Point, the lighthouse, the rocks, is the geographic fact that makes everything else work. The currents that sweep past the Point create rips, eddies, and upwellings that concentrate bait, which concentrates predators, which has concentrated anglers here since before anyone thought to call it the Surf Fishing Capital of the World.
The town runs on fishing. The charter fleet at Montauk Harbor is the largest in New York. The surf casters who line the rocks below the lighthouse at 4 AM are part of a tradition that goes back decades. And the offshore fishery, bluefin tuna, sharks, and canyon species, puts Montauk in the same conversation as the great Atlantic ports.
Planning to fish the End yourself? Our beginner's guide to fishing Montauk covers the surf spots, gear, and how to fish the rips. For more Northeast water, see Cape Cod.
The Surf, Montauk Point and the Lighthouse
Surf fishing at Montauk Point is the tradition that built the town's reputation. The rocky shoreline below the lighthouse creates a natural convergence zone where currents collide, bait stacks, and striped bass feed within casting range of the rocks.
Striped bass are the reason surf casters make the drive. The fall run, September through November, is the main event. Schools of bass migrating south from New England round the Point, and the fish stack in the rips and along the boulder fields to feed on bunker, herring, and sand eels. Fish of 20 to 40 pounds are caught from the rocks, and 50-pound stripers are landed every season. The pre-dawn hours are prime, you're standing on wet boulders in the dark, casting plugs into the white water, and the strike of a big striper is a full-body experience.
Spring (May–June) brings the northbound migration, bass moving up the coast toward New England, stopping to feed at the Point. The spring run is less concentrated than fall but produces some of the largest fish of the year.
Bluefish run the Point aggressively in summer and fall, often mixed with the bass. They hit hard, fight dirty, and cut through leaders. Albies (false albacore) and bonito show up in September and October, small, fast, and addictive on light tackle or fly gear.
Inshore, The Rips and the Reefs
Beyond the surf, the inshore waters around Montauk hold structure and current that produce year-round.
The Montauk rips, where tidal currents flowing between the ocean and the sound create standing waves and churning water, are natural fish magnets. Striped bass, bluefish, and bonito stack in the rips during the warmer months, and fishing them from a boat, drifting live eels, trolling umbrella rigs, or casting jigs into the white water, is classic Montauk.
Fluke (summer flounder) are the inshore bottom-fishing staple from June through September. The sandy areas and channel edges around Montauk produce big fluke, "doormats" over eight pounds. Drifting with bucktail jigs tipped with strip bait or squid is the standard technique, and Montauk is one of the best fluke destinations on the East Coast.
Black sea bass and porgy (scup) hold on the rocky reef structure and provide reliable bottom-fishing action when the glamour species aren't cooperating.
Offshore, Tuna, Sharks, and the Canyons
Montauk's offshore fishery reaches from the near-shore waters out to the submarine canyons 60 to 100 miles south, where the continental shelf drops into the deep Atlantic.
Bluefin tuna are the offshore headline. Montauk is one of the premier bluefin ports on the East Coast, with fish running from schoolies (20–50 pounds) to giants over 500 pounds. The bluefin show up in June and stay through November, with the peak in June–July for the first push and September–October for the fall return. Chunking and live-baiting on the offshore grounds, or trolling the inshore rip lines, both produce.
Yellowfin tuna run the canyon edges in summer and fall. Mahi-mahi hold under debris offshore. Sharks, mako, thresher, and blue sharks, are targeted by dedicated shark charters from June through October, with makos drawing the most attention for their speed and aerial fights.
Canyon trips for yellowfin, bigeye tuna, swordfish, and wahoo run to the Hudson Canyon, Block Canyon, and other deep-water features. These are long days, 14 to 18 hours, and priced accordingly, but the fishing at the canyon edges is world-class.
When to Go
- May–June: Spring striper run, bluefin tuna arrive, fluke season opens
- July–August: Peak offshore, bluefin, sharks, canyon trips, fluke inshore
- September–October: The fall striper run, albies and bonito, bluefin return, the best month of the year
- November–December: Late-fall stripers and big bluefish, winter bluefin for the dedicated
