Montauk, New York Fishing Guide

Montauk is one of the East Coast's best-known striped bass spots, from the surf at the Point to the rips and rocks offshore. Summer brings fluke, porgies, sea bass and bluefish close to shore, with tuna, mahi and sharks farther out. The fall run, from Labor Day to about Thanksgiving, brings blitzes of stripers, bluefish and false albacore along the beaches.

📍 Montauk, at the eastern tip of Long Island's South Shore, New York. Montauk Point State Park and the Montauk Point Lighthouse sit at the tip; the fleet runs from Montauk Harbor. Block Island Sound lies to the northeast, and Great Eastern Rock is about 2 miles east of the Point.

📅 New York Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full New York, Long Island & Connecticut map →

Quick facts

The Montauk Point Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in New York State; it was commissioned by President George Washington in 1792.
Great Eastern Rock, about 2 miles east of Montauk Point, has broken rock, sand and kelp bottom in about 25-45 feet of water and is not marked by buoys.
Coxes Ledge, about 30 miles east of Montauk, holds giant bluefin tuna.
In August 1986 a 3,427-pound, 17-foot great white shark was landed on rod and reel about 20 miles off Montauk (white sharks are now protected).
Between Montauk and Block Island is a small federal-waters area, the Block Island Transit Zone, where you may not fish for striped bass but may carry bass caught in state waters through it.

What you can catch

Striped bass
Surf and rips; big fish at Great Eastern Rock in late June-early July, and the fall run in October-November.
Bluefish
Inshore all summer and in fall blitzes; cocktail blues on jigs on both the north and south sides.
Summer flounder (fluke)
Shoals and the south side in summer; lots of shorts to sort through.
Scup (porgy)
Strong summer bottom fishing with clam or sandworms.
Black sea bass
Rocks and structure such as Southwest Ledge; keepers can be hard to find.
False albacore and bonito
Arrive around early September and run into fall.
Tuna
Bluefin from school size to giants inshore and offshore; yellowfin and bigeye at the canyons.
Sharks
Strong shark action offshore; check the prohibited list (shortfin mako, sandbar, dusky and white sharks must be released).

Month by month

January	Striped bass closed in NY marine waters until Apr 15.
February	Striped bass closed.
March	Striped bass closed.
April	Tautog open Apr 1-30 (2 fish). Striped bass opens Apr 15.
May	Porgy opens May 1; fluke opens May 4; sea bass opens May 16 (3 fish).
June	Late June: big stripers at Great Eastern Rock on bunker spoons and live spot; shark tournaments are held from Long Island ports in June.
July	Stripers settle into summer patterns, often deep (40-80 feet); bluefin offshore; big blues in the shallows.
August	Fluke minimum rises to 19.5 inches Aug 2. Porgies strong, mahi showing, giant bluefin around.
September	Sea bass limit rises to 6 fish Sept 1. Fall run starts around Labor Day; albies around early September.
October	Fluke closes after Oct 15; tautog opens Oct 15 (4 fish). Fall blitzes of stripers and blues.
November	Fall run continues to about Thanksgiving; herring can show near the lighthouse by mid-November.
December	Striped bass closes after Dec 15; tautog open through Dec 22.

Tips

Enroll free in New York's Recreational Marine Fishing Registry (age 16+); for tuna and sharks the boat also needs a NOAA HMS permit, with a shark endorsement for sharks.
Montauk's shore is rocks and boulders: wear boots with ankle support or cleats like Korkers, and leave the South Side's heavy whitewater to experienced wetsuiters.
Night fishing and 4WD at Montauk Point State Park need park permits (call 631-669-1000); some permits need proof of registry enrollment, and Shagwong needs more than the state permit.
At Great Eastern Rock bring charts and GPS; 4-6 oz sinkers usually hold bottom, but you may need over 8 oz around new and full moons.
Do not fish for stripers in the Block Island Transit Zone; you may only carry bass caught in state waters through it.

Rules and license

New York State DEC (Marine Resources); NOAA Fisheries (federal waters and highly migratory species); NY State Parks (Montauk Point State Park) · Official rules page ↗

Recreational Marine Fishing Registry: free, required at age 16+. NY rules were last changed May 12, 2026.
Striped bass 2026: 1 fish, 28 to 31 inches, Apr 15 - Dec 15; non-offset circle hooks with bait.
Fluke 2026: 3 fish; 19 inches May 4 - Aug 1, 19.5 inches Aug 2 - Oct 15; keep fish whole until you reach shore.
Black sea bass 2026: 16 inches; 3 fish May 16 - Aug 31, 6 fish Sept 1 - Dec 31.
Scup 2026: May 1 - Dec 31, 30 fish; 9.5 inches from shore, 11 inches from boats.
Tautog: Montauk is on the ocean side, outside the Long Island Sound line (Orient Point to Watch Hill), where NY Bight rules apply: 16 inches; 2 fish Apr 1-30, 4 fish Oct 15 - Dec 22. Check DEC's region map if you fish near the line.
Block Island Transit Zone (federal waters): no striped bass fishing; you may carry bass caught in state waters through it.
Bluefin tuna (federal): HMS permit required. From June 1, 2026, private boats may keep 2 bluefin 27 to under 73 inches per day, only 1 of them 47 to under 73 inches (charter 3, headboat 6). NOAA can change this in season, so check before you go.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 11 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Boat ramp near Silver Eel Cove
Devon Yacht Club
Diamond Cove Marina
Gardiner’s Bay

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.