Raritan Bay fishing: Permit, Weakfish, Winter Flounder
Target species: Permit, Weakfish, Winter Flounder, American Eel
Best months: Jul, Aug for Permit
Second window: Jun, Sep, Oct for Weakfish
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Broad St Bay Access, Keyport Borough.
The estuary
Raritan Bay covers 63,799 acres in New Jersey, across 2 counties: Monmouth and Middlesex. It is an estuary: the deepest point measured is 103 feet (31.4 m). Our records hold 8 species for this water. 13% of the water lies in New York.
Depth: down to 103 ft at the deepest measured point
Deepest measured point: 103 ft (31.4 m). We hold 24 depth contours for this water, drawn from 210,894 soundings.
4 target fish, led by Permit
- Permit — Best months: Jul, Aug.
- Weakfish — Best months: Jun, Sep, Oct.
- Winter Flounder — Best months: Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar.
- American Eel — Best months: Jun, Sep, Oct.
Also recorded here: Northern Kingfish, White Mullet, Bay Anchovy, Mummichog.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 2.5–11.5 feet on our readings, averaging 5.9 feet, from 606 readings. Water temperature averages 63°F across the year. pH averages 7.6. These readings span 2016–2026.
Monthly average water temperature: Jan 39°F · Feb 38°F · Mar 42°F · Apr 49°F · May 59°F · Jun 68°F · Jul 76°F · Aug 76°F · Sep 71°F · Oct 65°F · Nov 52°F · Dec 42°F
1 ramp or launch on this water
On this water we hold 1 boat ramp, 5 fishing piers and 42 shore access points.
- Broad St Bay Access, Keyport Borough — Keyport Borough. Broad St & 1st St, Keyport Borough
Fishing piers
- 5th St Bay/River Access, Highlands Borough — Highlands Borough. 5th St & Cedar St, Highlands Borough
- American Legion Dr Bay/River Access, Keyport Borough — Keyport Borough. American Legion Dr, Keyport Borough
- Cornwell St Bay/River Access, Highlands Borough — Highlands Borough. Cornwell St & Shrewsbury Ave, Highlands Borough
- Fishing Pier — New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. website nycgovparks.org/parks/fdr-boardwalk-and-beach
- Miller St Bay/River Access, Highlands Borough — Highlands Borough. Miller St & Shrewsbury Ave, Highlands Borough
Shore access for bank fishing
- Avenue A Ave Bay Access, Atlantic Highlands Borough — Atlantic Highlands Borough. Avenue A Ave & Harbor View Ave, Atlantic Highlands Borough
- Bayside Dr Bay Access, Atlantic Highlands Borough — Atlantic Highlands Borough. Bayside Dr, Atlantic Highlands Borough
- Bayside Parkway Bay Access, Middletown Township — restrooms. Middletown Township. Bayside Parkway & Bray Ave, Middletown Township
- Beach Ave Bay Access, Middletown Township — Middletown Township. Beach Ave & Thompson Ave, Middletown Township
- Beach Blvd Bay Access, Highlands Borough — Highlands Borough. Beach Blvd & Central Ave, Highlands Borough
- Beach Dr Bay Access, Aberdeen Township — Aberdeen Township. Beach Dr, Aberdeen Township
- Beachway Ave Bay Access, Keansburg Borough — restrooms. Keansburg Borough. Beachway Ave & Main St, Keansburg Borough
- Beachwear Ave Bay Access, Keansburg Borough — Keansburg Borough. Beachwear Ave, Keansburg Borough
Fee and opening hours are blank for all 14 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.
Season by season
- Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, 38–42°F) — Biting: Winter Flounder.
- Spring (Apr, May, Jun, 49–68°F) — Biting: Weakfish, American Eel.
- Summer (Jul, Aug, Sep, 71–76°F) — Biting: Permit, Weakfish, American Eel.
- Fall (Oct, Nov, 52–65°F) — Biting: Weakfish, American Eel.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 63,799 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Clarity swings from 2.5 to 11.5 feet between our readings — the water you meet is not the water someone photographed. Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish. Winter water drops to 38°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do.
Where this data comes from
- NOAA NOS Hydro — NOAA NOS hydrographic survey archive: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- USACE eHydro — USACE eHydro channel surveys: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- NOAA Digital Coast — NOAA Digital Coast bathymetric lidar: class A, a survey of the bottom, 2017.
- NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- NOAA BlueTopo: class A, a survey of the bottom.
