UTERSummer flounder fishing in Long Island Sound and Montauk
In Long Island Sound and Montauk, summer flounder peak June–September and are around May–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Drift the south shore inlets, Peconic and Gardiners Bay; bucktails and spearing-and-squid.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Summer flounder in Long Island Sound and Montauk, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayArrivingBunker stripers in the western Sound; blues and weakfish arrive. Live bunker in the western Sound harbors and Jamaica Bay; topwater on the flats; weakfish at night in Peconic; big porgies into Gardiners Bay.
- JunePeakDrift the south shore inlets, Peconic and Gardiners Bay; bucktails and spearing-and-squid.
- JulyPeakFluke, porgies and sea bass; bluefin off Montauk. Hi-lo rigs and clam for porgies and sea bass on the Sound rock piles; bluefin on the sand eels south of Montauk; makos and blues on the chum.
- AugustPeakCanyon tuna; bonito and the albies' first arrival. Overnight trips to the Hudson and Block canyons; bonito on epoxy jigs at Montauk and the Race; mahi under the pot buoys.
- SeptemberPeakBiggest fish of the year off Montauk and Shinnecock on the ocean humps.
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish summer flounder near Sheepshead Bay, Freeport, Captree
New York Harbor, Jamaica Bay and the lower Hudson; Long Island's south shore surf and inlets backed by Great South Bay and the Moriches and Shinnecock bays; the Peconic and Gardiners bays between the forks; Montauk Point's boulder fields and rips; and Long Island Sound — rocky reefs, harbors and the Connecticut river mouths on the north side, the Race at the east end. Offshore to the Hudson and Block canyons.
Fish Scouter charts 1,272 wreck, 3 artificial reef spots in the Long Island & the Sound map area — the kinds summer flounder hold on.
What to use for summer flounder
- Mud minnows (killifish)Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait.
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- Menhaden (pogies)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Leader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–4/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 56–80°F water, best at 62–74°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch summer flounder in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Peak season is June–September. Summer flounder are in Long Island Sound and Montauk May–October. June: Drift the south shore inlets, Peconic and Gardiners Bay; bucktails and spearing-and-squid.
Where do summer flounder hold in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Look on channel edge, pass / inlet, beach / surf, artificial reef, wreck, bridge, fishing pier, grass flat — around Sheepshead Bay, Freeport, Captree, Port Jefferson, Montauk, Orient.
What is the best bait for summer flounder in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Live bait: mud minnows (killifish), squid, menhaden (pogies), sand eels. Mud minnows (killifish): Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait. Tackle: leader 20–40 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–4/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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