East End Fishing Report: June 2–8, 2026 — Bass Carry the Show, Blues Finally Crash the Party
The Short Version
It's been a cold, weird spring out here, and the catch reflects it. Striped bass are the one bright spot — and not just any bass, but big bass — while the usual June supporting cast (blues, fluke, sea bass, weakfish) has been slow to wake up. Good news: bluefish finally showed this week, and warming water should flip the switch on the rest soon.
Striped Bass — The Whole Season So Far
If you've been chasing bass, you already know it's been special. Per Jon Diat's On the Water column in The East Hampton Star, Montauk striper fishing has been flat-out phenomenal. The producers: trolling umbrella rigs or bucktails, and slinging diamond jigs off the Lighthouse.
What's odd is the size class. Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle (Sag Harbor location on Bay Street) told the Star the action has been incredible for weeks, but it's been almost all big fish — he's seen bass pushing nearly 50 pounds landed and released, with very little in the 12-to-20-inch range. Usually schoolies lead the migration; this year the giants showed up first. Morse's first bass back in early May was over 35 pounds.
It's not just Montauk. The ocean beaches all the way east have been productive, and Morse reports the boat bite is just as good through the Peconics out to Plum Gut. Closer to home, Sebastian Gorgone at Mrs. Sam's Bait and Tackle in East Hampton has bass on the ocean beaches and working in and around Three Mile Harbor.
Bluefish — Finally
The blues made their debut this week, per the Star. Gorgone notes small bluefish for casters off Gerard Drive in Springs, with some bigger ones starting to filter in. Montauk saw blues show up alongside the bass bite.
Porgies — Building
The scup bite is the best of the bottom-fishing options right now. Capt. Dave Marmeno on the Viking Starlite called Sunday one of their better porgy days of the season — most anglers went home with full buckets. They started shallow, got pushed deep by heavy seaweed, and found a solid bite in the deeper water.
Gorgone's hot tip for porgies: Cherry Harbor on the southwest side of Gardiner's Island, where boats have been anchored up picking decent numbers of big scup when conditions allow. Morse also saw an uptick in local porgy fishing over the weekend.
The Slow Pile: Fluke, Sea Bass, Weakfish, Blowfish
Be honest with yourself before you target these. Fluke, weakfish, and black sea bass all remain scarce across the board, per the Star's roundup. Colder-than-normal water is the likely culprit, and Capt. Harvey Bennett's take is the right one: every season is different, and this should turn around fast as temps climb.
One small bright spot — a few tasty blowfish have started showing in Three Mile Harbor, per Gorgone.
Conditions & Game Plan
It was a rough weekend of weather — Saturday was a blowout with 50-knot north gusts before things settled into a benign Sunday. Heavy seaweed has been a factor on the porgy grounds, pushing boats off the shallow spots into deeper water. The through-line on all of it: water's been colder than normal, and the calendar (summer arrives June 21) is on your side.
If you've got one trip this week, point it at the bass — Montauk rips, the Lighthouse, or the ocean beaches — and bring bottom gear for porgies as your plan B. Everything else is a bonus right now.