Porgy.

01The Fish

Stenotomus chrysops — porgy or scup — is the East End's iconic panfish. Compressed silver body with a high arched back, big eye, small mouth, dorsal fin running the length of the body with spiny anterior rays. Family Sparidae (the porgies). Schools tight, structure-oriented, eats just about anything organic that fits in its small mouth: worms, clam, squid, crab pieces, small baitfish.

The classic East End story: the kids' fish that adults secretly love. Easy to catch, light-tackle fun, no fight technique required — and excellent fried whole. A bucket of 8-12 inch porgies cleaned, scored, and dropped in hot oil is one of the genuine pleasures of an East End summer. The big ones (1.5+ lb, locally called humpbacks or jumbos) are filleted; the keepers under that get the head-on whole-fish treatment.

02When & Where

May 1 (Opening). Early season is slow but fish are around — try the channel edges in 15-25 ft of Peconic Bay.

June – September. Peak. Peconic Bay is the headquarters. Plum Gut produces stupid numbers some days on the reef stacks. Cedar Point, Northwest Creek, Sag Harbor, and the rocks around Shelter Island all hold piles of fish. Anywhere with hard bottom in 8-30 ft. Late summer, bigger schools move to offshore rockpiles in 30-60 ft.

October – December. Bigger fish stack on offshore structure. The for-hire bag bumps to 40 fish September 1 – October 31 for party / charter anglers. Fishing continues until cold water pushes schools out by mid-December.

03How to Catch Them

Porgy fishing is the simplest serious fishery on the East End. The bait, the rig, the rod — all light, all cheap, all forgiving.

Hi-low rig with clam strip. Two #4 or #2 baitholder hooks on a simple dropper rig. Sinker on the bottom — 1-3 oz depending on tide. Strip of fresh surf clam on each hook; a squid sweetener on the bottom hook helps the bait last through multiple bites.

Bait the day before. Pick up clams at a local bait shop the night before — fresh beats frozen. A pint will fish two anglers a full day. Squid as the second bait.

Drop & crank. When the school is under the boat, you'll know — fish are biting before the rig hits bottom. Don't wait for the hookset — they're already on. Crank up steadily, swing the doubles into the boat, re-bait, drop again.

04Regulations · NY 2026

Current regulations as of the May 12, 2026 NYSDEC update. Always verify before keeping fish — regs change.

• Minimum size — shore anglers: 9.5" total length.
• Minimum size — private vessel: 11" total length.
• Minimum size — party / charter: 11" total length.
• Daily possession limit: 30 fish per angler (all categories) May 1 – Aug 31 and Nov 1 – Dec 31. For-hire bonus: 40 fish per angler aboard party / charter boats September 1 – October 31.
• Open season: May 1 – December 31.
• License required: NY Marine Registry (free) for recreational anglers 16+.
• Verify: DEC marine regs page.

05The East End Calendar

• May 1: Opens. Early-season fish on bay channel edges.
• Jun – Aug: Peak. Peconic Bay loaded. Plum Gut stacks daily.
• Sept – Oct: Bigger fish offshore. For-hire bag bumps to 40.
• Nov – Dec: Slowing. Offshore rockpiles still produce on calm days.
• Dec 31: Closes.