Waters · Coast · NY · Thu, Aug 13

How's the bite at Montauk today? Picky — the middle of the day carries it.

Work for it.

4/10
Picky

Today's bite windows

12 AM6 AMNoon6 PM11 PM
Major
12:18 AM–2:18 AM
Moon underfoot
Minor
6:20 AM–7:20 AM
Moonrise
Major
12:43 PM–2:43 PM
Moon overhead
Minor
7:53 PM–8:53 PM
Moonset

Sunrise 5:55 AM · sunset 7:49 PM · tomorrow's first major 1:07 AM–3:07 AM · windows on every water

Solunar · computed updated 4:36 AM

Conditions right now

Water temp
75.4°F
NOAA CO-OPS 8510560 updated 4:30 AM
Tide level
0.387ft
-0.38 ft in 24h
NOAA CO-OPS 8510560 updated 4:30 AM
Pressure
29.85inHg
rising · +1.3 hPa/12h
NOAA KMTP updated 3:54 AM
Wind
5mph NNE
NOAA KMTP updated 3:54 AM
Moon
1% waxing
Solunar · computed updated 4:36 AM

What this means

Striped bass
75°F is above the comfortable band. Fish deep water and the first hour of light.
Work deep.

Montauk water level today

0.387 ft above MLLW down 0.38 ft in 24 hours

That sits 2% of the way up the band it has held over the last 8 days, between 0.31 and 3.74 ft. Over the week it is down1.49ft.

08-04 0.31–3.74 ft 08-13
USGS 8510560 updated 4:30 AM

The week ahead

Fri 7 Biting
Sat 6 Biting
Sun 6 Biting
Mon 6 Biting
Tue 7 Biting
Wed 6 Biting
Thu 7 Biting

Forecast days carry solunar and the wind outlook. Pressure and gauge movement land the morning of.

Before you go

A New York fishing license covers this water — $25 a year for residents. DEC sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What it costs, and who is exempt →

Nearby waters today

Questions people ask about Montauk

Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Montauk.

Is it worth fishing Montauk today?
4 out of 10 — picky. Work for it. The strongest stretch is 12:18 AM–2:18 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level and the water temperature.
What time should you fish Montauk?
Today's major windows run 12:18 AM–2:18 AM and 12:43 PM–2:43 PM, with minor windows at 6:20 AM–7:20 AM and 7:53 PM–8:53 PM. Sunrise is 5:55 AM and sunset 7:49 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.
What is the water temperature at Montauk?
75.4°F, read at 4:30 AM from NOAA CO-OPS station 8510560. That is 0.4 degrees warmer than 24 hours ago.
What is the water level at Montauk right now?
0.387 ft above MLLW, read at 4:30 AM from NOAA CO-OPS station 8510560. Over 24 hours it is down 0.38 ft.
Can you eat the fish you catch in Montauk?
That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. New York State Department of Health publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where split into three regions, with tighter limits for people who may become pregnant and for children under 15. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.

NYSDOH fish consumption advisory

Do you need a licence to fish Montauk?
Yes. A New York fishing license covers this water, required from age 16. DEC sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What a New York license costs, and who is exempt

What size fish can you keep in NY?
It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: striped bass, scup (porgy), black sea bass, weakfish. Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.

Check a length against the rules

Where these numbers come from

The station sits in Fort Pond Bay on the sound side of the point.

No one types these in by hand. If a source goes quiet, the page says so instead of showing you yesterday.