Weakfish: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Long Island, NY.

Fishing region

Season in Long Island

Peak months: May, Jun, Jul.

JFMAMJJASOND

NY Sea Grant: first catches around the end of April on the South Shore, best fishing May to July, fishing continues through the season; schools form in September and move offshore and south in October or as late as November. OTW: large weakfish at Northport in August 2026, Peconic Bay weakfish more active as water cooled in August, a good Northport bite and Montauk night fish in early October 2026. (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Long Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Rhode Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Connecticut	JFMAMJJASOND
North Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
South Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
Delmarva	JFMAMJJASOND
Virginia Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Outer Banks	JFMAMJJASOND
Southern NC	JFMAMJJASOND
Charleston	JFMAMJJASOND
Northeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

South Shore bays, Peconic and Gardiners bays between the forks, and the North Shore: docks, breakwaters, sandbars, rocks that make rips and deep drop-offs. Often a night bite (6 to 9 pm per NY Sea Grant).

Mid-water, around piers and inlets.

What to look for

Bait under lights, swirls at the edge of the light.

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Metal casting jig (diamond, Hopkins or Stingsilver style)1 to 2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Fast steady retrieve for mackerel; let it sink and rip it up for blues; jig near bottom for weakfish.

Swimming minnow plug (Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow style)3/4 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in. Steady medium retrieve with occasional twitches and pauses.

Bait

Shrimp, Cut bait. Light bottom rig or float.

Leader

20 lb fluorocarbon.

Common mistakes

Pulling hooks: very soft mouth

Landing

Gentle, steady pressure.

Handling

Canine teeth

Use pliers.

Keep or release

Soft mouths tear, so play them gently and net them. Check the New York limit, which is much tighter than for most fish.

Recipes for weakfish

Typical: Schoolies under 3 lb. Large: Tiderunners (large fish). NY record 19.13 lb (1984).

New York (marine waters) limits

Minimum: 16 in TL (10 in filleted, 12 in dressed)
Maximum: none
Bag: 1 per angler
Season: All year
Fillet length is measured on a skin-on side fillet; dressed length is head off to the longest lobe of the tail (NYSDEC footnotes 6 and 7)

Last checked 2026-10-17. A summary, not legal advice; the official rules win. New York State DEC fishing regulations.

Sources

New York Sea Grant fish profile: Weakfish (Cornell, 2001) (Official source)
On The Water: Long Island and NYC Fishing Report, August 27, 2026 (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Long Island and NYC Fishing Report, August 20, 2026 (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Long Island and NYC Fishing Report, October 8, 2026 (Angler knowledge)
FishBase species summary: Cynoscion regalis (weakfish) (Official source)
Gregg Holshouser Grand Strand fishing reports, 2019-2020 (mirror) (Angler knowledge)
SCDNR Saltwater Fishing Trends (pier operator forecasts) (Angler knowledge)
NYSDEC Marine Recreational Angler Records Program (Official source)
NYSDEC Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations: size, possession limits and seasons (fish table last changed May 12, 2026; shark table last changed Aug 27, 2025) (Official source)

All the fish of Long Island

Weakfish