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Toms River Fishing Report

Updated Mon, Sep 14, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A Pine Barrens river to Barnegat Bay: Toms River runs pickerel, bass and tidal stripers.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
82 cfs
Air / High
73 / 73 F
Wind
NNW 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01408500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Monday
14
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Toms River stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. The river is running 82 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind NNW around 11 mph, rising pressure near 1018 hPa and a high of 73. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing crescent, the solunar majors run 1:11 AM-3:11 AM and 1:11 PM-3:11 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 71 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Tue, Sep 15, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Toms River near Toms River NJ.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01408500.

8312817482 cfs08/1508/2509/0409/14

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp73 F
High / Low73 / 59 F
WindNNW 11-17 mph
Pressure1018.3 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 4%
Sunrise / Sunset06:37 / 19:07
MoonWaxing Crescent, 8%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Mon Sep 14 · Partly cloudy, 73/59 F, wind 11 mph, rain 4%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Toms River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Toms River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Toms River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Sun, Sep 13

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 81 F, wind to 7 mph.

Sat, Sep 12

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 11 mph.

Fri, Sep 11

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 79 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

New Jersey requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

New Jersey license for fresh water; saltwater registry for the tidal reach. Striped bass and bass limits per current NJDEP regulations.

Access

Public launches in Toms River and Island Heights, canoe liveries upstream, and county park access.

About this water

A 40-mile Pine Barrens river to Barnegat Bay, Ocean County, New Jersey.

Fishing Toms River: the full guide

A cedar-water river

The Toms River flows about 40 miles through the New Jersey Pine Barrens to Barnegat Bay, running tea-stained over sand from cedar swamps before widening into a tidal reach at the town of Toms River. The freshwater upper river holds chain pickerel, largemouth bass, yellow perch and sunfish; the tidal lower river holds striped bass, white perch and blue crabs.

Pickerel in the tannin water

The upper river is classic Pine Barrens water: dark, acidic, sand-bottomed and lined with cedar and brush. Chain pickerel are the signature fish, hitting spinners, spoons and small plugs from the undercuts and the wood. Largemouth and perch share the water. It is best fished from a canoe or kayak given the tight corridor.

Stripers in the tidal reach

Below the head of tide the river widens and holds striped bass through much of the year, with schoolies plentiful and larger fish moving in seasonally. White perch fill the brackish reaches, and crabbing is a summer tradition. The transition zone where fresh meets salt often holds the most active fish.

Ocean County logistics

Access is via public launches in Toms River and Island Heights, canoe liveries on the upper river, and county park access through the corridor. The Garden State Parkway crosses the river, and Barnegat Bay opens up immediately downstream. Summer recreational traffic is heavy on the tidal reach.

Common questions

Why is the water brown?

Tannins from the cedar swamps of the Pine Barrens: it is naturally tea-stained and acidic, not polluted.

What is the signature fish?

Chain pickerel in the upper river, hitting spinners and small plugs from the undercuts and wood.

Are there stripers?

Yes, in the tidal reach below the head of tide, with schoolies common and larger fish seasonally.

Is fishing good at Toms River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Manasquan Reservoir11 miBarnegat16 miRaritan Bay33 miSandy Hook36 miRaritan River43 miRound Valley Reservoir55 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 01408500 — Toms River near Toms River NJ
Read from waterservices.usgs.gov/nwis/iv. Latest value timestamped 2026-09-14 at 12:00 station time.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 39.9864, -74.2233 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
Written and reviewed by a person against the sources above. Errors are published in the verification log, not quietly corrected.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.

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