Manasquan Inlet

Manasquan Inlet connects the Manasquan River to the Atlantic between Manasquan in Monmouth County and Point Pleasant Beach in Ocean County, and it's also the northern ocean outlet for Barnegat Bay by way of the Point Pleasant (Bay Head–Manasquan) Canal. Twin rock jetties line the mouth, and it's one of the easiest inlets in New Jersey to fish: you can park, walk a few steps to the rocks or rails, and start casting. Like any inlet, it funnels bait and the fish that follow it, so stripers, bluefish, fluke and weakfish all come through, and false albacore sometimes run right into the river.

When to fish

• Early to mid April: the first spring bluefish of the year are usually caught in the inlet, and word spreads fast.
• Spring and fall: the striper runs.
• Summer: fluke and weakfish settle into the inlet.
• October: stripers blitz on adult bunker and peanut bunker off the inlet.

Where to fish

• The jetties and rails: on both the Manasquan and Point Pleasant Beach sides, the easiest access. Cast to the edge of the rocks and let lures swing in the current rather than bombing casts across the channel.
• The back of the inlet: the jetties end at deep holes, and the water behind them is overlooked. On the north side there's a sandy flat, then a salt creek and marsh; on the south, a broad sandy shoal and a spoil island.
• Fisherman's Cove and Dog Beach (north side, just inside the inlet): a 55-acre Monmouth County park with beach access where anglers wade in spring for bluefish.
• By boat: drift the channel from the inlet back toward the railroad bridge.

How to fish it

Spring bluefish hit poppers hard. For stripers, throw poppers or soft plastics along the jetty rocks around sunrise, and in the deeper channel jig paddletail shads on light leadheads just off the bottom. Night fishing is quieter on the jetties. Fly anglers do best swinging flies along the rocks or wading the flats behind the inlet. The soft mud in some back areas is hard to wade, so stick to firm bottom.

Getting there

On the Manasquan side, Fisherman's Cove Conservation Area is at 391 Third Avenue; a few signed free spaces are set aside for it when the town's summer beach parking fees are in effect, and the park closes in the evening on a seasonal schedule. The jetties get crowded with walkers and sightseers on nice days, so early mornings and nights are easier. Anglers 16 and older must register with New Jersey's free Saltwater Recreational Registry.