Point Pleasant Canal

The Point Pleasant Canal is a two-mile cut through Point Pleasant that links the Manasquan River with the top of Barnegat Bay. It's deep, with holes of 35 to 40 feet, a bottom strewn with rocks and debris, and a hard-running current in both directions. That combination eats tackle but holds a wide mix of fish: stripers, tautog, sea bass, bluefish, fluke, triggerfish, blowfish and big spot, and now and then winter flounder or even sheepshead. The state's Point Pleasant Fishing Access, reopened in 2023 after a rebuild, puts shore anglers right on prime water.

When to fish

• March through December, sometimes into January, depending on what you're after.
• August and September: the best fluke fishing.
• Late fall, especially December: tautog.
• Summer: the ramp basin fills with spot, snapper blues, blue crabs and baitfish (spearing, finger mullet and peanut bunker), which draw small stripers and bluefish.

Where to fish

• Point Pleasant Fishing Access WMA (Beach Boulevard): a 200-foot fishing and observation dock with benches and bait and fish-cleaning stations, right on the canal's main flow. It's especially good for fluke, stripers and tautog.
• The ramp basin next to the dock: a pocket of calmer water on the incoming and high tide.
• Bulkheads along the canal: long stretches of bulkhead offer more places to cast into the current.

How to fish it

Use jigs rather than bait rigs where you can: the bottom is full of snags, and a jig loses less tackle. For fluke, bounce a 1- to 3-ounce white bucktail or a plain jighead with a 5-inch white soft jerkbait around the structure. For tautog, use green crabs, sand fleas or white-legger crabs. Throw metal for bluefish, and live eels are the choice for stripers. Expect to lose rigs to the rocks and current.

Getting there

The Point Pleasant Fishing Access is a NJ Fish and Wildlife site on Beach Boulevard in Point Pleasant, with a concrete ramp for boats up to 26 feet. Parking is tight, with only a few trailer spaces and one ADA space, so plan ahead if you're launching. The canal is a busy boat route between the inlet and the bay, so watch for traffic. Anglers 16 and older must register with New Jersey's free Saltwater Recreational Registry.