Has the Fall Run Started at Island Beach Yet? What October Changes at the End of Central Avenue

At 4:36 on the morning of October 7, the Seaside Park report from Betty & Nick's Bait & Tackle came down to a few words: zero wind, water like glass, crisp and cool. By 8:00 a.m. the same report had a better lead. A customer had come in to say there were pods of bunker just up the street from the shop, with enough nervous water to draw "a boat load of dolphin."

Two days earlier, Grumpy's Tackle on Central Avenue titled its report "Maybe Not Yet..."

Taken together, those two reports describe the first week of October 2026 at Island Beach State Park. On October 1, the park switched to its fall rules. The fish set their own schedule, and so far the shops can see the bait and the surfcasters more clearly than the bass.

The Park Switched Over on October 1

Island Beach's gate at 2401 Central Ave. sits at the south end of Seaside Park. Its fall shift comes on a fixed date. October 1 is the day that matters most for anyone who drives onto the sand, and the New Jersey DEP's Island Beach page, updated October 6, lists what changed.

The permit change matters most. All summer, an angler without an annual decal could not buy a three-day permit for a Friday-to-Sunday weekend. Starting October 1, three-day permits are sold every day, and the gatehouse sells them on the day you start using one. The resident price is $75 for three days, $150 for a weekday permit, and $195 for an annual permit, plus a $5 service fee on weekday and annual purchases. The state caps the year at 8,000 annual and 1,000 weekday permits, and the 500 extra weekday permits released every October 1 are set aside specifically for fall fishing.

The state times that release for the fall run. Whether the run shows up on time is another matter.

The Fish Keep Their Own Calendar

Grumpy's Tackle, at 906 NE Central Ave., opens at 4:30 a.m. every day and posts reports through the season. In the week before October, its reports sounded hopeful. The September 28 report said striped bass had been attacking mullet in the Island Beach surf before the storm, and some local anglers caught them. On October 1, the shop reported two large bass and described a surf bass caught locally on metal.

By the October 5 report, the shop was hedging. Its Maybe Not Yet report said the start of the run had "either been delayed, or it is being missed." Few anglers were out that weekend, and the shop asked whether the weather had kept them away. Fewer anglers means fewer reports, "whether there are fish or not." The report's standout fish was a 36-inch bass taken from the surf on an eel, measured, photographed, and released. It also passed along rumors of resident fish in the usual Barnegat Bay spots.

Two days later, the Betty & Nick's Seaside Park report was more optimistic and more specific about why:

It looks like the table might be being set and have a good Colombus Day start to the Fall run this year. Conditions might be prime right through Sunday based on what I see. Water temps are still varying between 64 – 66 so we have a little ways more to go there

Both shops are reading the same water. The bunker are close in, and the dolphins have found them. Water temperatures have fallen into the mid-60s, from 67 on September 29, but by Betty & Nick's own account they still need to drop further. Columbus Day falls on Monday, October 12 this year, so that report is predicting a start within days, not weeks.

Two Reads of the Same Sand

The beach itself shows the same timing gap. The DEP park page still carries an advisory warning permit holders that the beach south of A21 is "narrow and soft in many areas" and telling drivers to air their tires down to 15 psi. On October 7, Betty & Nick's passed along a different account from a longtime regular, who had driven from Gillikins to the inlet the day before with "NO ISSUES whatsoever," on "wide, flat, hard sand." According to the report, the soft sand had washed away and the dunes were intact.

These are two accounts of a beach that changes with every storm. The September 29 report found erosion after the late-September weather but said Seaside "definitely fared better than other areas." The state advisory and a shop's morning report are written on different schedules, and conditions can shift between them.

The equipment rules do not change with conditions. Every Mobile Sport Fishing Vehicle on the beach has to carry:

• Fishing gear and bait for each person over 12
• A tire gauge, a spare tire, a working jack, and a plywood square at least 3/4 inch by 12 by 12 inches to set it on in sand
• A tow chain or snatch line, a shovel, and a flashlight
• A fire extinguisher, an auto first aid kit, and a trash bag
• At least a quarter tank of fuel

The state also recommends a current tide chart and jumper cables matched to your battery. Permits go only to the registered owner, and the name on the license must match the registration. No vehicles are allowed north of the Gilikins entrance.

This Weekend Will Answer the Question

The fastest way to learn whether the run has started is to put a lot of surfcasters on the beach at once, and that happens October 9 and 10. Saltwater Underground With Nick Honachefsky is running the 8th annual Barrier Island Beach Brawl, a Friday-Saturday, surfcasters-only tournament based at Playa Bowls and the Crabs Claw Inn in Lavallette. The fishing grounds run from Point Pleasant Beach to the southern tip of Island Beach State Park. Entry is $45, and more than 15 species are eligible, from bluefish, weakfish, and false albacore to blackfish, red drum, and sheepshead. Striped bass are photo-and-release only. According to The Fisherman's announcement, last year's event gave out more than $35,000 in cash and gear and donated 100 pounds of fresh fillets to the Point Pleasant Pantry.

The tournament also lands on the weekend Betty & Nick's thinks conditions "might be prime right through Sunday." By Monday's reports, the shops should have a much fuller picture of the beach than one weekend with few anglers out.

If you plan to keep a bass outside the tournament, check the 2026 rules first. NJ Fish & Wildlife sets the general recreational limit at one striped bass between 28 and 31 inches. With a valid bonus permit, an angler can keep one more fish from 24 to under 28 inches through December 31, 2026. Anglers 16 and older must also sign up for the free NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry, and fishing access in the park is open 24 hours a day.

What the Park Allows in the Off-Season

The park's off-season rules matter for people who aren't fishing too. Small beach fires are allowed from parking area A2 south, at least 50 feet east of the dunes, but not in the swim areas or the Gillikin's fishing area, and you have to put the fire out and fill in the hole before you leave. Recreational clamming is allowed anywhere in the Sedge Islands Marine Conservation Zone, with bay access at A15 and A21. The rules call for a license, a minimum size of 1 1/2 inches, a limit of 150 clams per person per day, and no clamming on Sundays. Leashed pets are welcome as long as the leash is six feet or shorter.

Before you go, note that the restrooms at Fisherman's Walkway, A6/7, are closed for repairs. Open restrooms remain at the swimming area pavilion and at A13, A19 and A21. The gate opens at dawn and closes at dusk, and the park office is staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Outside swim season, the park office also has beach wheelchairs, including ones fitted for surf fishing.

The borough's fall calendar keeps going after the tournament. Seaside Park's Scarecrow Decorating is on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. The borough's notice does not give a location yet, so check back before that morning.

For now, the clearest guide to the fall run is the daily shop reports. The bunker and the dolphins have arrived. Whether the bass follow by Columbus Day should be clear after this weekend.

If you own near the south end of Central Avenue, or are thinking about a place within reach of the Island Beach gate, I'm happy to talk about how fall on this end of the island affects ownership and seasonal use. Karin Farley works from Seaside Park year-round. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.