Every May, as the gates to fluke season swing open along Long Island’s South Shore, Fire Island Inlet becomes a stage for one of the most exciting inshore fisheries of the year. The combination of moving tides, warming shallows, and structure-packed terrain sets the inlet apart as a hotspot for doormat hunters. But for those looking to consistently score, it’s not just about drifting and hoping. Success lies in learning the ambush points – those subtle seams and soft-bottom pockets where early-season fluke lie in wait.

This isn’t about aimlessly bouncing a bucktail. It’s about dissecting Fire Island Inlet’s underwater terrain like a game board, knowing where to start your drift, where to end it, and what to expect between the two. The inlet is alive with tide rips, shoals, bridge pilings, and rocky outcroppings that concentrate bait and funnel hungry flatfish into prime ambush zones. If you know what to look for, the fish will find you.

Reading the Inlet’s Blueprint

Fire Island Inlet is a dynamic and constantly evolving body of water. Shoals shift, channels deepen, and sandbars migrate from season to season. Yet some spots – due to hard structure or consistent current flow – remain productive year after year. The key to finding May fluke here is understanding how they position relative to this structure.

As a rule, early-season fluke will gravitate toward areas where bait is forced through pinch points, pushed along drop-offs, or slowed down by eddies. They’re ambush predators. That means they don’t chase – they wait. And in May, when water temperatures are just ticking up into that mid-50s to low-60s range, they’re more inclined to hang close to structure and conserve energy while waiting for something to swim by.

Let’s break down some of Fire Island Inlet’s most overlooked but deadly ambush points.

 

1. West Bar Drop-Offs

This is often the first major ambush point of the spring. Located just west of the inlet’s opening and south of Oak Beach, West Bar is a shallow sandbar that falls off quickly into deeper water. This ledge creates a conveyor belt of sorts as outgoing tides sweep bait and warmer bay water over the edge and into the mouths of waiting fluke.

Start your drift on top of the bar in 6 to 10 feet of water and ride it down into 20 or 25. You’ll often find that bites come right along that transition – especially during an outgoing tide with a light south wind pushing your drift west to east. The fluke line up on that shelf like trout in a stream.

Lure-wise, this is ideal bucktail territory. A 3/4-ounce jig with a Gulp Swimming Mullet or Grub in chartreuse or nuclear chicken gets down fast and stays in the strike zone as you roll off the ledge.

2. Sore Thumb Shoal Edges

Just inside the inlet’s eastern edge lies a crescent-shaped sand feature known locally as the Sore Thumb. This area acts like a natural wing dam, channeling tide through narrow slots and creating small eddies and drop-offs – perfect staging points for hungry fluke.

The inside edges of the shoal hold warmer water and smaller baitfish early in the season. On a rising tide, drift the inside contour where the sand flat drops into 10 to 15 feet of water. The outgoing tide, meanwhile, pushes bait off the shoal and into deeper pockets – especially productive if bunker schools are nearby.

One productive trick is to fish a tandem rig: a bucktail on the bottom and a teaser about 12 inches above, tipped with a 4-inch Gulp Shrimp or Spearing. This lets you fish both the bottom-huggers and mid-column cruisers in one pass.

3. Coast Guard Station Channel Drop

On the north side of the inlet, the channel that runs past the old Coast Guard Station is a perennial fluke magnet, particularly during May when the back bays are still warming. This spot benefits from deep cuts, sharp channel turns, and structure left behind by old pilings and rocky rubble along the bulkheads.

Fluke will tuck in tight along the channel edge here, using the slack zones and slower water to ambush bait pushed by the incoming tide. The bend in the channel tends to slow water speed just enough for flatfish to get comfortable – and for you to maintain solid bottom contact.

The key here is precise drifts. Watch your GPS and try to repeat drifts that take you from 18 feet to 25, hugging the inside elbow of the channel. If you feel your jig lose contact with bottom, bump up your weight. This spot rewards those who stay glued to the bottom.

4. Bridge Piling Eddies

The Robert Moses Causeway Bridge might be better known for stripers, but those big concrete pilings serve a second purpose come fluke season. On strong tides, they create small slack zones and eddies behind them, and these miniature current breaks are exactly the kind of spots early-season fluke use to intercept food without exerting energy.

Drifting between the pilings is dangerous and not advised for most boaters. But if you can work the edges – particularly on an incoming tide from the west side of the channel – you’ll often pick off keeper fluke hovering behind the downcurrent side of the pylons.

Use a heavier jig (1 to 1-1/2 ounces) here to get down quick. With all the swirling current, you want your bait on the bottom fast. And don’t be afraid to use meat – squid strip or a whole spearing with a scent attractant can help the fluke track your offering in turbulent water.

5. Ocean Side Inlet Mouth (East Jetty Inside Pocket)

Once the water creeps into the low 60s, ocean-side fish start showing, especially around the jetties. The inside edge of the east jetty, where the stone wall meets the inlet proper, creates a bowl-shaped pocket with soft sand and scattered rock. This is a classic doormat zone.

Unlike the drifting zones farther inside, this is a spot where anchoring up and casting can be just as productive. Drop a jig straight down and bounce it within a tight area, or fan-cast bucktails upcurrent and swing them back toward the boat, letting them flutter down the drop.

The key in this spot is stealth and precision. Too much motor noise or heavy boat traffic can shut it down. But early in the morning, before the wakes roll in, it’s a quiet, overlooked pocket that can yield fluke pushing 6 pounds or more.

6. Soft Bottom Flats Behind Oak Beach

When the tide is moving too fast through the inlet, or the ocean side gets churned up, the soft-bottom flats between the Robert Moses Bridge and Oak Beach become a more forgiving zone –and fluke love them in May.

These flats aren’t just sandy – they’re loaded with mussel beds, scattered clam shells, and the occasional eelgrass patch. All of this creates mini structure on an otherwise featureless bottom, giving fluke just enough cover to stage and ambush prey.

Drift slow and parallel to the shoreline in 6 to 12 feet of water. Use the lightest bucktail you can get away with—ideally half to 3/4 ounce – and go with a longer leader between your jig and teaser. Fluke here tend to strike on the pause or just after you lift and drop.

This is also one of the few spots where casting and retrieving can be effective, especially on calm mornings. Pitch your jig up-current, let it hit bottom, and then work it back toward you in short hops.

Understanding Why

Fluke fishing Fire Island Inlet in May isn’t just about being in the right place – it’s about understanding why the fish are there. It’s about recognizing that a fluke doesn’t sit in the middle of nowhere. It stages. It waits. It positions based on tide, structure, current speed, and bait movement.

By learning these ambush points – the drop-offs, soft edges, current seams, and slack zones – you give yourself a leg up. You begin to fish smart, not just hard. And that’s how you turn a few lucky flatties into a consistent early-season bite.

So next time you ease your skiff or center console into the mouth of Fire Island Inlet, remember: the doormats are there, and they’re waiting in the shadows. You just have to know where to look.