Island Beach's Fall Run Is Starting, Under Permit Rules That May Not See 2027

"It looks like the table might be being set and have a good Colombus Day start to the Fall run this year." That line comes from the October 7 Seaside Park report at Betty & Nick's Bait & Tackle. It followed a customer's tip about bunker pods "right up the street from the shop," with enough bait in the water to draw "a boat load of dolphin." Today is Columbus Day.

Ten miles of barrier island south of Seaside Park are now running on a different set of rules than they did in August. Three things are lining up this fall. The striper run is starting. The beach has been reshaped by a nor'easter that closed the park two and a half weeks ago. And the permit system that decides who drives onto the sand may be in its last season in its current form. That change comes from a plan state staff described to stakeholders in May, and no official notice has confirmed it.

After Labor Day, a Permit Matters More Than the Gate Fee

The summer entry fee ended with Labor Day. Island Beach State Park now charges an off-season daily fee of $5 for New Jersey residents and $10 for nonresidents. In summer it was $6 on weekdays and $10 on weekends for residents. The off-season rate runs from the day after Labor Day to the Friday before Memorial Day.

According to NJDEP's park page, the gate is open dawn to dusk daily, but surf-fishing access is open 24 hours a day. The 2026 Friends of Island Beach State Park visitor guide lists off-season hours as "Everyday 8am—sunset," which doesn't quite match. The state's page is the one to go by.

For anyone who wants to drive onto the beach, the Mobile Sport Fishing Vehicle permit is what really sets the fall season apart. Here are the 2026 rates listed on the park's own page:

Weekday and annual purchases carry a $5 service fee, and a replacement costs $25. One state fee table lists the weekday permit at $100 and $150, but the Island Beach page shows $150 and $175, and that page covers this park specifically.

The fall window is when the weekday permit is worth the most. From October 1 through December 31, it covers all seven days, Saturdays and Sundays included. The 2026 annual and weekday lotteries are over. The park page and the Friends guide both say an extra 500 weekday permits for fall fishing are released every October 1. Whether any are left this year isn't posted.

The permit comes with conditions. Beach driving is for fishing only, and vehicles can't go north of the Gillikins entrance. The state requires every buggy to carry:

• Fishing gear
• A tire gauge, a spare, and a jack with a support board
• A tow line and a shovel
• A flashlight, a fire extinguisher, and a first-aid kit
• A trash bag
• At least a quarter tank of fuel

The Nor'easter Left a Beach That Two Sources Describe Differently

The tire gauge on that list matters more this month than usual. Patch reported that Island Beach closed "for all use at dusk Friday, Sept. 25" and was expected to stay closed through that Sunday while staff checked safety.

NJDEP's coastal engineers surveyed the shoreline from September 28 through September 30. Their October 2 assessment rated damage at the park as "Moderate." They found sloped erosion, sand pushed around, and vertical scarping of the dunes in many sections, with "No other major incidents or damage reported."

What that means at tire level depends on who you ask and when. The park page, updated October 6, tells permit holders to use caution south of A21, where the beach is "narrow and soft in many areas," and recommends running tires at 15 psi. It also says the Fisherman's Walkway restrooms at A6/7 are closed for repairs. The very next morning, Betty & Nick's posted that the trip from Gillikins to the inlet was made "with NO ISSUES whatsoever." The post described "Wide, flat, hard sand," and said the soft sand had washed away while the dunes held.

Those two accounts can both be true a day apart on a beach that changes with every tide. The shop's September 29 update also gave a sense of how Seaside Park fared. It said the bay road was clear with "zero water," and that apart from some erosion, "it all looks good."

The Organized Calendar Is Over, and the Fish Set the Schedule

The park's official calendar wound down fast this month. Friends of Island Beach State Park held its Fall Fest on October 4, with food trucks, pet-rescue groups, live music, and a pet costume parade. Island Beach Nature Programs ran a $3 history hike to the Judge's Shack on October 8, meeting at Lot 13. The Fisherman listed the 8th annual Barrier Island Beach Brawl, a surfcasters-only tournament, for October 9 and 10. The fishing area ran from Point Pleasant Beach to the south end of Island Beach, with inlets excluded.

As of today, the Friends calendar shows no upcoming events. The Nature Programs calendar has nothing listed after October 8. The Interpretive Center's posted hours still read "TBA." The Friends guide suggests calling ahead about off-season hours before driving the seven miles south to the center.

From here, the water sets the schedule. Water temperatures off Seaside Park were 67 degrees on September 29 and between 64 and 66 by October 7. The shop said that still left "a little ways more to go." Grumpy's Tackle said in its October 1 report that it had heard of two surf-caught bass, both large.

Some of the summer's upgrades are worth a look on a quieter visit. The 2026 Friends guide lists a new history timeline exhibit in the Interpretive Center, a living shoreline at the A15 kayak launch, and changed traffic patterns at the entrance.

This May Be the Lottery's Last Fall, Though Nothing Official Says So

The 2026 permit year was crowded. According to The Fisherman, NJDEP's records show 11,609 applications for annual MSFV permits for the 2026 season. The state issued 8,000 and turned down nearly 4,000 applicants.

The same outlet reported what happened next. At a private stakeholder meeting on May 12, NJDEP and State Parks staff pledged to remove the 8,000-permit cap from the online sales system for the 2027 season. A presentation shared with stakeholders said there would still be a hard limit on how many vehicles can be on the beach at once. When permit sales start again on December 15, though, the cap on permits would be gone, and so would the lottery. The quoted goal was to "manage access based on real-time capacity, not permit limits." One idea discussed over the winter was a license plate reader at the entrance that would match each car to its permit decal. The magazine described this as an option, not a settled choice.

Staff also described a proposal to require reservations on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day starting in 2027. Under that proposal, Saturday reservations would open on Tuesday and Sunday reservations on Wednesday.

None of this has shown up in an official form yet. NJDEP's permit page still describes the 2026 lottery and says the department is evaluating how permits will be sold in the future. It doesn't list a 2027 schedule. The Legislature has two related bills. A4940 would stop the state from capping the number of permits. It was introduced May 7 and sent to the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, where it remains at "Introduced." The Senate version, S4317, was introduced May 21 and sits with the Senate Environment and Energy Committee at the same status. The Assembly bill would also put at least 10 percent of permit revenue toward park maintenance each year.

Scarce permits have also caused trouble. In a September 1 editorial, The Fisherman reported that State Park Police were investigating three cases involving fraudulent MSFV permits.

The timing overlaps. Fall weekday and three-day permits run through December 31. If staff follow the plan they described in May, 2027 sales would open on December 15, while this year's fall permits still have about two weeks left.

If you load the buggy in a driveway in Toms River, Brick, or Berkeley, you already know the island side of Ocean County runs on its own schedule. Alexis Fraistat follows that schedule for sellers too, and pricing a home near the bay or the beach roads takes the same kind of local attention. Want to know what your place is worth while the run is on? Get Your Free Home Valuation, and get back to the surf.

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