The Viking Fleet is the institution of Montauk deep sea fishing, a four generation family operation that runs the biggest boats in the port. Where every other operator here fishes one boat, Viking runs a fleet led by the 140 foot Viking Starship, and it is the only operation in Montauk that runs multi day offshore trips to the canyons for tuna and tilefish, the kind of long range deep sea fishing no private six pack can reach. Founded by Carl Forsberg in 1936 and run by the Forsberg family ever since, it is the first call for offshore range or an affordable seat onto the water.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.4 Viking is a strong choice and the top ranked operator in Montauk, just ahead of Crunch Time Sport Fishing. It leads the port on the things the rubric weights most heavily after the captain: the boats and the trip access. No private boat here can match a 140 foot vessel with bunks or a multi day canyon run. The honest trade is the party boat format. You buy a seat, not the boat, so you fish a crowded rail with a rotating crew, and the day depends on the boat and the crowd you draw rather than a captain you choose. For an intimate, captain led tuna day, the private boats are the better call: Crunch Time and Susie E II for a big sportfisher, Moondance and Tailwrapped for a tuna specialist, Push the Limit for an owner run boat, and Lazybones for a cheaper half day. The full field is on the Montauk ranking.
The boats
The fleet is the score. The Viking Starship is a 140 foot party boat licensed for 150 passengers, with 70 bunks below deck, a galley, and a shower room, built for the long range and multi day offshore trips that are Viking’s signature. The Viking Fivestar is the faster party boat that runs offshore and split charters, and the Viking Star fills out the half day and night schedule. Being first on the grounds is half the battle on a party boat, and the Fivestar’s speed is a real advantage. These are inspected passenger vessels carrying large crowds, so they are not the boat for a quiet day, but for range, capacity, and the ability to stay out overnight at the canyons, nothing else in Montauk comes close.
The fishing and what you target
Viking fishes the full Montauk calendar. Close in, the half day and night trips work the bottom and the rips for fluke, black sea bass, porgy, and striped bass, with night squid in season. The offshore multi day trips are the draw, running to the canyons 60 miles and more for bluefin and yellowfin tuna, tilefish, and wreckfish, with winter wreck trips for cod when the inshore season closes. Shortfin mako sharks are catch and release only under federal and state rules, so plan any shark fishing as release based for mako. Striped bass run a one fish slot of 28 to less than 31 inches in New York. Confirm the current seasons and limits with New York DEC and NOAA Fisheries before you book.
Trips and prices
Viking is the value and access pick, and the fares show it. A half day is $75 per person, with lower fares for seniors and children, spring porgy and sea bass from $100, night striped bass $120, and sunset jigging $70. The offshore multi day trips, the part of the schedule no private boat matches, start at $550 per person, and Viking Fivestar split charters run from $1,100. Fishing equipment and bait are available aboard. Selling by the seat is what makes a day of bottom fishing or a canyon tuna trip affordable for a solo angler or a small group who could never fill a private boat, which is the whole appeal. Our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide work the per person math against booking a private boat.
The crew
Viking is run by the Forsberg family, now into a fourth generation, with licensed party boat captains and a deck crew that baits, untangles, and gaffs for a large rail. The sentiment across decades of reviews is that of a long running, well run operation that knows this water better than anyone, with the offshore trips singled out. The honest limit is the one every party boat carries, and it is why captain and crew scores lower here than on the owner run boats: you do not pick your captain, the crew works a crowd rather than your group, and a slow bite on a packed boat is felt by everyone. The professionalism is real; the personal touch of a six pack is not the model.
Booking and what to know
Reserve by phone, since the popular trips and the offshore departures fill, especially the multi day canyon runs. Confirm which boat and trip you are booking, the fare, and the departure time. The boats run from 462 West Lake Drive on Lake Montauk. Bring food, drinks, warm layers for the night and offshore trips, and a cooler for your catch; equipment and bait are available aboard, and the crew helps with the fish.
How we scored it
Viking scores 8.4: the biggest boats and the widest trip access in Montauk, including multi day canyon trips no private boat runs, under a four generation family operation, held just out of the top band by the party boat format that caps the captain and crew factor. Boat and equipment and trip access are its standout factors. See how we scored this boat and the Montauk ranking for the field.