Surfclam (Spisula solidissima Dillwyn) larval settlement and the initial growth of recruits were studied on the inner shelf of New Jersey. Initial recruitment was measured by taking weekly benthic core samples during the summer settling season, and larval supply was characterized using meroplankton samples taken every four hours in July. The temporal variation in recruitment at two inshore stations (12-m depth) was linked to larval supply from the water column, and spatial differences (inshore vs. offshore) in recruitment also appeared to be related to larval supply. Spatial and temporal variation in larval concentrations was associated with wind-driven cross-shelf circulation. Contrasting recruitment patterns between the two inshore stations could not be explained by larval supply alone and were likely affected by near-bottom flows. Growth rates of initial surfclam recruits (with initial shell lengths <360 μm) were estimated to be 10–20 μm d⁻¹, and the growth rates of individuals >360 μm shell length were 25–50 μm d⁻¹. This study provides realistic field estimates of early growth rates of surfclams and further evidence of the relationship between upwelling/downwelling events and surfclam larval supply and initial recruitment on the inner continental shelf.