The neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) is an ecologically and economically important squid species extensively distributed in the North Pacific Ocean. O. bartramii are short-lived (one year) species, so the abundance and distribution of this species are extremely sensitive to climatic and environmental variability. To evaluate the impacts of strong El Niño events on the O. bartramii stock in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and to examine O. bartramii fishing ground variations under anomalous climate conditions, we analyzed and compared the catch per unit effort (CPUE), catch, fishing effort, and latitudinal gravity center (LATG) of the fishing ground in 2008 and 2015 using data from the Squid-jigging Science and Technology Group of Shanghai Ocean University. The fishing ground in the Northwest Pacific Ocean lies between 36°-48°N and 150°-170°E. Three critical environment variables, the sea surface temperature (SST), anomalies in the sea surface height (SSHA), and the photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), were also examined and incorporated into a habitat suitability index (HSI) model to compare habitat quality between 2008 and 2015. The results showed that the CPUE in 2015 with the strong El Niño event was much lower than that in 2008 with normal climatic conditions. The LATG in 2015 tended to move to the southern waters of the fishing ground. Moreover, the suitable areas of SST and PAR significantly decreased in 2015, leading to a dramatic decrease in suitable habitat. The latitudinal positions of the preferred SST and PAR for O. bartramii moved southward in 2015, resulting in a southward shift in the suitable habitat. Our findings suggest that the strong 2015 El Niño event impacted the spatial and temporal characteristics of the O. bartramii fishing ground in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. The environmental conditions in 2015 were not suitable for O. bartramii growth, and the suitable habitats decreased and moved to the south. This led to low squid abundance and a southward shift in the O. bartramii fishing grounds. Future investigations into the impacts of El Niño events should consider the intensity of the anomalous events.