Early Summer Stripers and Schoolies: Hudson River NYC Fishing Report

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Hudson River NYC fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up. Light southwest breeze this morning, building a bit in the afternoon, air temps running in the low 70s early and pushing into the upper 70s to low 80s by late day. Skies are partly cloudy, with a chance of a brief shower inland but mostly dry along the main river. Humidity’s up, so it feels like real June in the city. Sunrise is right around 5:25 a.m., with sunset near 8:30 p.m., giving you a long stretch of fishable light on both ends of the day. Low light is still prime time, especially with the clear-to-slightly-stained water we’ve been seeing along Manhattan and Jersey. Tides in the lower Hudson around the Battery are running a typical semidiurnal pattern: a pre-dawn high, dropping toward late-morning low, then a rising tide through the afternoon into an evening high. The key bite windows have been that last hour of the incoming and the first hour of the outgoing, when current is moving but not ripping. Recent activity along the river has been solid for early summer. Schoolie striped bass are still hanging around, most fish in the 18–26 inch range with the occasional keeper mixed in. Anglers working the west side piers and the rocks along Riverside Park report steady pickings on bass during the tide swings. There have also been small bluefish pushing bait up top, especially on the Jersey side and near the river mouths feeding in; most of these are cocktail blues in the 1–3 pound class, perfect for light tackle. Closer to the piers and slower pockets, folks are finding white perch and the usual mix of panfish and small catfish for those soaking bait on bottom. Best lures right now: – For stripers, small to midsize soft plastics on 3/8 to 3/4 oz jig heads, in bunker, pearl, or chartreuse. Work them slow and near bottom on the last of the incoming. – Slim swimming plugs and minnow baits in natural shad or bunker patterns are doing damage at dawn and dusk. – For blues, metal spoons and small casting jigs you don’t mind losing—those teeth will tax your tackle. Silver and chrome are hard to beat when the sun’s up. On the bait side, you can’t go wrong with fresh bunker chunks on a fish-finder rig for stripers, especially near current breaks. Bloodworms or sandworms on smaller hooks will find perch and schoolie bass. For catfish and odds and ends, cut bait or nightcrawlers on bottom still produce. A couple of local hot spots to consider: – The West Side piers from around 59th Street up through the 90s, especially near the deeper edges and around any structure. Fish the tide seams where the current breaks off the pilings. – The stretch around the George Washington Bridge, both NYC and Jersey sides, where depth changes and strong current stack bait and draw in better bass. Work jigs and heavier plugs there—be ready for snags but also better fish. Overall, expect a steady pick rather than a blitz: move around, watch the birds, and match your lure size to the small bait that’s been common in the river. Early and late with moving water are still your best bets. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn