Fishing the Hudson: October Bass, Blues, and Fall Playbook

Artificial Lure here with your Hudson River, NYC fishing report for Tuesday, October 21st, 2025. Conditions at sunrise were cool and cloudy, with dawn peeking over the city at 7:16am, rolling into sunset tonight at 6:24pm. According to NOAA Tides & Currents, the first low tide hits about 3:16am, followed by a high just after 9:30am, then back to low around 3:48pm. That sets up an ideal window for early risers — moving water is key for enticing both schoolies and the heavier fish. Today, weather out of the National Weather Service calls for periods of rain with highs around 56°F, and a brisk west wind at 15-25 mph. You’ll want your rain gear and maybe an extra thermos of coffee; gusts will be a factor when casting or working topwater. Reports from both local anglers and recent outings highlight a classic October bite in the Hudson. Striped bass action is ramping up thanks to the fall migration — plenty of schoolies with bigger keepers in the mix, especially as water temps flirt with the high 50s. Bluefish are straggling but still showing up near the Battery and Hell Gate, picking off shad and bunker under fast-moving clouds. Up by the Tappan Zee, you’re likely to tie into some late-season white perch, with the odd channel cat eager to join the party. There’s also talk of small runs of American shad pushing through, and a few northern pike caught out of the brackish pockets by Spuyten Duyvil. For lures and tactics, the fall playbook rules: - Paddle-tail swimbaits in pearl, bunker, or chartreuse are nailing bass from shore and pier alike. - White or yellow bucktail jigs tipped with a curly tail soft plastic work well during peak current. - Topwater plugs or spooks draw surface strikes at first light or dusk on calmer stretches, especially right at slack tide. - Metal spoons and small diamond jigs help reach the deeper ledges for bluefish and late-biting stripers. - If you lean bait, fresh-cut bunker or bloodworms rigged on fish-finder rigs continue to produce, especially on the down tide. For live bait, eels become increasingly productive as waters cool, especially if you’re targeting a bigger bass near deep pilings or bridge abutments. As for recent catches, word from riverside locals and pier regulars is solid: most anglers are seeing steady action on schoolie stripers, a handful up to 30 inches, with a few bluefish blitzes flush with the change in tide. A few chunky catfish (one topped 10 lbs near Riverside Park) and white perch limits reported from 125th up to Inwood. Last weekend, one lucky angler at Pier 96 landed a striper close to 36 inches on a live eel right after sunrise. Hot spots to target: - The channel edges and drop-offs near Pier 84 and the Intrepid, where striper schools push bait on an incoming tide. - Spuyten Duyvil Creek and the Harlem meet, for white perch and channel cats, especially fishing just off the bottom with bloodworms or small jigs. - Battery Park and the ferry slips during the afternoon tide swing for the chan This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.