Hudson River Fishing Forecast August 8th: Stripers, Blues, Fluke & More

Hudson River anglers, it’s Friday, August 8th, and you’re tuned in to your daily fishing report with Artificial Lure bringing you the lowdown straight from the banks and jetties of New York City. Let’s dive right in—conditions, catches, bait, and hot spots for today’s action. Weather this morning is cooperative: sunrise came just after 6:00am with a pleasant high up near 78 degrees, east winds are running 10 to 15 knots with some gusts up to 20, and waves on the main river stretch rounding off around four feet. Sunset clocks in tonight at 8:05pm. According to Gabriel Tackle’s August 7 report, we’re working with a high tide around 6:54 this morning with another on the way just after 7:00pm; lows are midday—watch those currents if you’re drifting or anchoring around the bridge stanchions or docks. Fishing in the Hudson system is lining up as a mixed bag, classic for August. The estuary is alive with a mix of migratory and resident species. The recent On The Water fishing report says striped bass are still prowling strong in the lower river and harbor at first light, often feeding aggressively on sand eels, baby bunker, and herring fry. Anglers targeting stripers have reported success on soft plastics imitating bunker and herring. For live bait, eels remain a top choice at dawn or dusk, especially near structure, pilings, and the big current breaks. Bluefish are mixed in, notably feisty with plenty of school-sized fish hammering topwater lures and metal spoons by Roosevelt Island and Liberty State Park piers. Topwater action is best at sunrise, with poppers and walk-the-dog baits drawing explosive strikes. Bottom fishing has picked up too: fluke are being taken in surprising numbers down near the Battery and off the Jersey flats, with some keepers right in the wash. A squid strip or Gulp! swimming mullet bounced on a bucktail jig is your best bet around river mouths and adjacent sandy spots. Sea bass and porgies are showing near deeper structure—try cut clam or squid on hi-lo rigs if you’re fishing deeper pilings or the ship channel edges. Gabriel Tackle and On The Water both note the continued presence of triggerfish and blackfish (tautog) around the rocky banks and bridges—green crab is the classic tog bait, and even a fresh fiddler will get thumped if you can find them. Blackfish action is best on the slack and start of incoming tide along places like Pier 40 and the Harlem River bridges. If you’re a lure angler, match the hatch—this time of year, translucent and green-pumpkin soft baits, boot-tail swimbaits, and small bunker imitations are killer, as Terry from Wired2Fish points out. Glide baits, magdraft-style swimbaits, oversized squarebills, and buzzbaits work well in the dog days, especially when fished slow with thoughtful pauses, particularly near ambush points like riprap or submerged timber. The Hudson River Estuary is loaded with life now, as highlighted recently by researchers on YouTube—it plays host to white perch, channel cat This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.