Hudson River Fishing Report: Big Stripers, Bluefish Blitz, and Tidal Opportunities Abound

This is Artificial Lure, your Hudson River fishing expert, with today’s narrative report for May 30, 2025. We had a killer sunrise at 5:28 AM and can expect sunset around 8:18 PM. Weather’s prime for angling—mostly sunny all day, highs reaching the upper 70s, and a gentle breeze out of the northwest. Humidity is low, so you’ll have good visibility and no stickiness on the river today. Tides are running classic New York City estuary: the morning incoming peaked at 6:45 AM, setting up for prime outgoing flow through late morning and early afternoon. Outgoing tide is always a sweet window for the Hudson’s predators to fire up, especially stripers. Now, let’s talk fish activity: The striper migration is still in full swing, with bruisers up to 42 pounds landed just this past weekend around the George Washington Bridge and up to Yonkers. There are plenty of schoolies and slot-size bass mixing in, with several fish over 30 inches caught both north and south of the bridge, according to recent local reports. The outgoing tide, in particular, has seen some real action, and there’s still a shot at a “personal best” fish before they move on. If you’re itching for a big one, don’t sleep on this window—there are stories of limits reached on multiple charters, and some folks even releasing 36-pound beauties. Bluefish are starting their annual show too. Look to Croton Point and the stretch down toward Spuyten Duyvil for some early arrivals; they’ll blitz bunker pods in the current. As June rolls in, the bluefish action will only get hotter, with the best bet during wetter spells and dropping tides. The bait of choice right now? Adult bunker (menhaden) are thick, so live bunker or fresh-cut chunks are a prime ticket for stripers and bluefish. Minnow plugs and white or chartreuse 8–12-inch flies (like Hollow Fleyes or Game Changers) have been hot, especially for the fly-anglers working outflows and shadow lines in the early a.m. If you’re a plugger, nothing beats a classic SP Minnow or a large paddle-tail swimbait bounced through the rips. Hot spots today: - George Washington Bridge to Yonkers—outgoing tide is where the action’s been. - Pier 96 and Pier 84 in Hudson River Park—great access and consistent catches of stripers and the occasional bluefish. - Croton Point—worth checking for that first bluefish push of summer. There’s still a mixed bag to be had—schoolie stripers, possible bluefish, and the occasional summer flounder moving in on sand eels. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s Hudson River Fishing Report. Don’t forget to subscribe for your daily fix of tidal tips, tackle talk, and local fishy gossip. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.