Late May Hudson River: Schoolie Stripers, Cats, and Tide Changes

This is Artificial Lure with your Hudson River NYC fishing report. Down on the Hudson this morning we’ve got a classic late‑May setup. Light northwest breeze early, swinging south by afternoon, with air temps climbing into the low 70s. Skies are partly cloudy, a little haze over the water. The river’s running in the low 60s, just about perfect for stripers and schoolie bass to stay active most of the day. Sunrise came a little after 5:30 a.m., and sunset will be just before 8:15 p.m., so you’ve got a long window. The best bite has been around the tide changes. NOAA’s Hudson tide tables show a mid‑morning high and an evening low today around the city stretch, so figure a good push of water mid‑day and a nice outgoing into dusk. Those two swings are your prime times. The main spring striped bass run is tapering, but there are still solid schoolies and the occasional keeper pushing through the lower river and harbor. Local pier regulars along Riverside Park and down by Battery Park report schoolie stripers in the 18–26 inch range this week, with a few bigger fish taken at night on live bunker. Harbor boats have been into mixed-size stripers and some blues chasing bunker pods off Hoboken and around the Statue. Closer to shore, guys soaking bait off the West Side piers, especially around 72nd and 125th, have been picking up schoolie stripers, the odd bluefish, and good numbers of white perch and channel cats up toward Washington Heights and Inwood. Night crews are quietly bragging about steady catfish on cut bunker and worms. A few fluke have started to show in the lower harbor; they’ll nose further up as the water continues to warm. Lure anglers: keep it simple. For stripers, a 4–5 inch soft plastic on a 3/8 to 3/4 ounce jig head in pearl, bunker, or chartreuse has been doing work, especially on the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing. Small metal spoons and 1–2 ounce bucktail jigs in white or yellow are a staple when the current’s ripping. In low light, throw small swimming plugs or spooks in bone or bunker pattern along the edges of the current seams. Bait setups are still the most consistent. Fresh bunker is king for stripers and blues; fish it on a fish‑finder rig just off the bottom. Bloodworms and sandworms will pick up schoolie bass, perch, and the occasional striper around the piers. For catfish, chunks of bunker, clam, or even hot dog will do the trick—just get it near the bottom and wait them out. A couple of hot spots to circle: – Riverside Park Piers (around 70th–79th Street): Good access, strong current, and structure. Early morning has been producing schoolie stripers on soft plastics and bunker chunks, with perch and cats filling in when the bass go quiet. – Inwood and Dyckman area: Up-river mix of white perch, cats, and schoolie bass around the rocky banks and pilings. Worms under a float or small jigs work well here, especially toward evening on the outgoing tide. If you’re fishing from shore, bring a heavier rod—2 to 4 ounce sinkers are often needed to hold bottom in the main flow. And always check the local regulations and consumption advisories; this river’s more of a catch‑and‑release game for many of us. That’s the word from the Hudson. Thanks for tuning in, and 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