Late November Fishing Heats Up on the Hudson River

Artificial Lure here with your Hudson River fishing report for New York City, Tuesday, November 25, 2025. Let’s dive right in, river rats and pier regulars alike—today’s action should keep just about any angler warm, even if the late November chill sets into your fingertips. First up, **tides** are going to play a big role today: The NOAA tide chart for Battery Park predicts a low tide at about 3:13 AM with a height of just under a foot, followed by high tide at 9:32 AM peaking right around 4.1 feet. You’ll see another low turning around 4:05 PM. Those mid-morning and late-day swings are prime for working drop-offs and pier pilings—expect increased activity as that water floods in and out. **Sunrise** crackled over the skyline at 6:54 AM, and you can fish the last coppery light all the way to a 4:32 PM sunset. Cloud cover is patchy today, winds out of the northwest 8–12 knots, with gusts touching 20 at times—putting a little chop on the river, which usually raises your odds for stripers working the surface, especially near rocky edges and bulkheads. **Just this last stretch, the biggest story has been the steady run of schoolie striped bass.** Word from local charter skippers and a few sharpies on Pier 96 is that most are released, with fish in the 20–26 inch slot hitting with consistency right at the top and bottom of tide. Latest reports out of Hudson River Park and down by the George Washington Bridge have chunk bait and live eels both producing—though for the plug tossers, it’s been about paddle-tail swimbaits in white or chartreuse. Bigger models—those pushing 30 inches—have been landed after dark, especially on storm shads and classic Bomber Long A plugs. A couple fresh-off-the-dock catches to note: one lucky angler nailed a fine 12-pound striper under the Intrepid early yesterday. There’s also increased talk about **tautog** (blackfish) showing up around the pilings and rocky spots—green crab and Asian crab pieces fished tight to structure are your go-to. Local bait shops say even a handful of keeper **white perch** have been mixed in; bloodworms and small soft plastics on light jigs seal the deal. **For those targeting panfish**, crappie continue to stage deeper as the waters cool, and the Wired2Fish crew suggests downsizing to a baby shad jig or even a crappie minnow under a float. When the sun is up and the bite slows, get that bait down into shadowy cover or switch to slightly brighter colors, especially if the water turns murky after rain. **Top baits** today: - For stripers: 5-inch paddle tails (white or bunker), live eels, cut bunker, classic metal spoons, and Bomber plugs. - For tautog: whole green or Asian crabs, fished on a simple tog rig. - For panfish: 1/32-ounce jigheads with soft plastics, or small live minnow on the drop. **Local hot spots:** Try **Pier 40 at Houston Street** for striper action on the flood tide, or drift a bait near **Riverside Park South Piers** at high slack. Up north, the **Spuyten Duyvil** curren This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.