"NYC Hudson River Fishing Report: Fall Run in Full Swing"

Hudson River anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your local fishing report for Friday, October 17, 2025. Let’s dig into what’s biting, where to head, and how to catch, all tailored for New York City waters. **Tides & Weather** Today, sunrise hit at 7:12am, with sunset coming at 6:25pm. For tides around the George Washington Bridge, expect a high around 6:02am at 4 feet and low at 11:53am right around 0.8 feet, then again a peak at 6:13pm as dusk drops in. These incoming and outgoing tides set up solid movement in the river—key for baitfish and our hungry targets. Weather is a classic crisp fall setup: sunny with scattered clouds through the day, temps topping out in the mid 60s and southeast winds around 5-10 mph. Jacket recommended, but you can leave the heavy gear at home. **Fish Activity & Recent Catches** Reports from On The Water and local dock chatter confirm the fall run is in rhythym. Big striped bass are pushing through NYC and lower Hudson, especially near piers and lighted stretches after sundown. Blackfish season in the harbor is rolling strong, with tons of action along rocky edges, pilings, and bulkheads. White perch and schoolie bass are consistent pickings for light-tackle folks working the bridges and estuary mouths. The bluefish bite is softer than September, but you can still grab a few if you’re real mobile, especially around Battery Park and Chelsea Piers. This past week saw multiple keeper stripers landed up to 38 inches, plenty of smaller schoolies, and a handful of blackfish in the 2- to 5-pound range. Anglers are also reporting crappie and big perch taken from quieter marinas and behind ferry terminals using small jigs and soft plastics. **Best Lures & Bait** Fall run means matching the hatch, so soft plastics like Fin-S or Bass Assassin shads, in pearl and bunker colors, are deadly on stripers—rig them on ½ to 1 oz jig heads to match river current. If you’re tossing plugs, go with SP Minnows or Bomber Long A’s—white, bone, and black top picks. Bucktails, especially tipped with Gulp, are classic for both stripers and blackfish along rocky edges. For bait, bloodworms and sandworms are the ticket on bottom rigs for perch, white bass, and schoolies. If soaking for blackfish, grab Asian shore crab or green crab halves—drop right by pilings or rock piles. Live eels after dark are gold if you’re hunting trophy stripers. **Hot Spots** Here’s where you want to be right now: - **Hudson River Park piers** (especially Pier 40 and Pier 25): lights attract bait, stripers prowl here at sundown. - **Battery Park bulkheads**: prime for blackfish and surprise bass; use a dropper rig and crab. - **Chelsea Piers and ferry slips**: perch, crappie, and occasional bluefish for those tossing small jigs. Early and late tides are best, with topwater action at dawn if there’s even a ripple—try a small popper or walk-the-dog lure for explosive bites. Midday is slower, but persist along deep rock edges and bridge abutments. Thanks for This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.