NYC Striper & Bluefish Bite Heats Up on the Hudson

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Hudson River fishing report for New York City and surrounding waters, June 18, 2025. We’re right in the heart of the striper and bluefish season, with the city’s stretch of the Hudson River buzzing as both locals and visitors capitalize on the early summer bite. According to On The Water, trophy-sized striped bass are cruising through the system, with fish up to 46 inches reported this week. The best action is around sunrise, which came at 5:25 AM, and you can expect sunset tonight at 8:30 PM, giving you a nice long window for after-work casting. Today’s weather is classic June in the city: mild morning fog gave way to sunny skies, with temps climbing through the 70s and a light southerly breeze. That’s prime fishing weather, especially as the outgoing tide peaks late morning and the next incoming tide sets up a productive afternoon bite. Fish activity is peaking on the lower Hudson estuary. The herring run is winding down, but there are still enough around to keep the big bass interested—New York Sportsmen reports strong striper action on topwater plugs and bucktail jigs, especially when fished near structure or deep channels. According to the 2025 NYS Freshwater Fishing Guide, it’s still legal to keep one striper between 28 and 31 inches, but check current regs for specific details if you’re harvesting. Bluefish are here in numbers, too. Hudson River Fishing: The Complete Guide for 2025 lists Croton Point as a hot spot, and bluefish action along the Manhattan shoreline and piers has picked up, especially around high tide. Bluefish up to 10 pounds are smashing diamond jigs, large swimming plugs, and cut bait. Fluke are also making an appearance, especially on the New Jersey side and down toward the Battery, with the best catches on chartreuse bucktails tipped with Gulp! baits or fresh spearing. Bait-wise, live bunker or fresh clams have been most productive for the big bass, while those working artificials are scoring with topwater spooks and flutter spoons during slack tide, and diamond jigs or paddle-tail soft plastics as the tide runs. Eels fished after dark continue to produce larger stripers for the night owls. For the hot spots, you can’t go wrong with the area around Pier 40 and the waters off Battery Park—both have been holding good numbers of stripers and blues on the outgoing tide. Croton Point remains a solid bet if you’re heading a bit upriver for bluefish. That’s your Hudson River report for today—thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for your daily fix of city fishing insights and up-to-the-minute reports. 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.