Prime Striper Season on the Hudson: Tight Lines and Trophies

Artificial Lure here, bringing you the Hudson River fishing report for Saturday, May 31, 2025, straight from New York City’s shorelines. We’re right in the thick of prime striper season and the action is hot. After last week’s full moon, the big post-spawn striped bass are making their way back downriver. This week, local anglers have pulled in a good mix of schoolie bass and true trophies, with fish up to 40 inches reported near the George Washington Bridge and up toward the Tappan Zee. There’s also steady word of aggressive bluefish mixing in, creating some fast and furious action, especially around the Manhattan piers and Jersey side flats. Oyster toadfish, black sea bass, and the odd tautog continue to show up in surveys around Hudson River Park, with blue crabs also abundant if you want to try your luck with a trap. Today’s weather is about as nice as you could ask for—expect highs around 72 degrees, light southwest winds, and clear skies. The river sunrise came at 5:28 AM, and you’ll have fishable light all the way until 8:21 PM. Tidal movement is in our favor: we’re on the outgoing tide until around noon, then an incoming push for the rest of the afternoon. That transition period, especially when paired with the first few hours of outgoing, has been producing the most consistent bites. Look for deeper holes and structure near piers or bridge abutments for bigger stripers holding in the current. Best lures this week have been white or chartreuse soft plastics—anything mimicking a bunker or juvenile herring is a winner. Swimbaits, paddle tails, and minnow plugs are all producing, especially if you cast past the current break and reel slow along the edge. For bait anglers, bloodworms and sandworms are hard to beat for numbers, especially if you’re after schoolies, while live or chunked bunker and live herring are tempting those larger, post-spawn cows. If you’re fishing around structure, don’t overlook cut bait for pulling up black sea bass and the occasional oyster toadfish. Hot spots to put on your radar: the stretch from Battery Park to Chelsea Piers is holding a mix of stripers and blues, especially during the morning tide. Further uptown, the George Washington Bridge area is producing larger fish, particularly if you can anchor up near the deeper channel edges. Over in Jersey, the Edgewater and Piermont piers have seen solid evening bites. Remember, most Hudson River fish are strictly catch and release due to PCB contamination—so handle those big ones with care and let them swim for another day. And if you’re using bait, make sure to rig up with non-offset circle hooks for an easy, safe release. Thanks for tuning in for today’s Hudson River report. Don’t forget to hit subscribe for more local fishing updates and tips. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.