Reel in the Fall Bite: Hudson River Fishing Report 09/24/2025

Good morning from the banks of the Hudson—this is Artificial Lure with your September 24th, 2025, fishing report straight from the heart of New York City and the mighty river that cuts right through it. Let’s start with the barely-day conditions: sunrise was at 6:49am and you can expect sunset at 7:06pm tonight. We’re waking up to cloudy skies, mid-to-upper 60s, and humidity hanging in the air. It feels like fall is coming, but the water temps are still comfortable for the season—fishing can turn on quick when things start to cool. If you're slinging lines along the lower Hudson this morning, expect a typical moderate morning tidal swing. Around these hours, that means the bite should pick up through the last part of the incoming and just after slack-before-ebbing tide, especially near piers and bulkheads. You get a distinct push of bait as those tides turn, and the predators know it. The New York State DEC has been busy this week with access improvements, which means more and better spots to drop a line along the urban shorelines. Now, on to what’s being caught: over the past week, reports from local bait shops and anglers in Manhattan and Jersey City say striped bass are back on the chew. There are more schoolies than cows, but a few over-slot fish have been landed deep in the early mornings. Bulkheads near Battery Park and around Pier 45 are yielding action—especially when you match the hatch with live bunker, or throw a flutter spoon in the deeper seams. Topwater gets explosive at first light if you find the birds on the bait. Bluefish have also been slamming metal spoons and poppers—if you like a fight, get out on the outgoing tide and rip something shiny through the eddies, especially near the mouth of the Harlem River and north of the GW Bridge. On the Jersey side, Raritan Bay has been a hotbed for bluefish and big fluke—local shops like Julian’s Bait & Tackle are moving loads of ice for those cooler-filling catches. If you’re targeting summer flounder (fluke), the deeper holes around the piers and channel edges are best. Bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp! are the ticket, and even shore casters have been scoring keeper fluke up to 5 pounds. Early risers are doing best; once the sun’s high the bite gets finicky. Weakfish have made sporadic appearances—look for them just off the beach near Pier 40 or between Liberty Island and the Jersey flats, fishing soft plastics on light jig heads. Other action? White perch and small croakers are mixed in at the mouths of the city’s creeks. A few reports of small black drum and the odd snapper blue have come in from shore anglers at Riverbank State Park and Hudson River Park piers. For bait, nothing beats fresh-cut bunker, but clam strips and bloodworms are pulling their weight for perch and croaker. Hot spots today: - Pier 45 (Christopher St. Pier): Reliable for schoolie stripers, fluke, and blues at sunrise or sunset. - North Cove/Tribeca Seawall: Productive edges, especially on the tide change; go This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.