Stripers, Blues, and Fluke Bite as Summer Winds Down on the Hudson River - August 29, 2025

Hudson River anglers, it's Artificial Lure with your Friday, August 29th, 2025 fishing report right here in New York City. Summer’s winding down, sunrise was at 6:19 AM, sunset coming at 7:41 PM tonight. It’s a clear morning after that recent muggy spell, with temps around 70 at dawn and rising into the low 80s by the afternoon. Winds are light and variable, perfect for a day on the river. The tidal swing today is solid—high tide just after 6:30 AM, then low around 12:45 PM—so expect current to pick up on the ebb mid-morning and prime fishing to run through the first half of the day. Let’s talk fish activity: Striped bass are making themselves known again with the cooler nights; larger schools have been spotted shadowing bunker in the lower river stretches and near Pier 25, and the fall run is teasing its start, according to On The Water reports, with blitzes beginning to pop up along local beaches, rivers, and bays. Bluefish are always in the mix this time of year, slashing through peanut bunker schools all along the urban shoreline—great action early and late in the day when those bait balls come close[On The Water]. Just north in Raritan Bay, a mixed bag of bluefish, fluke, croakers, and spot have been active, with striped bass up to 40 pounds being reported after recent weather, and the momentum is spreading downstream to the city[On The Water; Northern New Jersey Fishing Report]. Tautog are prowling rocky structure from Governors Island to Edgewater piers, and party boats are finding keeper fluke rebounding after the recent storm. Out toward the Tappan Zee and Yonkers, the catfish bite remains steady, especially after dusk. Best lures and baits today: If you’re targeting stripers, go with 5-7” white or chartreuse soft plastic swim shads, or bunker-patterned paddle tails. Early topwater walkers or pencil poppers can be deadly near dawn when the surface shows signs of life. For bluefish, nothing beats a metal spoon or a classic diamond jig, but have some wire leaders ready—those teeth mean business. Fluke are taking bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp! or spearing; add a teaser rig up top when the drift is slow. Tautog are responding to green crabs fished tight to structure on a simple bottom rig. Hotspots today: - Pier 25 and Pier 40, especially during the ebb tide, for striper and bluefish ambushes. - The inshore flats south of the George Washington Bridge, where the outgoing tide concentrates bait and draws in both big blues and fluke. - The Harlem River mouth and Roosevelt Island piers for a chance at a mix of stripers, blues, and the occasional blackfish. Recent catches have included a dozen bluefish per boat in a morning run, several keeper fluke from the jetties by Battery Park, and even a pair of schoolie stripers landed from shore near the 79th Street Boat Basin. Anglers drifting live bunker or casting big plastics have had the best luck with the larger fish. Night owls are still reporting good numbers of channel catfish schooled up a This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.