Wintertime Stripers and Herring on the Lower Hudson River

This is Artificial Lure with your Hudson River NYC fishing report. We’re locked into winter mode on the lower Hudson now. Water temps in the harbor and rivers have been sitting in the upper 40s to around 50, and that’s pushed most of the life into the deeper channels, bridge abutments, and any structure that breaks current. Captain Tony’s recent New York Harbor report notes plenty of striped bass still around for catch‑and‑release, from schoolies up into the 20‑pound class, holding tight to deep structure and responding to slow presentations. Tides today on the lower Hudson around Manhattan are running moderate, with classic winter swings: softer water in the last of the flood and first of the ebb has been best. Think that one‑to‑two‑hour window around slack and just as it starts moving again. Sunrise is right around 7:15 a.m., sunset close to 4:30 p.m., so your prime light windows are short—dawn and last light have been the money tides when they line up. Weather is typical cold‑harbor stuff: chilly air, northwest breeze, decent visibility. That wind can stack the water on one side of the river, so don’t be surprised if the current feels heavier or lighter than the chart says. Dress for spray and wind; it’s raw out there on the piers. Fish activity has definitely shifted, but it’s far from dead. The stripers that remain are glued to the bottom. According to that same harbor report, the key is “low and slow”: - 1–1.5 oz **bucktails** with a small pork rind or 4" curly tail, crawled along bottom. - 3–4" **soft plastics** on 3/4–1 oz jigheads, dragged and hopped, not burned. - Slim **swimbaits** in bunker or white, barely ticking bottom. Herring have started to trickle in, especially near the harbor mouth and around lit structure at night. Sabiki rigs tipped with a tiny bit of clam or fish skin, fished mid‑water, are producing. Fresh herring strips are dynamite cut bait when you can legally use and retain them; otherwise they’re your clue that bass aren’t far behind. Closer to true brackish stretches, white perch are a sleeper target now. The harbor report points out they’re stacking in deeper holes near creek mouths. A simple hi‑lo with bits of worm or grass shrimp, or a 1/16 oz jig with a tiny grub, will keep the rod bent when the bass play shy. Recent catch chatter on local docks and forums lines up like this: - Schoolie stripers to the mid‑20" class from shore, with an occasional bigger fish to 30"+ for patient anglers. - Steady herring action at night under lights. - Good perch poking around the back bays and marsh edges on small baits. Best baits and lures right now: - For stripers: small bucktails, 3–4" paddle tails, slim metal like Ava or Kastmaster worked very slowly, and if you’re soaking bait, fresh bunker or legal chunks of herring. - For herring: sabiki rigs, size 6–10, bare or barely tipped. - For white perch: grass shrimp, sandworms, bloodworms, or 1–2" soft‑plastic grubs. Couple of local hot spots to consid This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.