New York fishing reports
621 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Brown Trout turn to streamers as the fall feed begins
Brown Trout are moving into autumn feeding mode. Flylords Mag this week makes the case for drifting streamers in early fall, as cooling water and fading insect life push fish toward baitfish. Our reading at USGS gauge 01434025 is 53°F on 5.57 cfs, a comfortable temperature for trout but a thin flow, so expect wary fish in clear, skinny water. USGS gauge 01414750 reads 70°F, a reminder that some stretches are still warm. Skip those and spend your time on the cooler water. Flylords Mag also features a big fall brown spotted from the bank on a bright, clear day, cruising its feeding circle and sipping the surface. That is the kind of sight-fishing chance low, clear flows create.
Smallmouth and walleye bite carries into mid-October
Gauge readings on the Hudson system show water temps of 60 to 62°F this week (USGS gauge 01357500 at 62°F, USGS gauge 01354230 at 60°F, USGS gauge 01359139 at 61°F), a comfortable range for fall bass and walleye. Flow on USGS gauge 01357500 is 2,370 cfs, while USGS gauge 01358000 shows 6,650 cfs, so the bigger water is running noticeably heavier. For what's biting across western New York, Brookdog Fishing Co. reported an excellent bass bite for the week of 10/05 to 10/11, including giant smallmouth, even in rough, windy conditions across Lake Erie and the Niagara system. The prior week they noted solid bass sessions on the Upper and Lower Niagara as Lake Erie's temperature dropped. Walleye were strong through mid-September, and lake trout fished well on deep jigs out of Barcelona. On the bass side, Tactical Bassin (blog) is pushing shallow tactics for October, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater around hard structure like dock pilings, laydown trees and rocks. Fishing the Midwest recommends a plain snell rig with a nightcrawler on a bottom bouncer for fall walleyes, plus a bladed swim jig for multi-species coverage.
Lake Ontario salmon bite builds as tributaries draw fish
Salmon fishing has been very good this past week, per Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario), with brown trout and lake trout mixed in. The captain says 100 to 160 feet of water is the ticket, and preferred depths shift day to day depending on where the wind moves temperature. Mag Dipsey Divers are working when the temperature is deep, with green, white and chartreuse e-chips in the spread. The USGS gauge 04250750 shows a measured, workable flow for this stretch of the Lake Ontario tributaries.
Fall bite builds on Lake Erie tributaries as water cools
Water in the Rochester-area gauges is reading 58 to 61°F this week, a comfortable fall range that tends to put fish on the feed. Gauge 04218700 shows 61°F at 34.9 cfs, gauge 04232050 shows 60°F at 6.86 cfs, and gauge 04231600 shows 58°F at 486 cfs. The coolest and strongest flow is at 04231600, and the two low-flow sites are running warmer and gentler. A Michigan Sportsman Forum poster is heading to Lake Erie for the start of perch season. That is one angler's plan rather than a catch report, so treat it as chatter. Fishing the Midwest's October piece notes that fall bites can be hot when the weather cools, and that boat traffic drops off as many anglers turn to hunting.
Catskill trout streams settle into fall streamer season
Cooler water is pushing trout toward fall feeding patterns across the Catskills. USGS gauge 01434025 reads 52°F with 5.57 cfs, a cold, low-flow stream where fish should be comfortable and willing to feed. Gauge 01414750 shows 68°F, noticeably warmer, so trout there will likely hold in the cooler pockets and bite best early. Per Flylords Mag, autumn is streamer season, with trout hunting baitfish and sculpins to pack on calories before winter, and drifting streamers is a useful early-autumn tactic. Hatch-minded anglers can look to Caddis Fly (OR), which calls Perdigons a hot fly this fall.
Fall striper run delivers on Long Island as tog season opens
The fall run is delivering across Long Island, led by striped bass. Per The Fisherman — Long Island East End, White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports excellent numbers of bass inside Shinnecock Inlet on live baits, with moving water concentrating the bait. The Fisherman — Long Island Surf adds that surfcasters are finding fish up to 40 pounds along the beachfront, with the best action after dark on jigs and swimming plugs. On the west end, Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reports shore-caught bass to 45 pounds on plugs, per The Fisherman — Long Island West End. Montauk is the exception. Tight Lines Tackle says the striper bite there has been slow and inconsistent, though False Albacore remain available. Trophy Hunter Montauk Charters notes the albies returned after the nor'easter. NOAA CO-OPS station 8510560 reads 64°F this morning, and the other two nearby stations read 64 to 65°F.
Fall smallmouth and walleye bites hold as Hudson water cools
Fall smallmouth are the headline this week. Brookdog Fishing Co. out of Buffalo reports an excellent bass bite for the week of 10/05 to 10/11, including giant smallmouth fished through rough, windy conditions on Lake Erie and the Niagara River. Their earlier reports describe good walleye and lake trout action, with jigging becoming part of the program, and note that Lake Erie's temperature drop changed the pattern. That is western New York, but the fall transition it describes applies across the state's freshwater. Our readings show the upper Hudson system sitting in the low 60s. Gauge 01359139 reads 61°F, and gauges 01354230 and 01357500 both read 60°F. That range is comfortable for active bass and walleye and is the point where trout start to feel the seasonal shift. Gauge 01357500 shows 1,050 cfs and gauge 01358000 shows 5,420 cfs, so flows are moderate to strong depending on the stretch. Tactical Bassin points to jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater near hard structure such as dock pilings, laydown trees and rocks as the fall pattern. Fishing the Midwest adds that the plain rig, a bottom bouncer with a snell and nightcrawler, is a go-to for fall walleyes.
Rochester-area tributaries cool into a fall steelhead and trout window
Tributary flows around Rochester sit at fall levels with water in the upper 50s to low 60s, the kind of cooling trend that moves Great Lakes trout and salmon toward moving water. Gauge 04218700 reads 61°F at 165 cfs, while gauges 04232050 and 04231600 both read 59°F, at 3.92 cfs and 872 cfs respectively. Wired 2 Fish notes that the first cool fronts of fall turn crappie aggressive almost overnight, a pattern that also applies to shallow-water panfish and smallmouth as temperatures slide. Michigan Sportsman Forum chatter about the Little Manistee weir egg take shows Chinook runs are in full swing across the Great Lakes, though that is a different shoreline from ours.
Catskills trout streams settle into low, cool fall water
Gauge readings across the Catskills this week point to low, clear water. USGS gauge 01434025 reads 51°F with just 6.11 cfs, while USGS gauge 01414750 reports 57°F. Flows elsewhere are modest: 46 cfs at gauge 0136219503, 182 cfs at gauge 01413500 and 26 cfs at gauge 01415000. Cool nights have pushed temperatures into the range where trout feed freely through the day. Per Flylords Mag, autumn is streamer season, with trout hunting baitfish and sculpins to pack on calories before winter. Brown Trout and Brook Trout are the species to plan around, and Brook Trout may be showing spawning colors by now.
Fall run is on across Long Island as water settles
The fall run is the story on Long Island this week. On The Water's October 8 New York and Long Island report opens with "the fall run is on," and its October 1 edition noted that a weeklong nor'easter had scattered some fish while others woke up and started feeding. Across the Sound, Saltwater Edge (RI) says things are settling after the blow and fish are back on the feed, though the water may need a few more days to clean up in most spots. Our NOAA CO-OPS readings show surface water holding in the mid 60s: 64°F at station 8510560, 64.8°F at station 8516945 and 64.9°F at station 8518750. That is a comfortable fall range for the migration to keep moving through the region. Today is a new moon, so expect strong tidal movement and dark nights.
Fall trout and steelhead season opens up across New York
Water temperatures are in the low 60s across the Hudson corridor this week, with USGS gauge 01357500 reading 61°F at 1,810 cfs and gauge 01358000 running a higher 5,170 cfs. Gauges 01359139 and 01354230 report 61°F and 60°F. That is comfortable range for trout and smallmouth as the fall cooldown settles in. The NY DEC Fishing Line, October 9th issue, points anglers toward fall fishing across the state and reminds them of trout season regulation changes landing October 16. Brookdog Fishing Co. reported an excellent smallmouth bite on Lake Erie and the Niagara River for the week of 10/05 to 10/11, including some giant smallmouth fished in rough, windy conditions. The earlier 10/04 report noted solid bass sessions on the Upper and Lower Niagara as Lake Erie's temperature dropped. Wired 2 Fish notes that crappie turn aggressive almost overnight once the first cool front blows through, and Tactical Bassin highlights shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater as overlooked fall bass tactics.
Lake Erie perch season opens up as water cools into the 50s
Fall fishing is awesome right now, per a Michigan Sportsman Forum angler who found a nice mess of perch in about 15 feet of water on Lake St. Clair this past Sunday. That is chatter from a forum and a different lake, so treat it as a seasonal signal rather than a Western NY report. Our readings tell the local story. USGS gauge 04218700 shows 61°F water at 89 cfs, gauge 04232050 shows 59°F at just 4.34 cfs, and gauge 04231600 shows 58°F at 912 cfs. Those temperatures sit right where cooling tributaries start to hold fish moving up from the lake. Tactical Bassin's October coverage points to shallow, old-school presentations for fall bass, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater around hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks.
Fishing in New York
New York is several fisheries wearing one license. The Great Lakes side gives you world-class smallmouth on Lake Erie and a king salmon and steelhead run up the Salmon River. The Finger Lakes hold lake trout, landlocked salmon, and bass in deep, clear water. Downstate, the Hudson carries a spring striper run, and Montauk's fall blitzes are some of the most famous surf fishing in America.
When to fish New York
The striped bass run pushes up the Hudson as the water warms, and dropback steelhead feed heavily in the Great Lakes tributaries. Inland trout fishing comes alive across the Catskill rivers that invented American fly fishing.
Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence produce heavyweight smallmouth all summer, while the Finger Lakes give up lake trout and landlocked salmon for anglers fishing deep. Fluke, sea bass, and stripers keep the salt side busy from Long Island to the city.
King salmon stack the Salmon River at Pulaski in one of the East's great migration spectacles, with steelhead behind them. At Montauk, bait pushes stripers, blues, and false albacore into surface blitzes that draw surfcasters from everywhere.
Ice anglers work the Adirondack and central New York lakes for walleye, perch, and pike. Steelhead hold in the Great Lakes tributaries all winter for anglers willing to fish through the cold.
Waters to know
Wayfinder builds a plan for your exact water and day from live buoys, gauges, tides, and recent reports. Free, about 30 seconds.
Common questions
Do I need a license to fish in New York?
Most anglers need a New York fishing license for freshwater, sold online through the NYS DEC. Saltwater anglers enroll in the state's free marine registry instead. Requirements differ by age and water, so check the DEC site for your situation.
What fish can I catch in New York?
Smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, lake trout, brown and rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, king salmon, steelhead, northern pike, muskie, and panfish inland. The salt side offers striped bass, bluefish, fluke, black sea bass, porgy, and false albacore.
When is the best time to fish New York?
There is no off season. Spring brings the Hudson striper run and trout openers, summer is prime for bass and deep-water trout, fall stacks salmon in the tributaries while Montauk blitzes, and winter offers ice fishing and tributary steelhead.
Where can I check current New York fishing conditions?
This page carries our current New York fishing reports, built daily from NOAA buoys, USGS river gauges, tides, and local sources. For a plan built around your exact water and day, try the free Wayfinder trip planner.
Seasons and limits change: verify current regulations with NYS DEC before keeping fish.
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