New York fishing reports
627 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Albies Push Into Montauk as Long Island's Fall Run Kicks Off
Albies are beginning to fill in off Montauk while yellowfin tuna show in decent numbers on the midshore grounds, per On The Water's September 10 Long Island report. Fluke fishing remains strong from the Western Sound to the South Shore, with Bob's Bait and Tackle in Amity Harbor calling this week 'a mirror image of last week' — plenty of fish in the bay and larger flatties out on the ocean reefs. Striped bass are trickling back into the mix: Long Island Surf shop reports have schoolies to slot fish working the sand at Ditch Plains, Cow Harbor, and Mount Sinai on peanut bunker and spearing, with the better bite at dawn and dusk. Bonito and Spanish mackerel continue pushing along the Sound and East End beaches, a sign the fall run is building. Bluefish are a mixed bag — the Fishfinder II calls its night bite the best in years on diamond jigs, while other North Shore shops report the action has been slower.
NY walleye bite stays hot as fall jigging season ramps up
Walleye limits keep coming easily on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario water this week, per Brookdog Fishing Co.'s latest Buffalo-area report, and lake trout action out of Barcelona has been especially good — including some anglers' first-ever deep-water jigging trips producing consistent fish. Smallmouth bass are also starting to cooperate as the region eases into its fall pattern. No fresh USGS gauge or buoy readings came through for the Hudson Valley or Finger Lakes corridor this cycle, so we're leaning on the closest regional freshwater intel — the western NY Great Lakes fishery — which tracks the seasonal shift Finger Lakes anglers should expect too: walleye and lake trout waking up as surface temps ease down, smallmouth staged shallow before the fall push. With a waxing crescent moon overhead, low-light hours are the safer bet for predator feeding windows. Check current state regulations before harvesting walleye or lake trout, since seasons and limits vary by water.
Early fall turn-on brings bass and walleye into play across NY
Walleye "continue to cooperate" and smallmouth bass action is "picking up" on Lake Ontario's Niagara-area waters, per Brookdog Fishing Co.'s September 6 report — the most current angler intel we have touching New York fisheries this cycle. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data came back for the Hudson Valley or Finger Lakes specifically, so treat water temps and flow as unconfirmed until you check locally before launching. That pattern lines up with what's typical statewide as September rolls on: smallmouth push toward rocky points and drop-offs chasing baitfish, walleye feed harder during low light, and largemouth start keying on shad schools as surface temps ease. Finger Lakes trout and landlocked salmon programs also tend to draw more attention this time of year as the thermocline starts to break down. With a Waxing Crescent moon this week, dawn and dusk should outproduce the midday bite.
Albies push into Montauk as Long Island's fall run stirs to life
False albacore are filling in off Montauk and yellowfin tuna are showing on the midshore grounds, per On The Water's September 10 Long Island report, while big fluke keep chewing from the Western Sound to the South Shore as they exit the backwaters for the season. On the East End, Double D Charters says striped bass are just beginning to trickle in with porgy and sea bass still strong, while White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports stripers showing alongside steady Shinnecock Bay fluke and a strong inlet bluefish bite. Farther west, Fishing East Coast Bait and Tackle in Little Neck credits this week's full moon for a good nighttime striper bite on live eels around Throggs Neck and Manhasset Bay. Bluefish are a mixed bag — red-hot on diamond jigs for the Fishfinder II out of the South Shore, but still "disappointing" per Tyalure Tackle on the North Shore. Cooling nights into the new moon should keep pushing the fall transition forward.
Catskills flows run thin as hopper season keeps trout looking up
USGS readings from two Catskills-region gauges show thin water this week — 58.4 cfs at one gauge and just 7.96 cfs at a second, both logged late Friday night, with no water-temperature data reporting from either station. Low, clear flows like these are typical for mid-September and put a premium on stealth and long leaders rather than raw numbers. On the habitat side, Trout Unlimited reports its New York staff just wrapped a stream-restoration project with the Clinton County Soil and Water Conservation District on the Saranac River's North Branch, rebuilding an eroded bank with natural materials — a reminder that regional trout water is getting active season-long investment even when the fishing reports are quiet. Elsewhere, shops like Caddis Fly note grasshoppers are peaking as a food source for trout right now, which tracks with what anglers should expect working banks and grassy edges in the Adirondacks and Catskills through the next few weeks.
Finger Lakes smallmouth start eyeing the fall baitfish shift
The USGS gauge at station 04232050 logged 65°F water and a lean 14 cfs flow late Thursday night (9/12), a reading consistent with typical low, clear late-summer baseflow heading into the fall transition. No angler reports came in directly off Cayuga, Seneca, or Skaneateles this cycle, so we're leaning on seasonal pattern rather than on-the-water testimony for this update — worth saying plainly rather than guessing at a bite that wasn't reported. National multi-species outlets are flagging the relevant trend though: Fishing the Midwest notes fish relocating to weed edges that are still green and holding oxygen as shallower grass starts to die off, and Tactical Bassin describes bass sliding toward open water to shadow baitfish schools as the early-fall transition sets in. Both patterns translate reasonably well to Finger Lakes smallmouth and walleye behavior this time of year. With a new moon overnight, expect stronger low-light bites at dawn and dusk. Check current state regs before harvesting anything.
Walleye and Smallmouth Keep Cooperating Across NY Waters
Walleyes continue to cooperate for anglers fishing the Buffalo/Niagara/Lake Ontario corridor, with Brookdog Fishing Co. reporting a first-ever walleye landed by young anglers this week and limits coming easily even through crowded launches, while smallmouth bass action is described as 'picking up' as summer eases toward fall. No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Hudson Valley/Finger Lakes corridor this cycle, so treat water temps as seasonal estimates until fresh data posts. Statewide, the NY DEC's Fishing Line newsletter has flagged black bass and walleye fishing as a summer highlight and just rolled out a new 'Tackle Box' tool for finding quality bass and walleye water. For Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley anglers, early September typically brings smallmouth and largemouth pushing back toward structure as water cools, walleye feeding more aggressively in low light, and panfish still working weed edges before temperatures drop further. Wind and boat traffic were bigger factors than temperature in the western NY reports this week.
Albies Arrive Off Montauk as Stripers Trickle Into the LI Surf
Albies are beginning to fill in off Montauk and big fluke are chewing from the Western Sound to the South Shore as they exit the backwaters, per On The Water's September 10 Long Island report. Striped bass are just starting to show: Double D Charters out of Montauk (via The Fisherman — Long Island East End) reports a few stripers trickling in alongside strong porgy and sea bass fishing, while Tight Lines Tackle on the South Fork (via The Fisherman — Long Island Surf) noted a shot of stripers from the sand at Ditch Plains and rising bluefish numbers around Shinnecock, Montauk, and Gin Beach. On the South Shore, Fishfinder II (via The Fisherman — Long Island South Shore) called the bluefish bite the best in years on diamond jigs, and fluke fishing remains steady with keepers mixed among plenty of shorts. Bonito and Spanish mackerel are also filling in along the Sound and East End.
Bass and Walleye Bite Holds as Finger Lakes Ease Into Fall
NY DEC's August 14 Fishing Line spotlighted a new addition to its online "Tackle Box" built specifically to help bass and walleye anglers find quality spots statewide — a clear sign both species remain the primary targets heading into September. Earlier reporting from DEC's Fishing Line traced the arc of the season: the June 12 issue noted black bass action picking up as water warmed, and by July 31 the agency's roundup had panfish like bluegill and pumpkinseed biting well through New York City-area waters, a pattern that typically extends into Hudson Valley ponds and coves around this time. DEC's July 17 issue flagged trout and salmon leaning on cold-water refuges to beat summer heat — stress that should be easing now as nights cool into September. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so this update leans on DEC's own season-long reporting and typical late-summer/early-fall trends rather than live numbers.
Erie/Niagara smallmouth hold deep as the fall transition nears
USGS gauge 04231600 logged water at 69°F and flow near 1,590 cfs this morning, a typical early-September signature for the Western NY Lake Erie and Niagara corridor heading into a New Moon week. No shop, charter, or state-agency reports specific to Erie or the Niagara turned up in this cycle's angler intel — the blog and forum chatter pulled this week covered other regions and species entirely — so what follows leans on seasonal expectation rather than fresh on-the-water confirmation. Smallmouth bass are typically still holding on deeper rock structure and drop-offs in early September before the fall shallow-water push begins. Walleye fishing usually improves during low-light windows as surface temps ease, and yellow perch schools tend to tighten over hard bottom this time of year. The Niagara steelhead run is still weeks off. Check current state regulations before harvesting, and look for fresher regional reports as conditions firm up toward fall.
Salmon Staging Offshore as Lake Ontario Run Builds Toward the Tributaries
Lake Ontario's salmon bite has been running hot in open water this week, with browns and lake trout mixed in among the kings, per Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario) — anglers are finding fish in 100 to 160 feet, with preferred depth shifting daily as wind moves the thermocline. Mag Dipsy Divers are producing when fish sit deep, with green, white, and chartreuse e-chip combos drawing strikes. On the tributary side feeding this system, our gauge (USGS 04250750) reads a modest 88.8 cfs — a low, stable flow that keeps rivers clear and wadeable but hasn't seen the rain pulse that typically triggers the first big push of fish upriver. With a new moon overhead and September underway, staging fish should start trickling toward the Salmon River and Oswego mouths, though the bulk of the run is still building offshore.
Albies fill in off Montauk as Long Island's fall run gets going
False albacore are filling in off Montauk and yellowfin tuna are working the midshore grounds, per On The Water — New York / Long Island's September 10 report, while big fluke keep chewing from the Western Sound down to the South Shore as they push out of the backwaters. On the East End, White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays notes striped bass are 'beginning to show' in Shinnecock Bay, a sign the fall push is arriving, and Tight Lines Tackle reports bluefish running above cocktail size at the inlet. South Shore action stays strong too — Fishfinder II out of Captree calls the night bluefish bite the best in years, and Bob's Bait and Tackle in Amity Harbor still finds fluke thick in the bay. Bonito and Spanish mackerel are filling gaps along the Sound and North Fork per River Bay Outfitters, with false albacore right behind them.