New York fishing reports
459 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Kings and Browns Turn On as Lake Ontario Salmon Run Builds
Salmon fishing has been very good on Lake Ontario this past week, with browns and lake trout mixed into the catch, according to Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario). Boats are working the 100- to 160-foot range, and preferred depths have been sliding day to day as wind pushes the thermocline around — Mag Dipsey Divers are producing when fish sit deep, with green, white, and chartreuse e-chip flashers paired with Atomic attractors drawing strikes. For anglers working the Salmon River and Oswego tributaries, this offshore staging is the setup phase before fish push upriver later in the run. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for this update, so plan around on-the-water reports and check conditions before you launch. With tonight's full moon, expect an active low-light bite at dawn and again after dark.
Montauk bluefish blitzes heat up as Long Island fluke bite holds strong
Off Montauk, Double D Charters report that savage light-tackle bluefish blitzes have become the norm this week, with jumbo porgies stacking up on jigs and the offshore bluefin bite staying strong. On the South Shore, Babylon Fishing Station logged a 57-inch bluefin by the Towers while calling the fluke bite hot, even with plenty of short fish mixed in — Bob's Bait and Tackle in Amity Harbor agrees fluke action "cannot be any better," best worked with hi-lo rigs and Gulp on the reefs outside the inlets. Striped bass are showing at the inlet on certain tides per Tight Lines Tackle, and at night on live eels in Manhasset Bay per Fishing East Coast Bait and Tackle. Porgy fishing remains solid from City Island to Cedar Beach. Cooling overnight temperatures, per River Bay Outfitters, and a full moon tonight point toward an active week on the water.
Catskills, Adirondack trout keying on terrestrials as summer fades
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for the Adirondacks and Catskills this cycle, so this report leans on the seasonal pattern and the broader trout conversation happening right now. Late August is prime terrestrial season across trout country — Hatch Magazine's terrestrial countdown and Trout Unlimited's reminder that 'time on the water equals fish' both point to ants, beetles, and hopper patterns producing through the heat, a pattern that typically holds for Northeastern freestone streams as much as it does out West. Water is likely running low and warm for late summer, so expect brown and rainbow trout to stay active in riffles and shaded runs during early morning and evening, while brook trout — the most heat-sensitive of the three — hold best in spring-fed headwaters. Elsewhere in New York, anticipation is building for the fall king and coho run on the Salmon River, per Flylords Mag, a sign the broader state season is turning toward autumn.
Warm-water bass and panfish dominate as Hudson Valley trout seek relief
The Mohawk River gauge near Cohoes is reading 76°F with flow holding at 819 cfs, while the Hudson gauge at Green Island is running higher at 3,610 cfs — warm, stable water pushing typical late-summer patterns across the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes. Per the NY DEC's Fishing Line, panfish like bluegill and pumpkinseed are keeping anglers busy through the summer heat, and DEC's mid-June issue noted black bass action picking up as water warmed into early summer, a trend that's carried through August. The same DEC newsletter flagged trout and salmon needing cold-water refuge as temperatures climb, so early mornings and deep, spring-fed stretches are the better bet for stream trout right now. Smallmouth and largemouth bass remain the region's most reliable target in this heat, working shallow cover early and pivoting to deeper structure as the sun climbs. We're seeing a textbook late-August warm-water stretch.
Late-summer bass patterns settle over the Finger Lakes
Late August has Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles settling into a classic seasonal pattern, with smallmouth bass keying on baitfish schools over deep structure and lake trout holding near the thermocline. No buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat conditions as typical for the season until a fresh reading lands. Technique coverage circulating this week leans toward late-summer bass tactics — Tactical Bassin's junk-fishing approach of covering water fast and rotating baits until something gets bit translates well to Finger Lakes smallmouth right now. Fishing the Midwest's notes on Forward-Facing Sonar changing where walleye actually hold, not always tight to bottom or classic structure, are worth testing on the open basin. No Finger-Lakes-specific shop or captain reports came through this cycle, so treat the above as seasonal-pattern guidance rather than confirmed local intel.
Lake Erie's deep-water bite holds through calm late-August stretch
NOAA buoy 45132 has western Lake Erie sitting at 72°F this afternoon, with barely a ripple on the water — wave heights of just 0.7 feet and wind under 5 mph make for a rare glass-calm stretch heading into the weekend. That stillness matters on a lake this size: Wired 2 Fish recently detailed a trip working Erie's deeper structure, bringing a fish up through 38 feet of water on a productive multi-species outing alongside veteran guide Joe Fonzi — a reminder that Erie's bite this time of year often lives well off bottom rather than in the shallows. With the lake still holding summer warmth, walleye and smallmouth typically work deeper breaks and reef edges through late August, and perch schools stack tight over structure. Steelhead remain a fall story — tributary temps aren't there yet. Check New York state regs before harvesting, and expect this calm window to hold fishable conditions over the next couple of days.
Kings Stack Up Offshore Ahead of the Fall Tributary Push
Salmon fishing has been very good the past week according to Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario), with kings mixing alongside browns and lake trout in 100 to 160 feet of water. NOAA buoy 45142 logged a surface reading of 73°F today with calm 1.6-foot waves and light 2 m/s wind — comfortable conditions for a day on open water. Preferred depths have been shifting from day to day as wind pushes the thermocline around, so the charter's captains are staying flexible rather than committing to one number. Mag Dipsey divers are producing when fish sit deep, and green, white, and chartreuse e-chip spreads are getting bit per the charter's notes. For anglers planning a Salmon River or Oswego trip, this is the open-lake staging bite — fish holding offshore before the push toward the tributaries begins in earnest. Expect the pattern to keep developing through early September as water cools.
Bluefin Jig Bite Stays Red-Hot as Fluke Rolls Across Long Island
The jig bite for bluefin tuna remains red-hot and fluke fishing is excellent off the South Shore, per On The Water's August 20 Long Island and NYC report, with weakfish, bluefish, and porgy keeping east-end anglers busy. Offshore, Tyalure Professional Tackle in Rye reports bigeye and yellowfin biting well at the Atlantis Canyon, with bluefin and longfin holding along the 30 Fathom Line. Inshore at Montauk, Double D Charters says savage light-tackle bluefish blitzes have become the norm, with jumbo porgies on jigs and strong offshore bluefin rounding out the mix. Porgy fishing is running hot up and down the Sound, from Shamrock Charterboat's big weakfish in New Rochelle to Cedar Beach action reported by Miller Place and WeGo Bait and Tackle. Fluke remain abundant nearly everywhere, though several South Shore and East End shops note keeper-sized fish require working the reefs, wrecks, and backside rocks rather than open sand.
Early starts still rule for Catskills and Adirondacks trout
Direct on-the-water reports for Catskills and Adirondacks trout streams were thin this cycle, but the pattern holding across freshwater trout fisheries this week points the same direction locally: late-August water is warm enough that the most productive windows are early morning and last light, before the day's heat pushes fish into deeper, shaded holding water. Hatch Magazine's terrestrial countdown, tracking the Yellowstone region this week, is a good reminder that hopper, ant, and beetle patterns are worth carrying on Catskills freestone stretches and Adirondacks headwaters alike, since land insects fall into the current through late summer regardless of region. Brown and rainbow trout should still take well-presented nymphs and terrestrials in faster riffles and shaded runs; brookies, the most temperature-sensitive of the three, are the likeliest to sulk until flows cool. Check current state regulations and any warm-water fishing advisories before targeting stressed water this week.
Late-summer walleye and bass patterns hold across NY waters
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Hudson Valley or Finger Lakes this cycle, but the broader New York walleye bite stayed strong through late August. Brookdog Fishing Co., working the Buffalo/Niagara/Lake Ontario corridor, reported walleye limits coming easily most days over the past several weeks, with smallmouth bass cooperating whenever wind and waves allowed. That same deep-structure pattern typically carries into Finger Lakes basins and Hudson Valley smallmouth water this time of year, as fish push off summer haunts into cooler, deeper water during peak daytime heat. Largemouth bass remain a solid bet around weedlines and drop-offs, especially in the low-light hours. With a waxing gibbous moon building toward full, expect stronger dawn and dusk feeding windows over the next few nights. No direct local water reports came through this cycle, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed local activity.
Finger Lakes settle into deep-water summer patterns as bass hold shallow
New York anglers got a win this week as Wired2Fish reported a permanent public easement now protects fishing access below Burt Dam on Eighteen Mile Creek, a case worth watching for anyone who cares about stream access rights statewide. On the Finger Lakes proper, direct shop and charter chatter is thin this cycle, so we're leaning on typical late-August patterns for Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles. Smallmouth bass are usually active around rocky points and drop-offs this time of year, while lake trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon slide into deeper, cooler water and call for downrigger work. Walleye tend to bite best in low light or after dark. Elsewhere, walleye anglers are leaning harder on forward-facing sonar to find suspended fish rather than working bottom structure alone, per Fishing the Midwest, a trend worth trying if you're marking fish high in the water column. Check current state regs before harvesting.
Eighteen Mile Creek access secured as Erie corridor holds late-summer pattern
USGS gauge 04231600 logged water at 72°F on a steady 658 cfs flow as of Monday evening, typical late-summer conditions for the Lake Erie and Niagara corridor. The bigger regional news comes off the water: per Wired 2 Fish, public access to Burt Dam on Eighteen Mile Creek in Niagara County has been permanently secured through an easement recorded with the Niagara County Clerk's Office, closing out a dispute that had threatened one of the area's most popular salmon and trout stretches. With water still warm, smallmouth bass and walleye remain the more realistic targets on the open lake and lower river sections, working deeper structure and breaks as fish hold off the heat; the salmon and trout run that made Eighteen Mile Creek worth fighting for typically doesn't fire up in earnest until water cools into fall. We didn't see direct Western NY bite reports come through this cycle, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed on-the-water action.