New York Fishing Reports

Flows on Catskills-area streams are running at moderate-to-elevated spring levels this morning — USGS gauge 01413500 posted 437 cfs and gauge 01415000 registered 118 cfs at 06:45 ET, with no water temperature readings available at either site. MidCurrent's recent Tying Tuesday roundups highlight that Northeast trout hatches are "beginning to fire," spotlighting caddis-pupa and CDC emerger patterns alongside high-floating attractors for fish that have started looking up — consistent with what mid-May typically brings to Catskills freestone streams. Field & Stream's spring stocked-trout feature is a timely reminder that DEC-stocked reaches are currently holding fresh rainbows. No direct shop, charter, or guide reports from the Adirondacks or Catskills appear in our feeds this week; these conditions are grounded in gauge data and regional seasonal patterns. Verify locally before committing to the drive, and rig both a heavy nymph setup and a caddis dry for the evening window.

May 10

Strike Zone Charters out of Lake Ontario reported an excellent salmon bite this past week, with brown trout and lake trout rounding out catches across 100–160 feet of open water. Mag Dipsey Divers in green, white, and chartreuse — paired with e-chips — were the productive trolling combination, with productive depths shifting day to day as wind repositions the thermocline, per Strike Zone Charters. On the tributary side, USGS gauge 04250750 logged 259 cfs Sunday morning — a low, settled flow pointing to clear, wader-friendly conditions on the Salmon River and Oswego drainages. At those levels, any late-season steelhead still holding in the system will be more visible and considerably more selective; downsizing to lighter tippets and smaller presentations is the practical adjustment. Water temperature data was unavailable from the gauge this cycle. Whether you're running dipseys on the open lake or wading the Salmon River's deeper pools, mid-May conditions this week call for precision over brute-force coverage.

May 10

Water temps are holding at 50–51°F per NOAA buoys 44025 and 44065, and the cool water is proving no obstacle to a red-hot striper bite. On The Water's May 7 report puts big bass on the South Shore surf — fish exceeding 25 pounds — while North Shore fish are chasing bunker east through Long Island Sound. Per The Fisherman's North Shore correspondents, Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle and Campsite Sport Shop both confirm 30- to 44-inch stripers stacked inside Huntington Bay and Cold Spring Harbor, responding to Mojo rigs, popper plugs, and bunker chunks. Around Montauk, Star Island Yacht Club reports slot-size fish in front of the lighthouse on moving tides, with diamond jigs and bucktails working near the bottom. New York's summer flounder season officially opened May 4, and Sea Rogue Charters out of Freeport is already logging keepers to 5 pounds on early exploratory fluke runs.

May 10

USGS gauge 01357500 logged 56°F on the water Sunday morning — a sweet spot that has stocked trout actively feeding and migrating stripers pushing into the Hudson corridor. On The Water's May 8 striper migration map puts post-spawn bass spreading across the Northeast in full force, with New Jersey to Rhode Island all firing and the lower Hudson well within the leading edge. NY DEC The Fishing Line reports hatchery crews have been actively transporting and stocking brook, brown, and rainbow trout statewide — timing that lines up with current water conditions perfectly. The coolwater sportfish season opened May 1, per NY DEC, making Finger Lakes walleye a newly legal target just as ice-out patterns fade and fish settle into early-season structure. Combined Hudson flows stand at 12,700 cfs (USGS gauge 01358000), elevated from snowmelt but well within fishable range at most access points.

May 10

Water temperature on USGS gauge 04232050 came in at 51°F this morning (May 7), a reading that reflects early-May conditions across the Finger Lakes basin. At this temperature, walleye have typically just wrapped their spawn — completion usually occurs in the 44–50°F band — and post-spawn fish are expected to be actively chasing bait on adjacent flats and depth breaks. Smallmouth bass are staging pre-spawn on rocky structure; Field & Stream's spring fishing roundup notes that early-season fish in cold, clear water consistently reward slow presentations over fast-moving gear. No direct on-the-water reports from Cayuga, Seneca, or Skaneateles appeared in this week's feeds, so we're drawing on the temperature signal and established seasonal patterns rather than captain or shop testimony. Lake trout and brown trout remain comfortable in the still-cool water column. The gauge also shows flow at 102 cfs — moderate and fishable for anglers targeting tributary mouths.

May 7

USGS gauge 04231600 recorded 52°F water and 10,400 cfs on the morning of May 7, placing the Lake Erie and Niagara corridor squarely in the prime smallmouth bass spawn window. Smallmouth are staging on rocky shoals and nearshore structure, with fish spread across every phase from active bedders to early post-spawn migrants. Walleye, which complete their tributary-shallows spawn earlier in spring, are now shifting toward deeper open-water holding zones. Tactical Bassin's early-May coverage notes that multiple patterns coexist simultaneously right now — topwater, swimbaits, and finesse rigs each produce depending on where individual fish sit in their cycle. Fishing the Midwest highlights that jig-and-slip-sinker rigs remain dependable walleye producers during post-spawn transitions. Yellow perch should remain active in nearshore zones at these temperatures, typical for the region in early May. The waning gibbous moon supports productive low-light windows at dawn and dusk. Always verify current NY regulations before harvesting.

May 7

Two USGS gauges checked at dawn May 7 put the Beaverkill at Cooks Falls at 104 cfs and the East Branch Delaware at Margaretville at 387 cfs — flows that keep both Catskill drainages in fishable territory, though the East Branch is running on the fuller side. No water temperature readings came through from either site, so thermal conditions will need to be verified on the water. The timing matters: this week sits squarely on the doorstep of the Mother's Day Grannom caddis hatch, arguably the most anticipated emergence on classic Catskill water, and Hatch Magazine's current coverage of caddis emergences underscores how much hinges on this window for northeastern trout streams. MidCurrent's latest fly-tying roundup — addressing surface, film, and subsurface presentations — is a timely signal that hatches are beginning to fire across the region. On the Adirondacks side, Flylords Mag recently highlighted the Raquette River as a multi-species draw, with northern pike a post-spawn target alongside native brook trout.

May 7

USGS gauge 04250750 logged the Oswego basin at 512 cfs in the early hours of May 7 — a moderate, wading-friendly flow as spring runoff begins to ease. Water temperature data was not returned by the gauge. At this point in early May, the Lake Ontario tributary spring steelhead run is typically past its peak; fish that entered the Salmon River and Oswego systems through March and April are increasingly returning to the lake as water warms. Smallmouth bass are the emerging target. Tactical Bassin (blog) notes that early May places bass in a clear post-spawn transition, split between shallow staging cover and open-water edges — a pattern that maps well onto the rocky runs and pool tailouts of the Salmon River corridor. No regional charter, tackle-shop, or state agency reports for this specific area were available in this data pull; verify current local bite conditions with Pulaski or Oswego-area sources directly before making the trip.

May 7

Water temps at 52°F (NOAA buoy 44025) are driving one of the more productive early-May striper runs in recent memory. The Fisherman — Long Island South Shore reports the bass bite "blew up" last week, with schoolies through oversized fish showing across the bays and beaches. Dick's B&T in Mastic Beach confirms school fish, slot fish, and oversized bass in both bay and ocean, with bunker schools holding fish in place. On the North Shore, Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle reports very good action in Huntington Bay and Cold Spring Harbor — fish running 30 to 44 inches on trolling Mojo's and bunker chunks. At Montauk, Star Island Yacht Club notes slot-size bass in front of the lighthouse on diamond jigs and bucktails worked close to bottom. Fluke season opened May 4 — per The Fisherman — Long Island East End, a three-fish daily bag limit with a 19-inch minimum applies through August. Sea Rogue Charters out of Freeport found keepers to 5 pounds on early exploratory runs.

May 7

Water temp at USGS gauge 01357500 on the Hudson clocked 56°F at 1,400 cfs early Thursday morning — firmly in the prime spring feeding range for trout, bass, and stripers alike. NY DEC's April 24th Fishing Line reports hatchery crews have been actively transporting and stocking brook, brown, and rainbow trout across the state, making freshly stocked streams and tributaries top targets right now. The coolwater sportfish season opened statewide on May 1, per NY DEC, unlocking walleye on the Finger Lakes and larger Hudson tributaries. On The Water's May 1 striper migration map notes the push "really snowballs once the large post-spawn females leave the Chesapeake," suggesting Hudson River striper action is intensifying this week. On the bass front, Tactical Bassin reports early-May fish are deep in the post-spawn transition, with topwater and swimbait patterns both producing. This is one of the most active multi-species windows of the year.

May 7

Water temperature at USGS gauge 04231600 came in at 53°F on the afternoon of May 6, with flows running at 8,910 cfs — an elevated spring reading signaling active tributary influence across the western Lake Erie corridor. At that temperature, walleye are typically in the post-spawn feeding ramp and smallmouth bass are staging on pre-spawn structure, making this one of the more productive transitional windows of the season. Elevated flows suggest some turbidity in tributary mouths, which can consolidate fish along cleaner lake-side margins. Field & Stream's spring early-season primer notes that cold, dirty water near inflows tends to push fish toward defined structure and transitional depth breaks — advice that maps well onto current conditions. No charter or tackle-shop dispatches appeared in this cycle's feed, so species timing reflects general seasonal patterns for early May on Lake Erie rather than live on-the-water intelligence; check local reports before committing to a specific area.

May 6

USGS gauges across the Catskill drainage show moderate-to-elevated spring flows — gauge 01413500 logging 397 cfs and gauge 01415000 at 191 cfs as of late afternoon on May 6. No water temperature was available at either station. MidCurrent's current fly-tying coverage observes that 'hatches begin to fire and predatory fish start pushing into the shallows' at this stage of the season, a signal consistent with early-May timing on Catskill freestone streams. Hatch Magazine's ongoing caddis-emergence coverage underscores the hatch type most associated with this northeastern trout window. The higher reading at gauge 01413500 will push brown trout toward softer water — inside bends, bankside eddies, and pool tails. Gauge 01415000's lower 191 cfs suggests comparatively cleaner, more approachable wading conditions. No direct New York guide or shop reports appeared in this cycle's feeds; the conditions picture here draws on gauge data and regionally applicable national fly-fishing coverage.

May 6