Fall bass and walleye bite stays strong across New York waters

What's biting

What's next

Water in the low 60s should keep smallmouth and largemouth bass feeding hard as they fatten up ahead of winter. Tactical Bassin's October coverage highlights shallow water as an overlooked fall option, using jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater, and also promotes finesse presentations for tougher days. Expect the shallow bite to be best in the afternoon warmth, with finesse baits the answer when pressure or bright skies slow things down.

Fishing the Midwest notes that fall bass and walleye often relocate to the remaining green weeds as other cover dies off, so finding living vegetation is a sound starting point. The same source describes a plain bottom-bouncer rig with a nightcrawler as a reliable fall walleye producer, and Brookdog's recent reports suggest jigging is also paying off for walleye.

With the waxing crescent moon, evenings stay dark early, which tends to favor low-light feeding windows around dawn and dusk. Watch the flow on tailwater and river stretches: the Hudson-area gauges show moving water, so wading anglers should plan around current and use caution.

Context

Mid-October is typically prime time in the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes. Surface water cools through the low 60s, bass shift from summer haunts toward baitfish and remaining green cover, and walleye become more accessible as they move shallower. Trout and lake trout activity usually builds as water cools, and brown trout begin their move toward fall staging. This pattern is on schedule for the region, with cooler nights doing the work that summer heat held back. Anglers who like uncrowded water often favor this window, since many boaters have shifted to hunting.