Fall trout season opens up as cooler water settles in

What's biting

What's next

Expect the cooling trend to continue. With a New Moon this weekend, dark nights and low light should favor early and late sessions, and trout typically feed more actively through the day as water drops toward the 50s. Gauge 01357500 shows 889 cfs and 01358000 shows 2630 cfs, so flows are moderate; check conditions before wading and stay on the safe side of stronger currents.

If cooler nights persist, browns and rainbows in tributaries and cold-water streams should become more willing to take streamers and spinners, while brook trout typically begin to color up and get aggressive this time of year. Wired 2 Fish points to proven confidence lures for these fish, which suits the range of water you may fish.

Smallmouth bass should remain catchable for now while water holds in the low 60s, but typically slow and move toward deeper structure as temperatures keep falling. Tactical Bassin is currently highlighting shallow jig, soft jerkbait and topwater tactics for October bass, and finesse presentations for tough days. Mid-October is also a reasonable time to plan a trip before the first hard cold snap changes patterns again.

Plan around the October 16 trout regulation reminder in the DEC Fishing Line, and check state regulations for your specific water before harvesting anything.

Context

Mid-October is the turn from summer patterns into the fall season across the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes. Water in the low 60s is typical for this point in the calendar, and the shift on schedule rather than early or late. Trout that sat in thermal refuges through summer spread back out into streams and tributaries, while smallmouth bass begin their move away from shallow summer haunts. Lake trout are typically still deep, with cooling surface water gradually bringing them shallower on many lakes later in the fall. Panfish like bluegill remain a reliable fallback when cold fronts shut down the bigger predators.