Hudson bass hit the beds as Finger Lakes walleye season gains steam

What's Biting

What's Next

With 63°F water on the Hudson, bass are at or entering the height of the spawn. Both largemouth and smallmouth will be holding on shallow flats, protected coves, and rocky points. Brookdog Fishing Co. reported from western New York as of May 11-17 that 'river bass are getting spawny and sliding shallow,' a pattern that runs parallel to what similar water temperatures produce in the Hudson Valley corridor. Shallow soft plastics rigged weedless, jigs crawled along gravel bottom, and topwater worked over open sand flats during low-light windows are the go-to approaches for this phase. As temperatures inch toward the upper 60s over the coming days, post-spawn fish will break off beds and push aggressively along drop edges and current transitions.

Striped bass anglers on the tidal lower Hudson should track the First Quarter moon this week. On The Water's striper migration update from May 22 notes the spring run moves in 'peaks and valleys around the moons,' putting the current period in a building-tide window that can concentrate fish on rip lines and riprap. Morning periods on the outgoing tide along the mid-Hudson have historically been the most consistent striper window before fish migrate toward saltwater as summer heat arrives. NY DEC opened the striped bass season April 1, confirming the run is well underway.

Walleye on Cayuga, Seneca, and the other deep Finger Lakes continue building through late May. NY DEC's coolwater sportfish season opened May 1, and the three-week mark typically signals a transition from post-spawn recovery toward active summer feeding. Night and early-morning presentations over rocky shoals and the upper edges of the main basins, generally in the 15-to-25-foot range, are the strongest late-May walleye patterns. Jigs tipped with live minnows and slow-trolled stick baits along depth contours are consistent producers.

For trout, recently stocked brook, brown, and rainbow trout from NY DEC's ongoing spring hatchery program remain accessible on freshly hit stream stretches. Check the DEC stocking schedule directly to confirm which waters received fish most recently; stocked water typically fishes best in the first two to three weeks post-release. Nymphs, spinners, and worm rigs all perform well in the 60-63°F range.

Looking ahead: NY DEC's May 22nd issue puts musky hunters on notice that the opener is approaching. Now is the right time to scout weedy bays, rocky main-lake structure, and tributary mouths. Gear prep and location work this week will pay dividends once the calendar flips.

Context

A Hudson River water temperature of 63°F in the final week of May is broadly on schedule for the region. Typically, Hudson Valley gauges push through the upper 50s to low 60s during the second and third weeks of May as overnight lows moderate, reaching the mid-60s by late May in most years. The May 24 reading at USGS gauge 01357500 confirms no significant thermal lag or unusual early-season heat event; this is a normal late-spring warmup tracking right on pace.

For the Finger Lakes, the NY DEC April 24th issue highlighted strong statewide spring trout stocking momentum, with hatchery crews described as actively transporting brook, brown, and rainbow trout to streams and lakes across the state. The coolwater sportfish opener on May 1, covering walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge in eligible waters, runs on the standard statutory schedule, and 2026 appears to be tracking historically normal on all counts.

The musky signal in the DEC's May 22nd issue is a useful seasonal pace-setter. The 'around the corner' framing appears in this publication each year at the end of May, and its presence in the 2026 edition confirms the warmwater calendar is unfolding on a typical arc.

One limitation worth flagging honestly: the current intel feeds do not include direct on-the-water testimony from Hudson Valley or Finger Lakes charter captains or tackle shops. The charter data available in this report comes from the Buffalo and Niagara region via Brookdog Fishing Co., covering a different drainage roughly 350 miles to the west. While the seasonal bass patterns Brookdog describes transfer as useful directional context at similar water temperatures, Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes anglers should seek local confirmation from regional shops or the NY DEC hotline before committing to a long-distance trip based solely on these conditions.