New York fishing reports
188 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Erie bass enter prime pre-spawn window as water temps climb in Western NY
Water temperatures reached 59°F on May 17 per USGS gauge 04231600 — right in the sweet spot for pre-spawn smallmouth and largemouth staging across Lake Erie and the Niagara corridor. On the Michigan Sportsman Forum, anglers reported first largemouth bites of the year on tubes in Erie-adjacent water; with no charter or shop corroboration in this cycle, treat that as early-bird chatter rather than confirmed testimony, but it tracks with what 59-degree conditions typically produce here in mid-May. The New Moon phase this weekend suppresses ambient light, tightening the most productive windows to low-light morning and evening sessions for most species. Walleye, which spawn considerably earlier than bass in this system, should be entering post-spawn feeding mode and moving back toward mid-lake structure and ledges. No charter or tackle-shop reports were available in our current pull for this specific stretch — anglers are encouraged to check with local bait shops in Erie County or the Niagara Falls area before launching.
Hudson stripers at peak run as bass season and spring stocking align
Water temps hitting 63°F on the Hudson at Catskill (USGS gauge 01357500) as of May 17 put the river squarely in prime striper territory. On The Water's May 15 migration map confirms the spring push has extended fully through the Northeast, with fish now moving well into the lower and mid-Hudson corridor. The NY DEC coolwater sportfish season has been open since May 1, making walleye, bass, and pike legal targets across the region. NY DEC's April 24 Fishing Line reports active spring stocking of brook, brown, and rainbow trout throughout the state's streams and Finger Lakes tributaries. In a notable development, Wired 2 Fish reports that New York health officials have eased Hudson River fish consumption advisories on select species for the first time in roughly 50 years — a meaningful recovery milestone, though anglers should consult the current NY DEC guidance before keeping any fish.
Big stripers flood Long Island surf and back bays as the new moon arrives
Water at 53–54°F off New York's south shore — per NOAA buoys 44025 and 44065 — and big striped bass are the undeniable story heading into this weekend. On The Water's May 14 Long Island report had 'very big bass' coming from the South Shore surf and Western Sound, a finding corroborated across the entire island. The Fisherman — Long Island North Shore logged fish to 45 inches from Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington Bay on trolled umbrella rigs and parachutes, while The Fisherman — Long Island West End reported a boat limit of keepers out of Oceanside. The Fisherman — Long Island South Shore noted Captain Paul Nilsson of Just One Bite Charters landing seven to eleven bass per morning-tide session. Fluke season is officially open per NY DEC, and the bite is building: Great South Bay has already produced a doormat past 8 pounds. Bluefish are trickling in at Shinnecock Inlet, Breezy Point, and the Narrows, per The Fisherman — Long Island Surf.
Finger Lakes Smallmouth Hit Peak Spawn Mode as Mid-May Arrives
The USGS tributary gauge is reading 59°F with a steady 84.6 cfs flow — textbook conditions that typically place Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles smallmouth bass squarely in pre-spawn to full-spawn mode. No Finger Lakes-specific charter or shop reports appear in this week's feeds, but adjacent regional signals are encouraging. On The Water observes that windy, unsettled conditions on nearby Lake Erie are putting smallmouth "on the feed," and Tactical Bassin confirms the bluegill spawn is in full swing across the region — a reliable trigger that draws bass onto shallow gravel beds and makes topwater productive. Wired 2 Fish published research this week suggesting smallmouth may represent multiple distinct evolutionary lineages, a useful reminder that local Finger Lakes fish — with ties to the Lake Ontario drainage — may pattern distinctly from southern or Ozark fish. With the New Moon falling today, dark nights are suppressing ambient light and concentrating the best action into low-light dawn and dusk windows. Lake trout are likely transitioning toward summer depths as surface temps approach 60°F.
Lake Erie Smallmouth Firing as May Winds Push the Buffalo Bite
Water temperature has reached 56°F along the Western NY corridor (USGS gauge 04231600, read May 16), putting Lake Erie smallmouth bass squarely in prime feeding range. On The Water reports that windy conditions are driving the legendary Erie smallies onto an aggressive feed near Buffalo — a classic pattern in which wave action concentrates baitfish against windward rocky shorelines and points. At 56°F, smallmouth are transitioning out of pre-spawn staging toward shallow structure; the full spawn push typically arrives when temps crest the low 60s. The New Moon tonight eliminates ambient light, extending feeding windows at dawn and dusk. Tributary flows are running at 7,170 cfs per the gauge, signaling continued spring runoff that can affect clarity in the Niagara River corridor. Walleye and yellow perch — Erie staples — should also be building activity as the lake continues its mid-May warm-up. Target rocky points and wave-washed banks for the smallmouth action.
Catskills trout dial in for prime mid-May as caddis and Sulphurs build
USGS gauge 01415000 recorded 66.9 cfs on the Catskills trout corridor as of May 16 — a wade-friendly level arriving exactly as Sulphur and caddis emergences typically begin building. The second gauge (01413500) reads 290 cfs on a heavier main-stem corridor, still productive in softer seams and pocket water behind structure. Water temperatures weren't captured at either station, making a stream thermometer an essential kit item this weekend. MidCurrent's Tying Tuesday this week featured a full water-column toolkit explicitly timed for 'hatches beginning to fire' — attractor dries, CDC emergers, and subsurface wet flies — which mirrors the multi-hatch complexity Catskills mid-May demands. Hatch Magazine's recent coverage on caddis emergence timing adds further signal that afternoon and evening caddis activity should be building across the region. Tonight's New Moon reduces overhead light during the evening rise, historically a favorable condition for surface-feeding brown trout.
Salmon Firing on Lake Ontario as Spring Open-Water Bite Builds
Strike Zone Charters reports salmon fishing has been 'very good' on Lake Ontario this past week, with brown trout and lake trout rounding out the catch in 100–160 feet of water. Targeting depth is the daily variable — wind shifts the temperature layer, and captains are adjusting setups accordingly; Mag Dipsey Divers running green, white, and chartreuse e-chips are the producing rig when temperatures push deeper. On the tributary side, the USGS gauge on the Oswego system reads 270 cfs — moderate, wadeable conditions for mid-May. The spring steelhead push has largely wrapped up, positioning this week as a transitional window: the open-water trolling bite is the headline action, while tributary anglers can prospect for resident brown trout and smallmouth bass beginning to stage for their pre-spawn. The new moon on May 17 favors low-light feeding activity on both the lake and the rivers.
New Moon Striper Surge Sweeps Long Island — Jamaica Bay to Montauk
Water temps of 53°F at NOAA buoy 44025 and 51°F at buoy 44065 frame a week in which Long Island's spring striper run has hit peak intensity. With the new moon arriving today, the timing aligns precisely with what OTW Saltwater flagged mid-week: 50-pound-class fish from the Chesapeake were already staged off Long Island ahead of the lunar turn. On The Water's May 14 report confirmed very big bass on the South Shore surf and the Western Sound, while The Fisherman's Long Island North Shore correspondents at Duffy's Bait and Tackle and Hi-Hook note fish to 45 inches on trolled mojos and umbrella rigs inside Huntington Bay. Fluke season has just opened, with Super Hawk in Pt. Lookout landing quality flatties to 8.5 pounds on light tackle, and the first bluefish are trickling into Shinnecock Inlet per White Water Outfitters. Porgy action is building in the Peconic, with some anglers limiting out per The Fisherman's East End reports.
Stripers up the Hudson, walleye season open, and stocked trout in prime form
Water temperatures hit 60°F on the Hudson River as of May 16 (USGS gauge 01357500), setting the table for one of the region's most productive multi-species windows of the year. On The Water's striper migration map — updated May 15 — confirms the spring striped bass push has extended fully through the Northeast, placing fish well within Hudson Valley reach. NY DEC's Fishing Line reports the statewide coolwater sportfish season opened May 1, putting walleye, northern pike, and other hard-fighting species back in play across Finger Lakes waters. DEC hatchery crews were actively stocking brook, brown, and rainbow trout through late April. Wired 2 Fish reports a landmark shift: New York State health officials have cleared some Lower Hudson River fish for limited consumption for the first time in roughly 50 years, lifting a PCB-era advisory that long kept catch-and-release as the default on the main stem. Expect stained water on open Hudson stretches with flows elevated at 14,800 cfs (USGS gauge 01358000).
Trophy stripers stage off Long Island as spring migration peaks
Water temperatures are running 52–53°F offshore (NOAA buoys 44025 and 44065), and the spring striper run is delivering. Per OTW Saltwater's May 12 migration report, Chesapeake-run 50-pounders are already stationed off New Jersey and Long Island ahead of the approaching new moon. On The Water — New York / Long Island's May 7 report confirmed a wave of big bass hitting the South Shore surf, with fish to 25-plus pounds chasing bunker east along the North Shore. The Fisherman's Long Island North Shore correspondents are reporting excellent action to 45 inches on umbrella rigs and parachutes in Huntington Bay and Cold Spring Harbor, while surfcasters east of Shinnecock Inlet are finding fish on swimming plugs after dark, per The Fisherman — Long Island Surf. The 2026 fluke season has officially opened — rough weather slowed opening day per The Fisherman (Northeast), but keepers are building with each passing day. Bluefish are beginning to show at Shinnecock Inlet, another sign the migration is firing on multiple fronts.
Hudson Valley trout and walleye prime as May coolwater season opens
At 58°F on the upper Hudson River (USGS gauge 01357500), water temperatures have settled into prime late-spring freshwater territory across the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes. NY DEC The Fishing Line confirms that hatchery crews have been actively transporting and stocking brook, brown, and rainbow trout through late April — putting fresh fish in tributary streams regionwide. The DEC's April 24 issue also flags that the statewide coolwater sportfish season opened May 1, unlocking walleye, northern pike, and tiger muskellunge on Finger Lakes waters for the first time this year. On The Water's striper migration map from May 8 reports post-spawn bass flooding out of the Chesapeake and spreading across the Northeast "delivering big fish and fast action" — a push that historically reaches the tidal Hudson by mid-May. The upper gauge is running a moderate 3,680 cfs, while the lower Hudson gauge (USGS 01358000) reads an elevated 14,100 cfs, reflecting spring snowmelt still moving through the watershed. The waning crescent moon favors low-light dawn and dusk feeding windows.
Finger Lakes Bass on the Move as Post-Spawn Transition Opens
Water logged at 56°F by USGS gauge 04232050 puts the Finger Lakes right in the post-spawn transition window for bass — and Tactical Bassin notes this is one of the most predictable stretches of the season, with fish schooling up and multiple patterns running simultaneously. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are shifting off their beds, some pushing into shallow cover while others begin drifting toward open-water structure. Topwater, swimbaits, and finesse presentations all have a place right now, with Tactical Bassin's Tim recently dialing in a Karashi bite before following it with a topwater pattern and swimbait work in the same session. On The Water's recent feature on Onondaga Lake — a Central New York bass fishery just north of the Finger Lakes corridor — underscores the region's broader spring bass momentum. Lake trout and landlocked salmon occupy deeper, cooler columns and remain accessible through mid-column jigging. The waning crescent moon favors low-light feeding windows, so dawn and dusk outings hold the edge this week. Confirm current regulations before harvesting.