New York fishing reports
190 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
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.
Finger Lakes Enter Prime Pre-Spawn Window for Bass and Trout
USGS gauge 04232050 is reading 51°F on tributary inflows this morning — just below the bass spawn threshold and squarely in the feeding zone for both trout and transitioning bass. Per Wired 2 Fish, warming spring temperatures are pushing largemouth and smallmouth toward shallow structure, creating what the outlet describes as some of the best fishing of the year. Tactical Bassin confirms that early May marks one of the most predictable stretches of the season, with bass schooling up as they move through pre-spawn staging — and when you locate them, it can be fish after fish for hours. On The Water's recent profile of Onondaga Lake's trophy bass recovery highlights how Central New York fisheries are producing quality fish this spring, a trend consistent with what Finger Lakes anglers typically see across Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles. Tributary flow is a modest 24.4 cfs — low and clear — which typically rewards finesse presentations over power fishing. Trout remain in their optimal temperature band before summer stratification pushes them deeper. Tonight's waning crescent moon may tighten the best bite toward first light.
Spring striper run lights up Long Island as fluke season opens
Water temperatures holding at 52°F across the region (per NOAA buoys 44025 and 44065), and that's been enough to ignite one of Long Island's most active spring striper runs in years. On The Water's May 7 report confirms a wave of big bass hitting the South Shore surf, while fish to 25 pounds-plus are chasing bunker east along the North Shore. The Fisherman — Long Island North Shore logs bass to 45 inches out of Glenwood Landing on trolled umbrella rigs, and Capt. Paul Nilsson of Just One Bite Charters tallied 7–11 fish per morning tide earlier in the week on the South Shore. Jamaica Bay remains red hot for schoolies per The Fisherman — Long Island West End, with Clousers and sand-eel patterns on moving water at dawn. Fluke season opened this week with early keepers arriving — one 8-pound doormat was landed in Great South Bay per The Fisherman — Long Island South Shore. The first bluefish are trickling into Shinnecock Inlet and Breezy Point per The Fisherman — Long Island Surf, signaling more action ahead.
Hudson stripers push north as Finger Lakes walleye season opens
Water temps on Catskill Creek are holding at 57°F as of early May 12 (USGS gauge 01357500), a reading that puts the Hudson Valley squarely in prime spring territory. On The Water's May 8 striper migration map confirms the 2026 run is hitting full speed, with post-spawn fish spreading out of the Chesapeake and across the Northeast — the Hudson River corridor is directly in that push. Meanwhile, NY DEC The Fishing Line (April 24 issue) reports that hatchery crews have been actively stocking brook, brown, and rainbow trout across New York, making Hudson Valley tributaries well worth a visit right now. The coolwater sportfish season — walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge — opened statewide May 1 per DEC, giving Finger Lakes anglers fresh access to those fisheries. The Hudson mainstem near Green Island is running high at 12,500 cfs (USGS gauge 01358000), concentrating bait along current seams and pushing stripers into predictable staging areas.
Smallmouth and lake trout prime up across Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles
USGS gauge 04232050 logged 55°F at the Finger Lakes outlet on May 11 — a textbook mid-spring reading that places smallmouth bass in prime pre-spawn staging and keeps lake trout and landlocked salmon feeding before surface temps climb further. Flow is running at a modest 27 cfs, indicating stable lake levels and clear-water conditions typical of this time of year. Tactical Bassin's early-May coverage notes that bass across the region are currently split between pre-spawn staging and active topwater windows, with swimbaits, soft plastics near structure, and dawn poppers all producing simultaneously. On The Water's recent look at Central New York's bass fisheries underscores the region is entering one of the spring season's most reliable stretches. None of this week's intel feeds included direct Finger Lakes reports, so conditions claims here are grounded in seasonal temperature patterns and regional blog coverage. With a waning crescent moon, low-light windows at dawn and dusk remain the sharpest feeding periods across the board.
Lake Erie Walleye and Smallmouth Bass Move into Prime Late-Spring Window
USGS gauge 04231600 logged 56°F and 7,580 cfs on May 11 — water temperatures that historically mark peak post-spawn feeding for walleye on Lake Erie's eastern basin and put Niagara River smallmouth right at spawn's edge. No Western NY charter or tackle-shop reports landed in this cycle's feeds, so we're working from regional signal. Forum chatter on Michigan Sportsman Forum from a May 11 Great Lakes outing pointed to walleye biting aggressively before 10 a.m. despite 2–3-foot north-northeast chop — take that as optimistic regional context, not confirmed local testimony. Tactical Bassin notes that mid-May is when post-spawn bass transitions fire up, with topwater, swimbait, and frog patterns all in play as bluegill begin to spawn in the shallows. Per Wired 2 Fish, barometric pressure and water temperature are the dominant variables setting feeding windows this time of year — at 56°F, morning sessions should consistently outperform midday outings across all Erie and Niagara targets.
Catskill caddis season peaks with prime late-spring windows ahead
Flows on two key Catskill-region gauges — 373 cfs at USGS gauge 01413500 and 95.8 cfs at USGS gauge 01415000 as of May 11 — show the watershed carrying solid spring volume, with no water temperature readings available from either station this week. Flylords Mag frames the moment well: the Mother's Day Caddis hatch is "the unofficial kickoff of the best of pre-runoff fishing," when every day on a Catskill tailout could be your last before snowmelt pushes streams into color. MidCurrent's tying coverage this week spotlights patterns that work top-to-bottom during active hatches — subsurface caddis pupa, CDC emergers, and high-floating attractors — reflecting conditions northeastern trout are currently keying on. Hatch Magazine's deep dive into caddis emergences underscores that timing and presentation matter more than pattern choice during peak activity. Direct angler intel from the Adirondacks and Catskills is thin in this week's feeds, but the seasonal picture points clearly to brown trout and brook trout feeding actively on hatch-driven windows through mid-May.
Lake Ontario salmon bite heats up with browns and lakers in the mix
Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario) reports an excellent past week of salmon fishing, with brown trout and lake trout rounding out the catch. Per their report, targeting 100–160 feet of water has been the consistent approach, though the ideal depth shifts day to day as wind-driven temperature movement keeps fish in flux. Mag Dipsey Divers are the go-to presentation when the thermocline pushes deep, with green, white, and chartreuse e-chips among the top producers. On the tributary side, USGS gauge 04250750 shows the drainage running at 219 cfs—a moderate, fishable flow for wading anglers still targeting the tail end of the spring steelhead run on the Salmon River corridor. No water-temperature data was available from the gauge today, but the sustained charter action reported by Strike Zone suggests salmon have settled into productive near-shore temperature lanes on the open lake.
Stripers Running Hard From Jamaica Bay to Montauk as Fluke Season Opens
Water at 53°F per NOAA buoy 44065, the spring striped bass run has gone wall-to-wall across Long Island. Duffy's Bait and Tackle in Glenwood Landing is reporting excellent bass to 45 inches on trolled mojos, parachutes, and umbrella rigs per The Fisherman — Long Island North Shore, while Jamaica Bay is still firing for schoolies and slot-size fish according to The Fisherman — Long Island West End. On the South Shore, Just One Bite Charters out of Center Moriches is putting clients on 7 to 11 bass per morning tide session per The Fisherman — Long Island South Shore. The newly opened fluke season is off to an encouraging start despite rough weather — Super Hawk in Pt. Lookout landed flatties to 8.5 pounds and Great South Bay yielded an 8-pound doormat per The Fisherman — Long Island South Shore. Bluefish are beginning to trickle into Shinnecock Inlet and Breezy Point per The Fisherman — Long Island Surf, and porgy action is building across the Peconic Bay system.
Stripers Running Strong as Hudson Valley Trout and Walleye Seasons Peak
Water temps on the Hudson River registered 59°F at Catskill (USGS gauge 01357500) on May 11, placing conditions squarely in the multi-species sweet spot for the Hudson Valley. On The Water's May 8 Striper Migration Map reports that post-spawn bass are charging out of the Chesapeake and spreading fast across the Northeast — and the Hudson River corridor is historically one of the premier spring striper runs in the region. NY DEC's Fishing Line (April 24 issue) confirms that spring hatchery stocking of brook, brown, and rainbow trout is well underway, with fresh fish deployed to accessible streams and tributaries throughout the region. Coolwater season opened statewide May 1 per NY DEC, giving Finger Lakes walleye anglers their first shots at rocky shoals and windswept points. With flows at 1,570 cfs at Catskill and elevated at 15,600 cfs near Green Island, the Hudson is carrying spring volume but remains fishable on inside seams and slack-water pockets.
Finger Lakes bass and trout on the move as post-spawn May window opens
Water logged at 52°F by USGS gauge 04232050 on the morning of May 11 puts the Finger Lakes — Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles — squarely in a productive early-May window. Tactical Bassin reports the bluegill spawn is fully underway across the region, a key trigger that pushes largemouth bass into shallow, heavy cover and fires up aggressive surface feeding; frogs and topwaters are the standout presentations right now. Smallmouth are working through the post-spawn transition, with Tactical Bassin noting fish are splitting between shallow structure and open water, making swimbaits and finesse drop-shots productive depending on where individual schools settle. On The Water's recent feature on the Onondaga Lake bass resurgence — just north of the Cayuga basin — reinforces that Central New York's bass fishery is in strong shape this spring. Lake trout and rainbow trout remain actively feeding at 52°F; the thermocline on Cayuga and Seneca is positioning fish within reach of standard wire-line and lead-core trolling rigs.