New York fishing reports
434 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Hudson stripers push north as the valley's prime June window opens
On The Water's Hudson River Stripers podcast (Ep. 85) features a Poughkeepsie trip with Captain Chris Oliver of Keepin' It Reel Sportfishing, confirming active striper action right through the heart of the Hudson Valley. That report aligns with On The Water's May 29 migration map, which shows large stripers pushing north and feeding heavily on bunker, squid, and river herring. USGS gauge 01357500 clocked 66°F on June 2, a prime early-summer temperature for both stripers and bass. The Hudson system is running at elevated volume — gauge 01358000 logged 12,200 cfs — which typically pushes fish toward structure and tributary mouths rather than mid-channel. Per NY DEC's May 22 Fishing Line, musky season is now fully underway, and coolwater sportfish including walleye have been in season since May 1. Bass are in the post-spawn transition, with Tactical Bassin pointing to chatterbaits, drop-shots, and swimbaits as the June workhorses.
Lake Ontario salmon on the feed as charter action peaks for late May
Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario) is calling it plainly: "salmon are here!!" Fishing has been very good over the past week, with brown trout and lake trout mixed into the catch alongside Chinook. Per that charter report, the action is concentrated in 100 to 160 feet of water, though productive depth shifts day to day as wind repositions the thermocline. Mag Dipsey Divers are the right tool when cold temps push fish deeper, and green, white, and chartreuse e-chips with Atomic hardware are the leading presentation. On the tributary side, USGS gauge 04250750 shows the river running at 99.8 cfs as of May 31 — a moderate, late-spring baseline that makes for accessible wading but reflects the seasonal gap before the fall tributary salmon push. A full moon on June 1 may extend feeding windows into low-light periods. This is the open-lake charter window to be on.
Hudson River stripers on the run as post-spawn bass bite opens up
Water temps hit 64°F at USGS gauge 01357500 on May 31, signaling a firm late-spring transition across the Hudson Valley system. The top story is striped bass: On The Water's May 29 migration map reports big fish pushing steadily north, feeding heavily on bunker, squid, and river herring. An On The Water podcast episode this week featured a Hudson River session with Captain Chris Oliver of Keepin' It Reel Sportfishing out of Poughkeepsie, confirming the mid-Hudson bite is live. For bass anglers, Tactical Bassin notes post-spawn fish have cleared the beds and are resettling on isolated offshore structure — chatterbaits, swimbaits, and drop-shots are producing on outside flats. NY DEC's May 22 Fishing Line newsletter flagged musky season as imminent, welcome news for Finger Lakes trophy hunters. Walleye remain in play following the May 1 coolwater sportfish season opener, also per NY DEC.
Finger Lakes smallmouth entering prime post-spawn window as May closes
Tributary water is reading 58°F at USGS gauge 04232050 as of May 31, with flow running lean at 8.7 cfs following what appears to be a dry finish to the month. That inlet temperature signals the Finger Lakes surface is moving through the upper 50s toward the low 60s — the transition window when smallmouth bass shift from spawning shallows to offshore structure across Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles. Tactical Bassin reported this week that late-May bass fishing is firing on isolated offshore structure, with anglers targeting outside flats via chatterbait and swimbait presentations, then finessing reluctant fish with drop-shot and neko rigs. Tonight's full moon is worth factoring in: expect the most aggressive feeding during the hour before sunrise and the final two hours of daylight. Lake trout and walleye round out the main menu on the deeper basins, though no direct charter or tackle-shop reports from the Finger Lakes are in our feeds this week.
Lake Erie & Niagara bass shift post-spawn as late-May warmup peaks
USGS gauge 04231600 logged 64°F and 2,000 cfs on a western New York tributary this morning, confirming the late-May thermal transition is underway throughout the Lake Erie and Niagara corridor. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are firmly in post-spawn mode; Tactical Bassin this week reports that isolated offshore structure is key, with fish responding to chatterbaits, dropshot rigs, and neko presentations worked along wind-driven flats and outside edges. Walleye are seasonally expected to be active at these temperatures, though no charter or shop intel reached this cycle to confirm bite specifics. The full moon this weekend will compress productive windows into early morning and evening. A conservation note from Wired 2 Fish: litigation continues over last year's Ischua Creek fish kill in western New York, a reminder that some area trout tributaries remain in a recovery phase. Check current state regulations before harvesting.
Stripers to 50 pounds running Long Island as bluefish push kicks off
Water temps have settled at 56°F across both offshore buoys this morning, and the striper bite up and down Long Island is as good as it gets in spring. The Fisherman's East End correspondent reports fish to 50 pounds around Montauk Point on flood tide rips, with quality bass running from Montauk through Shinnecock. On The Water confirmed the bite runs "hot from New York City to Montauk" as of May 28. The Fisherman's surf correspondent notes fish to 50 inches on glide baits, SP Minnows, and bucktails from Breezy Point through the South Shore inlets. Bluefish are now making their presence felt, with The Fisherman's South Shore reporting 9 blues in a single bay session and the West End noting fish to 8 pounds at Wantagh Bridge. Fluke action is picky system-wide, with cold water keeping feeding windows short.
Post-Spawn Smallmouth and Lake Trout Transition on the Finger Lakes
A USGS gauge reading of 56°F puts the Finger Lakes right in the late-spring transition window as May closes. Smallmouth bass have largely wrapped their spawning cycle on the shallower shoals of Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles and are now shifting back toward offshore structure in post-spawn recovery and active feeding mode. Tactical Bassin reports this transitional period rewards anglers who target isolated offshore structure, drifting outside flats and casting to visible cover with chatterbaits, Neko rigs, and dropshot presentations. Lake trout remain reachable in the upper water column before rising surface temps push them toward cooler depths. No dedicated regional charter or shop reports reached us this cycle, so conditions are drawn from gauge data and regional technique feeds. With a Full Moon overhead tonight, plan around early-morning and late-evening feeding windows for the best action on all three lakes.
Lake Erie walleye and post-spawn bass hit their stride heading into June
With water temperatures reading 65°F at USGS gauge 04231600, Lake Erie and the Niagara corridor are squarely in a productive late-May window. Walleye have finished spawning and are scattering toward mid-depth humps and offshore structure, the classic early-summer Erie transition. Smallmouth bass are in full post-spawn mode as well; Tactical Bassin this week describes the bite as "on fire" when targeting bass around isolated offshore structure with chatterbaits, neko rigs, and dropshots, drifting outside flats and keying on visual cover. Yellow perch are seasonally active across the lake's shallower basin. On a sobering note for tributary trout anglers, Wired 2 Fish reports that the lawsuit over last year's devastating Ischua Creek fish kill, which wiped out tens of thousands of fish from a beloved western NY trout stream, remains active as advocates press the DEC for public records on the incident. Check local tributary conditions before planning any stream trout outing.
Late-May Sulphur Windows Open Across Catskills and Adirondack Trout Streams
The MidCurrent Tying Tuesday series this week signals that hatches are firing across Northeast trout waters, with patterns covering every feeding lane from the surface film to open water as fish push into the shallows — timing that maps directly onto the late-May sulphur window traditionally peaking on Catskills freestones. USGS gauge 01413500 shows the corridor holding 114 cfs as of early Saturday morning, a moderate level, while gauge 01415000 sits low at 19.8 cfs with no water temperatures reporting on either site. Tonight's full moon is expected to compress the best surface action into low-light windows at dusk and dawn. Gink and Gasoline cautions that warm spring weather can accelerate hatch timing, making Sulphur and Light Cahill imitations worth carrying well before sunset. No direct guide or shop reports from the Adirondacks or Catskills were circulating in this week's feeds, limiting specific bite detail to seasonal inference and gauge context.
Salmon and Lake Trout Running Strong on Lake Ontario as June Opens
Strike Zone Charters reports that salmon fishing has been very good this past week on Lake Ontario, with brown trout and lake trout mixed in. The open-water bite is concentrated in 100 to 160 feet, with preferred depths shifting day to day as wind moves the temperature layer. Mag Dipsey Divers are the go-to presentation when the thermocline runs deep, with green, white, and chartreuse e-chips drawing consistent strikes, per the charter. On the tributary side, the USGS gauge on the Salmon River is reading 109 cfs, a moderate late-spring flow consistent with typical end-of-May levels. No gauge water temperature is currently available. The full moon on May 31 may push baitfish shallower overnight, occasionally concentrating salmon near the surface at first light. Tributary salmonid action at the Salmon River and Oswego typically softens by late May as spring steelhead runs tail off, making the open lake the primary target heading into June.
Hudson River stripers in full push as Finger Lakes post-spawn season opens
Striped bass are the top story for Hudson Valley anglers right now. On The Water's May 29 striper migration map confirms big fish continuing to push north, feeding actively on bunker, squid, and river herring. A recent On The Water podcast episode covered Hudson River striper action with Captain Chris Oliver of Keepin' It Reel Sportfishing out of Poughkeepsie, putting that bite squarely on the mid-Hudson corridor. USGS gauge 01357500 shows water temperature at 63°F with flows at 3,580 cfs, conditions well-suited for stripers staged on current breaks. NY DEC The Fishing Line flagged that musky season is imminent as of May 22, with the coolwater sportfish statewide season having opened May 1. Finger Lakes bass should now be fully into the post-spawn transition, moving toward early-summer feeding patterns on offshore structure and isolated cover.
Finger Lakes Smallmouth Hit Post-Spawn Stride in Late May Window
Water temperatures logged at 64°F this afternoon at USGS gauge 04232050 on a Finger Lakes tributary, placing Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles squarely in the post-spawn transition window for smallmouth bass, historically the most productive stretch of the season on these lakes. Fish that were on beds a week or two ago are now regrouping along rocky points and deeper transitions in the 5 to 15 foot zone, actively feeding to rebuild after the spawn. Tactical Bassin notes that in clear northern fisheries at this stage, paddle-tail swimbaits and finesse presentations both earn bites, with the Neko rig becoming a reliable follow-up for pressured fish. The Waxing Gibbous moon should extend feeding activity into low-light windows at dawn and dusk. No region-specific charter or shop reports arrived in this cycle, so conditions reflect gauge readings and seasonal patterns typical for Finger Lakes in late May.