New York fishing reports
437 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
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.
Catskills streams fishable as mid-May hatch transition takes hold
USGS gauge 01413500 logged 373 cfs on Catskills trout water early on May 11, with gauge 01415000 recording 97.9 cfs — both reads placing area streams at elevated but fishable spring levels. No water temperature data was available from this morning's sensor pull. MidCurrent's current Tying Tuesday roundups describe hatches beginning to fire across Northeastern trout fisheries, flagging a full water-column lineup from buoyant deer-hair attractors riding fast surface water to beaded nymphs built for overcast, low-contrast conditions — a pattern spread directly applicable to Catskills and Adirondacks stream fishing through mid-May. Field & Stream's recent coverage of Hendrickson hatches on Northeastern trout streams provides a useful seasonal anchor: the Catskills traditionally see Hendricksons taper in early May before March Browns and early caddis carry the calendar forward. Trout Unlimited is circulating nymph-casting tips via the Orvis Learning Center, timely technique grounding for fishing the deeper seams that elevated spring flows push trout into.
Hudson stripers surging as walleye season opens on the Finger Lakes
Water at 56°F on the upper Hudson (USGS gauge 01357500) puts the region squarely in prime spring territory. Per On The Water's May 8 striper migration map, post-spawn bass are pouring out of the Chesapeake in force and spreading across the Northeast — the Hudson River's legendary spring striper run should be in full stride right now. NY DEC's April 24 Fishing Line confirmed hatchery crews completed spring deliveries of brook, brown, and rainbow trout to streams statewide, giving anglers plenty of freshly stocked water to work. Critically, the coolwater sportfish season — covering walleye, northern pike, and tiger muskellunge — opened statewide on May 1 per DEC, unlocking the Finger Lakes walleye fishery for the first time this season. Flows are elevated on the Hudson (18,900 cfs at the lower tidal gauge per USGS 01358000), but with temps in the mid-50s the region is firing across multiple fronts. This week's waning crescent moon favors low-light feeding windows at dawn and dusk.
Lake Erie walleye and smallmouth heating up as Western NY hits mid-May
USGS gauge 04231600 logged water at 56°F on May 10, landing squarely in the temperature band that historically triggers active post-spawn walleye feeding and prespawn smallmouth bass activity across the Lake Erie system. No charter or tackle-shop reports are in our current feed for the Lake Erie and Niagara corridor this week, so specific bite details from the open lake and river remain unconfirmed from on-the-water sources. Tactical Bassin notes that in early May, bass are split between late-spawn holdouts and post-spawn fish moving to transition areas — a pattern consistent with what Western NY smallmouth typically show at this water temperature. The gauge records 7,820 cfs, elevated spring flow that tends to concentrate predators near tributary mouths and slack-water eddies where bait stacks up. Last Quarter moon sets up decent low-light windows at dawn and dusk for walleye jigging and trolling presentations.
Big Stripers Blanketing Long Island as Fluke Season Gets Rolling
Water temps of 53–54°F at NOAA buoys 44025 and 44065 provide a cool but productive backdrop as Long Island enters a strong stretch for spring bass. Per On The Water's May 7 report, a wave of big bass has hit the South Shore surf while fish topping 25 pounds are chasing bunker east along the North Shore. Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport confirms mixed-size stripers from 30 to 44 inches inside Huntington Bay and Cold Spring Harbor, with trolled Mojo rigs and popper plugs producing. On the East End, Star Island Yacht Club reports slot-size bass near the Montauk lighthouse on diamond jigs and bucktails fished on moving tides. The season's second headline: New York's fluke season opened May 4, and Sea Rogue Charters out of Freeport returned from early exploratory runs with keepers to 5 pounds. Porgies are slow but WeGo Bait and Tackle on the North Fork reports fish beginning to trickle in at Cedar Beach in Southold.
Spring trout stocking peaks as walleye opens and stripers push north
Water temperature at 59°F (USGS gauge 01357500, May 10) puts Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes waters squarely in prime spring territory. NY DEC's April 24 Fishing Line reports hatchery crews have been actively stocking brook, brown, and rainbow trout across the region — stream trout fishing is at its seasonal peak. The statewide coolwater season opened May 1, unlocking walleye and northern pike across eligible waters. On the striper front, On The Water's May 8 migration map shows post-spawn bass pushing hard out of the Chesapeake and spreading from New Jersey to Rhode Island — the Hudson River's annual spring push typically tracks closely behind this coastal surge. Bass are transitioning out of the spawn, with bluegill beds drawing fish into shallow cover, per Tactical Bassin's early-May reports. Flows are elevated with spring runoff — 4,340 cfs at gauge 01357500 and 15,700 cfs downstream at gauge 01358000 — but conditions remain fishable.