New York fishing reports
188 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Hudson Valley bass hit post-spawn stride as early June warmth builds
USGS gauge 01357500 logged 70°F water on June 7 at 1,560 cfs, textbook post-spawn conditions for smallmouth and largemouth bass across Hudson Valley tributaries and the Finger Lakes. NY DEC's Fishing Line noted coolwater sportfish season opened statewide May 1, and the May 22 issue flagged muskellunge season arriving imminently on premier Finger Lakes waters. On The Water's June 5 striper migration update reported stripers beginning to settle into summer staging areas across the Northeast, with water running slightly cooler than average regionally. Trout anglers face the toughest stretch of the year: 70°F pushes stocked browns and rainbows into thermal refuges, including cold tributary mouths and spring-fed pools, and daytime surface action is largely off the table. Tactical Bassin's post-spawn bass content recommends isolated offshore structure with chatterbaits, neko rigs, and dropshots as the most reliable pattern once bass clear their beds in early June.
Finger Lakes smallmouth transition offshore in prime early-June window
A USGS gauge reading of 62°F on June 2 puts Finger Lakes surface temperatures squarely in the post-spawn sweet spot for smallmouth bass on Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles. Fish that held on rocky shoals through the spawn are now pulling offshore to feed aggressively. Tactical Bassin's June and post-spawn guides emphasize isolated offshore structure as the key holding zone for this phase, with chatterbaits, dropshot rigs, and neko presentations leading the way for transitioning fish on outside flats. Outlet flow at USGS gauge 04232050 is running a low 8.06 cfs, suggesting stable, clear conditions in connected drainage. Lake trout remain accessible in deeper basin sections of Cayuga and Seneca, where cooler thermal layers persist below the warming surface. Walleye are a secondary target along main-lake depth transitions. Typically, NY state regulations include seasonal restrictions on trout, so verify current rules before keeping fish.
Lake Erie smallmouth and walleye entering early-summer stride
USGS gauge 04231600 logged 65°F water temperature and 1,420 cfs flow on June 2, a meaningful early-summer benchmark for the Lake Erie and Niagara corridor. At 65 degrees, smallmouth bass have largely completed their post-spawn bed-guarding phase and are shifting toward offshore rocky structure and reef edges to feed actively on baitfish. Walleye, the other marquee species in this region, are typically on the move by early June, staging over mid-lake humps and transition zones along the Western Basin. Tactical Bassin (blog) notes that post-spawn windows right now reward anglers who focus on isolated offshore structure, with chatterbaits, drop-shots, and neko rigs among the standout presentations. Yellow perch should be spread across mid-depth flats in the 20-to-35-foot range. No charter or tackle-shop sources specific to this area appeared in this week's intel feeds, so verify current bite conditions with a local shop before heading out.
Catskills sulphur hatch peaks as June dry-fly window opens
On The Fly Fishing Forum last week, an angler described 'a hundred slashes and leaps in the last hour before dark' on a regional trout stream, chasing ovipositing sulphurs on a size-14 yellow — a textbook early-June evening scenario for Catskills freestone water. USGS gauge 01413500 registered 95.7 cfs at midday June 2, a moderate and wading-friendly level on the upper Delaware drainage; the smaller gauge 01415000 read 15.8 cfs on a tributary. Neither gauge reported water temperature. That forum chatter aligns with MidCurrent's current tying coverage, which emphasizes patterns covering 'every feeding lane from the surface film to open water' as hatches begin to fire. Flylords Mag's green drake feature noted brook trout responding well to large mayfly imitations during afternoon windows. With flows steady and the sulphur hatch at or near its seasonal peak, the next several days look favorable for dry-fly fishing across the Catskills and Adirondack headwaters, particularly the hour approaching dusk.
Lake Ontario salmon firing; Salmon River tributaries at low summer flow
Strike Zone Charters is reporting strong salmon action on Lake Ontario this past week, with brown trout and lake trout mixed into the catch. Captains are running 100 to 160 feet of water and chasing temperature breaks that shift daily with wind direction. Mag Dipsey Divers are productive when the thermocline pushes deep, with green, white, and chartreuse e-chips accounting for most strikes. On the tributary side, USGS gauge 04250750 clocks the Salmon River at 82.7 cfs as of June 2, placing the river in low, wadable summer condition. At these flows, salmon are still staging offshore rather than pushing into the river corridor, but the lake bite signals a building fishery ahead of the midsummer window. Brown trout and smallmouth bass are the typical near-term tributary targets at this flow level. The waning gibbous moon tends to compress feeding into bookend windows, so early mornings and evenings are the time to be on the water.
Stripers Hot at Montauk as Fluke and Porgy Action Builds
At 58°F per NOAA buoys 44025 and 44065, Long Island's nearshore water has hit prime striper territory, and the fish are delivering. Per The Fisherman (Long Island East End), striped bass continue to dominate from Montauk Point through Shinnecock Inlet despite persistent winds, with bucktails, diamond jigs, poppers, and live bait all accounting for fish in the rips. Captain Tom of the Sea Wife IV logged a standout session this week: 20 giant striped bass released, numerous short fish, a full boat limit of slot bass, and nine bluefish on a single half-day morning trip. On The Water (May 28) confirms stripers are hot from New York City to Montauk, with bluefish showing up in stronger numbers. Porgy action is building steadily west through Greenport and into Peconic Bay, and fluke is beginning to stir inside Shinnecock Inlet, though catches remain spotty as the new season gets rolling.
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.