New York fishing reports
431 reports for New York — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Long Island fluke bite fires as bluefin bonanza builds off Montauk
Fluke action is firing on all cylinders from the South Shore bays and ocean reefs to Long Island Sound, with bluefin tuna fishing excellent off the east end, per On The Water's July 23 Long Island and NYC report. East End sources echo the trend: Shinnecock Star found keeper fluke inside the bridge and outside on the reefs with sea bass mixed in, while Ebb Tide logged a standout 10.06-pound fluke south of the Point. Bluefish are chewing too — Tight Lines Tackle reports blues to 7 pounds around Shinnecock hitting poppers and epoxy jigs on sand eels. Striped bass have settled into their typical summer slowdown, per White Water Outfitters, though live eels at the inlet on the right tide, and night eeling in Manhasset Bay per Fishing East Coast Bait and Tackle, are still producing slot fish. Offshore, LI Outdoorsman and OTW Saltwater both flag a strong bluefin push, with school fish running closer to shore than the canyon yellowfin bite.
Summer walleye and smallmouth patterns settle onto Lake Erie
Forward-facing sonar continues to dominate walleye talk this week — Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes the technology has upended the old assumption that walleye sit tight to bottom structure, with anglers now marking suspended fish well off bottom in open water, a shift worth testing on Lake Erie's basin. No hyperlocal Lake Erie or Niagara reports came through our feeds this cycle, so we're leaning on typical seasonal patterns: late July usually has walleye holding on deeper structure and drop-offs by day, smallmouth bass working rocky points and emerging weed growth, and muskie anglers grinding long hours for a single follow. Bob Jensen, also writing for Fishing the Midwest, flagged that versatile anglers mixing techniques and target species are outperforming those locked into one pattern right now — worth remembering as the Full Moon pushes activity toward low-light windows.
Catskills and Adirondacks trout retreat to dawn and dusk as summer heat sets in
A Trout Unlimited dispatch on drought-stressed coldwater fisheries, cross-posted this month on Caddis Fly (OR), is the clearest read we have on where Catskills and Adirondacks trout stand heading into late July: cold-blooded fish are running warm and thin, and the safe window to fish them hard is shrinking to the edges of the day. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this region today, so treat flow and temperature as unconfirmed until you check a local gauge before heading out. Hatch Magazine's notes on properly leading a rising trout and MidCurrent's read on summer hatches pushing fish into shallow feeding lanes both point anglers toward first light and last light for the most confident feeding. Expect brown and rainbow trout working riffles and pocket water in low light, while brook trout retreat toward cooler headwater seeps as the heat builds under this week's full moon.
Summer weedlines and forward-facing sonar dial in Finger Lakes bites
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Cayuga, Seneca, or Skaneateles this cycle, so today's outlook leans on seasonal pattern rather than a live snapshot. Late July typically pushes smallmouth bass and panfish tight to weed cover while walleye and lake trout slide toward deeper, cooler water, exactly the shift Fishing the Midwest describes in its recent weedline piece, where bass hold on emerging weed edges rather than open bottom. Wired 2 Fish's look at forward-facing sonar ("Livescope") reinforces that more anglers are locating suspended baitfish and panfish with electronics instead of guessing at bottom structure, a technique that transfers directly to Finger Lakes walleye and lake trout fishing as thermal layering firms up. Expect the most consistent bite around dawn and dusk, with the Full Moon likely pulling some feeding activity into the overnight hours and softening midday action.
Lake Ontario salmon bite heats up ahead of the river push
Kings are showing up strong on the open lake, with Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario) calling it a very good week for salmon, with browns and lake trout mixed in. Boats are working 100 to 160 feet of water, though the preferred depth has been sliding around day to day as wind moves the thermocline. Mag Dipsey Divers are producing when fish sit deep, and green, white, and chartreuse E-Chip spoons run behind Atomic-style attractors are getting bit, per the charter's report. Important distinction for Salmon River and Oswego regulars: this is lake trolling, not the tributary run itself, which typically doesn't fire up until late summer into fall as fish stage near the river mouths. For now, we're treating this as the early build toward that push rather than river action. Full-moon nights this week may nudge feeding windows toward dawn and dusk on the lake bite.
Summer heat puts Finger Lakes trout on notice, walleye holds strong
The NY DEC's Fishing Line newsletter (July 17th issue) is flagging summer heat stress on trout and salmon statewide, a signal Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes stream anglers should take seriously heading into late July, since thermal refuges are getting tighter and careful catch-and-release matters more than ever. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water temps as elevated typical-for-late-July until fresh data lands. Walleye anglers have reason for optimism: DEC held public meetings this month on walleye research at Irondequoit Bay and Sodus Bay, part of ongoing tracking tied to waters feeding the Finger Lakes corridor, and Finger Lakes walleye fisheries remain a reliable summer staple. Smallmouth and largemouth bass, now well into DEC's tracked tournament season, are typically active on moving baits through late July. Fish early mornings around tonight's full moon to beat the heat and work the bite before the sun climbs.
Lake Ontario salmon stage offshore ahead of the tributary push
Salmon fishing has been very good over the past week out on the open lake, per Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario), with browns and lake trout mixed in alongside kings — fish are holding in the 100 to 160-foot range, though the exact depth shifts day to day as wind pushes the thermocline around. The charter reports Mag Dipsey Divers producing when fish sit deeper, with green, white and chartreuse e-chip attractors paired with Atomic-series spoons/flies drawing strikes. That's open-lake trolling water, not river water, but it's the clearest read we have today: no NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data came back for the Salmon River or Oswego corridor this cycle, so treat this as a staging-fish signal rather than a tributary-specific report. For Salmon River and Oswego regulars, the takeaway is that fish are present and biting offshore now, with the river push still to come as the season progresses. Check local forecast before heading out, and confirm exact tributary flow conditions locally before making the drive.
Finger Lakes bass bite holds as DEC flags summer trout stress
A 17-year-old shoreline angler landed an 8.5-pound largemouth out of a Livingston County pond near Avon this summer, working a deep pocket along the shore at first light, per Wired 2 Fish — a reminder that Finger Lakes-region waters are still producing quality bass even as peak summer heat sets in. The NY DEC's July 17th Fishing Line newsletter is urging anglers targeting trout and salmon to help those coldwater species beat the heat, a signal that Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes stream and reservoir trout fishing should shift toward early-morning and low-light windows while water temperatures climb. Smallmouth and largemouth bass remain the more dependable summer options region-wide, with black bass season in full swing per DEC's June coverage. Walleye anglers in Finger Lakes waters should expect typical summer patterns, working deeper structure as the shallows warm. No fresh buoy or gauge readings were available for this update.
Fluke Bite Ignites Long Island as Bluefin Push Into Montauk Canyons
Fluke fishing is "firing on all cylinders" from the South Shore bays and ocean reefs to Long Island Sound, according to On The Water's July 23 Long Island and NYC report, with bluefin tuna action holding excellent off the east end. Ocean reef fluking has outpaced the bay bite per White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays, and Babylon Fishing Station weighed a 12-pound, 11-ounce keeper this week among several quality fish. Striped bass remain best around Montauk and Block Island per Tight Lines Tackle in Southampton, though Trophy Hunter Montauk Charters and Double D Charters both note the bass bite around the Lighthouse has slowed considerably. Porgy fishing is thick at Cedar Point with fish pushing 14 inches, and bluefish, ranging from cocktail-size to gators off Montauk, continue crashing bait through the Sound and ocean beaches. Offshore, canyon yellowfin and bigeye tuna remain excellent, though midshore bluefin have turned spotty for some East End boats despite heavy bait.
Salmon, browns mix it up on Lake Ontario as tributaries run low
Salmon fishing has been very good this past week on Lake Ontario, with browns and lake trout mixed in alongside kings, according to Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario). Boats are working the 100 to 160 foot range, with preferred depths shifting day to day as wind pushes the thermocline around; Mag Dipsey divers have been producing when fish sit deep, and green, white, and chartreuse spoons are drawing strikes. That's open-lake trolling water, not the Salmon River or Oswego itself — the tributaries are running low and clear, with USGS gauge 04250750 reading 31.6 cfs, typical for late July before the fall king run stacks fish in the rivers. For now, tributary anglers should expect quiet water while the better action stays out on the open lake. We're keeping an eye on flows as the season moves toward the fall push.
Lake Erie and Niagara anglers lean on deep-structure summer patterns
No fresh buoy or gauge telemetry came back for the Erie/Niagara corridor today, and this cycle's angler-intel feed skewed national rather than regional, so this update leans on typical late-July patterns for the basin. The one New York-specific note in today's feed, per Wired 2 Fish, was an 8.5-pound largemouth landed near Avon in Livingston County next to the DEC's Region 8 headquarters, a sign bass are still feeding hard across the state even away from the big lake. On Erie itself, expect walleye to keep sliding toward deeper basin structure and suspending as the thermocline firms up, smallmouth working rock piles and drop-offs, and yellow perch holding tight to bottom contours. Niagara River deep-water species stay a patience game through the heat. Treat species status below as seasonal-pattern estimates, not confirmed bites, until a direct Erie/Niagara report comes through.
Catskills and Adirondack anglers pivot to smallmouth as trout streams heat up
Trout Unlimited flagged a pattern worth watching for Adirondack and Catskill anglers this week: "historically low water and high air temperatures" across trout country this summer, conditions serious enough that TU's own blog is steering fly anglers toward smallmouth bass as trout streams come under thermal stress. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this region in today's pull, so treat exact flow and temperature as unconfirmed until you check a local gauge or shop board before heading out. Field & Stream's temperature guide is a useful gut-check right now: trout feed actively in the 50-65°F band and shift into stress territory above that, so if a stream feels bathwater-warm by mid-afternoon, that's your cue to fish first light or find cold, spring-fed water instead. With classic low-and-slow midsummer flows likely persisting, expect brown and brook trout to stay cagey through the heat of the day while smallmouth activity picks up the slack in warmer, sunnier stretches.