Hudson River Fishing Report: Fluke, Stripers & Blues in NYC

Artificial Lure coming to you with today’s Hudson River fishing report from right here in New York City, Friday, September 26th, 2025.

The day got kicking with a stunning sunrise at 6:50 AM, and we’ll see the sun set on Manhattan at 6:52 PM. Weather rolled in mild by city standards: highs pushing 73°F, mostly cloudy and a light westerly breeze—prime conditions for fall fishing along the Hudson. The overnight and morning low tides stacked up just after sunrise at 6:12 AM, with the afternoon high tide rolling in at 12:37 PM, so anglers had solid early access to the banks, piers and rock edges before water started moving in again.

Fish activity on the Lower Hudson is picking up. According to On The Water's Long Island & NYC Fishing Report yesterday, big **keeper fluke** are still turning up from Battery Park up to the George Washington Bridge—plenty of action near the inlets and the surf. Fluke have been hitting steady for shore anglers and boaters drifting bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp Alive! in chartreuse or white, or classic spearing and squid combos. A couple of locals landed fluke this week in the 21–23 inch range; that’s dinner in any river town.

**Striped bass** reports are improving steadily with cooler nights. Early risers are sticking fish up to 30 inches near Pier 25 and the Harlem River mouth, mostly just after dawn on the outgoing tides. Best lures right now: 5-inch soft plastics in bunker pattern, swim shads rigged on ½ oz jigs, and topwater spooks if you see surface activity. Live eels and chunked bunker draw strikes once the river gets that afternoon chop. Several regulars notched a handful of schoolies and one keeper on chunked bunker yesterday near the 79th Street Boat Basin.

**Bluefish** are still blitzing up from the lower river, especially around dusk, heavier action near Chelsea Piers and over at Riverbank State Park. Metal casting lures—like 2 oz Kastmasters or Hopkins Shortys—have been arriving back at the dock with tooth marks. Stripers and blues are both absolutely hammering anything that has some flash as the bait starts to school up for fall.

**Weakfish and porgies** are showing best for folks working the pilings in Hoboken and Jersey City, fish taking clam strips and sandworms fished close to the bottom. Numbers are fair, not epic, but enough for fun and a couple of keepers for the cooler.

**Hot spots today:**
- Pier 84 (West 44th Street): Productive for bass and blues, especially on outgoing tide. The structure holds piles of bait, and you’ll get bites from sunrise up until early afternoon, especially if you work the pilings and cast out toward the deeper channel.
- Hoboken Waterfront (Sinatra Park and Pier C): Always reliable for stripers, fluke and porgies—fish tight to the pilings early, then move out on the flats and deeper drop-offs as the day goes on.
- Battery Park: Fluke, blues and the occasional surprise weakfish, especially on the tide swings.

Best lures for the Hudson today: Bucktail jigs with chartreuse or pink Gulp, swim shads, SP Minnows, and topwater poppers for dawn raids. Bring some bunker chunks or live eels if you want a shot at the bigger stripers after dark or during those big tide moves.

Live bait is always big, especially bunker chunks and live eels for stripes—the classic. Sandworms, clam strips and squid pieces are what you’ll want on the bottom, targeting porgies and the random weakfish.

Reports from Long Island Sound say false albacore have begun moving west—keep your eyes peeled for bird action or surface blitz; if they bust through the river mouth, toss epoxy jigs and metals at speed.

That’s today’s scene on the tidal Hudson, folks. Water clarity is stained after last night’s drizzle, so bright lures and stinky bait are your ticket. Fall transition is here, and things are just heating up.

Thanks for tuning in, remember to subscribe for these local reports, and may all your casts land fish. This has been a Quiet Please production; for more, check out quietplease dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lore. Coming to you with today's Huntson River fishing
report from right here in New York City, Friday, September
twenty six, twenty twenty five. The day got kicking with
a stunning sunrise at six fifty am, and we'll see
the sun set on Manhattan at six fifty two pm.
Weather rolled in mild by City standards, highs pushing seventy
three degrees fahrenheit, mostly cloudy, and a light westerly breeze,

(00:23):
prime conditions for fall fishing along the Hudson. The overnight
and morning low tide stacked up just after sunrise at
six twelve am, with the afternoon high tide rolling in
at twelve thirty seven pm, so anglers had solid early
access to the banks, piers, and rock edges before water
started moving in again. Fish activity on the Lower Hudson

(00:44):
is picking up, according to on the Waters, Long Island
and NYC Fishing Report yesterday. Big keeper fluke are still
turning up from Battery Park up to the George Washington Bridge.
Plenty at action near the inlets. In the surf fluke
have been hitting steady for shore anglers and bow drifting
butt tailed jakes tipped with gulp alive in chartreuse or

(01:04):
white or classic spearing in squid cobboles. A couple of
locals landed fluke this week in the twenty one twenty
three inch range. That's dinner in any river town. Striped
bass reports are improving steadily with cooler nights. Early risers
are sticking fish up to thirty inches near Peer twenty
five in the Harlem River Mouth, mostly just after dawn

(01:26):
on the outgoing tides. Fast lures right now five inch
soft plastics in bunker pattern, swimshads rigged on half hour's jigs,
and top water spooks. If you see surface activity, live
eels and chunked bunker draw strikes once the river gets
that afternoon chop. Several regulars notched a handful of schoolies

(01:46):
and one keeper on chunk bunker yesterday near the seventy
ninth Street boat basin. Bluefish are still blitzing up from
the lower river, especially around dusk heavier action near Chelsea
Piers and over at Riverbank State Park. Metal casting wars
like two ounce cast masters or Hopkins. Shorties have been
arriving back at the dock with tooth marks. Stripers and

(02:09):
blues are both absolutely hammering anything that has some flash
as the bait starts to school up for fall. Weak
fish and porgies are showing best for folks working the
pilings in Hoboken and Jersey City. Fish taking clam strips
and sandworms fish close to the bottom. Numbers are fair
not epic, but enough for fun and a couple of keepers.

(02:30):
For the cooler hot spots today, Peer eighty four West
forty fourth Streak productive for bass and blues, especially on
outgoing tide. The structure holds piles of bait and you'll
get bites from sunrise up until early afternoon, especially if
you work to pilings and cast out toward the deeper
channel lope in Waterfront, Sinatra Park and pierc always reliable

(02:53):
for stripers, fluke and porgies. Fish tight to the pilings early,
then move out on the flats and deeper offs as
the day goes on. Battery Park, fluke, blues and the
occasional surprise weakfish, especially on the tide swings. Best lures
for the Hudson today bucktail jigs with chartreuse or pink gulp, swimshds,

(03:15):
sp minnows and top water poppers for dawn raids. Bring
some bunker chunks or live eels if you want to
shot at the bigger stripers after dark or during those
big tige moves. Live bait is always big, especially bunker
chunks and live eels for stripes. The classic sandworms, clam
strips and squid pieces are what you want on the

(03:35):
bottom targeting porgies and the random weakfish. Reports from Long
Island Sound say false albacore have begun moving west. Keep
your eyes peeled for bird action or surface blitz if
they bust through the river mouth. Toss apotty jigs and
metals at speed that's today seen on the title Hudson Folks.
Water clarity is stained after last night's drizzle, so bright

(03:57):
lures and stinky bait are your ticket. Fall transition is
here and things are just heating up. Thanks for tuning in.
Remember to subscribe for these local reports, and may all
your casts land fish. This has been a quiet please production.
For more check out quite please dot a I