Late Summer Fishing on the Hudson: NYC Anglers Report

Artificial Lure here with your Hudson River, New York City fishing report for September 17, 2025! Let’s get to it—conditions, hot bites, and today’s best spots.

First off, we’ve got a gorgeous late summer day on tap. Official sunrise hit at 6:44 AM, and we’ll see sunset at 7:15 PM. Skies are clear and temperatures began in the upper 60s, heading for a high stretching near 72. Winds are calm—perfect for casting or drifting. Water on the Hudson around NYC has been running steady, and tides this week are classic September: morning lows with rising water through midday and a strong evening push, always prime time for predatory fish to feed. Your best bite windows are going to cluster around those tidal swing periods—especially the two hours before and after peak changes.

Now, on to fish activity. According to recent word from local New York City tackle shops and chatter along the West Side piers, anglers have been reporting fair to moderate action on **striped bass** early and late, with fish mostly in the 20-28 inch range. While the striped bass population is under some pressure up and down the coast—a recent report from Seacoastonline noted this year’s Hudson spawning numbers were below average—the Hudson’s urban stretch is still giving up keepers, plus lots of schoolies if you put in the hours. There’s also been a pickup in **bluefish** action, especially when schools of bunker and peanut bunker show up with those evening tides. Scattered **weakfish** and some good-size **white perch** continue in the brackish stretches between Battery Park and Yonkers. Fluking is quieting down as water cools, but the occasional doormat still comes from the deeper holes near the George Washington Bridge.

Best bets for lures—if you’re chasing stripers or bluefish, stick with bunker-pattern swim shads (think 5- to 7-inch paddletails in white or chartreuse), fresh cut bunker or mackerel, and topwater pencils during low light. As September wears on, don’t overlook metal—midweight epoxy or tin jigs are dynamite for both bass and blues, especially when they’re dialed into smaller bait profiles. Classic bucktails tipped with Gulp! swimming mullet are taking weakfish and the stray fluke.

Those after panfish and perch can keep it simple: small live nightcrawlers, bloodworms, or even soft-plastic grubs bounced near pilings and drop-offs do the job.

A couple of today’s hot spots:
- **Pier 96 (Clinton Cove):** Always popular for its access and deep water. Dawn and dusk this week saw multiple stripers landed on shads and plugs.
- **Inwood’s Spuyten Duyvil Creek mouth:** Known for tidal mixing and gamefish ambushes—try casting around the outgoing edges and bridge shadows, particularly for blues and perch.
- **Harlem River confluence:** The stretch around the 145th Street Bridge gives up keeper bass with live eels or bunker chunks late at night.

A quick tip—On The Water magazine reminds us that end-of-summer fish can be fickle; if the bite slows in clear water, downsize your lures and go with more subtle, natural presentations. A little patience and some adaptability can turn a slow session into a banner day.

Thanks for tuning in to your Hudson River report—tight lines, and don’t forget to subscribe for your daily fix. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lure. Here with your Hudson River New York City
Fishing report for September seventeenth, twenty twenty five. Let's get
to it. Conditions, hot bites in today's best spots. First
off with today's day. We want to be first. New
York Official sunrise hit at six forty four am and
we'll see sunset at seven point fifteen pm. Skies are

(00:22):
clear and temperatures begin in the upper sixties, heading for
a high stretching near seventy two. Winds are calm, perfect
for casting or drifting. Water on the Hudson around NYC
has been running steady, and tides this week are classic
September morning lows with rising water through midday and a
strong evening push, always prime time for predatory fish to feed.

(00:44):
Your best bite windows are going to cluster around those
tidal swing periods, especially the two hours before and after
peak changes. Now on to fish activity. According to recent
word from local New York City tackle shops and chatter
along the west Side Piers, Angler have been reporting fair
to moderate action on striped bass early and late, with

(01:04):
fish mostly in the twenty to twenty eight h range.
While the stripe bass population is under some pressure up
and down the coast. A recent report from Seacoast Online
noted this year's Hudson's spawning numbers were below average. The
Hudson's urban stretch is still giving up keepers plus lots
of schoolies if you put in the hours. There's also
been a pickup and bluefish action, especially when schools of

(01:27):
bunker and peanut bunkers show up with those evening tides.
Scattered weak fish and some good sized white perch continue
in the brackish stretches between Battery Park and Yonkers. Fluking
is quieting down as water cools, but the occasional doormat
still comes from the deeper holes near the George Washington Bridge.
Best bets for lures if you're chasing stripers or bluefish

(01:49):
stick with bunker pattern swimshads, think five to seven inch
paddle tails and whiter chartreuse fresh cut bunker or mackerel
and top water pencils during low light as September wears on.
Don't overlook metal. Midweight epoxy or tin jigs are dynamite
for both bass and blues, especially when they're dialed into
smaller bait profiles. Classic bucktails tipped with gulp swimming mullet

(02:15):
are taking weakfish and the stray fluke. Those after panfish
and perch can keep it simple. Small live night crawlers,
blood worms or even soft plastic grubs bounced near pilings
and drop offs do the job. A couple of today's
hotspots Peer ninety six, Clinton Cove, always popular for its
access and deep water dawn and dust. This week saw

(02:38):
multiple stripers landed on shads and plugs inwood Splay and
Duvial Creek Mouth, known for tidal mixing. In gamefish ambushes,
try casting around the outgoing edges and bridge shadows, particularly
for blues and perch. Harlem River Confluence, the stretch around
the one hundred and forty fifth Street bridge gives up

(02:59):
keeper bass with live eals or bunker chunks late at night.
A quick tip on the Water magazine reminds us that
end of summer fush can be fickle. If the bite
slows in clear water, downsize your lures and go with
more subtle natural presentations. A little patience and some adaptability
can turn a slow session into a banner day. Thanks

(03:20):
for tuning in to your Hudson River Report. Tight lines,
and don't forget to subscribe for your daily fix. This
has been a quiet please production. For more check out
quiet please dot ai