NYC Fishing Report: Striped Bass, Bluefish, and Fluke Abound in the Hudson River

Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here with your Hudson River NYC fishing report for Friday, September 5th, 2025.

Sunrise hit at 6:26 AM and expect sunset around 7:24 PM. We’ve got a high tide peaking late morning, about 9:05 AM, then dropping off through the early afternoon—the kind of moving water that lights up the bite. Weatherwise, we’re starting out with partly cloudy skies and temps climbing into the low 70s by midday. Winds are light out of the northwest, and the water’s holding at a comfortable late-summer temp.

The fishing’s lively from Midtown’s piers down through Battery Park and up past Inwood. Striped bass continue to be the main story, especially early morning and just after sunset, with more schoolies moving upriver. There’s been a bump up in bluefish activity the last few days—reports from local boaters and pier regulars say choppers in the 2–6 pound range blitzing bait along the channel edges and some even smashing topwaters near Pier 84 and the Intrepid docks. A few lucky folks even hooked into Spanish mackerel chasing peanut bunker right off Pier 96—rare but not unheard of for this time of year. According to On the Water’s latest regional report, the east end’s seeing the early push of the fall run, which lines up with what’s showing here in Gotham.

Bottom fishing is solid for late-season fluke, especially around Battery Park and the Statue—multiple anglers have weighed in keeper-sized fish up to 23 inches in the last week, with a handful of keeper black sea bass mixed in around the pilings and deeper drop-offs. Reports from tackle shops just across the river in Jersey City and Hoboken are showing catches of weakfish and the occasional triggerfish, mostly on the Jersey flats but with potential on the NY side near Liberty State Park.

Your best baits today are going to be live or fresh-cut bunker for stripers and blues, while the diehard fluke chasers are killing it with Gulp! nemesis grubs in pink shine, white, or chartreuse. Berkley Saltwater Gulp! or classic squid strips are drawing solid hits—especially as the tide drops out and fluke move into deeper water. For lures, don’t leave home without a selection of bucktails (white or chartreuse in the 1- to 2-ounce range), spooled with a fluke belly trailer or Gulp!. For blues, stickbaits and topwater plugs like Super Strike or Tsunami Poppers get the adrenaline going on an explosive strike—black and chrome has been the ticket this week.

If you’re targetting panfish or weakfish, try a small jig or paddle-tail plastic in white or pink. Sabiki rigs tipped with real or artificial bloodworms have drawn in spot and small porgies for the kids.

Hot spots to check out today:

- **Pier 96 / Clinton Cove** – Great structure, active currents, and always fish in the mix; early morning for stripers, mid-day for fluke.
- **South Cove / Battery Park** – Solid fluke and blues action close to shore on dropping tide.
- **East 79th Street Boat Basin** – Good for blues and the occasional late-summer weakfish, especially as bait schools bunch up on the outgoing tide.

Looking ahead, schools of small menhaden are thick from Riverside Park up to 125th Street, and it’s only going to get better as we push toward the new moon. Don’t be surprised if you spot the first bigger bass showing up as we close out September. Remember, bass and bluefish size and bag limits are strictly enforced—check the latest DEC regs and keep it legal.

Big thanks for tuning in to the Artificial Lure report. If you like what you hear, subscribe and share with your fishing crew. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, anglers, Artificial war Here with your Hudson River,
NYC Fishing report for Friday, September fifth, twenty twenty five.
Sunrise hit at six twenty six am and expects sunset
around seven twenty four pm. We've got a high tide
peaking late morning about nine oh five am, then dropping
off through the early afternoon. The kind of moving water

(00:21):
that lights up the bit weatherwise, were starting out with
partly cloudy skies and temperatures climbing into the low seventies
by midday, windsor light out of the northwest, and the
waters holding at a comfortable late summer temperature. The fishing's
lively from Midtown's piers, down through Battery Park and up
past Inwood. Striped bass continue to be the main story,

(00:42):
especially early morning and just after sunset, with more schoolies
moving up river. There's been a bump up in bluefish
activity the last few days. Reports from local boaters in
pure regular say choppers and the two to six pound
range blitzing bait along the channel edges, and some even
smashing topwater near Peer eighty four and the Intrepid Docks.

(01:03):
A few lucky folks even hooked in the Spanish mackerel
chasing peanut bunker right off Peer ninety six. Rare but
not unheard of for this time of year. According to
on the Water's latest regional report, the East End seeing
the early push of the fall run, which lands up
with what showing here in Gotham. Bottom fishing is solid
for late season fluke, especially around Battery Park. In the Statue.

(01:25):
Multiple anglers have weighed in keeper sized fish up to
twenty three inches in the last week, with a handful
of keeper black sea bass mixed in around the pilings
and deeper drop offs. Reports from tackle shops just across
the river in Jersey City and Hoboken are showing catches
of weakfish and the occasional triggerfish, mostly on the Jersey Flats,
but with potential on the NY side near Liberty State Park.

(01:47):
Your best baits today are going to be live or
fresh cut bunker for strippers and blues, while the die
hard flute chasers are killing it with gulp Nemesis grubs
and pick shine white or chartreuse bherkly saltwater gulp or
classic squid strips or drawing solid hits, especially as the
tide drops out and fluke move into deeper water for lures.

(02:09):
Don't leave home without a selection of bucktails, white or
chartreuse in the one to two ounce range, spooled with
a fluke, belly trailer or gulp exclamation point for blues.
Stick baits and top water plugs like Superstrike or Tsunami
poppers get the adrenaline going on an explosive strike. Black
and chrome has been a ticket this week. If you're

(02:31):
targeting panfish or weakfish, try a small jig or paddle
tail plasmic in white or peak. Subiki rigs tipped with
real or artificial bloodworms have drawn in spot and small
porgies for the kids. Hotspots to check out today here
ninety six Clinton Cove, great structure, active currents, and always

(02:52):
fish in the mix. Early morning for stripers, midday for fluke.
East seventy ninth Street boat basin good for blues in
the occasional late summer weekfish, especially as bait schools bunch
up on the outgoing tide. Looking ahead. Schools of small
manhden are thick from Riverside Park up to one hundred
twenty fifth Street, and it's only going to get better

(03:14):
as we push toward the new moon. Don't be surprised
if you spot the first bigger bass showing up as
we close out September. Remember bass and bluefish size and
bag limits are strictly enforced. Check the latest DC REGs
and keep it legal. Big thanks for tuning in to
the Artificial Low Report. If you like what you hear,
subscribe and share with your fishing crew. This has been

(03:36):
a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet please
dot ai