Reel in the Fall Bite: Hudson River Fishing Report 09/24/2025

Good morning from the banks of the Hudson—this is Artificial Lure with your September 24th, 2025, fishing report straight from the heart of New York City and the mighty river that cuts right through it.

Let’s start with the barely-day conditions: sunrise was at 6:49am and you can expect sunset at 7:06pm tonight. We’re waking up to cloudy skies, mid-to-upper 60s, and humidity hanging in the air. It feels like fall is coming, but the water temps are still comfortable for the season—fishing can turn on quick when things start to cool.

If you're slinging lines along the lower Hudson this morning, expect a typical moderate morning tidal swing. Around these hours, that means the bite should pick up through the last part of the incoming and just after slack-before-ebbing tide, especially near piers and bulkheads. You get a distinct push of bait as those tides turn, and the predators know it. The New York State DEC has been busy this week with access improvements, which means more and better spots to drop a line along the urban shorelines.

Now, on to what’s being caught: over the past week, reports from local bait shops and anglers in Manhattan and Jersey City say striped bass are back on the chew. There are more schoolies than cows, but a few over-slot fish have been landed deep in the early mornings. Bulkheads near Battery Park and around Pier 45 are yielding action—especially when you match the hatch with live bunker, or throw a flutter spoon in the deeper seams. Topwater gets explosive at first light if you find the birds on the bait.

Bluefish have also been slamming metal spoons and poppers—if you like a fight, get out on the outgoing tide and rip something shiny through the eddies, especially near the mouth of the Harlem River and north of the GW Bridge. On the Jersey side, Raritan Bay has been a hotbed for bluefish and big fluke—local shops like Julian’s Bait & Tackle are moving loads of ice for those cooler-filling catches.

If you’re targeting summer flounder (fluke), the deeper holes around the piers and channel edges are best. Bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp! are the ticket, and even shore casters have been scoring keeper fluke up to 5 pounds. Early risers are doing best; once the sun’s high the bite gets finicky. Weakfish have made sporadic appearances—look for them just off the beach near Pier 40 or between Liberty Island and the Jersey flats, fishing soft plastics on light jig heads.

Other action? White perch and small croakers are mixed in at the mouths of the city’s creeks. A few reports of small black drum and the odd snapper blue have come in from shore anglers at Riverbank State Park and Hudson River Park piers. For bait, nothing beats fresh-cut bunker, but clam strips and bloodworms are pulling their weight for perch and croaker.

Hot spots today:
- Pier 45 (Christopher St. Pier): Reliable for schoolie stripers, fluke, and blues at sunrise or sunset.
- North Cove/Tribeca Seawall: Productive edges, especially on the tide change; good chance for stripers cruising in shallow early.
- Liberty State Park: Consistent fluke bite, with bonus weakfish tight to structure.
- Harlem River mouth, just north of the GW: Good runoff, loads of bait, and heavy bluefish schools.

Best lures: 1-2 oz metal spoons for blues, white 5-inch paddle tails for stripers, and chartreuse bucktail jigs for fluke—tip with Gulp! or fresh spearing. For bait, nothing competes with live bunker if you can snag ‘em, and bloodworm if you’re bottom fishing.

A reminder—fall’s almost here and that brings bigger migrations, more bait, and better action every week. Don’t forget your rain gear, mind the changing tides, and be courteous with space, especially on the busier city piers.

Thanks for tuning in to your morning Hudson River fishing report. Make sure to subscribe for the latest hot bites, and tight lines out there!

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):
Good morning from the banks of the Hudson. This is
artificial lure with your September twenty fourth, twenty twenty five
fishing report, straight from the heart of New York City
and the mighty River that cuts right through it. Let's
start with the barely day conditions. Sunrise was at six
forty nine am, and you can expect sunset at seven
zero six pm tonight. We're waking up to cloudy skies,

(00:23):
mid to upper sixties and humility hanging in the air.
It feels like fall is coming, but the water tempts
are still comfortable for the season. Fishing can turn on
quick when things start to cool. If you're slinging lines
along the Lower Hudson this morning, expect a typical moderate
morning tidal swing around these hours. That means the bite
should pick up through the last part of the incoming

(00:44):
and just after slack before ebbing tide, especially near piers
and bulkheads. You get a distinct push of bait as
those tides turn, and the predators know it. The New
York State DC has been busy this week with access improvements,
which means more and better spots to drop a line
along the urban shorelines. Now onto what's being caught. Over
the past week. Reports from local bait shops and anglers

(01:07):
in Manhattan and Jersey City say stripe bass are back
on the chew. There are more schoolies than cows, but
a few overslought fish have been landed deep in the
early mornings. Bull catches on Battery Creek near the Hatch
Bay been yieldingly. Bluefish have also been slamming metal spoons
and poppers. If you lack a fight, get out on
the outgoing tide and rip something shiny through the eddies,

(01:29):
especially near the mouth of the Harlem River and north
of the GW Bridge. On the Jersey side, Rarets and
Bay has been a hotbed for bluefish and big fluke.
Local shops like Julian's Bait and Tackle are moving loads
of ice for those cooler filling catches. If you're targeting
summer flounder fluke, the deeper holes around the piers and
channel edges are best. Bucktail jigs tipped with gulp are

(01:51):
the ticket, and even shorecasters have been scoring keeper fluke
up to five pounds. Early risers are doing best once
the sun's high the bite gets finicky. Weakfish have made
sporadic appearances. Look for them just off the beach near
Pier forty or between Liberty Island and the Jersey Flats.
Fishing soft plastics on light jigheads, other action. White perch

(02:12):
and small croakers are mixed in at the mouths of
the city's creeks. A few reports of small black drum
and the odd snap or blue have come in from
shore anchors at Riverbank State Park and Hudson River Park piers.
For bait. Nothing beats fresh cut bunker, but clam strips
and blood worms are pulling their weight for perching. Croker
hot spots today Peer forty five, Christopher Street Pier reliable

(02:35):
for schooly stripers, fluke and blues at sunrise or sunset.
North Cove, Tribeca Sea Wall. Productive edges, especially on the
tide change. Good chance for stripers cruising in shallow early
Liberty State Park. Consistent flute bite with bonus weakfish tight
to structure. Harlem River Mouth just north of the g

(02:58):
W good runoff loads of bait and heavy bluefish schools.
Best lures one to two ounce metal spoons for blues,
white five aged paddle tails for stripers and Chartreu's bucktail
jags for fluke, tip with gulp or fresh spearing for bait.
Nothing competes with live bunker if you can snag em

(03:19):
and blood worm. If you're bottom fishing, A reminder falls
almost here and that brings bigger migrations, more bait, and
better action every week. Don't forget your reindeer, mind the
changing tides, and be courteous with space, especially on the
busier city piers. Thanks for tuning in to your morning
Hudson River Fishing report. Make sure to subscribe for the

(03:40):
latest hot bites and tight lines out there. This has
been a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet
Please dot ai