NYC Hudson River Winter Fishing Report - Stripers, Perch, and More

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here, your go-to guy for Hudson River fishin' right here in the heart of NYC. It's a crisp winter mornin' on January 4, 2026, with temps hoverin' around 32°F under mostly cloudy skies, light winds from the north at 5-10 knots, and a chance of flurries later per the National Weather Service marine forecast. Sunrise hit at 7:25 AM, sunset's at 4:45 PM—short days, but the fish don't care.

Tides today at Alpine on the Hudson: low at 2:33 AM, high at 8:44 AM, low again at 3:15 PM, and high around 9:20 PM, accordin' to tide-forecast.com. Fish the incomin' tide mid-mornin' when current picks up—that's when they feed hard.

Winter bite's steady but slow; stripers and white perch are active in deeper holes, holdin' 20-40 feet. Recent DEC reports note a state-record 3-pound-4-ounce white perch from nearby Westchester waters last fall, and On The Water says white perch are catchin' all winter in Jersey-side Hudson spots. Striped bass are schooled up below the George Washington Bridge, with some 20-30 inch keepers reported last week. Smallmouth bass and catfish poppin' too, but American shad runs are closed since 2010 due to low stocks. Limits are tight—check regs.

Best lures? Jigs with soft plastics or minnow-tipped spoons for perch and stripers—drop 'em vertical in current seams. Reaction baits like small swimbaits or pencil poppers like the TackleHouse VU120 for stripers on the troll. Live bait? Bloodworms or clams on a fish-finder rig for bottom dwellers; minnows shine for perch.

Hot spots: Try the rip rap at Pier 40 in Manhattan for stripers, or Inwood Park north of the GWB where perch stack up in eddies. Bundle up, fish safe!

Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI