Winter Fishing Report: Stripers, Cats, and Fog in NYC's Hudson River

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for Hudson River fishin' right here in the heart of NYC. It's January 7th, 2026, 8:33 AM, and we're kickin' off a chilly winter day on the water. Sunrise hit around 7:20 AM, sunset's at 4:50 PM—short days, so get out early.

Weather's tricky per the National Weather Service: dense fog liftin' by 10 AM in New York Harbor, then west winds 15-20 knots with gusts to 25, seas 4-6 feet. Small Craft Advisory all day—stay safe if you're boat-bound, or hit the banks. No specific tidal data poppin' today, but Hudson's runnin' strong with typical winter currents; fish the incoming for best action.

Fish are active despite the cold—striped bass and hybrid stripers are hot, schoolin' in the river from recent reports echoin' Bass Pro chatter on Hudson striper bites. Anglers pullin' limits of 20-30 inch linesides, some white bass mix-in, channel cats holdin' deep. Smallmouth bass pickin' up too, post-holiday slows. Amounts? Steady catches, 5-10 fish limits common last week from piers.

Best lures: jiggin' white or chartreuse soft plastics on 1/4 oz heads for stripers—mimic gizzard shad. Bucktail jigs or umbrella rigs if trollin'. Top bait: live herring or bloodworms on bottom rigs for cats and bass; bunker chunks for big stripers.

Hot spots: Pier 25 in Tribeca for bank stripers, or the George Washington Bridge rip for current breaks—stripers stack there. Inwood or Dyckman piers if fog's thick.

Bundle up, check lines, and tight lines!

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