Winter Striper Bonanza on the Hudson: Hot Spots, Top Lures, and Tidal Insights for NYC Anglers

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for Hudson River fishin' right here in the heart of NYC. It's January 5th, 2026, crisp winter mornin' at 8:32 AM, and the river's callin' if you're bundled up right.

Weather's lookin' cold—high around 35°F, lows in the 20s, light northwest winds at 5-10 mph, partly cloudy skies per local forecasts. Sunrise hit at 7:24 AM, sunset at 4:47 PM, givin' ya about 9.5 hours of daylight to chase bites. Tides from NOAA Tides & Currents at Riverdale show a flood tide peakin' near 3.94 ft mid-mornin', slack around noon, then ebbing strong into evenin'—fish the incoming for best action.

Fish activity's solid for winter; stripers are keyin' in from the battery up to George Washington Bridge, with reports of 10-20 lb cows pushin' baitfish schools. Recent catches include dozens of schoolies (18-28 inches) on cut herring, plus white perch and black crappie stackin' up in eddies. Bluefish taperin' off but still a few slot fish around. Herring and menhaden runs are drawin' 'em shallow.

Best lures? Bucktail jigs in white or chartreuse, 1/2 to 1 oz, bounced slow off bottom. Soft plastics like Zoom Flukes on 1/4 oz heads for twitchin'. Live bait shines—bloodworms or clams on a fish-finder rig for perch, fresh herring chunks for stripers. Match the hatch with small swimbaits too.

Hot spots: Inwood Hill Park for shore access and current breaks, or the piers at Dyckman Street—easy parking, quick bites. Hit 'em at first light or last hour.

Bundle up, check regs, and stay safe out there.

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