Hudson River fishing

Hudson River fishing is stocked with Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Brook Trout on a river section. Also recorded: American Shad. It is stocked about 12 times a year since 2011, most often in April and May. Species guides list dawn, day, and dusk for Brown Trout and Brook Trout and dawn and dusk for Rainbow Trout.

Hudson River
Photo: Beyond My Ken, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Last stocked
October 2025
Rainbow Trout
Plants on record
174
Since 2011
Species stocked
3 (+1 also recorded)
Average size
10.7 in
Elevation
-5 ft

Fish at Hudson River

3 stocked · 1 confirmed present

Brown Trout Stocked · 94 plants · last May 2025 Best: dawn, day, dusk

Last stocked May 2025 · avg 10.5 in · 94 plants

Best: dawn, day, dusk

Brown Trout species guide
Rainbow Trout Stocked · 75 plants · last October 2025 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked October 2025 · avg 11.3 in · 75 plants

Best: dawn, dusk

Rainbow Trout species guide
Brook Trout Stocked · 5 plants · last October 2025 Best: dawn, day, dusk

Last stocked October 2025 · avg 7.9 in · 5 plants

Best: dawn, day, dusk

Brook Trout species guide

How Hudson River is stocked

Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Massapequa Lake (29.4 mi) was stocked more recently. Massapequa Lake is also stocked with Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout.

Fish stocked in 2011

5,610

Fish stocked in 2012

22,590

Fish stocked in 2013

20,630

Fish stocked in 2014

18,980

Fish stocked in 2015

22,290

Fish stocked in 2016

1,275

Fish stocked in 2017

22,975

Fish stocked in 2018

20,210

Fish stocked in 2019

23,302

Fish stocked in 2020

37,465

Fish stocked in 2021

36,860

Fish stocked in 2022

18,060

Fish stocked in 2023

18,060

Fish stocked in 2024

17,975

Fish stocked in 2025

50,102

Stocking history

Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Date Species Quantity Avg. length Source
October 2025Rainbow Trout10012.15 inreport
October 2025Brook Trout5008.25 inreport
June 2025Rainbow Trout14,9004.3 inreport
June 2025Rainbow Trout14,9004.3 inreport
May 2025Rainbow Trout6,0008.9 inreport
May 2025Brown Trout1,8109.5 inreport
May 2025Brown Trout22513.8 inreport
May 2025Brook Trout27211 inreport
May 2025Brown Trout1,8109.6 inreport
May 2025Brown Trout22514.2 inreport
April 2025Rainbow Trout80011 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout40011 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout40011 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout80011 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout5,0008 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout15014.3 inreport
April 2025Brown Trout1,8108.9 inreport
May 2024Rainbow Trout6,0009 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout5,0008.1 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout1,3009.2 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout15014 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout22514 inreport
May 2024Brown Trout1,3009 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout40011 inreport
April 2024Rainbow Trout70012 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout15013.8 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout1,3009.1 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout15014 inreport
April 2024Brown Trout1,3009.5 inreport
May 2023Rainbow Trout6,0009.1 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout5,0009.1 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout1,3009.3 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout1,3009.3 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout14013.9 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout14013.3 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout1,3009.5 inreport
May 2023Brown Trout14013.2 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout50014 inreport
April 2023Rainbow Trout80014 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout1,3009 inreport
April 2023Brown Trout14013.4 inreport
June 2022Rainbow Trout80013 inreport
June 2022Brown Trout14013.5 inreport
June 2022Brown Trout1,3009.5 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout50012 inreport
May 2022Rainbow Trout6,0009 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout5,0009 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout28013.5 inreport
May 2022Brown Trout2,6008.5 inreport
April 2022Brown Trout14013 inreport
April 2022Brown Trout1,3009 inreport
December 2021Rainbow Trout1,1108.3 inreport
November 2021Brown Trout4,0006.7 inreport
October 2021Brook Trout6007.5 inreport
September 2021Rainbow Trout25015 inreport
September 2021Rainbow Trout20015 inreport
September 2021Rainbow Trout25015 inreport
September 2021Rainbow Trout25015 inreport
June 2021Rainbow Trout12,0003.9 inreport
June 2021Brown Trout1402.6 inreport
June 2021Brown Trout1,3008.4 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout50013 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout5,0009 inreport
May 2021Rainbow Trout6,0009 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout14013.5 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout1,3008.5 inreport
May 2021Brown Trout14013.5 inreport
May 2021Rainbow Trout1,3009.3 inreport
May 2021Rainbow Trout1409.3 inreport
April 2021Rainbow Trout80013 inreport
April 2021Rainbow Trout1,3008.7 inreport
April 2021Rainbow Trout1408.7 inreport
October 2020Rainbow Trout4,1306.2 inreport
June 2020Rainbow Trout15,0003.2 inreport
May 2020Rainbow Trout3,8308.6 inreport
May 2020Rainbow Trout1,7308.6 inreport
May 2020Brown Trout1,6908 inreport
May 2020Brown Trout3,7508 inreport
May 2020Rainbow Trout20515 inreport
April 2020Rainbow Trout1,00014 inreport
April 2020Brown Trout20014 inreport
April 2020Brown Trout30013 inreport
April 2020Brown Trout5007 inreport
April 2020Brown Trout5007 inreport
April 2020Rainbow Trout4,1308.6 inreport
April 2020Brown Trout50013.4 inreport
October 2019Brook Trout1,5724 inreport
June 2019Brook Trout1,0008.9 inreport
May 2019Rainbow Trout5,1007.8 inreport
May 2019Rainbow Trout2,3007.8 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout4,5207.5 inreport
May 2019Brown Trout2,0407.5 inreport
April 2019Rainbow Trout40016 inreport
April 2019Brown Trout1,0008 inreport
April 2019Brown Trout50012.4 inreport
April 2019Brown Trout4,8707.8 inreport
June 2018Rainbow Trout25017 inreport
May 2018Rainbow Trout1,00013 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout80012 inreport
May 2018Rainbow Trout2,0008.3 inreport
May 2018Rainbow Trout4,4408.3 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout4,4407.1 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout2,0007.1 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout50013.4 inreport
May 2018Brown Trout4,7808 inreport
September 2017Rainbow Trout10020 inreport
September 2017Rainbow Trout10020 inreport
September 2017Rainbow Trout25014 inreport
September 2017Rainbow Trout25014 inreport
May 2017Rainbow Trout5,1008 inreport
May 2017Rainbow Trout2,3008 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout1,9007 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout4,2107 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout50013.5 inreport
May 2017Brown Trout4,5908 inreport
April 2017Rainbow Trout32516 inreport
April 2017Rainbow Trout70013 inreport
April 2017Brown Trout5015 inreport
April 2017Brown Trout60012 inreport
April 2017Rainbow Trout1,0009 inreport
April 2017Rainbow Trout1,0009 inreport
April 2016Rainbow Trout32518 inreport
April 2016Rainbow Trout70013 inreport
April 2016Brown Trout5016 inreport
April 2016Brown Trout20013 inreport
June 2015Rainbow Trout20018 inreport
June 2015Rainbow Trout15013 inreport
May 2015Rainbow Trout5,1008 inreport
May 2015Rainbow Trout2,3008 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout4,3607 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout1,9707 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout50013.4 inreport
May 2015Brown Trout4,7108.1 inreport
April 2015Rainbow Trout70013 inreport
April 2015Brown Trout30012 inreport
April 2015Rainbow Trout2,0009 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout37514.1 inreport
May 2014Rainbow Trout4,0307.9 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout4,3907.8 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout1,9807.8 inreport
May 2014Rainbow Trout2,0009.8 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout4,7308.1 inreport
May 2014Brown Trout1259 inreport
April 2014Rainbow Trout20017 inreport
April 2014Brown Trout30013 inreport
March 2014Rainbow Trout85013 inreport
May 2013Rainbow Trout5,1007.7 inreport
May 2013Rainbow Trout2,3007.7 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout1,6707.8 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout3,7107.8 inreport
May 2013Rainbow Trout2,00010.5 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout50011 inreport
May 2013Brown Trout4,0008.2 inreport
April 2013Rainbow Trout20018 inreport
April 2013Rainbow Trout85013 inreport
April 2013Brown Trout30013 inreport
May 2012Rainbow Trout2,3007.9 inreport
May 2012Rainbow Trout5,1007.9 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout2,0407.7 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout4,5207.7 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout50012.7 inreport
May 2012Brown Trout4,8808.1 inreport
April 2012Rainbow Trout40018 inreport
April 2012Rainbow Trout45014 inreport
April 2012Rainbow Trout5014 inreport
April 2012Brown Trout35014 inreport
April 2012Rainbow Trout1,0009.35 inreport
April 2012Rainbow Trout1,0009.34 inreport
June 2011Rainbow Trout16019 inreport
June 2011Brown Trout15014 inreport
May 2011Rainbow Trout2,3007.2 inreport
May 2011Rainbow Trout2,0008.9 inreport
April 2011Rainbow Trout80014 inreport
April 2011Brown Trout20014 inreport

Access and facts

Water type
river section
Nearest town
New York City
Shore access
Yes

At the mouth in Lower Manhattan, DEC's NYC fishing map lists shore fishing from Battery Park at South Ferry, the Battery Park City Esplanade (Liberty St. to Pier A) and Hudson River Park piers such as Pier 25/26. The trout stocking is far upriver, in the Adirondack Hudson Gorge.

Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.

View larger map · Open in Google Maps · Directions

Advisories, closures, regulations and water conditions change. Check the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation before you go.

About Hudson River

Photo of Hudson River
Beyond My Ken, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nearest lakes

Sparkill Creek 24.4 mi last stocked March 2023 Pocantico River 28.5 mi last stocked April 2025 Massapequa Lake 29.4 mi last stocked November 2025 Kensico Reservoir 31.1 mi last stocked April 2025 Stony Brook 33.2 mi last stocked April 2025

Public land at Hudson River

Hudson River is 0.5 miles outside the edge of Governors Island National Monument.

It is 0.6 miles outside the edge of Statue Of Liberty National Monument.

It is 0.6 miles outside the edge of Liberty State Park.

It is 0.7 miles outside the edge of Castle Clinton National Monument.

Boundaries from Public Lands DB, part of the same network.

Common questions

What fish are at Hudson River?

Fishing Hudson River usually means Brown Trout: Brown Trout accounts for 94 of 174 plants on record, ahead of Rainbow Trout and one more. Brown Trout was last stocked May 2025, averaging 10.5 in. Rainbow Trout was last stocked October 2025, averaging 11.3 in. Brook Trout was last stocked October 2025, averaging 7.9 in. American Shad is recorded here outside the stocking reports.

When is Hudson River stocked?

Last stocked October 2025. It is stocked about 12 times a year since 2011, most often in April and May.

How big are the fish stocked at Hudson River?

Stocked fish average 10.7 in. Brown Trout average 10.5 in. Rainbow Trout average 11.3 in. Brook Trout average 7.9 in.

How do you get on Hudson River?

Shore fishing is available. The nearest town is New York City. At the mouth in Lower Manhattan, DEC's NYC fishing map lists shore fishing from Battery Park at South Ferry, the Battery Park City Esplanade (Liberty St. to Pier A) and Hudson River Park piers such as Pier 25/26. The trout stocking is far upriver, in the Adirondack Hudson Gorge.

Which lakes near Hudson River were stocked more recently?

Massapequa Lake (29.4 mi) was stocked more recently. Massapequa Lake is also stocked with Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout.

Sources (4) +