Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
We’ve made it through to the other side. The ice on our ponds has broken up and melted thanks to some rain and wind over the past week, and stir-crazy anglers have wasted no time getting into the swing of spring with some freshwater fishing. That said, there are quite a few fishermen who are beginning to poke around for resident stripers in the west end back bays on both the North and South Shores. Water temperatures are still very cold—average temps are in the mid 40s—but with some warmer weather ahead and overnight temps in the 40s, holdover activity should pick up in no time.
Additionally, opening day of New York’s spring tautog season is less than 2 weeks away and although it’s a tough 1-month window, the fish will be available in very shallow water. The Western Sound is a good place to consider searching for your first tog (or saltwater fish) of the year, as is the North Fork. However, water temps will likely be considerably colder to the east due to the North Fork’s proximity to the ocean combined with snowmelt runoff from the northern reaches of the Connecticut River emptying into the Sound. Start prepping your shallow-water tog tackle now if you plan to drop jigs or rigs for tog in the NY Bight Region or LI Sound early next month.
For the time being, playing catch-and-release with holdover stripers in the western back bays and the East or Hudson rivers is the main draw. Small, suspending minnow plugs, swim shads, and metal-lipped swimmers like Danny plugs are all good choices. Keep your eyes and ears open for signs of bunker or alewives. River herring seem to be the baitfish du jour in northern New Jersey right now, and the main forage around the Raritan is usually reflective of the baitfish that are present in western Long Island’s bays. The striped bass season on Long Island doesn’t open until April 15, but for anglers fishing north of the GW Bridge, the season opens on April 1.
If stripers are uncooperative or MIA over the next week or two, freshwater fishing is a good fallback plan. Some respectable Long Island largemouth have been caught since ice-out, along with black crappie, chain pickerel, yellow perch, and even walleye—like the one below, caught by Derek Monfort.
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If you locate a school of yellow perch, they will likely be plump and ripe with eggs, so try to release them quickly. Largemouth bass fishing will only improve as the weather warms up; the prespawn bite starts now. Grab your confidence baits—consider suspending jerkbaits, squarebill & lipless crankbaits, wakebaits and glidebaits—and spend a few hours casting around hard structure in your local ponds. Bass will still be a bit sluggish, so fish slowly and methodically and cover as much water as possible. Eastern shorelines receive plenty of sunlight this time of year; keep that in mind in your search for pockets of warm water where bass may be more active.
This Saturday marks the official start of spring, so grab a rod and hit the back bays or ponds for some early season action. We’re back to weekly Long Island and NYC Fishing Reports next week, so stay tuned for more in-depth reports as the spring season unfolds.
3/12/2026
The thaw continues! Depending on your location on the island, there’s either some patchy, slushy skim ice and open water around the edges, or no ice left at all. The salt ponds and tidal rivers are ice-free, as are the harbors and back bay marshes. With just nine days until the vernal equinox, Long Island anglers are ushering in the spring by casting to largemouth bass, pickerel, and more.
The best options for freshwater anglers are to seek open water, or fish the trout streams until your neighborhood pond has thawed. Keep a close watch on the river conditions, though. Heavy runoff from snow and ice melt has likely dirtied up the water and led to higher, faster flows. If you can locate an iceless pond, largemouth bass and pickerel will be there waiting. The bass will be lethargic, but pickerel should be feeding rather aggressively to fatten up before spawning in the near future.
After an excellent turnout at the Ward Melville High School Fishing Show last weekend, many folks are overlooking the spring freshwater season entirely. Excitement for the new saltwater season is peaking. Shore fishermen and surfcasters are ready to jump into catch-and-release striped bass fishing, and many anglers are stoked for the short (but sweet) spring tautog season which opens on April 1. Keep in mind that while the blackfish season opens April 1, the striped bass season remains closed until April 15 for anglers south of the GW Bridge.
It won’t be long until the North Shore starts to light up and the western South Shore back bays begin to produce good results from resident stripers before migratory fish roll in.
The worst of winter is behind us. Shake the rust off your fishing muscles by dusting off the ol’ freshwater wand for a few laid-back, light-tackle outings on the ponds as they continue to open up. The spring striper and tautog seasons are around the corner. Get excited. And if you need some new gear, head to the New Jersey Saltwater Fishing Expo this weekend and swing by the OTW booth!
3/5/2026
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “The ice in the harbor is melting finally; it’s been iced over for the past month and change. Around the 3rd week of March, the fish (stripers) should show up in the local harbors. From then to the 3rd week in April is the time when they tend to show up in force. Outflows and creek mouths are crucial focus spots. Folks should be carrying little artificials such as small plastics, weighted or unweighted, in the 3-inch range. Flounder fishing should start soon as well! You want to look for mud in the back marshes. Sunny days that warm the water should wake them up, and 3 to 6 feet of water is the zone. A simple porgy or flounder rig is a great option. That said, a longer hook prevents gut hooking small fish. Flounder tend to move in, stage up for a while, and then suddenly leave. For bait, clams, bloodworms, and sandworms are premier choices. Chumming also aids in bringing them in!”
Paul McCain at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports: “I haven’t been fishing much, I’ve been tying flies. Up until last week, the Connetquot was locked up with ice! It’s finally starting to open up again. Everybody that’s been coming in has predicted a great sand eel bite for the year ahead. Old timers say that cold winters mean a strong sand eel spawn. Last year, we had fish on the North Shore by March 15 but this year, it might be pushed back a bit. As far as trout fishing goes, the runoff should help feed the streams and creeks. Upstate should be great this year; snowmelt runoff should fill up rivers and keep them healthy leading into the summer.”
Steve Figari (@bassholes_surfcasting) reports: “I recently hit the Connetquot River in search of trout. The fish were eating nymphs but were not very active; I only caught 2 all day, I think the snow melting off and dumping super cold water into the river was slowing them down. I’ll probably start fishing for stripers in April!”
Derek Monfort (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) reports: “I’ve been spending most of my winter ice fishing. On a recent outing, I had a few nice white perch on 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with wax worms. We were going for yellow perch and these things swarmed in like piranhas, slammed us like 3 times, and never came back.”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Ice is finally melting and a warm weekend is ahead of us. Hopefully this means some open water fishing, and, more importantly, catching! It feels like forever since we’ve had some fishable conditions that aren’t on ice. The fish will definitely still be lethargic after thawing out, but they should be hungry, too. Fishing low and slow for whatever you’re targeting will be your best bet. Drag a jig along the bottom and slowly hop it in place, or toss a small swimbait and entice that reaction strike. The shop is open all weekend if you need any supplies.”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) reports: “I hit Connetquot this past Sunday and the fish were very picky. I managed a few brook trout and a rainbow. The few fish I caught came on size 8 and size 12 Woolly Buggers I tied. I threw everything at them—nymphs, dry flies, Squirmy Wormies, eggs, and pellet flies—with no takers on any of those.”
The Author’s Experience
Oh boy… it’s March 5th and the itch has kicked in. As I look outside it’s currently raining, but it seems to be warmer than the arctic temperatures I’m used to feeling. Traditionally, I’ll start dusting off the gear in mid-March to hit the back bays on the North Shore. In the past I’ve had fish right around the 15th to 17th of the month. Usually, I find 10- to 15-pound fish and even some up to 20 pounds! That said, this year is throwing me for a loop. I know some guys have been consistently hunting holdovers, however, I believe my spots might still be a bit too cold. While the pattern of catching a fish between the 15th to 17th of March typically holds true, this year it might be a bit further behind. After all, my local bays had steady ice throughout the winter… something I haven’t seen in a long time!
I’ll still try to catch my mid-March fish, but I won’t be surprised if the fish don’t oblige. As we look ahead, I’d recommend hitting outflows, creek mouths, and mud flats. These are areas with the warmest water temps. As for gear, you can’t go wrong with a 7- to 9-foot medium-light rod paired with a 5K to 6K reel, 20-pound-test Cortland Master braid, and 20-pound-test Cortland XTR leader. I personally love these leaders and lines because of the casting distance and durability. As for plugs, it’s minnow season. A JoeBaggs Swarter, Daiwa SP Minnow, Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnow, or Bomber will all do the trick. I always prefer silver colors in the spring. When it comes to retrieve, slow is the name of the game. If you feel the plug working aggressively, slow it down even more. You want it to a point where you almost don’t feel the plug on the line.
The first bass of the year is always a special one. As I like to say, there are two seasons: winter & summer. My “summer season” starts when my first bass is caught in March and ends when I catch my last bass in December.
Long Island and NYC Fishing Outlook
It’s almost time to hit the back bay haunts. As I mentioned, based on my personal experience, mid-March is the time to go catch some holdover bass! It might be a bit later this year—we just need a couple warm days to wake up the resident fish. Apparently, the old timers say that a cold winter is attributed to a strong push of sand eels. If there’s any truth to that, the fluke and bass seasons could be real bangers this year.
I think by the end of March, the North Shore bays should come to life with some hungry fish. If you haven’t already, it’s the perfect time to stock up on plugs. Minnow plugs and small darters are the move for spring. If you’re interested in some larger wooden plugs such as gliders, metal lips, or pencil poppers, the Ward Melville High School Fishing Show will have plenty of awesome custom plug builders this Saturday and Sunday! It’s going to be a great show.