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Mohawk River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Erie Canal’s river: the Mohawk runs smallmouth, walleye and pike across upstate New York.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
775 cfs
Air / High
81 / 81 F
Wind
NW 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01357500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Mohawk River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 775 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind NW around 11 mph, rising pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 81. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 73 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Mohawk River at Cohoes.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01357500.

1,0782,0052,931775 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low81 / 62 F
WindNW 11-16 mph
Pressure1010.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain1% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:23 / 19:24
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 81/62 F, wind 11 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Mohawk River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Mohawk River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Mohawk River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 81 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 72 F, wind to 6 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

New York requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

New York license. Bass, walleye and tiger muskellunge limits per current DEC regulations.

Access

Canal locks, town parks and state launches from Rome to Cohoes; canal towpath trail for bank access.

About this water

A 149-mile river across upstate New York to the Hudson at Cohoes, doubling as much of the Erie Canal.

Fishing Mohawk River: the full guide

A river and a canal

The Mohawk River flows about 149 miles across upstate New York to the Hudson at Cohoes, and much of it doubles as the Erie Canal, with locks and dams creating a series of pools. That canalization shapes the fishing: smallmouth bass on the rock and current, walleye in the deeper pools, northern pike and tiger muskellunge in the weedy sections, plus panfish and catfish.

Smallmouth and walleye

Smallmouth hold the rock, riprap, lock structures and current breaks throughout: tubes, crankbaits and topwater produce, with fish running good size. Walleye hold the deeper pools and below the locks, taking jigs and crankbaits at low light. The lock tailwaters concentrate fish and are consistently productive for both species.

Pike and the weeds

Northern pike and stocked tiger muskellunge inhabit the weedier pools and backwaters, taking spoons, spinnerbaits and large plastics. The canal system means water levels are managed and drawn down seasonally, which changes access and concentrates fish in fall when the canal is lowered for winter.

Mohawk Valley logistics

Access is extensive via canal locks, town parks and state boat launches from Rome through Utica, Amsterdam and Schenectady to Cohoes. The canal towpath trail provides bank access along much of the river. Boat traffic includes recreational canal cruisers in summer, and the locks operate seasonally.

Common questions

Does the canal affect fishing?

Substantially: locks and dams create pools, and the seasonal drawdown in fall concentrates fish.

Where do fish concentrate?

At the lock tailwaters, which hold smallmouth and walleye consistently through the season.

Are there muskie?

Tiger muskellunge are stocked in stretches, holding the weedier pools alongside northern pike.

Is fishing good at Mohawk River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Onota Lake30 miBattenkill34 miGreat Sacandaga Lake34 miSomerset Reservoir40 miDeerfield River43 miSacandaga River49 mi
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