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The upper tidal Hudson from Kingston to Catskill, mapped from NOAA's 30 m bathymetric survey DEM. The river tops out around 70 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 8,802 acres wrapped in 56 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 4.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 46% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 19.3 mi end to end and 6.4 mi across at its widest. If the bite dies, Lake Taghkanic is 10 mi to the east.
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 25 to 60 ft before dropping to 20 to 50 ft for winter. Fall striped bass concentrate at Channel bar / point (mile 13.6), a prime-rated point around 14 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (8 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (38 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 13.6) (14 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (25 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Come spring, look for white perch tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 11.8). It's a current seam holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning. A small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 11.8) (15 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 11.8) (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Current seam (mile 11.8) (15 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Spring largemouth bass on Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Channel bar / point (mile 13.6) first on the milk run — a point near 14 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 13.6) (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 13.6) (14 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (25 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Channel bar / point (mile 13.6) — point, 14 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 11.8) (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 13.6) (14 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 11.8) (15 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring channel catfish on Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 25 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (25 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Channel bar / point (mile 6.2), a point in about 38 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 13.6) (14 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (38 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (25 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill also holds northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 11 features, led in depth by Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) at roughly 38 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill is about 70 ft (21 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target striped bass, white perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, common carp, freshwater drum on Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill.
Channel bar / point (mile 13.6) is the top-rated area: a point in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For striped bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Taghkanic 10 mi · Stissing Pond 14 mi · Ashokan Reservoir 15 mi · Copake Lake 16 mi · Hudson River - Poughkeepsie to Kingston 18 mi · Sturgeon Pool 18 mi · Hunns Lake 18 mi · Chodikee Lake 22 mi · Rudd Pond 22 mi · Riga Lake 22 mi, CT · Wonoscoponuc Lake 25 mi, CT · Wononpakook Lake 25 mi, CT
See how Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best northern pike lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.