Spawning and Nursery Habitats of Largemouth Bass in the Tidal Hudson River

Spawning and nursery habitats of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides in the freshwater portion of the Hudson River estuary were identified and characterized. The shoreline from Troy to Peekskill, New York, was classified by habitat (exposed shoreline, shallow shoreline, creek mouths, coves, and bays), and 15 adult males, radio-tagged in March, were tracked to nesting sites. Fish moved 1.6–64 km and spawned in areas protected from wind and wave action or in areas where tidal action was mitigated. Bays and coves were the habitats selected by most nesting radio-tagged bass. Nests of 114 untagged largemouth bass were visually located; 44% of these nests were in bays, 37% in creek mouths, 18% in coves, and only 1% along exposed shoreline. Habitat types selected by nesting largemouth bass amounted to less than 25% of the total shoreline habitat available. Water temperatures over the nests when the nests were first discovered ranged from 16.7 to 20.5°C, and depth of the nests at low tide ranged from 0.15 to 1.10 m. One nest was dewatered at low tide. Electrofishing catch rates for age-0 largemouth bass indicated that areas selected for nesting were also the primary nursery habitats. Suitable spawning and nursery habitats for largemouth bass in the Hudson River are limited and should be safeguarded to ensure the health of the local largemouth bass sport fishery.