Why this page exists
Almost every Hudson page on this site tells you to check the tide, and every creek page tells you to check the gauge. That is easy to write and less easy to act on if nobody has told you which numbers to look at or what they mean on this stretch of water. This page fills that gap.
It is a reference, not a live reading. For the broader pre-trip checklist see Conditions and Before You Paddle.
The Hudson here is tidal
The Hudson is tidal all the way north to the federal dam at Troy, which means the entire Greene County stretch - Athens, Coxsackie, Catskill, New Baltimore, Four-Mile Point - rises, falls, and reverses direction with the ocean tide roughly twice a day.
Three practical consequences:
- The current changes direction. A paddle that felt easy on the way out can be a slog on the way back if you timed it wrong. Planning to go against the current first and return with it is the usual advice.
- Wind against tide builds steep chop. This is the one that catches people out. When wind opposes the tidal current, the water stacks into short, steep waves that are far harder than the wind speed suggests. A 12 mph breeze against a running tide can be nastier than 18 mph going with it.
- Mud. In the shallow tidal margins, notably RamsHorn Creek, a low tide can leave you dragging.
Finding the right tide station
We used to say we would not print a station ID next to a launch until we had checked it ourselves, because several popular tide sites publish a page called "Coxsackie, Hudson River" backed by a NOAA station ID that is actually Albany, roughly thirty river miles upstream. We checked, and that mismatch is real - NOAA's own page for that ID titles it Albany, not Coxsackie.
The good news is that NOAA has since fixed the actual gap: they established a real harmonic tide station right at Coxsackie Riverside Park in May 2025 (station 8518979). If you are launching from Coxsackie, that station gives you both a predicted tide and, unusually, a real-time water level reading for the exact spot you are paddling from.
Athens and Catskill are a different story - NOAA has no station that names either place. The nearest listed station by coordinates is Hudson, NY (8518974), roughly 4 km from Catskill and a bit farther from Athens, on the opposite bank. Two things to know about it: that "nearest" judgment is our own read of the map, not something NOAA's page states outright, and the station itself is a subordinate, predictions-only station with no live sensor, so it gives you a predicted time, not a current reading.
The full run of stations on this stretch, upstream to downstream, is Kingston, Turkey Point, Tivoli, Hudson, Coxsackie, Castleton, Albany, then Troy. If your launch isn't Coxsackie or Hudson, NOAA's tide prediction station list lets you pick whichever of these is closest and check its own page title before trusting it. Treat any predicted time as approximate - sustained wind, heavy rain upriver, and barometric pressure all push the real water level away from the forecast, which is exactly why Coxsackie's live reading is worth more than a prediction alone.
If you know from experience which station tracks your launch well, tell us. That is exactly the kind of local knowledge that we cannot get from a desk, and it is on our open list.
Creeks: read the gauge, especially after rain
Catskill Creek is the main creek water we cover, and it is the one that changes most with weather. Two USGS gauges report on it:
- Catskill Creek at South Cairo (01362000) - upstream, draining about 270 square miles. A good early indicator that rain has moved into the system.
- Catskill Creek near Catskill (01362090) - the lower reach, nearest the lower Catskill Creek paddling section and the Hudson confluence.
What to look for: the trend more than the absolute number. A level that has jumped since yesterday means the creek is carrying rain, and moving water with more push in it brings strainers, debris, and harder exits. If you do not already read gauges, the honest version is that the useful skill is knowing what a given reading feels like on water you know, which takes a few trips of looking at the number and then looking at the creek.
Paddle Greene does not give moving-water route guidance from a desk. If the creek is up, that is a day for a calm lake instead.
Wind
Wind decides more paddling days around here than tide does, particularly on the open lakes and the wide Hudson reaches.
NWS Albany covers this area. Look at sustained speed and direction rather than gusts alone, and check the forecast for the whole window you plan to be out, not just the hour you launch. Afternoons commonly build.
If the Hudson looks like too much, the windy-day backup list exists for exactly that call.
Putting it together
A workable order before a Hudson paddle:
- Wind speed and direction for your whole window.
- Tide times at the nearest station, and which way the current will run while you are out.
- Whether those two oppose each other at any point.
- Water temperature, and dress for it rather than the air.
- Launch access - hours, fees, season - on the guide for your spot.
For a creek, swap step 2 for the gauge trend and recent rain.
None of this makes a spot safe. It makes the day predictable enough that you can make your own call, which is the most any guide should claim.
Related: Conditions · Before You Paddle · Hudson River kayak safety · Paddling glossary · Map
