Fishing reports
15732 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Fall run stirs at Sandy Hook as bluefish and albies push the beaches
NOAA CO-OPS station 8531680 read 68.7°F Wednesday night, still warm enough to hold late-summer fish as the fall shift takes hold along the Jersey Shore. Bluefish are running the beaches in numbers per OTW Northern New Jersey's September 17 report, and Capt. Rick Falcone of the Golden Eagle says the bite "switched around big time" from artificials to bait, with slammers mixing alongside bonito and false albacore in the chum slick. Albies continue working the surf zone too. Fluke fishing holds decent on the reefs even as New Jersey's summer flounder season closes September 25, per The Fisherman — New Jersey edition, and Capt. Ron's Atlantic Highlands crews found keeper fluke over the rail through the week's closing days after working a short run to deeper water.
Crappie bite kicks off as Delaware River corridor turns toward fall
The Delaware River corridor is sliding into its fall transition. Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown reports the river was "in better shape" near the Riegelsville section as September wound down, a sign of clearing, stabilizing flows heading into cooler weeks. To the south in the broader Delaware Bay freshwater system, Smith's Bait Shop says the fall crappie bite has already turned on, with anglers stringing up fish from the Nanticoke River on twisters fished under floats.
Snook Fishing Turns On as Fall Season Kicks Off in Sarasota Bay
Water temperatures remain in the upper 80s across Tampa Bay and Sarasota, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8726520 reading 87.1°F and station 8726724 at 86.2°F, and the snook bite is turning on to match. Capt. Kelly Kurtz of CB's Saltwater Outfitters reports an active inshore bite in Sarasota Bay for snook, redfish and other species this past week. Capt. Brandon Naeve, also with CB's, notes the Gulf Coast's fall snook season opened September 1 and that the warm water has fish especially active right now. Capt. Rick Grassett's forecast for CB's adds that snook are staging around docks and bridges in the Intracoastal as they move along the beach ahead of their winter push.
Puget Sound anglers eye big evening tide swing as fall settles in
NOAA's Seattle tide station (9443090) put water temperature at 58.5°F this evening, with the tide bottoming out around 5:46 p.m. Pacific before rebuilding toward a high near 11:27 p.m. — a solid overnight swing under this week's waxing gibbous moon. WDFW's Fishing and Stocking Reports remain the go-to source for water-specific creel numbers around the Sound and coast this week, and Washington Sea Grant notes its SoundToxins shellfish-safety monitoring program is marking 20 years of tracking harmful algal blooms, worth a check before keeping anything off the beach.
Gulf snook push toward winter grounds as fall transition sets in
Gulf-side water temperatures are holding steady at 86°F this week, per NOAA CO-OPS readings off the Florida coast, still summer-warm as the calendar tips into fall. Sport Fishing Mag notes Gulf snook are feeling the shorter days and starting to migrate toward their winter holding areas, calling it one of the year's best windows as summer's heat breaks and the bite opens up on aggressive, feeding-up fish; Z-Man's Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ swimbaits are the recommended offerings for working that push. Separately, Florida Sea Grant scientists have detected a rare rust tide algal bloom, Margalefidinium polykrikoides, in Charlotte Harbor, an unusual sighting worth watching for anglers working Southwest Florida estuaries this week.
Albie Fever Grips Connecticut Sound as Fall Run Kicks In
Water temperatures across Long Island Sound are holding in the upper 60s, 68 to 69°F at CO-OPS stations from New London to Bridgeport, and Connecticut's fall run has kicked into gear. J&B Tackle in Connecticut reports false albacore are "everywhere from Black Point to Fishers Island," with fish showing at Avery Point, Sarah's Ledge, Ocean Beach, Harkness, Seaside, Niantic Bay and Black Point. AW Marina in Connecticut says customers are flying through epoxy jigs and tins as "albie fever" takes hold. Striped bass are feeding heavily on bait but haven't started blitzing, per J&B Tackle, while bluefish ranging from snappers to gators stay very active. Aboard the Tartan II, bottom fishing for black sea bass and scup has stayed strong, and fluke closed out a season that Black Hawk in Connecticut called disappointing throughout.
Catawba and Roanoke waters ease into fall's transition window
Late September brings the start of fall turnover to Catawba chain-of-lakes and Roanoke River freshwater systems, as shorter days and cooling nights break up summer's thermal layering. This shift typically triggers baitfish to school tighter and pushes gamefish toward shallower structure and current breaks as the season progresses.
Stripers show along the coast as Bay Area water cools toward fall
Water temperatures across our two regional tide stations are holding at 56.3°F and 55.4°F this morning, seasonal numbers as Northern California eases toward fall. South along the coast near Santa Cruz, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports nearshore fishing has been very good this week, with a shoreline striper catch among the highlights and bigger offshore potential once the weather settles. High tide rolls through tonight between roughly 9:30 and 10:20 p.m., with both stations ebbing toward a predawn low near 4 to 5 a.m., a workable window for anyone fishing the last of the outgoing water before first light.
Waxing moon builds toward bigger tide swings on the Oregon Coast
Water temperatures along the Oregon Coast are split across two read points this week: NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 shows 59°F, while station 9439040 reads a warmer 64.4°F, reflecting the range of conditions anglers are working with along this stretch. On the water, IFish.net Fishing Reports carries steady chatter from Buoy 10 south to the Garibaldi and Nehalem area, including posts about gear lost overboard while trolling — a sign that boats are out working the tide lines rather than sitting idle.
Fall transition brings redfish, albies into play at Charleston Harbor
Charleston Harbor water is holding at 83.5°F this morning, keeping the summer pattern in place later into September than the calendar alone would suggest. Inshore, Salt Strong is running through its fall lure lineup for redfish working grass flats and structure as the season turns, and Sport Fishing Mag flags false albacore beginning to feed on the surface as the fall migration gets underway along the Southeast coast. Coastal Angler Magazine also logged an 18-inch flounder off a Carolinas pier this week, a sign fluke are still working the surf zone.
Santa Cruz stripers keep shoreline anglers busy on the Central Coast
Water temperatures along the Central Coast sit in the low-to-mid 60s this week, 61.3°F at Monterey Bay and 63.5°F at Port San Luis per NOAA CO-OPS, typical for late September as surface temps ease off their summer peak. Nearshore fishing has been very good at Santa Cruz, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, with shoreline striped bass among the notable catches as anglers work the beaches following the birds and bait.
Cape Cod Bay stripers push toward the beach ahead of storm
Pogies are stacking up along the Cape Cod Bay shoreline and stripers are following them in, per Goose Hummock Shop, with a predicted northeast storm in the forecast that could push both bait and bass tight to the beach. Working the Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck stretch, Sports Port reports surf anglers connecting with stripers over 30 inches as the same bait push works along the shoreline. False albacore continue to show on the Cape, with Goose Hummock landing fish past the 12-pound mark this week, and bluefish remain steady on the sound side per the same report.
Chincoteague waters cool as anglers eye the fall migration
The NOAA gauge at Wachapreague (station 8631044) logged water at 68.9°F Wednesday evening, still solidly in late-summer range for Virginia's Eastern Shore even as the fall transition builds elsewhere on the coast. Up in Rhode Island, Saltwater Edge Blog reports the fall run has "kicked off in a big way," with false albacore and bonito blitzing the oceanfront and the striped bass bite starting to wake up on cooler nights. The Fisherman's New England forecast places the heaviest albie action from Rhode Island through central Connecticut, a leading edge that hasn't reached the Chesapeake yet.
Fall Transition Turns On Bass and Walleye Across Michigan's Great Lakes Waters
Michigan's Great Lakes basin fisheries are settling into the fall transition, and this week's regional angler intel points at the two species best positioned to take advantage: largemouth bass and walleye. Fishing the Midwest reports that a bladed swim jig paired with a plastic trailer has been productive on shallow flats as bass and walleye group up on baitfish near dying weed edges, a pattern Tactical Bassin echoes, noting that as leaves turn and lakes begin their fall flip, bass are packing on calories ahead of winter and are increasingly willing to chase moving baits. On the walleye side, Fishing the Midwest's piece on blending old and new techniques notes that clearer water and the rise of Forward-Facing Sonar haven't retired traditional approaches; jigging live bait and pulling crawler harnesses still produce even as more boats run electronics. The MI DNR's weekly fishing report published today, September 23, tracks conditions region by region across the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.
False Albacore Run Building as Pamlico Sound Holds Warm
NOAA CO-OPS stations 8652587 and 8654467 both read 77.5°F as of this morning, water still holding onto late-summer warmth this late in September. That kind of warmth lines up with the fall pattern Sport Fishing Mag flagged in its seasonal roundup: false albacore starting to push bait to the surface as water temperatures begin their slide toward true fall numbers. Salt Strong's inshore lure guide points anglers toward bigger fall-sized paddletails right now, with redfish named as one of the target species responding to the size bump.
Snook and redfish shift into fall mode along the Panhandle
Water temperatures at NOAA CO-OPS stations 8729840, 8729108, and 8728690 are holding between 86 and 88°F this afternoon, still firmly in late-summer Gulf territory even as the calendar turns toward fall. Sport Fishing Mag's fall lineup notes that Gulf snook are beginning to feel the shorter days and start moving toward winter holding areas, calling the stretch ahead one of the best windows of the year for snook anglers on this coast. Salt Strong's latest lure guide points anglers toward bigger paddletails and topwater baits this fall for inshore redfish and snook as water starts to cool and bait moves shallow. The pattern read from these two sources is a building transition rather than a peak, with the warmer-than-typical readings likely holding the shift back a bit longer than usual this year.
Cooling Temps and Fall Snapper Season Fire Up the Keys
NOAA CO-OPS gauges in the Florida Keys read 86.9°F and 85.8°F this week, still full summer warmth, but ALL IN Key West reports the first real break in the heat, with cooler air easing in after a slow September. Florida's fall red snapper season reopened this week too: CCA Florida and Saltwater Sportsman both confirm the 14-day exempted-permit season approved for Florida anglers, adding another reason to get offshore before Keys air finally cools.
Warm water holds redfish and snook in late-summer pattern
Mississippi Sound is running warm for late September, with NOAA CO-OPS stations 8747437 and 8741533 both posting water temperatures near 88°F this morning, more typical of high summer than the tail end of the month. That warmth is holding the Sound's fall transition species close to their summer pattern rather than pushing a hard seasonal shift. Sport Fishing Mag's look at Gulf snook this week describes fish still feeding aggressively before they eventually pull back toward winter holding water, a move that tends to follow falling water temperatures rather than the calendar. Inshore, Salt Strong's fall lure guide keeps redfish on its short list of targets as anglers size up bigger paddletails heading into the season, a sign the inshore bite is already leaning toward fall even with the water still summer-warm.
Outer Banks Holds Late-Summer Warmth Ahead of Fall Push
Water temperatures along the Outer Banks are holding at 80.8°F and 79.7°F at the two NOAA CO-OPS stations we track, essentially unchanged and still in solid late-summer range for September 23. That warmth keeps the summer pattern in play a little longer even as the calendar turns toward fall. Sport Fishing Mag's fall-migration outlook notes false albacore beginning to show on the surface as water cools and fish shift from warm-water haunts toward their autumn routes, the leading edge of the transition Outer Banks anglers watch for every year.
Stripers and blues swarm SoCal Bight amid warm late-summer water
NOAA CO-OPS readings show San Diego (station 9410170) holding at 77.9°F and Los Angeles (station 9410230) at 75°F, keeping the Bight in late-summer territory as the equinox passes. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports stripers and blues swarming throughout the SoCal Bight this week, with captains working the Channel Islands finding some of the best structure-adjacent action in recent memory.
Snook begin fall shift as Gulf waters hold summer warmth
Water stayed summer-warm through the equinox: NOAA CO-OPS station 8761724 read 86.4°F and station 8760922 read 87.6°F as of Tuesday evening, both well above the point where Gulf fish typically shift routines. Sport Fishing Mag's fall-transition coverage notes that as days shorten, Gulf snook begin migrating toward their winter holding areas, and singles out swimbaits such as the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ for working aggressive fish during that push. With the water still this warm, south Louisiana's estuaries are running on a late-summer rhythm rather than a full fall pattern.
Smokies trout streams ease into the fall transition
Western North Carolina's Smokies trout streams are turning into their autumn rhythm this week: shorter days and cooling overnight air are easing the summer heat stress that typically pins fish into deep, shaded pools during the day. Wild brook trout holding in the high headwaters and brown trout in the larger downstream reaches both tend to spread out and feed more actively through the day as this transition sets in, rather than concentrating strikes tightly around dawn and dusk.
Catskills and Adirondack browns wake up as fall settles in
Late September marks the true start of the fall transition through the Adirondacks and Catskills. Cooling nights typically drop stream temperatures ahead of daytime air, and the smaller headwater tributaries and spring-fed runs feel that shift first, well before the bigger rivers follow. That's the setup anglers watch for heading into this stretch: brown trout and brook trout that spent late summer holding tight in shaded, spring-cooled pockets tend to spread back out and resume more consistent feeding as the water cools toward its fall range.
Fall turnover settles onto ND's Red and Missouri systems
North Dakota's Red and Missouri River systems are settling into the heart of the fall turnover this week. Cooling water is pushing baitfish out of the skinny shallows and toward current breaks and deeper channel edges, the shift anglers count on to concentrate feeding activity as day length shortens.