Fishing reports
15732 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Striped bass push into NH waters as fall migration builds
NOAA buoy 44007 logged a 59°F sea-surface reading in the Gulf of Maine this morning, still comfortable water for striped bass working the surf line. Surfcasters have been trading Massachusetts beaches for New Hampshire and Maine water, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME, where "piles of striped bass" are reportedly in no hurry heading south ahead of the cooling nights. One angler working the surf overnight south of the border found stripers to 42 inches on a slow-crawled needlefish plug. Locally, expect similar fish shadowing bait pushed out of the estuaries as the season turns.
Falmouth Blues and Albies Bite Through Building Fall Swell
Buoy 44085 is running a choppy 4.9-foot swell offshore this morning while nearshore water temps hold at 66-68°F across the Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound stations. Falmouth Bait and Tackle reports decent bluefish along the Falmouth shore, a few false albacore in the 10-pound class, and striped bass schoolies working the harbors, rivers, and the waters around the Elizabeth Islands as small bait pushes bigger fish into the shallows. Sports Port, working the Barnstable side, is seeing similar action further up the Cape: stripers, albies, and black sea bass on the bottom.
High water keeps Lake of the Ozarks fall transition on hold
USGS gauges on the Osage River system are running high for late September. Site 06935550 reads 71,300 cfs at 77°F and site 06934500 reads 66,000 cfs at 75°F, both logged early this morning, and both a good deal warmer and higher than a typical baseflow this time of year. Wired 2 Fish's fall-fishing primer describes the broader transition already underway across the region: weeds dying off, baitfish schooling up, and water starting to flip. With flows this elevated on the Lake of the Ozarks system, that shift is likely running a few days behind stiller water nearby.
Prescott-to-La Crosse Pools Push Hard as Mississippi Flow Runs High
The USGS gauge at Prescott (05344500) is reading well above typical late-September levels, keeping current moving briskly through the Upper Mississippi pools down toward La Crosse. That kind of push reshapes where fish and bait sit in the pools, sliding activity toward current breaks, wing dams, and the slack water tucked behind them rather than open flats. Weeds are also starting their fall dieback across the region, a pattern Fishing the Midwest has been tracking this month, which typically pulls baitfish and the gamefish following them off dying grass toward whatever green cover or structure still holds oxygen.
Cooling Water Signals Fall Transition on Potomac, Patapsco
Potomac and Patapsco watershed gauges are holding at 63 to 64°F this morning, per USGS readings from three of the four monitored sites. Flows are mixed across the system: the smallest tributary (gauge 01589290) is running low at 9.4 cfs, a nearby site (01649190) sits at a moderate 41 cfs, and the two larger gauges (01581920 and 01589000) are pushing 161 and 152 cfs respectively. That spread reflects a normal early-fall recession after summer base flow, with cooler overnight temperatures starting to pull water temps down toward the low 60s across the watershed.
Ozark trout parks settle into a steady early-fall rhythm
Flow at the tracked USGS gauge for this stretch is holding in a stable, typical range for late September, without sharp swings this week. That kind of steady water is what Ozark trout park regulars want heading into fall: predictable currents and consistent wading conditions make it easier to work the same seams and depths day after day as the seasonal cooldown gets underway across the region's spring-fed and tailwater stretches.
Merrimack pike and crappie holding despite low, cooling water
The Contoocook River gauge (USGS 01091000), a direct Merrimack tributary, read 52°F on a lean 15.8 cfs this morning, in line with what Roger Aziz Jr. described this week for the Merrimack itself: water levels running low, same as most ponds, lakes and rivers across the Northeast Wildlife District right now. He fished the river anyway and did fine, landing five northern pike and a handful of crappies in a single outing, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater. That's a useful read for anglers eyeing Merrimack and Winnipesaukee water this week: low, cooling flow hasn't shut fish down, it's just concentrating them.
Yellowstone and Snake headwaters ease into fall feeding rhythm
USGS gauge 06192500 recorded 1,730 cfs and a 57°F reading early Wednesday morning, flows holding at a steady late-summer base stage as the Yellowstone-Snake headwaters ease into the fall transition. A 57-degree read this late in September sits squarely in the range that keeps fish feeding through the day rather than pushing them into dawn-and-dusk-only windows, and stable flow at this level means wading access stays consistent rather than blown out by any late-monsoon bump.
Green River flows settle into steady fall pattern in the Uintas
Fall cooldown is settling into the Green River system this morning. USGS gauge 09261000 on the Green River reads 61°F with flow holding at 3,040 cfs, while the upper gauge (09234500) shows 58°F and 2,190 cfs. A third station in the Uinta high country (404417108524900) reports 59°F with no active flow reading. All three readings were logged between 4:15 and 4:45 a.m. local time, showing consistent, moderate fall flows across the basin.
Green River tailwater flows hold steady into fall cooldown
USGS gauge 09234500, right below Flaming Gorge Dam, is reading 58°F on 2,190 cfs today. A few miles downstream near Jensen, gauge 09261000 shows the river has warmed to 61°F on 3,040 cfs, while the reservoir-area gauge 404417108524900 holds at 59°F. That gradient — cold at the dam, warming as it runs downstream — is the classic tailwater signature, and it's holding steady heading into the equinox.
Mixed flows across Kansas & Arkansas rivers as fall nears
Three USGS gauges across the Kansas & Arkansas River system show a split picture this week. Two larger stations, 06892518 and 06892350, are running 4,500 and 3,990 cfs with water in the low-to-mid 70s (75°F and 73°F), still carrying late-summer warmth into the fall calendar. A third gauge, 06893100, is barely trickling at 8.75 cfs, a sign that smaller tributary water has dropped hard while the mainstem holds volume. That split, healthy mainstem flow over a starved feeder, is the defining condition on these rivers right now.
Fall transition building in Lake Erie's Western Basin as flows run high
USGS gauges 04193500, 04192500 and 04198000 — the tributary stations feeding Lake Erie's Western Basin — read 66°F, 67°F and 66°F this morning, with flows of 24,000 cfs, 21,600 cfs and 1,880 cfs. The two higher-volume gauges are moving a lot of water for late September, the kind of tributary push that keeps current and turbidity elevated where these rivers meet the lake.
Cumberland lakes gear up for fall bass runs as tourney season heats up
Cumberland-system flows are running lean this week: 27.9 cfs at USGS gauge 03433500 and 57.9 cfs at USGS gauge 03434500, with water temperatures still in the mid-to-upper 70s (75°F at gauge 03433500, 79°F at gauge 03431514). That's typical low, clear early-fall water for Middle Tennessee. Tournament traffic on the system stayed active this month: MLF News reports Luke Kerstetter of Seymour won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League stop on Watts Bar Lake, boating nine bass for 29 pounds, 4 ounces over two days, and the Bass Pro Tour is set to return to Old Hickory Lake on the Cumberland River October 29-31 for a 62-angler, $1.25 million event, where Bryan Thrift draws attention despite not having launched there in more than two decades, per MLF News.
Fall transition takes hold across the Hill Country lake system
Gauge readings across the Hill Country river system show tributaries settling into typical late-September low flow. USGS gauge 08155500 near Austin is running 72°F at just 18.5 cfs, and gauge 08170990 in the Guadalupe basin near Canyon Lake reads 70°F with flow essentially flat at 0 cfs. Farther north, gauge 08105891 is still holding summer heat at 85°F. On the Colorado River main stem in Austin, gauge 08158000 shows 502 cfs, a healthier push driven by Highland Lakes reservoir releases rather than rainfall. The spread between warm, static tributary water and stronger main-stem flow is the signature of the fall transition getting underway across the region.
Fall cool-down takes hold on Western NY's Lake Erie and Niagara tributaries
Water temperatures across the Western NY tributary network are sliding into the fall range: USGS gauge 04218700 read 67°F this morning, while gauge 04232050 came in cooler at 58°F, and gauge 04231600 sat in between at 64°F. Flows tell an even bigger story — 04231600 is running a strong 802 cfs against just 6.86 cfs at 04232050 and 95.9 cfs at 04218700, showing how differently these watersheds are responding to recent weather. Under a waxing gibbous moon, that spread in both temperature and flow marks the uneven early stage of the seasonal cool-down that shapes fishing here through autumn.
Lake Ontario troll bite holds as fall push nears Salmon River, Oswego
Strike Zone Charters, running out on Lake Ontario this week, reports a consistent trolling program working depths of 100 to 160 feet, with the preferred depth shifting day to day as fish track temperature breaks. Mag Dipsey Divers paired with green, white and chartreuse e-chip spoons have been producing. The USGS gauge on the Salmon River is being watched as the tributary system moves through its seasonal transition, with anglers positioning near the river mouths ahead of the push inshore.
Fall turnover arrives in the Saginaw Bay watershed
USGS gauge 04157005, in the watershed feeding Saginaw Bay, measured water at 63°F with flow holding near 1,820 cfs as of early Wednesday morning. That reading lines up with the seasonal cooldown now moving through Lake Huron's western basin, as surface temperatures ease down from summer highs and baitfish begin grouping ahead of the fall feed. The neighboring gauge at site 04157000 is not currently posting readings.
Tautog Move Onto Delaware Bay Structure as Fluke Season Nears Its Close
Delaware Bay held at 73°F this morning per our NOAA tide-station reading, still mild for late September, with the bay riding a near-low tide before the flood builds toward an 8:11 AM high. Higbee's Bait and Tackle, reporting through The Fisherman — Southern NJ, says tautog have moved onto the wrecks and reefs in numbers, taking sand fleas, green crabs and fiddlers with fish to 4 pounds over the rail. Weakfish are showing too, with Higbee's and Big Dave's Tackle both noting fish on drifted bloodworms and Fishbites, and Big Dave's flagging a building soft-plastic bite near the lighthouses. Fluke remain catchable on the reefs, wrecks and ocean lumps, but New Jersey's summer flounder season closes September 25, per The Fisherman (Northeast), with a 13-pound doormat topping this week's board.
False albacore hold strong as Narragansett stripers wake up
Narragansett Bay water sits at 67°F this morning, per NOAA CO-OPS readings from Newport and Conimicut Light, still carrying late-summer warmth into the equinox week. False albacore are the story right now: The Fisherman — Rhode Island reports anglers finding albies and green bonito around the islands and in Newport Harbor with good results, and Saltwater Edge says albies have taken over the oceanfront. Striped bass are waking back up too. Saltwater Edge and The Fisherman — Rhode Island both note the bite picking up, and Quonnie Bait and Tackle reports nice bass in the surf and breachways after dark on live eels, swimming plugs, and soft plastics. Bottom fishing holds steady, with Frances Fleet limiting out on fluke and black sea bass.
Mobile Bay Water Stays Steamy as Morning Tides Set the Bite Window
Gulf water is still running warm heading into the equinox week, with our CO-OPS gauges reading 86.5°F and 87.3°F this morning (NOAA CO-OPS stations 8735180 and 8736897) — more late-August than late-September. A Pensacola Fishing Forum report from Fort Morgan on September 22 described a blustery 15 mph southwest wind at the 7:15 AM launch that eased by 9:30, opening up calmer water for bottom fishing the rest of the morning. That timing lines up with today's tide: the lower-bay station peaks near 8:15 AM, the upper-bay station follows near 10:30 AM, and the ebb runs through the afternoon into a low near 7 PM.
Bluefish, albies heat up as Jersey Shore fluke season winds down
Sandy Hook's NOAA tide station read 67.6°F this morning, with Cape May running warmer at 70.9°F, water still holding onto summer heat this late in September. Grumpys Tackle says the blues are in, and Golden Eagle's Capt. Rick Falcone told The Fisherman the bluefish bite 'switched around big time' toward bait, with slammers, bonito and albies mixing into the chum slick. Surf City Bait and Tackle reports anglers connecting with multiple bluefish on metal, calling it a sign the fall bite is heating up. False albacore are running too: Fishermans HQ LBI worked live peanut bunker into a mixed bag of bonita and albacore, and OTW Northern New Jersey confirms albies have joined bonito and Spanish mackerel on the reefs. South of the inlet, Pier 47 Marina reports striped bass feeding heavily around lighted back-bay docks, with anglers scoring fish to 31 inches on paddletails, rubber shads and Mag Darters, almost exclusively at night and better on higher tides. Fluke closes its season September 25, and Capt Ron's boat is sailing one more open trip before that window shuts. Tautog are waking up on bay structure per Higbee's Bait and Tackle, with tog to 4 pounds on sand fleas and green crabs, while weakfish stay a slower story per Big Dave's Tackle and Fin-Atics, both describing only an early uptick on soft plastics after dark.
Striped bass linger in Maine as the fall push stalls short of the border
Portland's water column reads 59.5°F this morning, with Bar Harbor holding at 57.6°F and Eastport already down to 54.1°F, the steep north-south gradient that marks the start of the Gulf of Maine's fall cool-down. Per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME, striped bass have been slow to leave the region this year: surf regulars have been driving north into New Hampshire and Maine chasing fish that "seem perfectly content to take their time heading south," even as the bite eased farther south once the moon tides let go.
Upper Coast snook feed up as summer warmth lingers
Gulf water is holding warm across the upper coast this morning: NOAA CO-OPS stations report 90.7°F at station 8771450, 88.7°F at 8771341, and 88.9°F at 8772471, still deep in late-summer range for Galveston-Corpus. Texas Fish & Game Magazine points out that Upper Coast snook fishing isn't just a Lower Laguna Madre story, and Sport Fishing Mag reports Gulf snook are feeding heavily now as they stage for their move toward winter holding water. With the equinox just behind us and days shortening, that fall trigger is starting to show.
Fluke bite stays hot before season close as blues and albies run NJ surf
Water off Sandy Hook is holding at 69.3°F this morning, still summer-warm for late September, with the next high near 6:04 AM and the next low around noon. Fluke are still producing hard in the run-up to New Jersey's summer flounder season close on September 25, per The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay Region forecast. Capt. Ron out of Atlantic Highlands called Friday's trip "game on right from the start to finish," with shorts and keepers coming steadily on a short run to deeper water. Bluefish have turned on too: Grumpys Tackle says "Blues Are In," and OTW's Northern New Jersey report has bluefish continuing to run the beaches alongside False Albacore working the surf.