Fishing reports
15787 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Widening Tides Set the Pace for Oregon Coast Anglers
NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 reads 54.9°F this morning, while station 9439040 checks in far warmer at 64.9°F, a notable gap between the two readings along the Oregon Coast. Station 9439040's next high tide lands around 11:10 a.m. local time, with its next low following at 4:27 p.m. Station 9435380's next low arrives close behind at 3:25 p.m. The moon is in a waxing gibbous phase, building toward full and pushing tidal exchange wider through the week.
Snook begin fall push as Mobile Bay holds late-summer warmth
Water temperatures are holding at 88°F off Dauphin Island (NOAA CO-OPS station 8735180) and 87°F at the Mobile State Docks gauge (NOAA CO-OPS station 8736897), still firmly in late-summer territory for Mobile Bay and the adjacent Gulf. That warmth is keeping the fall transition on schedule rather than early: per Sport Fishing Mag, Gulf snook are beginning to feel the shorter days and starting their push toward winter holding water, a shift that typically sharpens the bite along creek mouths and passes as it progresses. Inshore, Salt Strong's fall lure rundown lists redfish among the primary targets worth working right now, with lure choice mattering more than confidence in any single pattern. The next low tide off Dauphin Island lands at 6:10 PM local, giving evening anglers a clean outgoing push to fish.
False albacore invade the Sound as Long Island's fall run ramps up
False albacore have taken over as the headline story on Long Island this week. On The Water's September 17 Long Island and NYC report has albies pushing west through Long Island Sound, following a September 10 report that had them just beginning to fill in off Montauk, a sign the run is building rather than peaking. Big fluke are moving with them, working out of South Shore inlets and the western Sound's backwaters as the summer fluke season winds toward its close, per the same reports. Saltwater Edge's Rhode Island forecast describes albies and bonito having "taken over the oceanfront" there too, consistent with the same fall push moving through the region. Our instrument readings back up the late-summer-to-fall transition: water temps run from 69.8°F at Montauk up to 72.9°F in New York Harbor, still warm enough to hold albies and fluke close to shore before the real cooldown arrives. Striped bass activity is building too, with Anglers Journal's account of the fall blitz season and NY DEC's ongoing Fish Smart striped bass guidance both pointing to the weeks around the equinox as when the Northeast's marquee migration gets underway.
Ozark bass and crappie shift into fall transition mode
Missouri and Ozark river anglers are moving into the heart of the fall transition, the seasonal window when largemouth bass push out of summer haunts to chase schooling baitfish while crappie shift toward the same cooling water and nearby structure. Tactical Bassin's latest fall-transition coverage describes bass keying on baitfish balls in open water and around cover as surface temperatures ease, a pattern that tracks directly onto Ozark reservoirs and river backwaters this week. Wired 2 Fish's crappie fall-transition report notes fish following cooling water and cold-front pushes toward structure, a cue Ozark crappie anglers should start watching for as the season turns.
Fall Transition Arrives Slowly for Santee, Lake Murray Bass and Crappie
Wired 2 Fish's fall-transition breakdown notes what Southern anglers already feel this week: the calendar says September, but heavy heat and humidity are keeping the water from cooling on schedule, so crappie are only beginning to shift off summer haunts rather than stacking up predictably. Largemouth are in the same in-between window. Tactical Bassin's early-fall coverage has anglers working jerkbaits as bass key on baitfish, splitting time between shallow cover and suspended fish over open water rather than committing to one pattern.
Columbia River steelhead run hits historic low this fall
This fall's Columbia River steelhead run is tracking as the smallest ever recorded, according to Hatch Magazine, with just over 52,000 fish counted above Bonneville Dam since counting began July 1. That scarcity is the defining storyline for anglers working the system right now: fewer fish moving through means slower, patchier action even as water cools into the fall migration window. The Waxing Gibbous moon adds a touch of extra light to overnight and early-morning drifts this week, which anglers here typically lean into during low-count years.
Early fall transition settles over Lake of the Woods and Rainy River
Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River are sliding into the early fall transition this week. Cooling surface water is starting to break down summer weed cover and push baitfish toward the healthiest remaining vegetation, a shift Fishing the Midwest flagged as the defining structural change happening across the Upper Midwest heading into October.
Colorado tailwaters carry the load as drought lingers
Colorado's dam-managed tailwaters remain the play as the state's drought drags into the second half of September. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing points anglers toward tailraces below reservoirs while freestone rivers struggle, noting many of those stretches are still fishing well despite the conditions. Cutthroat Anglers, which guides the South Platte headwaters around Summit County, is urging anglers to carry a thermometer and back off once water temperatures climb into territory that stresses trout. Colorado Trout Hunters adds that South Platte tailwater stretches, managed for cooler downstream releases, continue to outfish the freestones this season.
Nanticoke Crappie Bite Turns On With Fall Shift
Fall is settling into Delaware's freshwater fisheries, and the Nanticoke River is leading the way. Smith Bait and Tackle in Leipsic, cited in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater, reports anglers working the Nanticoke are coming home with stringers of nice crappie, taken on twister jigs fished under floats, the clearest sign yet that the fall transition has fish grouping up and feeding. The same shop report also noted largemouth bass turning on with minnows at other Delaware ponds, another marker that the broader seasonal shift is underway statewide.
Snake River steelhead run reported at record lows this fall
Hatch Magazine reports that this year's Columbia and Snake River steelhead run is tracking as the smallest ever recorded, with only about 52,000 fish tallied above Bonneville Dam since counting began July 1. That's the number anglers working the Snake River and South Fork stretches in Idaho need to know this week: fewer fish are moving through than in a typical fall, so plan around patience and cover water methodically rather than expecting steady action.
Early fall transition stirs bass and crappie on Eufaula, Red River
Late September marks the start of the fall transition across eastern Oklahoma's reservoir systems, the seasonal window anglers watch for on Lake Eufaula and the Red River. As surface layers begin cooling, Largemouth Bass shift from summer offshore structure toward baitfish schools in open water and along creek arms, a pattern Tactical Bassin details in its current fall-transition breakdown — favoring jerkbaits and moving baits over slower presentations as fish key on shad.
Delta bass fishing enters the early fall transition
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is sliding into its early fall window, the stretch when summer's heat starts to break and largemouth bass begin repositioning around baitfish rather than holding deep on summer structure. No live buoy, gauge, or tide readings came back for the Delta this cycle, and none of this week's angler intel reported directly from the system, so this update leans on the seasonal pattern rather than a fresh bite report.
Columbia steelhead run hits historic low as fall sets in
This year's Columbia River steelhead run is shaping up to be the smallest ever recorded, per Hatch Magazine. Fish counts above Bonneville Dam have totaled just over 52,000 since tallying began July 1, the worst return since counting started at the dam. For anglers working the Columbia this week, that means a genuinely slow season, with far fewer fish moving through than a typical fall run and less consistent action to plan around.
Yellowtail Shots Continue as Bonito Bite Blankets the SoCal Bight
Water in the LA Bight is holding at 77°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 9410170, with Santa Monica Bay slightly cooler at 73.8°F on station 9410230, both readings logged this afternoon. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the bonito bite is on from Point Conception to Point Loma, with anglers picking up shots at yellowtail along the same stretch as the season shifts from summer crowds toward fall. The warmer LA Bight reading versus the cooler Santa Monica side hints at the kind of temperature break bait and yellowtail tend to stack along.
Fall transition takes hold as Lake Superior trout stay stubborn
Minnesota's North Shore continues its slow-bite stretch on Lake Superior, with anglers reporting fairly slow fishing for 18-29 inch Lake Trout in the latest MN DNR Lake Superior Summer Fishing report, continuing a pattern that has held through the past several weeks near Duluth and Two Harbors. On the state's inland waters, Fishing the Midwest notes anglers are blending traditional walleye tactics like jigging live bait and pulling crankbaits with newer Forward-Facing Sonar approaches as the calendar turns toward fall. Bass anglers should take note too: Tactical Bassin's early-fall coverage points to largemouth schooling up and keying on baitfish as the transition sets in, a pattern echoed for crappie by Wired 2 Fish, which describes fish relocating as water cools this time of year.
WI Sturgeon Season Opens as Fall Bite Transition Begins
Wisconsin's hook-and-line lake sturgeon season opened Sept. 5 and runs through Sept. 30 on eligible waters, per the WI DNR — anglers need the general 2026 license plus a valid sturgeon tag, and eligible waters vary, so check DNR regs before targeting one. That opener lands right as the broader fishery tips into fall transition: per Fishing the Midwest, weeds still holding green growth are concentrating baitfish and the predators feeding on them, while thinning beds push fish toward deeper adjacent cover. Wired 2 Fish notes crappie are following the same baitfish shift, sliding off summer haunts toward staging structure as surface temperatures ease.
Grand River mouth eases into early fall transition
Lake Michigan and the Grand River mouth are settling into the early fall transition, the seasonal shift when cooling surface water starts pushing baitfish — and the gamefish following them — off summer patterns. The MI DNR's Weekly Fishing Report reminds anglers that conditions on the Great Lakes can change daily, even hourly, with wind and rain, so picking a stable weather window matters more than usual this time of year.
Montana hoot-owl limits ease as rivers cool into fall
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks lifted hoot-owl fishing restrictions on the Smith and Sun Rivers on Aug. 28 as water temperatures cooled, then followed with similar relief on streams across western and southwest Montana (including the upper Clark Fork, the lower Bitterroot, and Silver Bow Creek), per MT FWP Fishing News. That's the clearest sign yet that Montana's rivers are sliding out of the summer heat-stress window that forced those afternoon closures in the first place. September also opens Bear Aware Month statewide, per the same feed, worth keeping in mind for anyone wading or floating early or late in the day.
Door County, Sheboygan Settle Into the Fall Feeding Shift
Lake Michigan's Door County and Sheboygan waters are sliding into the fall transition, with cooling surface temperatures pushing baitfish toward structure and setting up the shoreline patterns anglers lean on through October. Per the WI DNR's Lake Michigan Fishing Report, 2024 was a standout year for the lake's steelhead run, a sign of the strength this fishery carries into fall.
Florida Keys Bite Holds Onto Summer Momentum Into Fall
NOAA CO-OPS readings this morning put water at 86.9°F at station 8724580 and 86.5°F at station 8723970, full summer warmth still holding through the Keys as September closes out. Charter and shop reports back that up. ALL IN Key West called a recent Gulf-side trip "bananas," logging steady reef and bottom action mixed with strong offshore activity, and an earlier report from the same captain noted having to run extra lead to hold bottom against unusually strong current on the reef edge. Bud n' Mary's early-summer report described abundant bait and gamefish spread from the shallow flats out to the Gulf Stream, the kind of pattern that typically fades by now but is clearly still running. Coastal Angler Magazine's current Keys coverage centers on strong blue-water action offshore, another read on a warm-season bite that hasn't broken yet even as the calendar turns toward fall.
Snook lock into their fall pattern in the Lower Laguna Madre
Water in the Lower Laguna Madre is running warm at 87.3°F and 88.9°F at NOAA CO-OPS stations 8775237 and 8779770, still holding a late-summer profile heading into the final days before the equinox. Snook are the region's headline species right now: Texas Fish & Game Magazine calls the Lower Laguna Madre the unquestioned center of Texas snook fishing, and Sport Fishing Mag reports Gulf snook feeding up as fall approaches, with aggressive fish taking swimbaits like Z-Man's Mulletron or Diezel MinnowZ.
Texas upper coast snook bite building as fall transition nears
Water temps are still running summer-warm across the upper coast, 87.3 to 89.6°F this morning at the Galveston-area and Corpus-area CO-OPS stations, holding well above where late-September usually sits. Texas Fish & Game Magazine's look at the upper coast points out that Lower Laguna Madre gets most of the attention for snook, but the species pushes north along the Texas coast too, and Sport Fishing Mag reports Gulf snook are already feeding up as days shorten ahead of their move to winter holding water, with swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ working on aggressive fish. Tides are rolling through an overnight high, peaking between roughly 2:32 and 4:47 a.m. CDT across the three stations, into an evening low near 6:27 to 6:51 p.m., setting up a falling tide through the afternoon.
Late-Summer Warmth Lingers in Mississippi Sound as Fall Approaches
Mississippi Sound is still running warm for late September. NOAA CO-OPS station 8747437 logged 87.1°F overnight into Monday, and station 8741533 near the eastern side of the Sound read a close 86.4°F on the same tide cycle. Both readings came from the same early-morning window, a fair sign the whole Sound is holding a consistent temperature rather than showing a patchy warm-cool split. That's late-summer water for a month usually associated with the season's first real cool-down. It lines up with this week's broader Sound news: the Mississippi Advisory Commission on Marine Resources met September 15 in D'Iberville to review the state's marine-resource program, alongside an open bid for oyster spat-on-cultch deployment meant to rebuild reef structure ahead of fall. Water this warm keeps baitfish and forage activity going later into the year than a typical calendar cool-down would suggest, which tracks with what's normal for this part of the northern Gulf coast in late September.
Gulf Coast snook push into fall feeding mode
Gulf water held steady at 85 to 86°F at our two CO-OPS stations early this morning, still summer-warm for the third week of September. That lingering heat lines up with what Sport Fishing Mag is reporting for the Gulf snook fishery right now: fish are feeding up hard as the fall transition gets underway, pushing toward their winter holding areas, with swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ producing well as the bite turns aggressive. Separately, Florida Sea Grant flagged a rare rust tide algae detection in Charlotte Harbor this week — a different organism than red tide, but worth knowing if you're working that stretch of coast, since researchers are still tracking how far it has spread. Tide movement is strong through the pre-dawn hours: one station shows a high near 2 AM tapering to a low by 6 AM, while the other runs low near 3:45 AM and builds to a high by 9:39 AM, so there's real current working through the early morning window.