Fishing reports
14764 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Fall baseflow settles in across Wind River, North Platte
Water temperatures across the Wind River and North Platte gauges this week sit between 60°F and 63°F, with flows ranging from a low 9.32 cfs at gauge 06258000 up to 360 cfs at gauge 06236100. Gauge 06253000, mid-basin, is running 118 cfs at 60°F. That spread of low, stable flows with water in the low 60s is characteristic of fall baseflow settling in across the drainage.
Fall Cooldown on Ohio's Rivers Sets Up Walleye and Pike Action
Ohio's river gauges show a clear fall cooldown this week: readings came back at 69°F, 66°F and 60°F across our three active monitoring sites, with flow holding near 2,100 cfs on the larger gauge and a modest 69 cfs on the smaller tributary. That spread, warmer on one stretch and cooler on another, is typical as nights lengthen and smaller tributaries shed heat faster than the bigger water. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes walleye settling onto classic fall structure as water cools, and points to a bladed swim jig as a multi-species draw that pulls walleye and northern pike from the same water. Field & Stream's fall bass breakdown adds that smallmouth are pushing toward shallower cover behind baitfish as temperatures recede, a pattern that lines up with what these gauges are showing.
Fall walleye and pike bite builds as Platte and Missouri flows hold steady
Platte gauge 06796500 is reading 72°F with flow steady near 3,780 cfs, while the Missouri-side gauge 06800500 sits cooler at 68°F and 1,210 cfs; a third site, 06796550, logs 70°F. That spread of upper-60s to low-70s water with strong, stable flow is textbook early-October transition on this system. Fishing the Midwest's current pieces line up with it: the "plain rig" bottom-bouncer and nightcrawler snell is described as a go-to as water cools into fall, and the bladed swim jig with a plastic trailer is drawing walleye, northern pike, and bass along deeper flats and weed edges as those fish shift off summer structure.
Salt River chain eases into its fall cool-down toward Roosevelt
The Salt River chain is sliding through its fall temperature drop. The upper gauge near the White Mountains reads 61°F, while the gauge on the lower Salt above the Phoenix-area chain sits at 68°F, a split that tracks the elevation drop across this system. Inflow into Roosevelt Lake is running near 385 cfs, with releases below the chain holding around 134 cfs, both ordinary for early October. Surface temps settling into the mid-60s put the chain squarely in the window where fall feeding typically ramps up.
Cooling water signals fall transition on Eufaula, Red River
The Red River corridor held at 77°F Thursday afternoon per USGS gauge 07335700, with flow essentially flat at that site, while gauge 07198000 upstream ran a stronger 4,330 cfs at 75°F and the smaller gauge 07247500 trickled at just 3.24 cfs. That contrast, slack water beside a stretch still pushing real current, is the defining read for Lake Eufaula and the Red River this week. Early October in this part of Oklahoma typically marks the start of the fall turnover window, when stable but gradually cooling water starts concentrating baitfish and the fish that follow them along current breaks and structure edges.
Delta anglers eye tidal swings as fall transition sets in
Water temperatures across the central Delta are holding at 72°F this week, per USGS gauges 381126121554801 and 381142122015801. A gauge farther upstream, 11447650, shows the Sacramento system still feeding in at a steady 9,510 cfs and a cooler 67°F. Meanwhile gauge 11455420 logged a sharp negative flow reading of roughly 65,600 cfs, a clear tidal reversal that confirms current direction in that stretch is running on the tide cycle rather than river discharge.
Inshore slams build as Georgia coast rides the mullet run
Water along the Georgia Atlantic coast is holding at 77°F this afternoon, per NOAA CO-OPS station 8670870, a reading that keeps the region in the warm, active window before any real fall cool-down sets in. Anglers are putting that warmth to work: per Salt Strong (articles), one trip turned a dead bite around simply by switching from hard plugs to soft plastic jerk lures on the same water, producing a quick inshore slam of redfish and snook. That kind of lure change-up, not a new spot, was the difference maker. Offshore and along the beaches, Saltwater Sportsman reports the fall mullet run is underway, with millions of baitfish streaming out of rivers, bays, and estuaries along the Atlantic coast in a migration that runs from September well into November and pulls predators along with it. Georgia Wildlife Blog's latest fishing report leans into the same seasonal mood, pointing anglers toward cooler mornings and the start of fall as reason to get out on the water now.
Hill Country lakes hold in a mixed fall transition pattern
Conditions across the Hill Country lake system are mixed this week. USGS gauges report water temperatures spanning 70°F to 82°F depending on location, with most sites running light flow between 0 and 18.5 cfs while one lower-river gauge pushes a notably higher 156 cfs. That spread is typical for early October, when some stretches have already started shedding summer heat and others are still holding warm, stratified water.
Catskills streams show a wide temperature split as fall deepens
USGS gauge 01414750 is reading 63°F this week, while gauge 01434025, just a few miles away, sits at 51°F, highlighting how much elevation and tributary size are shaping Catskills water temperatures right now. Flows are thin at most sites: gauge 01415000 has dropped to 8.6 cfs and 01434025 to 4.9 cfs, while 01413500 is holding a stronger 80.8 cfs and 0136219503 is running 39.4 cfs. That spread, a milder mainstem reach, cold skinny headwaters, and one healthier flow, is the typical early-October Catskills and Adirondacks trout-stream setup.
Sacramento-Delta water holds in the upper 60s as fall transition sets in
USGS gauges across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are reading in the upper 60s this week: 69°F at gauge 11446980, 68°F at gauge 11446700, and 67°F at gauge 11447650, all recorded this afternoon. Flow at 11447650 is running 9,510 cfs, the only flow reading currently reported among the three stations. That spread of temperatures marks the Delta squarely in its fall cooling slide, with surface readings easing off summer highs but still warm enough to keep fish feeding actively before the deeper chill of late autumn arrives.
Roaring Fork, Frying Pan clear up as Colorado flows ease for fall
Western Colorado's gauges are easing into a classic early-October pattern: USGS gauge 09095500 reads 1,130 cfs at 66°F, USGS gauge 09106485 sits at 202 cfs and 70°F, and a smaller tributary gauge (391953108130201) has dropped to a trickle at 0.28 cfs. Crystal Fly Shop reports the Roaring Fork has fallen to 66 cfs at Aspen, 242 cfs at Basalt and 444 cfs at Glenwood Springs with every closure on the river now lifted; the water is low, clear and cool, and smaller flies on lighter tippets are producing, with Rainbow Warriors, Sparklewing RS2s, Flashback PTs and Tricos all picking up fish. The Frying Pan is running low and clear at 62 cfs below Ruedi Reservoir, where green drakes, PMDs, BWOs and midges are all showing and dry-fly fishing is described as superb, though overlapping hatches are making trout picky. The Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and Rifle, higher and muddier at a reported 1,310 cfs per Crystal Fly Shop, remains under a voluntary afternoon closure as a recent cooldown works water temperatures down.
Fall turnover sets up walleye and pike bite at Mosquito, Pymatuning
Water across the creeks feeding the Mahoning and Beaver watersheds, which drain toward Mosquito and Pymatuning, is settling into a fall pattern: USGS gauge 03108500 read 65°F, 03119971 read 59°F, and 03119979 read 56°F today, while flow at 03110000 is running low at 35.4 cfs. That spread puts these reservoirs in the thick of fall cool-down. Fishing the Midwest's plain-rig report points to walleye keying on bottom-bouncer rigs as water cools through fall, and the same outlet's bladed-swim-jig piece flags northern pike joining the bite on moving baits as baitfish push into the shallows. Field & Stream's fall-bass breakdown notes smallmouth activity building as water temps recede and shad move shallow, the mechanism that typically plays out on reservoir coves and points this time of year.
Fall cool-down taking hold on Alabama's Coosa system creeks
Tributary gauges feeding the Coosa system are running low and clear this week: sites 02338523, 02413210 and 02413205 show flows between 5 and 27 cfs with water temperatures holding in the upper 60s (66-69°F). The larger watershed gauge, 02339500, tells a different story at 1,730 cfs, a sizable gap that matters if you're choosing between a small creek arm and the main channel. Field & Stream's fall tactics coverage this week describes the regional pattern behind readings like these: as surface temps slide through the 60s, baitfish push into shallow water along banks and structure, opening feeding windows that track the cooling trend rather than the calendar.
Tennessee River chain settles into fall's low, clear-water pattern
Tributary gauges feeding the Tennessee River system show water in the upper 60s to low 70s this week: 67°F at USGS gauge 03582000 and 73°F at USGS gauge 03428180, with flow on USGS gauge 03578500 down to just 3.94 cfs. That's low, clear water, the kind of setup Field & Stream points to in its fall-bass breakdown this week, noting that as summer heat fades and the first cool nights arrive, shad and other baitfish push into the shallows and smallmouth respond with more aggressive feeding.
Fall Bite Builds as Kentucky Waters Cool Toward Prime Smallmouth Range
USGS gauges across the monitored stretches of the Ohio and Cumberland River drainages are running cool and thin this week: readings span 59°F to 70°F with flows as low as 0.2 cfs and no station above 11 cfs, a clear-water, low-flow signature typical for early October in this part of Kentucky. Per Field & Stream's fall bass-tactics coverage, smallmouth are sliding onto structure near baitfish as surface temps recede, and Fishing the Midwest notes that fall walleye respond well to slowed-down presentations like the plain rig once water settles into the 60s.
Cape Cod Bay settles into fall transition as water cools
NOAA's Cape Cod Bay station (8449130) logged a water temperature of 61.9°F as of Thursday evening, firmly inside the fall transition band for this fishery. Anglers Journal frames this stretch of the calendar as the heartbeat of the Northeast season, when migrations accelerate and baitfish push hard ahead of shortening days. A waning crescent moon sits overhead, trimming tidal swings compared to the full and new phases bracketing it. The cooling trend itself is the headline this week: water settling into the low 60s typically marks the start of the serious fall push into and through the bay.
Chesapeake stripers stage as Bay water begins fall cooldown
NOAA CO-OPS station 8570283 recorded a water temperature of 67.1°F this morning, with the next high tide predicted for 7:21 p.m. local time under a waning crescent moon. Readings in the upper 60s mark the leading edge of the Bay's fall transition, the stretch when water starts sliding down from summer highs and striped bass begin staging for their seasonal push through the Chesapeake.
Smallmouth bite builds as Potomac watershed flows split hard
One gauge in the watershed (01646500) is running a strong 1,680 cfs this afternoon, while the three smaller tributary gauges (01646305, 01646000, 01650800) sit far lower, between 0.37 and 10.5 cfs, with water temperatures holding 61-63°F. That split is the story for Potomac and Shenandoah anglers this week: the higher-volume water is carrying more flow, while the smaller, clearer feeders are stable and sitting in prime fall range. Field & Stream's fall-bass roundup notes smallmouth bass turning more active as water temps slide into the low 60s and baitfish push into the shallows, which lines up with what these readings show.
Fall Cooldown Settles Into Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island
Smith Mountain Lake's surface read a steady 63°F across three monitoring points this afternoon, while flow into the Buggs Island watershed held near 314 cfs. That temperature sits right in the window where fall turnover gets underway on Virginia's piedmont reservoirs, matching the pattern Field & Stream's autumn bass guide describes: as water cools and baitfish push into the shallows, smallmouth and other bass start feeding harder. Tactical Bassin's fall jig coverage points to the same shift, with fish tightening up around hard structure, docks, and laydowns as summer stratification breaks down. Fishing the Midwest's walleye notes echo the broader pattern too, cool-water stretches pulling fish back onto classic structure after a summer spent deeper.
Catawba basin holds summer-warm water as fall transition lags
USGS gauges across the Catawba basin are reading 76 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit this week (gauges 0214267602, 0214264790, and 02145910), unusually warm water for the second week of October. Flow on the mainstem gauge, 02145910, is running a healthy 3,770 cfs, while the tributary station at 02142900 is essentially flatlined at 0.52 cfs, pointing to low water on smaller feeder creeks even as the main river carries good volume. That combination, warm water held against strong mainstem flow, matters for timing: the fall transition that typically pushes smallmouth bass into a more predictable shallow bite, the kind of pattern Tactical Bassin and Field & Stream both frame as a fall staple, hasn't fully arrived in this basin yet.
Puppy drum turn on from the Neuse to the surf
Water off the Outer Banks is holding at 74.8°F as of this afternoon's CO-OPS reading, still comfortably warm for early October. Redfish are the story this week. On the Pamlico/Neuse, Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication tells Fisherman's Post the redfish bite is the main focus right now, with fish scattered throughout the river and bait stacked up around New Bern. Closer to the beach, Nathan of East Coast Sports reports surf and pier anglers around Topsail/Sneads Ferry are into a run of slot-sized redfish mixed with some over-slot fish. Further south at Swansboro/Emerald Isle, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors has anglers picking up scattered redfish off the beachfront alongside bluefish, with Spanish mackerel and bluefish still working the same water. Bluefish are showing up consistently enough across multiple reports to call the bite active rather than incidental.
Lake Michigan's fall turnover begins reshaping the Chicago bite
Lake Michigan near Chicago is entering its fall turnover window, the stretch when surface water cools and mixes with the lake's colder depths, pushing baitfish and the predators that follow them toward harbors, piers, and other nearshore structure. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report points to recent strong alewife year-classes helping sustain stocked steelhead across the lake, which matters now as those fish begin staging closer to shore ahead of the fall run. With a waning crescent moon keeping nights dark, low-light hours around dawn and dusk are shaping up as the window worth planning around this week.
Fall transition settles onto Indiana's Lake Michigan shoreline
Lake Michigan is settling into its fall transition this week, with cooling water pushing baitfish and gamefish toward structure along Indiana's shoreline. The WI DNR's Lake Michigan Fishing Report, which tracks the basin-wide fishery, notes steelhead have been a strong part of recent seasons on the lake. The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is gathering researchers and anglers from across the basin for its State of Lake Michigan meeting in Michigan City, Indiana, November 4-6, a reminder that the Indiana shoreline sits at the center of basin-wide fishery discussions this fall.
Truckee Basin Pools Hold Tight as Fall Flows Run Thin
Readings across four Truckee-basin gauges this morning put water temperatures between 47°F and 54°F, with discharge scraped down to a trickle on the upper feeder creeks — as low as 0.05 cfs at one site and topping out near 20.5 cfs on the mainstem near Truckee. That's the classic late-season signature for this watershed: cold, low, clear water that pushes fish into the deepest, slowest pools and off the thin riffles entirely.