Fishing reports
15898 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Oregon Coast fall salmon run holds strong as tides swing wide
Water temps sit at 57.9°F at station 9435380 and 61°F at station 9439040 this morning, typical late-summer-into-fall numbers for the Oregon Coast. The bigger story is timing: after a week's break, Dave Hurley reported for Western Outdoor News — Saltwater that the fall ocean salmon opener on September 1 delivered limits to near-limits of big, hard-fighting salmon for both party and private boats in the San Francisco zone, the first such opener after three years of closure. That same fall push and cooling-water pattern is now working up the coast, and Oregon anglers running similar troll and mooching setups near river mouths and headlands should expect the bite to build through the change of season.
Snook dial in as fall transition arrives in Lower Laguna Madre
NOAA CO-OPS readings show water still running warm at Port Isabel (86.7°F) and Port Mansfield (88°F) this week, typical late-summer holdover before the fall cooldown gets going. Per Sport Fishing Mag, Gulf snook are beginning their seasonal push toward winter holding water as days shorten — one of the better windows of the year for anglers working the Lower Laguna Madre and South Padre stretch. The piece points to swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ working well on aggressive fish during the transition.
Snook Bite Builds as Treasure Coast Mullet Run Kicks Off
Water temperatures along Florida's Atlantic coast are holding solidly in the mid-80s, with NOAA CO-OPS stations reading 85.3°F off Lake Worth and 83.8°F at Mayport this week, keeping the coast in a late-summer pattern even as the calendar turns toward fall. Inshore, Snook Nook in Stuart reports snook fishing has been excellent over the past several weeks, with steady numbers and quality fish, including many in the 40-inch-plus range, coming from anglers working live croakers and threadfins around the St. Lucie Inlet and along the beach. When the bite slows in the inlet, the shop notes a dead threadfin fished on the bottom still draws strikes, albeit with some bycatch. Snook Nook is also flagging the first signs of the annual mullet run, with schools of larger mullet showing up inshore and along the beaches, though the finger-mullet pods anglers watch for closely haven't arrived in force yet. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida reports a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit pilot programs just hours before Florida's Atlantic red snapper season was set to open under them.
Fluke's final days share the stage with albies and blues in NJ
Delaware Bay is still running warm at 77.9°F per this morning's NOAA CO-OPS reading at station 8537121, a sign the region hasn't fully tipped into its fall pattern yet even as fluke season's final days tick down. Fluke remain the mainstay: Fishermans HQ LBI is mixing fluke with bluefish blitzes on Long Beach Island, while OTW Northern New Jersey reports fluke fishing decent on the reefs alongside false albacore and bluefish working the beaches. Grumpys Tackle is seeing a similar mix of albies and fluke this week. Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands notes fluke action holding steady on recent trips, with a mix of shorts and keepers.
Gulf snook bite building as summer heat holds on
Readings from our Gulf Coast monitoring stations show water still running warm, 86.4°F and 84.2°F, a sign summer hasn't loosened its grip even as the calendar turns toward fall. That warmth lines up with the week's best report: Sport Fishing Mag notes Gulf snook are feeding up hard as they start shifting toward their winter holding water, with swimbaits like the Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ producing on aggressive fish. Separately, Florida Sea Grant flagged a rare rust tide bloom (Margalefidinium polykrikoides) in Charlotte Harbor, an organism distinct from red tide but worth tracking if you're fishing that stretch of coast this week.
False albacore push into Long Island Sound as fall run builds
Water temps across the three NY CO-OPS stations we track are sitting in the low-to-mid 70s (73 to 74.8 degrees) as the fall run takes hold on Long Island. On The Water's September 17 Long Island and NYC report has false albacore pushing west into Long Island Sound, with big fluke on their way out of the South Shore inlets as they finish their seasonal exit, building on their September 10 report, which already had albies filling in off Montauk and fluke chewing from the Western Sound to the South Shore. Further up the coast, Saltwater Edge in Rhode Island says the fall run has "kicked off in a big way" over the past couple weeks, with albies and bonito taking over the oceanfront, an early read on the same push now reaching Long Island waters. NY DEC's Saltwater Fishing and Boating newsletter has also been running its striped bass-focused "Fish Smart" guidance as the state leans into conservation messaging heading into the fall migration.
Fall Transition Begins on Okeechobee and the St. Johns
Florida's long summer is starting to loosen its grip heading into late September, and that shift sets the tone on Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns River this week. As surface temperatures ease off their summer peak, largemouth bass typically begin sliding off deep offshore structure and back toward vegetation edges and creek mouths, the classic early fall repositioning anglers watch for in Florida's big freshwater systems. Tactical Bassin's current fall-transition coverage frames the broader pattern well: bass shift from open-water schooling on baitfish toward more structure-relevant feeding as afternoons start to cool, even if the exact timing varies lake to lake.
Fall transition takes hold on Lanier and Allatoona bass water
The Georgia Wildlife Blog's September 18 fishing report put it plainly: fall arrives next week, and now is the time to plan around it rather than wait for the calendar to catch up. On Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona, that shift matters more than any single number on a gauge. Largemouth bass across Southern reservoirs are moving out of summer structure and onto baitfish, the same pattern Tactical Bassin's fall lineup this week describes as bass schooling and feeding on baitfish once favorite summer patterns start to fail. That is the shift worth building a trip around right now: fish pulling off bluff walls and brush piles toward open water as baitfish schools tighten up with the cooling days.
Fall Transition Sets Up Bass Bite on Hartwell-Russell Chain
Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division flagged the seasonal shift in its September 18 fishing report, pointing to shorter days and easing heat as the marker anglers on the Hartwell-Russell chain watch for heading into fall. Largemouth bass across Southeastern reservoirs are entering the classic fall transition, per Tactical Bassin's newest coverage, pushing off summer structure and grouping around baitfish in open water as they feed up before the cooldown deepens. Fishing the Midwest's regional notes describe the same broader pattern taking hold as isolated late-summer warm spells fade: bass and the baitfish they follow begin relocating together, rewarding anglers willing to hunt schooling fish in open water rather than camp on a single summer haunt. Neither Hartwell nor Russell got a name check this week, but the timing lines up with what both outlets describe as a statewide, region-wide shift rather than an isolated pattern.
Fall Transition Lands on the Chattahoochee and Savannah
Georgia's own Wildlife Blog flagged it in its September 18 dispatch: fall arrives next week, and the agency is framing this shift as the moment to start planning ahead rather than reporting a specific bite. Over the past month the blog has built toward this gradually, from "the days get shorter" on September 11 to a fresh-start framing on September 4, and it recently moved to a rotating regional format, cycling through North, Central, Southeast and Southwest Georgia one week at a time. For the Chattahoochee and Savannah systems, the takeaway from the agency's angle this week is straightforward: the seasonal window anglers wait for all summer is starting to open.
Fluke season winds down as albies and bluefish patrol NJ beaches
Water temp at the Sandy Hook CO-OPS station is holding at 76.6°F this morning, running warm for mid-September. Per OTW Northern New Jersey's September 17 report, bluefish and false albacore continue working the beaches while fluke fishing stays decent on the reefs with only a week left in the season. Fishermans HQ LBI's September 16 report similarly noted bluefish blitzes and albies feeding along a surf still holding onto summer warmth. Out of Atlantic Highlands, Capt Ron's has posted a mixed fluke bite day to day this week, with pool-winning keepers still coming over the rail on deeper-water drifts once the tide turned.
Bluefish blitzes and albies keep NJ surf active as fluke winds down
NOAA CO-OPS gauges are reading 74.7°F and 76.6°F along the Jersey Shore today, matching the 75°F surf Fishermans HQ LBI measured at Ship Bottom this week, warm water for mid-September that has kept the late-summer bite going. Fishermans HQ LBI's September 16 report has bluefish blitzes working the surf alongside moving mullet and pompano, and OTW Northern New Jersey's September 17 update puts false albacore and bluefish running the beaches while fluke fishing stays decent on the reefs with only a week left in the season. Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has been grinding out fluke on a tough, tide-dependent bite through midweek, with better catches coming as the tide turned.
Early Fall Transition Settles Over Delaware River, Pine Barrens
The Delaware River and Pine Barrens freshwater fisheries are moving into the early fall transition this week, with shortening days and cooling overnight air nudging fish activity toward the early morning and late afternoon windows. This is the seasonal turn New Jersey freshwater anglers watch for: baitfish begin shifting toward structure and current breaks, and fish follow, making location and timing more important than any single presentation this time of year.
Eastern Shore holds summer warmth as the fall run builds up north
NOAA CO-OPS stations bracketing Chincoteague are still reading summer-warm: 82.9°F at the Wachapreague station and 80.6°F at Kiptopeke as of this evening. That's notably warm for mid-September. Farther north, Saltwater Edge's Rhode Island shop report says the fall run has "kicked off in a big way," with false albacore and bonito thick on the oceanfront and the tautog bite picking up, a seasonal shift that hasn't reached Eastern Shore water yet.
Fall cool-down settles over the Gulf of Maine ahead of the striper push
Gulf of Maine water temperatures show a clear north-south gradient this week: 61.3°F off Portland, 57.6°F off Bar Harbor, and 54.1°F off Eastport, per NOAA CO-OPS readings taken this morning. That spread marks the seasonal cool-down beginning at the top of the Gulf and working its way south. Farther down the coast, the fall run is already rolling — Saltwater Edge (RI) reports the bite has "kicked off in a big way" over the past two weeks, with false albacore holding along the oceanfront, and The Fisherman — Connecticut relays word from J&B Tackle that albies have pushed into Watch Hill, Seaside, and Bartlett's Reef, with four strong weeks of action expected into October. Maine's own inshore fishery typically trails that push by several weeks as water cools from north to south, so the current temperature spread is the leading indicator to watch here rather than an active local bite.
Sarasota Snook Push Into the ICW as Fall Bite Builds
Tampa Bay water temperatures are holding in the upper 80s, 87.3°F at the NOAA station off St. Petersburg and 86°F at Clearwater Beach, and the inshore snook bite has turned on to match. Capt. Rick Grassett of CB's Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota reports snook staging around docks and bridges in the Intracoastal and on shallow flats as fish begin their seasonal move away from the passes, with live shrimp and pilchards working well alongside DOA Baitbuster, Shrimp, and TerrorEyz lures. Capt. Kelly Kurtz, fishing out of the same Siesta Key shop, describes an active inshore bite for snook, redfish, and spotted seatrout across Sarasota Bay this past week. Capt. Chuck Cress adds a sharper data point: fishing a high rising tide, his clients hooked several redfish on a popping cork tipped with live shrimp, plus a few small snook. Separately, Florida Sea Grant flagged a rare rust tide algae, Margalefidinium polykrikoides, detected in nearby Charlotte Harbor — distinct from red tide and uncommon for this region, worth watching rather than acting on yet.
Warm Keys waters hold as snook stage for the fall shift
NOAA CO-OPS stations 8724580 and 8723970 are both reading water temperatures near 88°F this week, confirming the Florida Keys are still locked into late-summer warmth even as the calendar turns toward fall. That heat keeps the flats and nearshore reef holding in a peak-season pattern longer than points farther north. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida is tracking a rocky stretch for South Atlantic reef-fish management: a federal court just granted a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 exempted fishing permit pilot programs for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, unwinding season plans that had only recently cleared. Anglers with offshore trips planned around that fishery should expect the rules to keep shifting through the fall. Elsewhere, Sport Fishing Mag notes snook are starting to feel the shorter days and begin moving toward winter holding water as the Gulf transitions, a shift worth watching as it reaches south Florida in the coming weeks.
Gulf snook begin their fall push off the Panhandle
NOAA's Panhandle water-temperature stations are still reading summer-warm as September winds down: Pensacola sits at 86.9°F, Panama City at 86.4°F, and Apalachicola at 86.7°F as of Thursday. Per Sport Fishing Mag, Gulf snook are starting to feel the shorter days and are beginning to work toward their winter holding areas, an early marker of the fall transition, with swimbaits like the Mulletron or Diezel MinnowZ producing on the more aggressive fish. The same outlet's fall migration coverage also points to false albacore starting to show along the surface as baitfish get pushed inshore, a pattern that typically works its way along the Gulf coast once the summer heat starts to ease. Snook seasons and limits vary by coast and by year, so check current Florida regulations before targeting or harvesting them.
Georgia coast holds summer warmth as fall arrives next week
Water off the Georgia coast is still running warm at 85°F, per our latest CO-OPS station reading, holding onto late-summer conditions even as the calendar turns toward autumn. The Georgia Wildlife Blog's September 18 report flags that fall officially arrives next week and encourages anglers to start planning trips now, noting National Hunting and Fishing Day festivities land September 26. Separately, GA Sea Grant reports a new research cohort has launched a project examining how warming estuary waters are affecting striped bass in the Turtle-Brunswick River system, a sign that temperatures like the one we're reading remain a live concern for the state's coastal fisheries heading into the seasonal transition.
Outer Banks Holds Summer Warmth as Fall Run Waits Offshore
NOAA CO-OPS readings this afternoon put nearshore water in the low 80s along the North Carolina coast, 81.9°F at station 8658163 and 82.6°F at station 8656483, still full summer temperatures for mid-September. Around Hatteras and Ocracoke, Eric at Hatteras Jack, via Fisherman's Post, reports steady bottom-fishing action off the Rodanthe-area beaches this week, with anglers also picking up sight-casting opportunities in the surf.
Fall Transition Puts Gulf Snook on the Move Near Mississippi Sound
NOAA CO-OPS station 8747437 logged 88.7°F and station 8741533 read 86.5°F across Mississippi Sound as of this afternoon, still firmly summer-warm water even as the calendar turns toward fall. That warmth lines up with the fall transition Sport Fishing Mag describes this week: as days shorten, Gulf snook start shifting out of summer haunts toward winter holding areas, feeding aggressively along the way on swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ. Locally, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources posted three notices this week, all administrative rather than angling-focused: a coastal-program review of a Hancock County culvert replacement, an oyster spat-on-cultch bid solicitation, and Tuesday's Marine Resources Advisory Commission meeting in D'Iberville. Chatter on the Pensacola Fishing Forum this week ran to gear, a hurricane anchor listed for sale and a thread on declining Plano tackle-box quality, rather than bite reports.
Ozark bass shift to open water as fall transition begins
Missouri's Ozark Rivers freshwater fisheries are entering the classic fall transition, with largemouth bass sliding out of dying summer weed cover and pushing into open water to chase baitfish, per Tactical Bassin's coverage of the pattern this week. As surface weeds lose oxygen and break down, bass follow forage schools rather than holding tight to structure, a shift anglers should expect to accelerate through late September.
Santee and Lake Murray bass ease into fall transition mode
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Santee-Cooper system or Lake Murray this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds carried no on-the-water reports specific to South Carolina's freshwater fisheries — the only in-state source, SC Sea Grant, focused on outreach and salt-marsh programming rather than bite conditions. What we can lean on is seasonal pattern: mid-September marks the start of the fall transition across Southern reservoirs, with largemouth bass typically sliding off summer deep structure toward baitfish schools and creek channels, a shift Tactical Bassin's fall-transition breakdown this week frames as the defining move of the month. Blue catfish, a Santee-Cooper signature species, generally stay consistent through the heat-to-fall shift. Striped bass, by contrast, are usually still holding deep and sluggish in warm September water. Treat this as typical-for-the-season guidance rather than a confirmed local report until fresher regional intel comes in.
Chinook chatter builds as Columbia steelhead run hits a historic low
Hatch Magazine's read on this year's Columbia and Snake river steelhead run is stark: with just over 52,000 fish tallied at Bonneville Dam since counting began July 1, 2026 is shaping up as the smallest steelhead migration ever recorded on the system. That's the headline number anglers need heading into fall. On the Chinook side, chatter out of IFish.net Fishing Reports points to some life lower in the system — one angler working solo near Buoy 10, just north of the green line off Skippanon, reported hot trolling action before losing a rod overboard in heavy boat traffic. Treat that as one data point rather than a confirmed pattern; there's no shop or charter corroboration yet, and no fresh buoy or gauge readings to pair with it. Sturgeon fishing continues at its typical late-summer pace on the lower river. Expect steelhead numbers to stay thin, and watch for Chinook reports to firm up as more boats get out.