Fishing reports
15898 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Walleye still cooperating as NY eases into the fall transition
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes corridor this cycle, so today's picture leans on angler reports from across New York's freshwater fishery. Out west on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, Brookdog Fishing Co. reports the walleye bite "remains strong" heading into mid-September, with captains leaning more on jigging as fish settle onto deeper structure — a pattern that typically shows up on Finger Lakes walleye water as temperatures ease behind it. The NY DEC's Fishing Line newsletter flagged a new "Tackle Box" tool this month for locating quality bass and walleye water statewide, a useful add for Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley trips alike. Smallmouth are trending the same direction in the same reports. With cooler nights arriving, expect lake trout and stream trout to perk up as the thermal stress DEC called out earlier this summer finally lets go.
Fall king salmon run builds toward the Grand River
Mid-September puts Grand River anglers in the thick of the fall Chinook and coho push, as staging kings and silvers move off the Lake Michigan breakwalls and work upstream toward Grand Rapids on the annual return. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat any wave-height or river-stage numbers you see elsewhere as unconfirmed and check a live marine forecast before launching. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report's most recent season recap describes 2024 as a standout year lakewide, with a record coho harvest north of 210,000 fish and the biggest Chinook take since 2012 — a reminder the salmon fishery feeding this run has been strong in recent seasons. No shop, captain, or forum post in today's feed specifically addressed Grand River or west Michigan conditions, so species status below leans on seasonal timing rather than a fresh bite report; confirm locally before you go.
Moosehead region togue and salmon shift into early-fall patterns
Mid-September marks the seasonal turn for the Moosehead Lake and upper Penobscot watershed, with cooling nights nudging landlocked salmon and lake trout (togue) out of their summer thermocline haunts and into more accessible water — the classic early-fall pattern anglers count on in this part of Maine. No fresh buoy or stream-gauge readings came through for this stretch this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried direct reports from Moosehead or the upper Penobscot specifically, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite. Regionally, saltwater reports along the Maine-to-Massachusetts corridor (via The Fisherman's South Shore MA to ME coverage) describe stripers and mackerel pushing into harbors this week — a coastal signal only, not a read on interior lake water. First Quarter moon favors morning and evening feeding windows for salmon and brookies working the surface.
Fall stirs Texas catfish action as summer crowds thin out
Blue catfish anglers on Eagle Mountain Lake are grinding through what a North Texas Catfish Guide report calls "catfish daycare" — a glut of small fish crowding baits while clients sort for legal keepers. The same report describes a classic late-summer pattern: hot, nearly windless water and a subtle "ghost bite" that has forced anglers to sharpen their hookset timing on barely-there takes, with holiday and weekend boat traffic adding pressure on top of it. The charter also flags the first real signs of fall creeping into the pattern, which typically nudges blue catfish toward steadier, more predictable feeding as nights cool off. No fresh buoy or river-gauge readings came through for Texas lakes and rivers today, so treat water temperature and flow as unconfirmed until local reports catch up. Largemouth bass and white bass are due for their own seasonal fall shift soon, though no Texas-specific report has called that transition yet — worth watching over the next week or two. Check state regs before harvesting out of a busy, small-fish-heavy hole.
Central Florida bass hold deep as summer heat lingers
Water on a Central Florida bass lake was still holding near 88 degrees late in the summer stretch, according to a recent Wired 2 Fish account, with anglers working the deepest holes they could find rather than relying on visible grass or wood cover — a pattern typical when late-summer heat lingers past its usual break. That same report noted the heatwaves finally eased after August, which points toward Okeechobee and St. Johns water cooling into the range that typically kicks off a stronger fall bite. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for this region today, so this update leans on angler intel rather than hard temperature or flow numbers. Fall-transition technique notes from Tactical Bassin this week — working baitfish schools in open water and slow-falling presentations like the free rig — are broadly applicable as largemouth start shifting off deep-summer patterns. Panfish and catfish should stay steady while bass sort out the shift.
Kennebec and Penobscot bass gear up for the fall feed
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in today for the Kennebec or Penobscot systems, and this week's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up a single dispatch from a Maine freshwater shop, guide, or state fisheries source — the closest agency feed (ME Sea Grant) covered oyster-reef restoration and marine-economy programming, not river conditions. So this report leans on typical mid-September patterns rather than a confirmed catch report. Under a first-quarter moon, central Maine's rivers and connected lakes are easing into the fall transition: surface temps trending down, weeds starting to die back, and baitfish schools typically pushing gamefish to feed harder before the real cool-down arrives. That points to smallmouth and largemouth bass sliding off summer flats toward drop-offs and any remaining green weed, with brook trout and landlocked salmon usually turning more active as water cools toward their preferred range. Treat this as general seasonal expectation, not a verified bite — check IFW reports and local shops for what's actually working this week before heading out.
Smokies trout streams ease into a fall rhythm
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Smokies watershed today, and this week's wire of shop, charter, and agency reports skewed heavily toward saltwater, bass, and out-of-region news rather than Western NC trout streams specifically. That's worth saying plainly rather than papering over. What we can offer is seasonal grounding: mid-September in the Smokies typically marks the shift out of summer's low-flow, warm-water doldrums and into the cooler, more stable conditions that historically wake trout back up on freestone streams like the Oconaluftee, Deep Creek, and the many high-gradient tributaries feeding them. Morning air is cooling faster than water temperature, which usually nudges the best bite toward mid-morning through early afternoon as things warm. Terrestrial patterns (ants, beetles, hoppers) typically still produce into early fall before attention shifts toward smaller mayfly and midge imitations as temperatures keep dropping. Treat all of the above as general seasonal expectation, not a confirmed on-the-water report, until local conditions data is back online.
Susquehanna and Allegheny smallmouth shift into fall feeding mode
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Susquehanna or Allegheny corridors this cycle, so today's read leans on the broader early-fall pattern showing up across this week's angler-intel feeds. Per Tactical Bassin's latest fall-transition coverage, bass are pulling off summer cover and keying on baitfish schooling in open water as the season turns — a shift that typically shows up on Pennsylvania's smallmouth water around mid-September too. Fishing the Midwest's notes on weed die-back back that up: as shallow grass cools and thins, baitfish and the predators chasing them relocate to the last living weed edges before sliding deeper. We didn't get a PA-specific state, shop, or charter report in today's feeds, so treat the species read below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed local bite. Muskie anglers should also note Wired 2 Fish's report of a proposed catch-and-keep rule change surfacing out west this month — a reminder to check current regs before targeting trophy fish this fall.
Bass Begin Fall Transition on Lanier and Allatoona
The Georgia Wildlife Blog's September 11 fishing report points to the seasonal shift now underway across the state's lakes, with cooling days marking the front edge of fall transition. On Lake Lanier and Allatoona, that shift typically pushes largemouth and spotted bass out of summer deep-structure holding patterns and onto baitfish schools suspended over open water — the exact pattern Tactical Bassin's early-September coverage of the fall transition describes for reservoir bass generally, with anglers working horizontal presentations like free-rigged plastics and bladed swim jigs as shad migrate shallower. Striped bass on Lanier should begin responding to the same baitfish movement, and crappie typically start grouping tighter as water cools. We don't have direct on-the-water reports from Lanier or Allatoona this week — no buoy or gauge data came back either — so treat species status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite reports until local intel firms up.
Cooler Nights Signal Fall Bass and Striper Shift on the Savannah Chain
The Georgia Wildlife Blog's September 11 report calls out cooling days and shorter afternoons as the signal to get back out on the water, and that seasonal shift is exactly what's shaping the pattern on Hartwell and Russell right now. No buoy or gauge readings came back for this stretch of the Savannah chain this cycle, so treat conditions as typical early-fall for the reservoir system rather than a hard number. Bass are moving into the fall transition here, and per Tactical Bassin's latest fall coverage, that usually means fish sliding off summer structure toward baitfish schools relating to points, flats, and open water as shad start grouping up. Hartwell's striped and hybrid bass fishery, along with spotted bass and crappie, are the region's mainstays, and all should keep trending toward more active as surface temps ease off summer highs. Check current state regs before harvesting, and confirm local conditions before you launch — direct in-lake data wasn't available this time.
Fall transition begins to reach Chattahoochee and Savannah waters
Georgia's state fishing blog flagged the seasonal turn itself this week, noting in its September 11 report that cooling days and shorter daylight make now a good stretch to get out on the water (per Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing). No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Chattahoochee or Savannah watersheds this cycle, so hard temp and flow numbers aren't available here — check a local gauge before you launch. On technique, national coverage from Tactical Bassin and Fishing the Midwest describes the classic early-fall bass pattern spreading across freshwater fisheries generally: fish sliding off summer deep structure toward baitfish and cooling shallow flats, a shift that typically works its way into Georgia reservoirs and river backwaters through late September. Chattahoochee tailwater trout below Buford Dam and Savannah-system largemouth and spotted bass should both trend toward steadier activity as surface temps ease, though direct on-the-water Georgia reports were thin in this week's intel feeds.
Northwoods muskies shift gears as fall cooldown arrives
Water temperatures across Oneida and Vilas County musky water have held in the low 70s through early September, per Rollie & Helen's Musky Shop, even as air temps pushed into the low 80s — but the shop reports a transitional cooldown is now on the horizon, with overnight lows dropping into the 60s and daylight windows shrinking. That shift is already changing how muskies feed: the shop's own late-September playbook points to an active topwater window before the seasonal pivot to bucktails, glide baits, and deep breaklines. No live buoy or gauge readings are available for the Northwoods lake chains today, so treat surface temps as approximate. Walleye and smallmouth should follow the same cooling trend, sliding onto deeper breaks and rock humps as baitfish begin their fall migration along drop-offs, per the shop's baitfish-movement notes.
Cooling Water Reopens Missouri-System Rivers to Full-Day Fishing
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks lifted hoot-owl afternoon fishing restrictions on the upper Clark Fork, lower Bitterroot, and Silver Bow Creek in western Montana as stream temperatures cooled, per MT FWP Fishing News — a signal echoed statewide, including the Aug. 29 restriction lift on the Smith and Sun Rivers in Region 4 after water temps met the criteria to stay cool. No live USGS or NOAA readings came in for the Yellowstone or Missouri systems today, so treat conditions here as directionally consistent with that statewide cooling trend rather than site-specific numbers. Upstream in the Missouri's headwaters, Flylords Mag reports a lawsuit was filed against FWP over low flows on the Beaverhead River near Dillon, a reminder that late-summer flow stress hasn't fully cleared everywhere. Closer to Helena, MT FWP also flagged a freshwater jellyfish bloom at Canyon Ferry Reservoir on the Missouri — harmless to anglers, just an odd late-season sighting worth knowing about before you're startled by one in the net.
Fall Chinook Push Begins on Olympic Peninsula Rivers
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings synced for Olympic Peninsula river systems this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds ran almost entirely national — muskie regulation news out of South Dakota, bass-tournament coverage from the Midwest and Southeast — with nothing river-specific reported for this region. What we can ground this report in is the calendar: mid-September sits inside the traditional window when fall Chinook begin entering Olympic Peninsula salmon rivers, with coho typically staging in behind them over the following weeks. WA WDFW's ongoing creel and stocking reports remain the most reliable source for river-by-river numbers, though none synced into today's feed. Treat the species outlook below as seasonal defaults rather than confirmed bite reports — no shop, charter, or state source logged a specific Peninsula catch this week. Check current WDFW regulations and creel data before heading out, since run timing on these systems shifts from year to year.
Fall Cooling Sets Up Eastern Washington's Trout and Bass Bite
WDFW's statewide Fishing and stocking reports page remains the standard check-in for Yakima and Spokane-area anglers, but no buoy or gauge readings came through for the region's rivers and lakes this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried specific creel or catch detail from Eastern Washington waters. That leaves us leaning on the calendar: mid-September is when eastern Washington's trout lakes and bass water typically start their fall turnover, with cooling surface temps waking up feeding activity after the summer lull. Rainbow trout should be shaking off the dog days as shallower water cools into the evening, smallmouth bass tend to feed up aggressively ahead of winter, and kokanee are generally winding down for the year as fish move toward spawning tributaries. Treat all of this as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite — check WDFW's current stocking and creel reports before planning a trip, and verify regulations locally.
Bonito and albies push toward Sandy Hook as fluke season winds down
Fluke fishing around Sandy Hook and Raritan Bay is holding through the final stretch of the season, though it's grinding for it. Capt Ron out of Atlantic Highlands has logged tough drifts this week — thin tide, picky bites — but pool fish have still come over the rail, including a 6-pound, 13-ounce keeper and a string of 6-pounders on the better days. Per The Fisherman — New Jersey edition, summer flounder season statewide closes September 25, so this is the closing window for legal fluke. Meanwhile Grumpys Tackle (NJ) is reporting bonito and albies mixing into the fluke bite this week, a sign the fall push of small tunas is working toward the bay. Striped bass remain a background player for now — NJ Fish & Wildlife's Shark River WMA notes list them among resident species nearby, but nothing suggests a bite has turned on. Bluefish are around in modest numbers on the neighboring Monmouth County boats.
Fluke season winds down as bonito and albies light up NJ beaches
Long Beach Island's surf held at 75°F this week per Fishermans HQ LBI — unusually warm for mid-September and enough to keep late-summer species stacked up as fall arrivals move in. Fluke remain the story up and down the coast: Surf City Bait and Tackle landed a 7.05-pound doormat, Boulevard Bait & Tackle and Fin-Atics report keepers mixed with plenty of shorts in the back bays, and The Fisherman's Central NJ desk notes fluke fishing improving through the week — timely, since NJ's summer flounder season closes September 25 per NJ Fish & Wildlife News. Bluefish are running hit-or-miss, per Capt. Al Shinn of the Miss Belmar Princess, while Fin-Atics in Ocean City had a surprise Spanish mackerel blitz hit Longport Pier. Bonito and albies are pushing in strong on light tackle, per Fishermans HQ LBI and Blue Chip Sportfishing, with triggerfish and tog holding tight to structure.
Pine Barrens pickerel stir as Delaware River smallmouth bite at dusk
Chain pickerel are stirring in the tannic, cedar-stained waters of the Pine Barrens, with Allen's Dock on Bass River — via The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater report — noting fish taking both live killies and artificials as summer water temps ease off. Perch are active in the nearby tidal stretches, and local pond largemouth are holding steady now that Labor Day crowds have thinned. Up toward the Delaware River near Doylestown, Dave's Sport Shop reports Lake Nockamixon has cooled into the low-to-mid 70s, with hybrids, bass and crappie suspended 10 to 20 feet down and an evening crappie bite just starting to build; smallmouth on the Delaware itself are producing best in the final hours of daylight. Closer to the bay, Hands Too Bait and Tackle points anglers to Ponderlodge inside the Cox Hall Creek Wildlife Management Area — spotlighted this week by NJ Fish & Wildlife — for catfish on cut bunker and steady panfish action.
Chesapeake Mouth Waits on the Fall Push to Arrive
No Chesapeake mouth-specific catch reports or buoy readings came through today's feed, so this update leans on seasonal pattern rather than a fresh local bite. Redfish and speckled trout are the September mainstays around Bay-mouth structure, typically working channel edges and grass flats as water starts to cool — check Virginia regs before keeping either species this time of year. Striped bass remain in a slow build locally; VA's fall striper fishery typically doesn't switch on until water temps drop further, and the migratory push already documented up the coast is a leading signal of what should show at the Bay mouth in coming weeks — per The Fisherman (Northeast), Delaware Bay is seeing peanut bunker and finger mullet stage for their run, with that region's flounder season closing September 25. First-quarter moon means moderate tidal swings rather than the bigger pushes of a full or new moon. Watch for that northern bait push to trickle south as the real cue.
Fall Bait Push Signals Building Action on Chincoteague's Inshore Waters
No buoy or gauge readings came through for Chincoteague this cycle, and none of today's shop or state feeds covered Virginia's Eastern Shore directly. Regionally, though, the fall transition is clearly underway — The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay Region forecast this week flags peanut bunker and finger mullet staging for their migratory run, with summer flounder season closing September 25 up the coast. That same bait movement typically fuels striped bass and red drum activity along Virginia's barrier-island inlets and marsh creeks as it works south. Expect striper and drum interest to build over the next couple weeks as bait pushes through, while flounder fishing typically tapers region-wide as that season winds down. Cobia and Spanish mackerel are usually thinning out by mid-September as water starts to cool. Check current Virginia regulations and a local shop report before targeting any of these species — firsthand Eastern Shore intel simply wasn't in today's feeds.
Stripers wake up on the Gulf of Maine corridor as mackerel push inshore
Mackerel are flooding back into harbors and bays along the Gulf of Maine corridor, waking up striped bass fishing along with it — Belsan's Bait & Tackle (South Shore MA to ME) reports several bass north of 40 inches taken on live bait, plugs, and plastics this week, while Dave Anderson's report from the same stretch notes squid mixed into the mackerel schools. Further north, Beauport Fishing Adventures says codfish action is ramping up, with pollock and haddock holding in decent inshore numbers — an encouraging early signal for NH's groundfish season as water cools. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for the NH coast today, so treat these as regional trend indicators rather than local readings. With the first-quarter moon and cooling nights ahead, expect the bait push — and the bass and bottom bite riding it — to keep building toward the Gulf of Maine's fall run.
Flounder Still Producing Doormats as Delaware Bay Season Nears Close
A 13-pound Delaware doormat fluke took top-fish honors this week, per The Fisherman (Northeast), with a 13.5-pounder right behind it as anglers work reefs, wrecks, and ocean structure before New Jersey's summer flounder season closes September 25. Inside Delaware Bay, Smith's Bait Shop (via The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake) reports flounder, blues, and croaker off Port Mahon's reef sites, with the Bowers Beach jetties adding trout to the mix. Weakfish are showing size along the Delaware Bayshore beaches, with fish up to 24-25 inches striking per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, alongside steady croaker and kingfish action. Farther out, wrecks and the Fenwick Shoal area are giving up triggerfish, sheepshead, and Spanish mackerel on trolled spoons. Striped bass remain the wildcard — typically a slower player in the Bay through mid-September before cooling water triggers the fall push. Check current DNREC regulations before harvesting.
Flounder, croaker keep DE/MD corridor busy ahead of Chesapeake's fall turn
Reports from the DE/MD/Chesapeake corridor via The Fisherman are keeping flounder and croaker at the center of the bite as the region eases into its fall pattern. Hook 'em and Cook 'em noted the Judy V working the Old Grounds for flounder and sea bass with decent results, while boats trolling Clark and Drone spoons around Fenwick Shoal picked up Spanish mackerel and smaller bluefish. At Smith's Bait Shop, structure fishing out of Port Mahon produced blues on cut bait and metal, croaker on bloodworms and Fishbites, and flounder on live minnows and Gulp crawfish rigs; the Bowers Beach jetties added trout, croaker, and flounder to the mix. Eric Burnley reported that rain and wind pushed some boats to sheltered inshore structure, where flounder, sea bass, and mahi-mahi rounded out trips, while rising fuel costs have thinned the offshore fleet to mostly tilefish runs. Striped bass reports were quiet this cycle, typical before the seasonal cool-down triggers the fall push.
Gulf of Alaska anglers turn to fall silver salmon as summer bite fades
No fresh buoy or angler reports came through for the Gulf of Alaska this cycle, so this update leans on seasonal patterns for mid-September. This is typically prime time for the fall silver (coho) salmon push, as fish stage in bays and river mouths ahead of their spawning runs — a window Gulf of Alaska anglers plan around every year. Halibut fishing is usually still productive at this point in the season, though action tends to slow gradually as water cools into October. Rockfish and lingcod stay a dependable bottom-fishing option in nearshore structure through the fall. With no confirmed water-temperature reading available, anglers should check current conditions and any local closures before heading out. First Quarter moon this week means moderate tidal swings — worth factoring into timing around structure and current-driven bays.