Fishing reports
15953 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Fall run heats up on Long Island as albies and bluefish flood the inlets
False albacore and bonito have taken over Long Island's inlets this week, with White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reporting green bonito and albies mixing with Spanish mackerel and bluefish around Shinnecock, action that's held up regardless of tide thanks to heavy bait. Bluefish are the standout everywhere — Captain Dave III in Sheepshead Bay called the bluefishing "amazing," with full boat limits of 3-to-5-pounders, and the Fishfinder II crew says it's the best afternoon bluefish action in years. Striped bass are building too: Tight Lines Tackle on the South Fork reports Montauk's town beaches producing stripers from sunset into dark on tins and bucktails. Fluke remains a mixed bag — solid at Bob's Bait and Tackle in Amity Harbor, softer at Fishfinder II and Laura Lee Fleet. Offshore, Tyalure Professional Tackle in Rye notes strong bluefin and yellowfin as close as five miles off Shinnecock and Montauk. Porgies and sea bass continue as reliable bottom options across every region.
Selective Albies Test Cape Cod Anglers As Bass Fishing Improves
Bonito and false albacore are working the stretch from Falmouth to the Monomoy rips, per Sports Port in Falmouth, though the fish are staying selective and demanding small lures on fine leader. Falmouth Bait and Tackle echoes the pattern along the Elizabeth Islands and inside Woods Hole, where small bass are breaking in the rips and albie sightings continue along the Falmouth shore. Black Rose Fishing Charters reports improving action at Monomoy for stripers, bonito, and albies. Striped bass fishing in Cape Cod Bay is picking up, with school bass showing at harbor mouths and river mouths per Sports Port, while Goose Hummock Shop notes the extended black sea bass season is giving anglers a shot at larger fall fish. Offshore, Falmouth Bait and Tackle says the yellowfin tuna bite has been strong in the canyons, with mahi and a few wahoo mixed in for boats willing to run.
Albies push into Buzzards Bay as Falmouth shore lights up
Falmouth Bait and Tackle is reporting albie sightings running the length of the Falmouth shore this week, though the fish are locked onto fine bait and demanding small, precise lures to draw a strike, per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands. Sports Port confirms the same pattern, with bonito and albies working from Falmouth down to the Monomoy rips, while school-sized striped bass stack at harbor mouths and push into the rivers, with a few bonefish mixed in. Goose Hummock says the bonito-and-albie run stretches from the Falmouth shore to Bass River and out to the ocean beaches near Nauset, with brief surf action reported as forktails moved through. Black sea bass anglers are benefiting from this year's extended season, adding a reliable consolation bite. Inside Woods Hole, small stripers are breaking in the rips on the moving tide. Expect selective fish through the week — go small, go natural, and work the rip lines.
Kenai silvers and interior rainbows carry the September bite
Mid-September puts Southcentral and Interior Alaska into the classic fall handoff: the coho (silver salmon) run is typically at or near its peak on Kenai Peninsula drainages this time of year, while interior rivers turn over to trailing-salmon feeding behavior from resident rainbow trout and Dolly Varden keying on drifting eggs and flesh below spawning fish. No buoy or gauge readings came back for this region today, and none of tonight's angler-intel feeds carried an Alaska-specific "what's biting" report from a shop, charter, or the state agency source we track (AK Sea Grant's items this cycle covered fellowship and mariculture programs, not current conditions) — so treat the species read below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite report. First-quarter moon and typical mid-September water temps favor low-light and overcast-window fishing. Check a current fish count or in-season regulation update before targeting king salmon, as that fishery is typically closed or heavily restricted by this date.
Lake Trout Stay Tough Off Duluth as Inland Bass, Pike Fire Up
Surface temps ran 60-65°F near Duluth and cooled to 45-50°F up toward Two Harbors this week, per the MN DNR Lake Superior Summer Fishing report (9-17-26), and North Shore stations are still grinding out slow-going 18-29 inch Lake Trout — salmon didn't show at any sample station. Highway 61 construction near the McQuade intersection and on Lighthouse Point Road continues to complicate shoreline access. Inland, the picture is shifting faster: Fishing the Midwest notes that as weeds die back with cooling water, baitfish and gamefish are pulling out of thinning cover toward the greenest remaining growth, a classic fall relocation. A bladed swim jig with a plastic trailer is drawing bass, northern pike, and walleye off shoreline flats, per the same source. Expect the North Shore trout bite to stay stubborn while inland multi-species action keeps building as the fall transition window opens across Twin Cities and North Woods lakes.
Taneycomo trout settle into steady late-summer generation rhythm
Lake Taneycomo's late-summer generation pattern has settled into a predictable rhythm, per Lilleys Landing's September 1 report: minimum flow starting around 7 a.m. and holding into early afternoon, then ramping up to 135 megawatts (about 2.5 units) from mid-afternoon into the evening. Water temperature has climbed to roughly 53 degrees, which the shop calls typical for this point in the season, and falling dissolved oxygen has dam operators injecting liquid oxygen into the outflow to keep trout comfortable. Earlier in the run Lilleys Landing described the bite as aggressive, with guides doing well on the Provo rig in the afternoons and a simple straight-line drift with a drop-shot loop about 18 inches up also producing, fished on Vanish fluorocarbon tippet, a tip credited to guide Blake Wilson. Table Rock's bass fishery is heading into its typical fall feeding transition as water begins to cool.
Wisconsin sturgeon season opens as fall bass bite builds
Wisconsin's hook-and-line lake sturgeon season opened Sept. 5 and runs through Sept. 30 on select waters, per WI DNR Wisconsin Fishing News — anglers need a 2026 general license and a valid sturgeon tag, and this is the marquee move for river and lake anglers right now. On Lake Superior, WI DNR Lake Superior Fishing continues to flag Chequamegon Bay's lake whitefish as a fishery that has "emerged" in popularity in recent seasons, both by boat and eventually through the ice. Inland, Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen report the fall transition is underway across the region, with bass, pike, and walleye grouping up on baitfish and the last green, living weeds as cooler water pushes fish shallower. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so pair these patterns with a local check before you launch. Sturgeon tags and fall weed edges are the two moves to plan around this week.
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.