Fishing reports
15953 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
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.
False albacore blitz hits Narragansett Bay as striper bite reawakens
False albacore have moved into Narragansett Bay in force, with Quonnie Bait and Tackle reporting anglers connecting with albies best in early mornings before boat traffic and fishing pressure put the schools down, while green bonito mixed in are starting to thin out. Snug Harbor Marina and Saltwater Edge both confirm strong albie and bonito reports around the Harbor of Refuge and the Narragansett shoreline this week, though an east wind stalled the bite over the weekend. Striped bass, which Saltwater Edge called lackluster through the summer, are picking back up as bait pushes into the bay — Quonnie notes surfcasters working breachways and rocky shoreline at night with live eels, and The Fisherman's regional forecast puts central Rhode Island at the epicenter of this fall's albie run. Tautog fishing is producing a mix of keepers and shorts per Saltwater Edge, and fluke continue to hold in deeper water off the beaches.
False albacore run hits full stride across Connecticut's Sound
Albies are officially in Long Island Sound. J&B Tackle in Connecticut reports the first push at Watch Hill, with fish also showing at Seaside and Bartlett's Reef, and is pointing anglers toward Avery Point, Sarah's Ledge, Ocean Beach, Harkness, Niantic Bay, and Black Point as the run spreads — the shop expects action through October, with the next four weeks the prime window. The Fisherman's regional forecast backs this up, placing this year's false albacore epicenter from central Rhode Island through central Connecticut. Striped bass are stirring too: AW Marina says customers working the river with bait are having some of the best local bass fishing in years, on the heels of a 47-pound striper and a 26.5-inch fluke off the Fort Trumbull Pier. Bottom fishing remains the steady fallback — Black Hawk and Tartan II both describe limits of large scup with black sea bass and triggerfish mixed in.
Striped Bass Feed Up as Mackerel Flood Back Into Maine Waters
Striped bass continue feeding aggressively along the Gulf of Maine coast as mackerel push back into shallower harbors and bays, per this week's The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME roundup. Pete Belsan at Belsan's Bait & Tackle reports several stripers north of the 40-inch mark coming on live bait, plugs, and plastics as the returning mackerel wake up the local population. Further along the coast, Surfland Bait and Tackle notes surfcasters connecting with fish into the 40-inch class working the Refuge after dark, with a permit required and anglers needing to be positioned before sunset. Dave Anderson's report adds that mackerel are flooding back inshore with occasional "beak bites" hinting squid may be mixing in too, though peanut bunker haven't shown in numbers yet. Word out of Beauport Fishing Adventures is that codfish action is ramping up farther north, with pollock and haddock holding in decent numbers alongside solid inshore striper counts — an encouraging sign as the fall bite builds under this week's First Quarter moon.
Reds and snook fire up Sarasota Bay as tarpon start their fall exit
Anglers working Siesta Key are finding reds eager to eat: Capt. Chuck Cress of CB's Saltwater Outfitters (Sarasota) reports hooking into several redfish on a high rising morning tide using a popping cork tipped with live shrimp, along with a few undersized snook released along the way. Farther north in Sarasota Bay, Capt. Kelly Kurtz, also out of CB's, describes an active inshore bite spanning snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, and mangrove snapper. Capt. Rick Grassett's September outlook from the same shop calls for solid snook fishing as fish hold in the surf and stack up around ICW docks and bridges near passes, while adult migratory tarpon are thinning out in the coastal Gulf, sliding into inside waters to rest and feed ahead of their fall push out of the area. With water still summer-warm for the region, dawn and dusk windows should keep producing the most consistent action over the next few days. Check state regs before harvesting, as size and bag limits vary by species and season.
Chicago salmon push builds as Lake Michigan cools toward fall
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Chicago nearshore this cycle, so this update leans on seasonal pattern rather than a fresh reading. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes 2024 was a standout year lakewide, with anglers landing a record 210,000-plus coho salmon and the biggest Chinook harvest since 2012 as strong alewife survival carried the stocked salmon classes — a trend that has fed recent seasons on the lake. Mid-September on the Illinois shoreline typically means Chinook and coho staging as surface temps slide, with yellow perch schooling over structure and drop-offs as the transition accelerates. We don't have a confirmed local bite report to attribute for this exact window, so treat the species activity below as seasonal expectation rather than a captain's or shop's word. Check a current buoy reading and a local report before committing to a pattern, and confirm any harvest limits against current state regs before keeping fish.
Door County and Sheboygan gear up for the fall Chinook push
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for the Door County/Sheboygan stretch of Lake Michigan this cycle, so we're leaning on season context rather than a fresh temp reading. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes that 2024's harvest was one of the strongest on record lakewide — anglers landed over 210,000 coho salmon (a record) and more than 160,000 Chinook, the most since 2012, with recent alewife survival helping stocked fish numbers. Mid-September typically means Chinook and coho are staging and pushing toward harbors and river mouths on Lake Michigan, and DNR's ongoing public process on smallmouth bass management in Green Bay and northern Lake Michigan reflects a fishery regulators are actively watching. We don't have a direct Door County or Sheboygan catch report in hand today, so treat species status below as seasonal expectation rather than an on-the-water confirmation — check a recent local report before you commit to a launch plan.
Lake Michigan's fall salmon push builds off the Indiana shoreline
The Wisconsin DNR's Lake Michigan Fishing Report flagged 2024 as a standout year lakewide — over 210,000 coho salmon harvested (a record) and more than 160,000 Chinook, the best Chinook return since 2012 — evidence of a healthy salmonid fishery across the whole lake, Indiana's southern shoreline included. No buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch today, and no charter, shop, or blog report specific to the Indiana shoreline surfaced in this cycle, so what follows is seasonal expectation rather than a live word from the water. Mid-September is typically prime time for Chinook and coho salmon staging off harbor mouths and along temperature breaks ahead of their fall spawning push, with steelhead usually filing in behind them as surface temps slide through the 50s. Pier and harbor perch fishing tends to perk back up this time of year too. Verify current conditions and check Indiana DNR regs before heading out.
Fall Bait Push Signals Stripers Are Close Behind
No buoy or gauge readings came back for Cape Cod Bay this week, so we're reading the trend through regional angler intel instead. To our south, Rhode Island's Saltwater Edge shop reports peanut bunker, silversides, and bay anchovies already streaming out of the salt ponds and estuaries as cooling nights trigger the seasonal bait exodus, with early bonito and a handful of Spanish mackerel already mixed in — a leading indicator for what typically follows up the coast. On The Water's current technique coverage centers on twitchbaits and blitz-style feeding for striped bass, the pattern to expect once bass lock onto the same bait pushes moving through Massachusetts waters. Bluefish typically ride the same fall corridor. False albacore haven't been confirmed locally yet, but the signal from Rhode Island suggests they're not far off. Check state regs before harvesting anything you keep.
Bait Exodus Signals Fall Run Nearing Buzzards Bay
Peanut bunker, silversides, and bay anchovies are pushing out of the salt ponds and estuaries into open water, per Saltwater Edge's early-September forecast out of Rhode Island — the same bait push that fuels the fall run through Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. That shop is already seeing bonito and a few Spanish mackerel mixed in, with false albacore expected any day as water cools. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for this stretch of water today, so treat temps as seasonal-typical for mid-September southern New England. Striped bass remain the backbone species here as they stage for the fall migration, working bait pushed out of the bay mouths on the tide. On The Water's recent notes on twitchbaits and striper-attracting scents are worth a look if bass go quiet mid-day. With a First Quarter moon this week, expect moderate tidal swings rather than the season's biggest currents.
Low, clear Catskills flows set up a classic fall trout window
Catskills gauge data show two monitored trout streams running lean for mid-September — 78.7 cfs and 19.2 cfs — the kind of low, clear late-summer stage that typically defines this stretch of the season before fall rains arrive. Neither station reported a water temperature reading today, so anglers should judge water conditions on-site before committing to a run. Direct "what's biting" intel out of the Adirondacks and Catskills is thin this week; the clearest regional signal comes from Trout Unlimited, which is mapping brook trout habitat across New York to prioritize future stream-connectivity work, and separately had a restoration crew on the Saranac River's North Branch in the Adirondacks repairing an eroded bank. Neither is a bite report, but both point to sustained attention on the region's native trout fisheries. With flows running this low, expect typically cautious, easily-spooked fish — long leaders, careful wading, and dawn/dusk windows are the standard low-water playbook for browns, rainbows, and brookies right now.
Kenai system cools into peak coho window as flows run high
Our reading from USGS gauge 15266300 this week put water on the Kenai system at 50°F with flow running about 9,020 cfs — solid mid-September numbers for interior Alaska, with enough push in the current to keep fish moving through the deeper runs. We didn't get a direct charter, shop, or state-agency report on specific bites for Kenai-area or interior rivers this cycle; Alaska Sea Grant's recent posts covered community and mariculture programs (Kodiak, Kachemak Bay, Kasaan, Goodnews Bay) rather than on-the-water conditions, so treat species activity below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite. Mid-September on these systems is typically prime time for silver (coho) salmon pushing upriver, with rainbow trout and Dolly Varden keying on drifting salmon eggs and flesh behind spawning fish. The elevated flow favors deeper, slower seams over skinny water — expect wading access to be pushed toward the margins until levels ease. Check current state regulations before targeting or harvesting any species, as seasonal closures and bag limits shift through the fall run.
Fall transition turns bass and walleye on across MN's North Woods
River flows in the Twin Cities corridor are sitting at typical late-summer levels this week, running about 5,580 cfs at gauge 05331000 and 2,470 cfs at gauge 05288500, though no fresh temperature reading came through with either gauge today. Up on the North Shore, the MN DNR's September 10 Lake Superior report described a fairly slow bite for 18-33 inch Lake Trout near Duluth, a step down from the steady trout and walleye action the same report logged through most of August. Inland, the fall transition is in full swing: per Fishing the Midwest, anglers around lakes like Alexandria are working weed edges and shoreline flats with bladed swim jigs for bass, pike, and walleye as baitfish push toward dying weed growth. Tactical Bassin echoes the pattern, reporting bass schooling and feeding hard on baitfish as they shift from shallow structure toward open water. Several sources are converging on the same read: fish are on the move as water cools toward seasonal norms.
Taneycomo trout stay aggressive as generation flows settle in
Lake Taneycomo's trout bite has stayed consistent through late summer, with Lilleys Landing reporting fairly steady generation flows through most of August — minimum flow starting around 7 a.m. into early afternoon, then ramping up to about 135 megawatts (2.5 units) into the evening. Water temperature has climbed to around 53 degrees, normal for this time of year, while dropping dissolved oxygen levels have prompted dam operators to inject liquid oxygen into the outflow. Earlier in the season Lilleys Landing described trout as super aggressive with no pecking around, and noted the trophy release program picking back up after a slow spring; guides have done well afternoons working a Provo rig, while a simple straight-line drift with a drop-shot loop about 18 inches up — tied with Vanish fluorocarbon tippet, a technique guide Blake Wilson shared — has also produced. USGS gauge 07054410 has no fresh flow or temperature reading logged for this update.
Sturgeon Opener Highlights Wisconsin River, Superior Whitefish Build
USGS gauge 05391000 on the Wisconsin River is reading a moderate 341 cfs this morning, with no water-temperature data currently available. The headline for WI anglers this week isn't a bite report — it's a calendar date: the WI DNR's hook-and-line lake sturgeon season opened Sept. 5 and runs through Sept. 30 on eligible waters, and anyone holding a general license plus a valid sturgeon tag is working deep holes and current breaks for a shot at the state's signature fish. Up on Lake Superior, WI DNR's Lake Superior Fishing program continues tracking a lake whitefish fishery that's grown steadily in the Chequamegon Bay area in recent seasons, both by boat and, later, through the ice. Closer to home on the Wisconsin River, walleye and smallmouth bass remain the dependable fall targets as water cools and fish slide onto classic structure. Check current regulations before harvesting sturgeon or fishing any special-regulation water.
Walleye bite holds strong as fall bass pattern builds across NY
Water held steady at 71°F this morning at one of our monitored gauges (01357500), while a second site (01358000) is running a swollen 6,470 cfs with no temperature reading available — a sign recent rain pushed extra water through that watershed, so expect off-color, faster current there. Statewide, NY DEC's Fishing Line has been tracking ongoing walleye research on Irondequoit Bay and Sodus Bay near the Finger Lakes corridor, and out west on Lake Erie/Ontario, Brookdog Fishing Co. reports the walleye bite has stayed strong for weeks with smallmouth bass now picking up as well — a pattern that typically works its way east into Finger Lakes water as temperatures ease. DEC also flagged trout and salmon fighting summer heat stress earlier this season; with water still sitting near 71°F, cooler mornings should start waking trout back up. Largemouth bass are entering their typical fall transition, pushing shallower to chase baitfish.
Fall Chinook Push Builds Toward the Grand River Mouth
The Grand River is running 1,870 cfs at the Grand Rapids gauge (USGS 04119000) as of Wednesday morning, with no paired temperature reading yet to confirm how far surface temps have slid toward the range that typically pulls Chinook and coho salmon off the Lake Michigan flats and into staging water near the river mouth. The Wisconsin DNR's Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes 2024 stands as a benchmark year for the fishery, with anglers landing more than 210,000 coho — a record — and over 160,000 Chinook, the best Chinook tally since 2012, fueled by strong alewife survival that has kept forage healthy heading into recent seasons. Direct on-the-water reports for the Grand River mouth were thin this cycle; smallmouth bass remain a live management topic for the WI DNR on nearby Green Bay and northern Lake Michigan waters. We're treating salmon timing as seasonal until local reports confirm fish are stacking.
Piscataquis flows settle low as fall togue bite builds on Moosehead
The Piscataquis River gauge (USGS 01030500), part of the upper Penobscot drainage that feeds Moosehead country, is running a modest 49.5 cfs as of this morning — typical base-flow footing for mid-September before fall rains arrive. No water temperature reading came through on this check, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried direct reports from Moosehead Lake or the upper Penobscot specifically, so we're leaning on general seasonal knowledge rather than fresh testimony for this update. That's worth saying plainly rather than guessing. What typically holds this time of year: lake trout (togue) and landlocked salmon start pushing out of deep summer holding as surface water cools, brook trout perk up in tributary mouths and spring seeps, and smallmouth bass stay catchable on warm afternoons before water temps drop further. Low, stable, clear flows like the gauge shows are generally favorable for wading tributary stretches and reading structure. Check current Maine IFW regulations before harvesting any species this month.