Fishing reports
6969 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Red Drum Fire Up in NC Sounds as Summer Surf Bite Holds
Red drum are the story up and down the North Carolina coast this week — East Coast Sports in Topsail/Sneads Ferry reports inshore anglers finding reds on an early-morning topwater bite before switching to bottom rigs later in the day, per Fisherman's Post (NC), while Custom Marine Fabrication in the Pamlico/Neuse River notes anglers pulling drum of all sizes, including some big fish, off flats and structure along the main river shorelines. Surf action stays productive but mixed: Island Tackle and Hardware in Carolina Beach counts sharks, croakers, pompano, whiting, and pinfish in the wash, while Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle in Southport/Oak Island says anglers are working around dirty water and seaweed for a similar mixed bag plus bluefish. The Reel Outdoors in Swansboro/Emerald Isle adds bluefish, spots, sea mullet, and pompano to the surf tally, with red drum holding steady in the sounds. Note NC DMF has withdrawn its red snapper EFP application, per Fisherman's Post.
Lake Michigan salmon momentum carries into Indiana's summer season
Lake Michigan's salmon fishery carries real momentum into summer 2026, per the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report, which notes 2024 produced a record coho salmon harvest (over 210,000 fish) and the biggest Chinook catch since 2012, with strong alewife year-classes boosting survival of stocked fish across the lake, a trend that benefits Indiana shoreline anglers as much as those working the northern basin. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Indiana shoreline this cycle, and no shop or charter reports specific to this stretch crossed the wire, so treat this update as seasonal guidance rather than a live bite report. Early July typically has Chinook and coho holding on downrigger spreads over the thermocline, with steelhead mixed in, while piers and harbor structure should be producing yellow perch and smallmouth bass as inshore water continues to warm. Confirm with local shops before heading out.
Cape Cod Bay stripers heat up from Barnstable to Provincetown
Cape Cod Bay is heating up from Barnstable to Billingsgate and into Provincetown Harbor this week, per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands, even though wind kept the Cape Cod Canal bite slower than usual — anglers who stuck it out still found a hot topwater bite on white and bone-colored pencil plugs in the west and east ends. Over in Westport, breaking stripers mixed with occasional bluefish and bonito are keeping charters busy, and slot to over-slot stripers are coming on nearly every trip alongside black sea bass and even a tautog taken on a live eel. Local shop reports note stripers running slot-size up to the high-30-inch class on white pencils and canal jigs, with only scattered bluefish showing off Wareham and West Falmouth. Regionally, The Fisherman (Northeast) flags big bonito racing around Cape Cod as summer patterns lock in. No live buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so lean on these bite reports over hard numbers.
Maine sees a strong push of bigger stripers arrive
Maine striper guys reported a strong push of larger fish this week, per Dave Anderson's South Shore Massachusetts to Maine report for The Fisherman, and that is the headline signal coming out of the Gulf of Maine right now. Regionally, Beauport Fishing Adventures described striped bass showing well both inshore and offshore with some fish pushing into the mid-40-inch class, and said tons of mackerel have been showing on most trips, which is likely what is holding those bigger bass around. Haddock fishing offshore has been "on again, off again" as those fish wrap up their spawning period, per Beauport, while flounder action stayed reliable closer to shore in the Gloucester and Rockport areas. No buoy or gauge readings came back for this cycle, so we are leaning on angler reports rather than measured temps to call conditions. With bait this thick, working the edges of mackerel schools at dawn and dusk looks like the highest-percentage play.
Snapper spawn keeps Key West bite blazing through July
Yellowtail and mutton snappers remain stacked up around Key West as the summer spawn continues, per ALL IN Key West, which reports huge yellowtails and tons and tons of mutton snappers actively feeding in large numbers through May and June, with strong availability carrying into July. The captain's outfit tied a May full moon window to peak mutton snapper spawning, with yellowtails practically jumping in the boat. Gulf side trips have also produced groupers, cobia, barracuda, and kingfish per ALL IN Key West, while live bait fishing has been red hot for king mackerel, tuna, and sailfish working the reef edges. Sailfish showed up earlier than usual this year too, with strong Gulfstream currents pushing good bottom fishing close to shore as of early March. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so plan around typical early July Keys conditions and check the local marine forecast before running offshore.
Buzzards Bay stripers hold strong as fluke grounds beckon
Westport River Outfitters landed a tautog on a live eel this week, a rare catch alongside their usual black sea bass and slot-to-over-slot stripers, which the shop says are showing up on almost every trip. Little Sister Charters, working out of Westport Harbor, reports breaking stripers holding steady with occasional bluefish and bonito joining the feed, and the crew is planning runs to their offshore fluke grounds for anyone willing to make the trip. Closer to the canal, Red Top Sporting Goods says bluefish have been showing off Wareham and along the West Falmouth shoreline even as the canal bite itself has slowed. Up toward Cape Cod Bay, Charley Soares describes a hot topwater bite on white and bone-colored pencil plugs for those still working the canal despite blustery conditions. No live buoy or gauge data came through this cycle, so check a local tide chart before planning your trip.
Fluke bite turns the corner as bluefin push into Jersey Shore range
Fluke are turning the corner from a sluggish June into a genuinely productive July across the Jersey Shore. On The Water's Northern New Jersey forecast (July 9) notes fluking is on the upswing from the surf to the reefs, and The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf says fluke should become the main event in the surf this month on bucktail and Gulp combos. Offshore, bluefin tuna have pushed into range: The Fisherman — NJ/DE Offshore has fish to 40 pounds working inshore lumps stacked with sand eels, while Fishermans HQ LBI ties the push to a squid invasion off the coast. Striped bass are a mixed bag — Blue Chip Sportfishing reports crushing stripers on every trip, though surf-shop reports describe more of a tail-end bite on clam baits. Black sea bass, by contrast, just closed one of its poorest seasons in years per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, with captains pivoting effort to fluke and bluefish.
Hill Country bass anglers dial in brush piles as summer heat holds
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Travis/LBJ/Buchanan chain this cycle, so today's report leans on regional technique intel and typical mid-July patterns for these Highland Lakes reservoirs. Texas Fish & Game Magazine's recent piece on targeting brush piles with Mega 360 imaging is directly applicable here — offshore brush and submerged structure are prime holding water for largemouth bass, crappie, and white bass once surface temps climb into the summer range, and forward-facing sonar is letting anglers pinpoint suspended fish instead of blind-casting likely spots. The same outlet's note on reading water clarity is worth keeping in mind after any rain event pushes color into these clear Hill Country impoundments. Expect the usual summer pattern to hold: better bites early and late in the day, fish sliding deeper and tighter to structure as the sun climbs, and stripers and white bass schooling on mid-lake humps and channel edges.
Pearl and Mississippi Rivers settle into a summer night bite
No buoy or gauge telemetry came through for the Pearl and Mississippi River systems today, and this week's angler-intel sweep turned up no reports specific to Mississippi freshwater fishing, so this update leans on typical mid-July patterns for the region. Peak summer heat typically pushes catfish into a strong after-dark bite as water columns hold their warmth into the evening, while largemouth bass tend to go quiet through the hottest midday hours but can still produce around the low-light windows at dawn and dusk. Crappie usually slide to the deepest, coolest structure available this time of year and get harder to pattern, while bream and sunfish generally stay steady and cooperative on simple bait presentations regardless of heat. Treat all of the above as seasonal expectation, not a confirmed bite report, until fresh local intel comes in.
Redfish and trout keep Georgia's marsh flood tides busy as cobia season fades
Coastal Angler Magazine's account of an angler battling sharks for a trophy cobia off a shrimp boat is a fitting bookend for Georgia's spring cobia run, which typically tapers through early July as fish push offshore and inshore attention shifts to redfish and spotted seatrout working the marsh flood tides. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat water temps as the seasonal norm for coastal Georgia in July: warm and stable. Coastal Angler's general note that inshore fish are always on the move with tide, forage, and weather still holds true here, and reds and trout should be stacking on flooding marsh grass and oyster structure during the higher stages of the tide, with early and late light the best windows to beat the summer heat. Offshore, Anglers Journal reports Florida's push for an exempted South Atlantic red snapper season is moving forward, a regulatory story worth watching for anyone fishing bottom structure in the broader region.
ND anglers eye deep-hole catfish as summer heat settles in
Anglers working deep, current-scoured holes on the Missouri River system are still landing heavyweight catfish through this stretch of summer heat, per a Wired 2 Fish report describing a 178-pound, two-fish haul from a 25-foot back-eddy near dusk. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Red or Missouri River stretches in North Dakota this cycle, so treat today's numbers as a placeholder and check a local gauge before you launch. Typical for a mid-July freshwater cycle here, channel catfish should be holding tight to deep holes and current breaks through the heat of the day, walleye pushing down onto humps and seams, and smallmouth working rock structure at first and last light. With a waning crescent moon overhead, expect a stronger low-light and after-dark bite across the board. Direct, region-specific reporting for these two rivers was thin this week, so lean on general seasonal patterns until fresher local intel lands.
Puget Sound salmon push holds as Dungeness crab post-molt
No buoy or gauge readings came through for Puget Sound and the outer coast this cycle, and hard bite reports were thin in today's feed, so this update leans on the state science side. Washington Sea Grant confirmed the first-ever detection of invasive European green crab on Orcas Island's Crescent Beach this spring, worth a second look at anything unusual in your crab pot, and the agency's third annual Salish Sea-wide Molt Blitz ran June 26, tracking Dungeness crab shell-hardening across the Sound, meaning crabs pulled now are likely still filling back out post-molt. Washington Sea Grant's new Sea Star issue also spotlights bull kelp beds, the nearshore structure salmon, lingcod, and rockfish relate to all summer. For specific creel counts and stocking updates, WDFW's Fishing and Stocking Reports page remains the go-to. Expect typical mid-July patterns: Chinook and coho working Sound approaches, lingcod holding tight to structure, rockfish active over rocky bottom.
Carolina surf pattern signals a strong July for Charleston Harbor
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for Charleston Harbor this cycle, so this update leans on the closest sourced intel available: the Carolina coast surf bite. At Carolina Beach, Lewis of Island Tackle and Hardware reports a mixed surf bag of sharks, croakers, pompano, whiting, and pinfish, with live bait producing well inshore, per Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater. Farther south at Southport/Oak Island, Angie of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle notes whiting, croakers, and bluefish still holding despite dirty water and drifting seaweed, the same source adds. Those bottom-feeding species typically track the coastline south through midsummer, so Charleston Harbor anglers can expect a similar whiting-and-bluefish pattern in the surf and lower harbor over the next few days. Redfish and spotted seatrout, the harbor's marquee summer targets, aren't showing up in this week's sourced reports, so treat their status below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite.
Lake Erie walleye trolling holds its summer pattern
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Lake Erie/Niagara corridor this cycle, and today's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up a single report specific to Western New York waters — the closest regional chatter (Michigan Sportsman Forum walleye trolling notes, spiny water flea complaints near Frankfort/Onekama) is tied to Lake Michigan, not Erie, so we're not carrying it over as local testimony. What we can say is seasonal: mid-July on eastern Lake Erie typically means walleye holding on classic summer trolling patterns over deeper basin structure, smallmouth bass working rock and gravel humps, and yellow perch schooled over mud-bottom flats. The Niagara River's steelhead bite is normally in its warm-water lull this time of year. Anglers should treat this as a general seasonal baseline rather than a live bite report until fresh regional intel comes in — check a local Lake Erie or Niagara-specific shop or charter report before planning a trip around any single tactic mentioned here.
Smallmouth and Catfish Turn On as Delaware River Settles Into Summer
The Delaware River corridor is running below normal after a dry, uneven June, according to JB Kasper of The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater. Even so, the summer bite is settling in. Near Ewing, Old School Outdoors reports smallmouth bass fishing is good and should keep improving through July, with catfishing also productive in the river. On the Passaic, Fairfield Fishing Tackle notes low water has pushed northern pike and smallmouth into deeper holes, eddies, and bridge pilings, so anglers need to work for them. Tackle World says the northern streams remain full of trout and should keep producing with any rain, and July traditionally marks the start of deepwater smallmouth action in the bigger reservoirs. On area lakes, Dow's Boat Rentals notes largemouth are locked into early morning and late afternoon shade patterns, with walleye and hybrid stripers feeding after dark around drop-offs and points.
Georgia anglers eye deep summer patterns on the Chattahoochee and Savannah
Georgia Wildlife Blog's Fishing Report has spent recent weeks pointing anglers toward the Georgia Bass Slam challenge — catching five of the state's 10 black bass species from public waters — a timely nudge for anyone working spotted bass and largemouth on the Chattahoochee and Savannah systems this month. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through in this cycle, so treat flow and water temp as typical for mid-July: warm, low, and clear. Elsewhere in the Southeast, B.A.S.S. News reports anglers on deep summer reservoirs are finding bass — and stripers — stacked up on points, ledges, and brushpiles as current slackens, a pattern that tends to translate to Georgia's impoundments as well. Below Buford Dam, the Chattahoochee's cold tailwater keeps trout biting regardless of surface heat upstream. Plan around early and late light; the midday grind gets tougher as the month wears on.
Hartwell and Russell bass slide deep as summer heat sets in
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Hartwell and Russell this cycle, so this report leans on regional patterns and Georgia's state fishing resources rather than fabricated on-lake numbers. Early July on Savannah chain reservoirs typically means fish pulling off the banks as surface heat builds, and per B.A.S.S. News' look at comparable Southern reservoirs this week, bass and stripers are sliding onto main-lake points, ledges, and brushpiles as current eases off — a pattern that tracks closely with what Hartwell and Russell anglers typically see this time of year. The Georgia Wildlife Blog continues pointing anglers toward its Angler Resources hub for species-specific forecasts and stocking updates rather than a lake-by-lake bite report. With a waning crescent moon overhead, expect the bite to lean toward low-light windows — early mornings and dusk — for largemouth and spotted bass, with stripers and hybrids working deeper thermoclines as the heat holds.
Bass dial into summer patterns on the CT River and Champlain
Downstream on the Connecticut River, the spring shad run has wrapped for the season, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, with rivermen now picking up channel catfish and bowfin in slower water as the system settles into its summer rhythm — a transition that typically tracks upstream into Vermont's stretch of the river within a couple weeks. We're not seeing direct reports out of the Champlain basin or the VT reaches of the Connecticut River in today's feeds, so what follows leans on typical July patterns for the region: largemouth and smallmouth locking onto classic warm-water structure, working frogs, Whopper Ploppers, Senkos and shiners in the low-light hours, a pattern regional shops are already describing further south. Walleye tend to slide into a deeper, low-light bite as water warms through mid-summer. Anglers should treat today's report as seasonally grounded rather than freshly scouted, and check in-state sources before planning a trip.
Bass anglers work the weed edges as Mosquito and Pymatuning settle into summer mode
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Mosquito Lake and Pymatuning Reservoir area this cycle, so anglers are leaning on technique over hard numbers right now. Fishing the Midwest's Bob Jensen notes that with the 2026 open-water season in full swing, the anglers putting the most fish in the boat are the versatile ones willing to work a weedline rather than camp on one pattern, and that holds true for Mosquito's and Pymatuning's classic summer largemouth and smallmouth grounds. Mike Frisch, writing for the same outlet, adds that small maintenance habits, sharpening trebles after a missed strike, for instance, are quietly costing or winning anglers trophy-class bites. Walleye and saugeye, the bread-and-butter species on both reservoirs, are typically sliding toward deeper, cooler water this time of year, while muskie tend to be a low-percentage, high-reward target through midsummer heat. Expect a slow-to-active bite overall until better on-the-water intel comes in for this specific stretch.
Moosehead togue and salmon settle into summer depths
Mid-July has Moosehead Lake and the upper Penobscot easing into classic summer patterns: togue and landlocked salmon push down toward cooler, deeper water as surface temperatures climb, while smallmouth bass take over the shallows and rocky shoreline structure. This cycle came up empty on direct data for the region — no buoy or gauge readings were available, and the angler-intel feeds that came through this week skewed almost entirely toward southern New England striper, fluke, and squid action rather than Maine's interior lakes. Rather than paper over that, it's worth flagging plainly: today's report leans on general seasonal knowledge, not fresh Moosehead-specific reports. Typical July tactics apply — lead-core or downrigger trolling near the thermocline for togue and salmon through the heat of the day, topwater and soft plastics for smallmouth early and late, and brook trout tucked into cooler feeder streams and spring holes. Check current Maine IFW regulations before harvesting, and confirm sky, wind, and boat-launch conditions locally before heading out.
Kenai and interior Alaska rivers settle into peak summer salmon season
Interior Alaska and the Kenai Peninsula are moving through the heart of summer salmon season, but this cycle's data pull came up thin on direct, on-the-water reports: no NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings resolved for the region, and the available angler intel skewed toward non-fishing coverage — Alaska Sea Grant's latest dispatches covered the ongoing European green crab advance in Southeast Alaska and marine-heatwave research presented at the Wakefield Fisheries Symposium in Kodiak, not conditions on the Kenai or interior drainages. In the absence of confirmed reports, what follows leans on general seasonal knowledge for early-to-mid July: king salmon runs typically wind down while sockeye push hard through the Kenai and its tributaries, with rainbow trout and Dolly Varden keying on drifting eggs behind spawning fish. Treat the species status below as a seasonal baseline, not a confirmed bite report, and check current state regulations before targeting any salmon species this week.
Eufaula habitat boost lands as Texoma bite goes deep for summer
Lake Eufaula got a tangible upgrade last month when the MLF Fisheries Management Division, working with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Kubota, anchored a new network of MossBack Fish Habitat structures as part of a Tournament Recovery Zone, according to MLF News. That kind of structure-building is exactly what summer bass and crappie key on once the shallows get too warm to hold fish. Across Texoma, expect the classic mid-July pattern: largemouth and stripers sliding onto river-channel ledges, points, and brushpiles during the day and pushing shallower at first and last light, a pattern B.A.S.S. News describes playing out on comparable reservoir systems right now. Catfish anglers are seeing action too — per Wired2Fish, deep back-eddy holes have been producing after dusk, a technique that translates well to Texoma's and Eufaula's blue and channel cat fisheries. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so verify local water levels before heading out.
Terrestrial Season Arrives for Flathead & Bitterroot Trout
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Flathead Lake and Bitterroot system this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep didn't surface region-specific reports from Montana guides or shops — so this update leans on what's typical for early-July trout water in this part of the Northwest. Terrestrials are the seasonal story: Trout Unlimited's latest TROUT Tip flags summer terrestrials — hoppers, ants, beetles blown or dropped into the current — as prime trout fare once water warms, a pattern that lines up with the Bitterroot's riffles and Flathead's tributary mouths this time of year. Lake trout should still be working deep structure on Flathead Lake as surface temps climb, with westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout more active in moving water during morning and evening light. Bull trout remain catch-and-release only where permitted — check current regs before targeting them, a topic Hatch Magazine examined recently in a piece on bull trout ethics in the Northwest.
Potomac and Shenandoah smallmouth carry the summer stretch
Virginia DWR's newly opened Draft Stocked Trout Management Plan comment period is the most concrete Commonwealth-level signal for Potomac and Shenandoah anglers this week, per the Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch, so treat water temp and flow as unknowns until you check a local reading before launching. Absent direct catch reports for this specific region, the general seasonal pattern holds: early July on the Potomac and Shenandoah typically pushes smallmouth bass into deeper, oxygenated runs and rock structure as surface water warms, while channel catfish stay active after dark and into early morning on cut bait in slower pools. Stocked trout fisheries in lower-elevation stretches usually see fish holding tight to the coolest available water or spring inflows this time of year, so shadier upper Shenandoah tributaries are a better bet than open Potomac water for trout right now. Check current DWR stocking schedules and any active regulations before you head out, especially with a management plan under public review.