Fishing reports
16066 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Ozark rivers run high as bass push shallow for the fall shift
USGS gauge 06934500 read 41,400 cfs and 81°F as of Saturday night — well up and warm for mid-September, a sign recent rain has moved through the Ozark river system. Water this high and likely off-color pushes fish onto current seams, eddies, and cover edges rather than open flats or gravel bars. Off the rivers, Missouri largemouth are showing the classic fall pattern: at Lake of the Ozarks, Camdenton's Corbin Bailey stayed shallow around shell and main-lake cover to win the BFL Ozark Division finale with 40 pounds over two days, per MLF News. Tactical Bassin's latest fall-transition breakdown backs that up, describing bass schooling on baitfish and sliding onto docks and grass flats as water starts to cool — worth trying on Ozark impoundments and river backwaters alike while flows stay up. Smallmouth and catfish should still be feeding in current breaks with this much water moving; crappie are likely still holding deeper until temps ease off.
South Platte tailwaters hold browns as fall run winds down
Flows on the South Platte tailwater system are holding low near 152 cfs this week, consistent with a drought year both Colorado Trout Hunters and Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing describe as among the driest on record — Colorado Trout Hunters cites the second-worst snowpack in memory, and Pat Dorsey has been tracking record-low water levels since spring. Colorado Trout Hunters' latest report describes a strong fall run of migratory brown trout through the Dream Stream stretch of the South Platte, though the shop notes fish are now dropping back toward the reservoir as that run winds down — worth targeting soon if the window is still open. Cutthroat Anglers notes low, clear water is concentrating fish and rewarding anglers willing to hike farther or downsize tippet. Midges remain the tailwater staple; AvidMax's recent tying features (Chocolate Foam Back, Titan Tube Midge) point toward small, precise patterns. Watch water temperatures closely and back off once readings climb into the upper 60s, per both Pat Dorsey and Cutthroat Anglers.
Low water squeezes Christina, Nanticoke bass toward fall transition
Flow at USGS gauge 01493500 in the Christina watershed sits at just 3.04 cfs as of early Monday morning — a notably low read for mid-September, with no fresh water-temperature reading available this cycle. Low, clear water like this typically concentrates fish tighter to structure and shade rather than shutting the bite down. No angler reports specific to the Christina or Nanticoke systems came in this week, so we're leaning on seasonal patterns: early-to-mid September is when largemouth bass start the fall transition, pushing onto shallow flats to chase baitfish as afternoons cool, a shift blogs like Tactical Bassin and Fishing the Midwest are already flagging nationally. Panfish and catfish should stay steady in the low flow, holding near deeper pockets and wood cover. Check current DE freshwater regs before keeping anything, and expect low-water caution on wading access until rain returns.
Snake River's South Fork holds strong for late hopper season
USGS gauge 13037500 on the Snake River's South Fork logged flow near 6,460 cfs as of Monday evening, still a solid late-summer volume for mid-September before irrigation-season releases begin their seasonal taper. No water-temperature reading came through with this update, so plan around time of day and air temperature rather than a hard number. Caddis Fly Shop's recent rundown on the Shorty Hopper is a timely reminder that grasshoppers are still very much on the trout's menu on freestone-style water right now. Cutthroat and rainbow trout should keep responding to well-placed hopper patterns worked tight to the bank, while cooling mornings start nudging browns toward pre-spawn aggression and streamer eats. No direct on-the-water reports from this stretch came through today's feed, so treat species behavior below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite — but flow and calendar both favor a solid week on the water.
Eufaula Crappie Guide Turns Sonar on Giant Alligator Gar
Flow on the gauge feeding this stretch of the Red River system is barely moving, with USGS gauge 07247500 reading just 4.11 cfs as of the evening of September 14 — a trickle consistent with the low, clear late-summer water typical heading into fall. The bigger regional storyline comes out of Lake Eufaula, where Kayle Ward, the veteran guide behind Reelin' Them In Guide Service and the 2025 Crappie Masters National Champion on Eufaula, has been pointing his forward-facing sonar at giant alligator gar rather than slabs, per Wired 2 Fish — a sign of how much electronics have opened up sight-targeting on this lake's bigger predators. Nationally, Tactical Bassin's fall-transition coverage notes bass schooling tight on baitfish as water cools, sliding onto dock pilings and grass edges, a pattern that typically holds for Oklahoma reservoirs like Eufaula as well. Crappie remain the lake's signature fishery; expect largemouth and catfish activity to build as temperatures ease into true fall.
Fall transition sets up bass and walleye action on Erie tributaries
Water is sitting at 70°F with area flow holding near 960 cfs as of Sunday evening (USGS gauge 04231600), a stable read that lines up with a typical mid-September cool-down for Western NY's Lake Erie and Niagara-basin waters. Nothing in this week's regional feeds names a specific Erie or Niagara bite, but the seasonal pattern described in Tactical Bassin's fall-transition breakdown — bass sliding onto baitfish around deep-edge structure and docks as weeds die back — tracks with what these waters typically produce right now. Fishing the Midwest's notes on blending traditional presentations with forward-facing sonar for walleye are also worth carrying into the boat this week. Steelhead haven't been mentioned as active yet in any source, consistent with an early-season lull before the fall run builds. We're calling this a seasonal-pattern week rather than a hot-bite week until more local reports come in.
Salmon Bite Stays Strong on Lake Ontario Ahead of River Push
King salmon are stacked up and biting well on Lake Ontario this week, according to Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario), which reports very good action with browns and lake trout mixed in through the 100- to 160-foot range. Preferred depths are moving day to day as wind pushes warmer water around, and the captains note Mag Dipsey Divers are producing when fish hold deep, with green, white, and chartreuse e-chip spoons getting bit. On the tributary side, the gauge at site 04250750 is reading a modest 47.9 cfs — on the low side for mid-September, a flow level that tends to hold fresh fish staged in the lower river rather than pulling them upstream in bulk. We'd expect the open-lake troll to keep outproducing the river right now, with browns and lakers riding along with the kings. No fresh water-temperature reading came through today, so check current conditions before you head out.
Delta anglers dial in around a high-water September push
The Sacramento-San Joaquin system is running high this week, with the USGS gauge at 11455420 posting 90,900 cfs — a big number for mid-September and a strong signal that current speed, not the calendar, should drive game-plan choices. High, pushier water typically stacks striped bass and sturgeon along current breaks and drop-offs while scattering channel catfish into deeper, slacker sloughs; largemouth bass tend to tuck tighter to tule lines and dock pilings until flows settle. No Delta-specific bite report came through this cycle's angler-intel feed, so treat the species calls below as seasonal defaults rather than confirmed action. One adjacent data point: Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the fall ocean salmon season opened September 1 in the San Francisco Management Zone with limits to near-limits for party and private boats, a sign fish are actively moving through the broader system as the season turns toward fall.
Fall Chinook Push Keeps Columbia System Anglers Busy
Columbia system water held at 65°F with flow running a strong 20,300 cfs at USGS gauge 14211720 as of Sunday evening, conditions that favor an active fall Chinook push through the system. On IFish.net Fishing Reports, one angler flagged hot chinook action trolling solo near Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia — a single report, but consistent with the seasonal timing anglers expect this time of year. Elsewhere on the forum, boaters noted gear lost overboard near the mouth of the Lewis and at Buoy 10, a reminder of how much traffic the fall run is drawing to that stretch. Region-wide outdoor media coverage this week skewed toward other states and species, so hard local intel stayed thin; what's available points to a system carrying good flow and workable water temps for Chinook, with steelhead, smallmouth bass, and walleye following typical seasonal patterns rather than any reported hot bite.
Weed die-off triggers fall bass and pike bite across MN inland lakes
Surface temps near Duluth sat in the mid-60s this week, and MN DNR's Lake Superior Summer Fishing report (Sept. 10) called Lake Trout fishing "fairly slow" for 18-33 inch fish, with anglers finding what success there was trolling spoons, flasher flies, and stick baits high in the water column. Inland, the pattern is shifting fast: Fishing the Midwest notes that as weeds die back with cooling water, baitfish and gamefish are pulling out of spent vegetation and stacking on the remaining green, living weed clumps — prime water for a bladed swim jig and trailer combo that's drawing bass, northern pike, and walleye from the same isolated cover. Regional river gauges are running moderate for mid-September (5,460 cfs and 1,840 cfs at our two tracked sites), with no reported spikes. Overall: a textbook early fall transition on the lakes, slower going on Superior's trout program.
Fall bass bite building as Erie walleye stay red-hot
USGS gauge 01357500 reads 71°F with flow at 1,910 cfs, while the downstream 01358000 gauge is running much heavier at 8,170 cfs — flows worth watching before wading. On Lake Erie, Brookdog Fishing Co. reports the walleye bite "remains strong" out of Buffalo with jigging becoming a bigger part of the program, and smallmouth action is picking up as water cools. NY DEC's Fishing Line has flagged warm-water panfish action across the state through the summer and typically shifts focus toward black bass and walleye as fall arrives. Tactical Bassin notes bass are now schooling on baitfish as the fall transition kicks in, pushing shallow onto flats and around docks before sliding toward deeper structure. With the elevated flow on 01358000, moving water anglers should expect stained conditions and plan presentations accordingly.
Fall run building on Grand River as Lake Michigan salmon push nears peak
USGS gauge 04119000 on the Grand River shows flow running high for mid-September at 1,990 cfs, with no water-temperature reading logged in today's pull — worth checking before you head out, since elevated fall flows often stage salmon and steelhead for their push toward the river mouth. No MI-specific Lake Michigan or Grand River catch reports came through today's angler intel, so treat the bite as unconfirmed rather than assume it's wide open. What is circulating regionally: Fishing the Midwest and Tactical Bassin both describe the classic fall shift now underway across Midwest waters — as weeds die back, gamefish pull off shallow cover to chase baitfish in open water and along remaining green weed edges, a pattern that typically holds through the Great Lakes basin too. We're leaning on that seasonal signal, plus the elevated river flow, to call today's outlook cautiously active rather than confirmed hot.
Snook bite stays hot on the Treasure Coast as mullet run nears
Snook fishing has been excellent over the past few weeks on Florida's Atlantic Coast, with quality fish including many in the 40-inch-plus range, per Snook Nook's August and September Stuart, FL reports — the better action running around the St. Lucie Inlet and down the beach on live croakers and threadfins. Schools of larger mullet are just beginning to show inshore as the annual mullet run approaches, per Snook Nook, with finger mullet still a few weeks out and expected to build through the coming weeks. Offshore, Team Snook Nook took first place in the small-boat division of the 2026 One More Bite Sailfish Challenge fishing out of Stuart, going 7 for 9 on sailfish bites, a sign that pelagic action remains lively along the inlet. Anglers also reported a sheepshead catch at South Sebastian Inlet, per Coastal Angler Magazine. Red snapper access remains clouded after a federal court blocked this year's South Atlantic EFP pilot program, per CCA Florida.
Louisiana Marsh Redfish and Trophy Trout Dial In for Fall
Louisiana's marsh and coastal fisheries are leaning on redfish and speckled trout heading into mid-September, per Sport Fishing Mag's guide to inshore fishing the Louisiana coast. Redfish continue crushing a wide range of artificial lures — captain-recommended picks include Strike King's Redfish Magic and Thunder Cricket, Down South Lures' Stanley Ribbit Frogs, and Rage Swimmer paddletails — along with live and cut bait worked around structure and current. Trophy-class speckled trout are keying on bigger meals this time of year; the guide recommends stepping up to larger plugs or live baitfish like mullet, pogies, or croakers when targeting the biggest fish rather than smaller finesse baits. Separately, Louisiana Sportsman — Fishing reports the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has advanced a notice of intent to revise commercial menhaden reporting requirements under this year's Act 444 — a management item worth watching even though it doesn't change recreational rules. No buoy or gauge readings were available for this report.
Bluefin and Bonito Fire Off the SoCal Coast Together
It's a big-fish and big-numbers week off Southern California. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports at least three bluefin tuna over 400 pounds landed out of San Diego in the past two weeks, including one commercially caught fish that weighed in at 449 pounds gutted and gilled. Closer to the beach, the same outlet describes a "bonito bonanza" running from Point Conception to Point Loma as summer fades to fall, with anglers also picking up shots at yellowtail along the way — a Western Outdoor News/Fury two-day charter out of Dana Point reportedly cracked roughly 70 tuna by 11 a.m. on one trip to Tanner Bank. Surf anglers have had a rougher go of it: Surf Fishing in So Cal has been chronicling a difficult, El Niño-disrupted surf season on the San Diego coast. Offshore is where the action is concentrated right now.</em>
Fall Feeding Shift Building on Lanier and Allatoona
Georgia Wildlife Blog's September 11 fishing report calls this the moment to grab your gear as days shorten and water starts to cool — the classic cue that flips on the fall bass bite at Lake Lanier and Allatoona. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for either lake this cycle, so treat water temp as unconfirmed and check conditions on-site before you launch. Nationally, Tactical Bassin's fall-transition coverage this week describes largemouth pushing onto baitfish around docks and grass edges as shad begin schooling — the same pattern typically arrives on Lanier and Allatoona as September rolls toward October. Lanier's spotted bass, the lake's signature species, should start feeding harder on main-lake points and humps as the water column mixes, though we don't have a direct report confirming that bite yet. Stripers and hybrids, typically strongest here from October into winter, are likely still slow, and crappie remain a deeper, patience-required target until temperatures drop further.
Migratory browns push into Colorado's Dream Stream as drought lingers
Colorado Trout Hunters is calling it a fantastic fall on the South Platte's Dream Stream, with migratory brown trout pushing up from the reservoir and guides logging strong days on streamers and nymphs. That intel lines up with what Crystal Fly Shop is seeing across the Western Slope tailwaters — the Roaring Fork, Frying Pan, and upper Crystal River are all running low, clear, and cool, with small offerings like Rainbow Warriors, Sparklewing RS2s, and Flashback PTs picking up fish, and Tricos still showing on some stretches. The Colorado River through Glenwood Springs remains under a voluntary afternoon closure after monsoonal rain muddied the flow, though cooler water from the rain has helped. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing and Cutthroat Anglers both continue flagging 2026 as one of the driest years on record for Colorado, with several stretches still under closures. Tailwaters and early-morning windows remain the safest bet while freestones stay stressed.
Fall transition arrives for Toledo Bend & Sabine bass
Toledo Bend and the Sabine border are heading into the early fall transition, and the clearest signal this cycle comes from national bass coverage rather than a local report: per Tactical Bassin's early-September breakdown, largemouth are leaving summer structure to chase baitfish on shoreline flats, grass edges, and docks as water starts to cool, a shift Fishing the Midwest also ties to dying weed beds pushing baitfish — and the bass behind them — into the healthiest remaining grass. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for this stretch this pull, and no Toledo Bend- or Sabine-specific shop, charter, or agency report surfaced either, so the species read below reflects seasonal expectation, not confirmed local intel. Largemouth, catfish, and white bass are the reservoir's fall mainstays; crappie typically holds steady this time of year. Verify conditions locally before you launch, and check current regs before keeping fish.
Driftless browns eye streamers as fall staging begins
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for the Driftless Area this cycle, so this update leans on seasonal timing and the week's fly-fishing chatter rather than hard numbers. Mid-September typically eases stream temps off summer highs, which nudges wild browns into more aggressive pre-spawn feeding as they start staging ahead of the October spawn. MidCurrent's Tying Tuesday roundup this week features Root River Rod Co's go-to Driftless streamer — a pine-squirrel jig built to bounce the rocky bottom of tight, technical runs without hanging up — a solid cue that streamer presentations are worth tying on for anyone chasing bigger fish right now. Caddis Fly (OR) also notes hoppers remain a late-summer staple in trout diets, so terrestrial patterns should keep producing in brookie headwaters before frost thins the grasshopper population. With a waxing crescent moon keeping early mornings and evenings darker, low-light streamer swings look like the play heading into the weekend.
Early fall signals point toward Mobile Bay reds, trout, and snapper
A Pensacola-area angler logged the season's first red snapper trip of the fall on September 14, boxing a 10-pound fish plus several 20-inch fish in glassy Gulf conditions after a nearby cobia spot came up empty (per Pensacola Fishing Forum) — a calm-water pattern that likely extends west into Mobile Bay's Gulf waters this week. No buoy or gauge readings came through for this region this cycle, so we're leaning on typical mid-September patterns for the northern Gulf Coast: redfish and speckled trout should stay active around falling-tide cuts and current lines, the setup Sport Fishing Mag highlights in its breakdown of falling-tide fishing. Cobia action reads as thinning as the summer run winds down, consistent with that empty-handed Pensacola report. Snapper season windows shift through fall, so check current Alabama regulations and daily limits before keeping bottom fish this week.
Mosquito and Pymatuning bass push into the fall feed
Cooling water on Mosquito and Pymatuning is nudging both reservoirs into the fall pattern anglers watch for through mid-September: bass sliding onto flats and around baitfish as shoreline weeds start to die back, a shift Tactical Bassin has been tracking on lakes across the region right now. No buoy or gauge readings came back for either lake this cycle, so there's no hard water-temp number to report — check a local source before you launch. Walleye anglers should lean on the mix of traditional bottom presentations and forward-facing sonar that Fishing the Midwest has been detailing this season, since clearer fall water tends to reward both approaches at once. Crappie and catfish typically stay catchable into early fall on these reservoirs, though we don't have a direct Ohio report confirming either bite this week. Treat this as a seasonal-pattern read rather than a live report until fresher local intel comes in.
Fluke bite holds strong in Raritan Bay as albies push in
Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ logged a stretch of excellent fluke fishing this month, with several anglers boxing their three-fish limit within the first two drifts and pool fish running 5 to 7-plus pounds — proof the summer flounder bite is still very much alive in Raritan Bay as September rolls on. Grumpys Tackle (NJ) confirms the pattern shoreside, reporting fluke, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and bonito all active, with false albacore now mixing in. Farther along the coast, OTW Northern New Jersey notes albies have joined bonito and Spanish mackerel on the reefs, while the bluefin tuna bite stays spotty — a trend likely echoed on Raritan Bay's own reef structure. NJ Fish & Wildlife News continues collecting summer flounder and black sea bass data via its angler tally form, a reminder that regulations for both species could shift. Current remains the swing factor: Capt Ron's crew has seen days go from lights-out to tough the moment the tide turns hard.
Fluke and Albies Keep Jersey Shore Busy Ahead of Fall Run
Fishermans HQ LBI's September 10 report found Long Beach Island's surf still warm and clear, holding onto summer with spearing and other micro-bait thick along the beach. Fluke remain the backbone of the bite: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands called a recent trip 'excellent,' with quick limits on good drifts and a pool fish over five pounds, while Grumpys Tackle notes fluke still mixing with bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Reef and inlet action has shifted toward fall species — OTW Northern New Jersey's September 10 update has false albacore joining bonito and Spanish mackerel on the reefs, and Fishermans HQ's Hi Flier open-boat trips are running 30 to 45 miles for big bonita, albacore, and 27-to-30-inch bluefin tuna on light spinning gear. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports sea bass charters filling coolers and shark fishing 'busted wide open,' including released makos. Stripers are still building toward their fall push.
Delaware Bay anglers wait on the fall push as NJ's ocean side heats up
No buoy or gauge readings came back for Delaware Bay today, but the season's shape is visible from the rest of the Jersey coast. The Northern New Jersey Fishing Report for September 10 (On The Water) notes albies have joined bonito and Spanish mackerel on the reefs while fluke fishing stays consistent — a signal that bait is pushing hard up and down the state. Grumpys Tackle (NJ) is reporting the same mix (fluke, blues, Spanish mackerel, bonito, false albacore) along with a fresh reel restock ahead of the fall run. None of today's feeds carry a direct Delaware Bay report, so treat bay-side conditions as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite: weakfish, striped bass, and blue crab are the bay's typical September players, with the striper push usually building through late September as water cools. NJ Fish & Wildlife News is also flagging menhaden management hearings — relevant since bunker supply drives much of the bay's fall bait picture.