Fishing reports
14764 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Illinois River runs high as fall transition takes hold
USGS gauge 05586100 on the Illinois River is running at 30,200 cfs, a strong flow for early October, while gauge 05586300 upstream holds water temperature at 67°F as of early Wednesday morning. That's higher water than typical for this stretch of fall, with temperatures still sitting in the classic transition range rather than the colder water that usually slows things down.
Wabash system tributaries cool toward a typical fall pattern
USGS gauges across the Wabash watershed are reading a consistent 60°F this morning, with gauge 05524500, gauge 03353200, and gauge 395223086214202 all logging the same mark, a clear sign the fall cool-down has settled into Indiana's inland waters. Flow tells a split story: gauge 05524500 is running a modest 170 cfs and gauge 03353200 just 13.8 cfs, while gauge 03335500 is pushing 8,020 cfs, underscoring how much conditions vary tributary to tributary this week.
Pittsburgh-area tailwaters ease into fall transition
Water temperatures across the Allegheny and Pittsburgh-area tailwater network span 60°F to 65°F this morning, with gauge 03039040 posting the warmest read at 65°F and gauge 03036000 the coolest at 60°F. Flow character is split: the smaller tributary stations, gauge 03039000 at 74.9 cfs and gauge 03036000 at 204 cfs, are running low and clear, typical for early October base flow, while the mainstem reading at gauge 03036500 sits far higher at 5,530 cfs. That spread points to a watershed where the tributaries have already settled while the larger river is still carrying more volume.
Limestone flows steady as Spring Creek, Penns Creek ease into fall
USGS gauges across the Spring Creek and Penns Creek watershed are running cool and stable for early October. One station (01547500) reads 209 cfs at 60°F, a second (01548030) holds 66.4 cfs at 53°F, and a third (01546500) sits at 79.6 cfs. A fourth gauge in the broader system (01542500) carries a much larger 1150 cfs at 57°F, reflecting mainstem flow rather than the spring-fed tributaries themselves. That spread, warmer high-flow water beside colder low-flow water, is normal for a limestone system where groundwater-fed reaches stay steady while freestone-influenced water tracks recent rain more closely. Wading access looks good at these levels.
Presque Isle tributaries settle into stable fall-cooling pattern
Tributary gauges feeding the Presque Isle region are reading in the mid-50s this week, 55°F at USGS gauge 04212895 and 56°F at both USGS gauge 04213152 and USGS gauge 03021890. Flow is low and steady where it's being measured, 8.91 cfs at USGS gauge 04213152 and 17.2 cfs at USGS gauge 04213000, with no sign of a recent rain pulse. That's the clear, settled base-flow water typical of a northwest Pennsylvania October before the first real cold front moves through.
Fall pattern settles in at Lake Murray ahead of Kayak Series opener
The Saluda River below Lake Murray is running near 1,090 cfs at 70°F this morning (USGS gauge 02156500), and that reading lines up with what anglers are seeing on the water. B.A.S.S. News reports it's "a full-blown fall pattern now" at Lake Murray, per Bassmaster Elite qualifier Cody Stahl, who's fishing the lake ahead of the first-ever standalone Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship. The transition there is in full swing, water still holding some late-summer warmth but trending seasonal by the day.
Fall cooldown takes hold at the Grand River mouth
Water feeding Lake Michigan near the Grand River mouth is sliding into typical fall ranges this week. USGS gauge 04108862, closest to the lake, reads 57°F, while gauge 04118564 upstream sits at 60°F and gauge 04108660 farther south holds at 61°F. Flow is uneven across the system: the Grand River stem at gauge 04119000 is running high near 2,500 cfs and gauge 04108660 holds a strong 1,420 cfs, while gauge 04108862 has dropped to just over 7 cfs, close to baseflow. That combination of cooling water and mixed flow is right on track for early October as the system shifts out of summer patterns.
Fall transition tides take hold along the Sonoma coast
Arena Cove's tide station read 56.5°F at 5:06 AM Tuesday, holding in the typical range for the Sonoma coast this time of year. The morning tide builds toward a high near 10:12 AM PDT before falling to a 4:21 PM low, with a second station to the north posting its own high around 11:01 AM, a tide pattern anglers working the Bay and Bodega grounds should plan around this week.
Eastern Shore waters cool as the coastal striper run heads south
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8631044 near Wachapreague read 65.5°F this morning, with the next low due around 1:17 p.m. ET and the next high near 7:36 p.m. Virginia's Eastern Shore sits in the stretch where that kind of reading starts to matter. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) and The Fisherman (Northeast) both describe the fall striped bass run as fully underway farther up the coast, with the NJ/DE Bay region already producing striped bass over 50 inches and black sea bass back in the mix, per The Fisherman (Northeast). That southbound push hasn't been reported locally yet, but the cooling water here is exactly the setup for its arrival.
Striper bite holds strong as Sound cools into fall run
Long Island Sound's tide stations are reading in the low-to-mid 60s this morning, from 63.9°F to 64.9°F, right where fall fish want it. Striped bass fishing from the mouth of the Thames River is 'as good as it's been in the last few years,' per AW Marina, with chunks, sandworms, clams, and tins like Deadly Dicks all producing from shore. J&B Tackle reports striped bass, bluefish, and false albacore still holding from Fishers Island east to Millstone Point after last week's nor'easter cleared out. Black Hawk and Tartan II both describe strong bottom fishing, with black sea bass showing in good numbers and sizes.
CT inland rivers settle into a cooler fall rhythm
USGS gauge 01184000 logged 4,290 cfs and 60°F early this morning, the strongest flow of the five Connecticut inland stations reporting today. Gauge 01194500 ran lean by comparison at 25.9 cfs and 53°F, gauge 01193500 added 46.9 cfs with no temperature on file, and gauge 01194796 held 63°F with no flow reading available. Gauge 01193050 posted a reading of -5,010 cfs, the signature of a tidally influenced reach rather than straightforward streamflow. Taken together, inland Connecticut is spanning a wide temperature band this week, from the low 50s to the mid 60s depending on watershed.
Taneycomo trout turn the corner as fall brown run begins
Trout fishing on Lake Taneycomo has turned a corner into October. Lilleys Landing reports good numbers of rainbows spread through the upper lake, a clear step up from the slower summer bite, and notes the lake's brown trout are showing up in solid numbers for their fall spawning run.
Cold Bull Shoals releases keep White River trout dialed in
The White River tailwater is running true to early-October form below Bull Shoals Dam: USGS gauge 07060000 reads 53°F, the cold bottom-release water this trout fishery depends on, while gauge 07060500 downstream near Norfork shows 60°F on a generation flow of 2,830 cfs. A smaller tributary feeding the system, gauge 07060710, is noticeably warmer at 65°F on a trickle of 4 cfs, reflecting surface warmth rather than dam discharge.
Yellowstone country settles into prime fall trout flows
The Yellowstone River gauge near the park (USGS 06192500) is holding a solid, above-base flow for early October, the kind of steady fall stage that keeps riffles and tailouts well-aerated as nights cool and water temperatures slide toward winter range. Freestone drainages across the Yellowstone and Snake River (Tetons) country are moving into their classic late-season window, with clearer water and gentler currents than summer runoff.
Green River cools into its early-October fall rhythm
USGS gauges across the Green River system show the fall cool-down taking hold: the upstream reach (gauge 09234500) read 51°F on 2,180 cfs, the downstream reach (gauge 09261000) came in warmer at 57°F on 2,650 cfs, and a third regional gauge (404417108524900) logged 53°F in the pre-dawn hours. That spread between the two Green River readings is typical as the river moves further from its upstream source control through the morning, and it puts the whole system squarely into early-fall water temperatures.
Green River tailwater settles into a cool fall flow pattern
The Green River tailwater below Flaming Gorge Dam is running a clear seasonal gradient this week. USGS gauge 09234500, just below the dam, measured 51°F on a 2,180 cfs release in the early hours, while gauge 09261000 farther downstream read 57°F on 2,650 cfs — a six-degree warm-up as the river gains volume and surface exposure heading downriver. A third station, gauge 404417108524900, held at 53°F with no flow figure reported. Releases are sitting in the 2,100 to 2,700 cfs range, consistent with a steady early-October dam schedule.
Kansas Basin Rivers Split Between High Water and Low Water This Week
USGS readings across the Kansas and Arkansas River systems show a clear split heading into mid-October. Two mainstem gauges (06892518 and 06892350) are carrying a strong 17,000 to 18,800 cfs at 69°F, while a smaller feeder stream (06893100) has dropped to just 12.6 cfs at 64°F. That's the shape of early fall on this basin right now: the bigger channels still moving real volume and holding onto summer warmth, while smaller tributaries slide toward thin, clear, cooling base flow.
Cooling tributaries signal fall walleye window in Western Basin
USGS gauges feeding Lake Erie's Western Basin are running between 60°F and 64°F this week: the Portage River gauge (04198000) reads 60°F on the lowest flow of the three at 111 cfs, while the Sandusky (04193500) and Blanchard (04192500) rivers sit warmer at 64°F and 63°F with much stronger flow (1,560 and 1,990 cfs). That spread marks the seasonal cool-down that pushes baitfish and walleye toward structure. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch flags the "plain rig" — a bottom bouncer rigged with a plain snell and nightcrawler — as a go-to for fall walleyes, and also points to a bladed swim jig as a multi-species option that draws walleye strikes this time of year.
Dale Hollow win headlines a stable fall push on Cumberland waters
Water across the Cumberland River system is running in the mid-60s to mid-70s this morning. USGS gauge 03433500 logged 66°F on 43.4 cfs, 03431514 read 75°F, 034324146 came in at 68°F, and 03434500 held flow at 95 cfs. None of the four stations show a flow spike, so the drainage is sitting at a stable, fishable base level heading into the weekend. Regional activity hasn't slowed either: MLF News reports a Phoenix Bass Fishing League event at Dale Hollow Lake produced a two-day winning bag of 38 pounds, 5 ounces for Livingston, Tennessee's Rex Reagan, a sign the Cumberland-system impoundments are still fishing well into early October.
Cooling Flows Signal Fall Bite Window on Western NY Tributaries
Western New York's tributary streams are settling into a typical fall pattern: USGS gauge 04218700 is reading 62°F on 157 cfs, gauge 04231600 is running higher at 622 cfs and 60°F, and the smaller gauge 04232050 is holding a lean 13.2 cfs at 58°F. That spread, cooler water on lower flow and warmer water on higher flow, reflects the uneven cooldown moving through the watershed as nights lengthen. Fishing the Midwest's fall walleye coverage notes the bottom-bouncer-and-nightcrawler plain rig turning on as water cools, and its bladed swim jig piece points to northern pike joining bass and walleye on the same retrieve this time of year.
Salmon River kings and browns stacking up with lake trout mixed in
Salmon fishing has been very good over the past week on Lake Ontario, per Strike Zone Charters, with browns and lake trout mixed in alongside the salmon run. The charter reports fish holding in 100 to 160 feet of water, with preferred depth shifting day to day as wind pushes the thermal layers around. Mag Dipsey Divers are producing when fish sit deep, with green, white and chartreuse e-chip spoons drawing strikes. The Salmon River tributary gauge is running low and steady this week, consistent with typical early-October flow for the system.
Saginaw Bay tributaries cool into prime fall feeding range
USGS gauge 04157005, in the Saginaw Bay watershed, logged water at 60°F with flow holding at 2,330 cfs early Thursday morning. That temperature sits right in the window where Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay gamefish typically shift into their fall feeding pattern, pushing baitfish into the shallows as the big lake continues its seasonal cool-down toward turnover.
Fall stocking refreshes Central Mass ponds as stream flows run thin
USGS gauge 01104475 is reading a bare trickle of 0.13 cfs with water sitting at 54°F, while the two gauges tracking higher flow, 01105500 and 01111500, hold at 39.8 and 30.8 cfs, numbers typical for a dry early-October stretch. Freshwater stocking is the real story this week: per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, Forest Lake in Methuen and Stile's Pond in Boxford both received fresh rainbow and brown trout plantings in late September, and Congamond Lakes' Middle Pond got rainbows on September 30. Jerry's Bait and Tackle also reported smallmouth bass holding at Wallum Lake on shiners, with yellow perch biting on minnows at Milford Pond.
Quabbin and Wachusett tributaries cool and thin as fall stocking rolls on
The Swift River, which feeds Quabbin, is running low and cool at 49.2 cfs and 55°F (USGS gauge 01173000). The Quinapoxet and Stillwater, Wachusett's two main tributaries, sit at 53°F and 55°F on thin flows of 9.2 and 10.2 cfs (USGS gauges 01095375 and 01095220), and a fourth watershed gauge is down to 3.4 cfs (USGS gauge 01174500). Cooling water on low flow is the standard early-October signature for central Massachusetts reservoirs, with trout sliding into deeper, slower water as surface temperatures keep dropping.