Fishing reports
16124 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Snook still biting Sarasota docks as tarpon start thinning out
Snook fishing remains a bright spot around Sarasota this month, with Capt. Rick Grassett of CB's Saltwater Outfitters reporting fish still holding in the coastal Gulf surf and around ICW docks and bridges near passes, especially as late-summer heat lingers into September. Adult migratory tarpon are thinning out of open Gulf waters per Grassett's monthly forecast, sliding into inside waters to rest over deep grass flats and around bridges ahead of their fall push. Reds are cooperating too — Capt. Chuck Cress of CB's landed several redfish on a popping cork with live shrimp during a rising morning tide this past week. Capt. Brandon Naeve's clients also boated a 27-inch spotted seatrout in Sarasota Bay, one of the state's better speckled-trout grounds, with sunrise and sunset feeding windows still the move. Sport Fishing Mag notes the Gulf-side gag grouper season is short in September and worth targeting before it wraps up.
Marsh transition sets up Georgia's early fall inshore bite
Georgia Wildlife Blog's Fishing Report for September 11 points to the season's first real cooldown settling in — the signal Atlantic coast anglers watch for as inshore species start shifting toward classic fall feeding behavior. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this cycle, so water temp and tide timing here are unconfirmed; check a local source before you head out. Separately, GA Sea Grant's ongoing Turtle-Brunswick River Estuary traineeship is specifically studying how warming waters are affecting striped bass in Georgia's estuaries, underscoring that predator-prey timing on this coast keeps shifting year over year. Direct on-the-water reports for the Atlantic coast were thin this week, so expect the typical early-September pattern to hold: redfish and spotted seatrout working marsh edges and creek mouths as shrimp push out of the grass, with flounder still tight to structure. Confirm current regs before keeping anything.
Snake River cutthroat dial in as fall trout window opens
The USGS gauge near Moose is reading 60°F with flow holding around 1,710 cfs as of Sunday night — comfortable, stable water for a mid-September push on the Snake River system draining Grand Teton and Yellowstone country. This sits squarely in the sweet spot of the fall calendar for Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat, which typically key on hopper-dropper rigs and attractor dries through midday before smaller Blue-Winged Olives take over toward evening. Brown trout are entering their seasonal shift toward pre-spawn aggression, a stretch that generally rewards streamer swings along undercut banks and slower seams as October approaches. Rainbows should be working the same runs on nymph rigs, while mountain whitefish remain a steady, underappreciated bottom-bouncing option when the trout bite slows. No storm signals are showing in the data at hand, so stable flows should hold through the week — check the local forecast and current WY regs before heading out.
Fall Green River trout bite steadies as UT backs native cutthroat
The Green River is holding a steady 59°F at 2,320 cfs as of Saturday evening, per USGS gauge 09234500 — solid tailwater conditions for an early-fall feeding window. No angler reports specific to the Green River or Uinta Lakes surfaced in our sources this cycle, but Utah's native-trout story is active elsewhere in the state: Outdoor Hub reports the Division of Wildlife Resources treated roughly three miles of Salt Lake County's Mill Creek with rotenone to remove an illegally introduced brook trout population and protect native cutthroat, a sign of how seriously the state is managing its trout fisheries this season. On the Green itself, expect typical mid-September behavior — rainbows and browns feeding actively on midges and terrestrials as flows and temps ease toward fall norms, with Uinta high-lake cutthroat still catchable ahead of the first hard cold. Check current Utah DWR regulations before harvesting anything, especially in waters tied to native-species recovery work.
Green River tailwater settles into a stable fall trout pattern
The Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam is running a steady 2,320 cfs at 59°F as of Saturday evening, per the USGS gauge at Greendale (09234500) — both numbers sitting right in the seasonal window for a dam-controlled tailwater easing into fall. No fresh on-the-water reports came in from Flaming Gorge or Green River sources this cycle, so species status below leans on typical September behavior rather than a confirmed bite. Statewide, Outdoor Hub reported Utah wildlife officials treated Mill Creek in Salt Lake County with rotenone to remove an illegal brook trout population and protect native cutthroat — a different drainage from the Green, but a sign the state is actively managing cutthroat fisheries this month. Expect rainbows and browns to stay steady as flows hold consistent, with kokanee starting to stage for their fall run. Check current Utah DWR regulations before harvesting any species out of this tailwater section.
Kansas River corridor still favors catfish as fall pattern builds
Water on the Kansas River corridor sat at 76°F Sunday night with flow running 1,690 cfs at USGS gauge 06892350 — a stout push for mid-September that keeps current seams, wing-dam eddies, and rip-rap edges the go-to program right now. No shop or charter reports came in directly off the Kansas or Arkansas Rivers this week, so we're leaning on typical late-summer-into-fall behavior for prairie rivers this warm: channel catfish should still be feeding hard on cut bait and stinkbait worked along current breaks, and blue catfish are more likely to show after dark in the deeper holes. Fishing the Midwest's fall notes on baitfish movement track with what tends to trigger the first white bass and wiper schooling activity as shad start pushing toward structure — worth watching for as temps ease. Crappie remain the slower bite until water cools further.
Western Basin Walleye Hold Pattern as Water Stays Warm
Water temperatures across the Western Basin corridor held at 73°F this week, per the USGS gauge on the Maumee watershed system (site 04193500), with flow steady near 581 cfs — still running on the warm side for mid-September. That kind of warmth typically keeps Western Basin walleye scattered and relating to bait schools over deeper structure rather than pushing shallow, a normal late-summer holding pattern before the real fall cool-down arrives. This week's regional fishing-media pull didn't turn up a Western Basin-specific bite report, but Fishing the Midwest's recent notes on blending traditional walleye presentations — jigging live bait, pulling crawler harnesses, trolling crankbaits — with forward-facing sonar are a useful reminder that the old-school program still produces even when fish are spread out in warm water. Treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed local report until a shop or captain check-in comes through.
Tennessee River bass shift from grass to open-water baitfish
On the Tennessee River, anglers are finding largemouth stacked around grass flats early in the day before the bite slides to open water once the sun climbs, per a Tactical Bassin on-the-water report this week that pairs flipping and topwater with reaction baits as fish key on baitfish. The same report notes fish are mid-transition from summer to fall patterns, a shift On The Water's fall-bass coverage frames around chasing baitfish rather than water temperature alone. Flow at USGS gauge 03434500 read 74.6 cfs as of the most recent reading, with no water-temperature data available this cycle. Fishing the Midwest's fall-pattern notes on weed-holding fish echo the same idea a region over: as vegetation starts to thin, gamefish relocate to the healthiest remaining grass and adjacent open water. For Cumberland-system anglers, that means working grass edges early, then following baitfish schools as the day warms.
Fall Chinook Season Rolls On for Olympic Peninsula Rivers
No buoy or gauge readings came back for Olympic Peninsula salmon rivers this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep leaned national and saltwater rather than local — nothing from a Peninsula-specific shop, captain, or forum thread made it into the feed. What we can say is seasonal: mid-September sits squarely in the front half of the fall Chinook and coho push that defines Olympic Peninsula river fishing, with hatchery and wild fish typically staging and pushing upstream on rain-driven freshets through October. WDFW's statewide creel and catch program (WA WDFW Fishing Reports) tracks exactly this kind of week-to-week movement via angler interviews at access sites, and checking those numbers directly is the best way to fill the gap this report can't. Until fresher local intel or gauge data comes through, treat any specific bite report for this stretch with caution — nothing above confirms fish are moving yet.
Eastern Washington anglers eye the fall trout and kokanee turn
Mid-September marks the seasonal pivot for Eastern Washington's Yakima and Spokane-area waters, with cooling nights typically nudging trout and kokanee into more active feeding windows after summer's low, clear-water lull. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds skewed toward Puget Sound shellfish-safety notes and national bass/muskie content rather than Eastern Washington-specific dispatches — so treat this as seasonal-pattern guidance, not a fresh bite report. WDFW's statewide creel and stocking program, per WA WDFW Fishing Reports, keeps Yakima River tailwaters and Spokane-region lakes replenished heading into fall, which is typically the setup for improving rainbow trout and kokanee action as water temperatures drop. Smallmouth bass on the Columbia system and walleye in the bigger reservoirs are usually still catchable this time of year but sliding off peak-summer pace. We don't have hyper-local numbers this week, so check current WDFW creel reports before planning a trip.
Fall Weed Transition Fires Up North Woods Bass and Walleye
Mike Frisch of Fishing the Midwest is running a bladed swim jig with a plastic trailer along shoreline flats and deep weed edges near Alexandria, taking bass, northern pike, and walleye off the same retrieve — a combo report worth flagging as North Woods lakes push into their fall pattern. Per the same outlet, weeds are starting to die back as water cools, and both baitfish and gamefish are relocating toward the remaining green, living weed edges — the classic early-fall signal anglers watch for in this region. Walleye anglers are blending old and new tactics: traditional jigging and live-bait rigs (leeches, crawlers) are still producing, but forward-facing sonar is increasingly how anglers are locating suspended fish in the clear water many lakes now carry, per Fishing the Midwest. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat water temp and flow as unconfirmed — check a local report before you head out. Panfish should be sliding toward those same dying-weed edges as forage concentrates there.
Fall Chinook Chatter Builds Along Washington's Coast
An IFish.net forum post from near the Columbia River's Buoy 10 fishery this week describes "HOT chinook action trolling solo" — angler chatter rather than a verified count, but a signal worth watching as Washington's fall salmon push builds along the Pacific corridor. WDFW continues its statewide creel and catch monitoring through its fishing and stocking reports program, though no specific numbers came through our feeds this cycle. On the marine-health side, Washington Sea Grant marked the 20th anniversary of SoundToxins, its early-warning program for harmful algal blooms that protects shellfish harvesters across Puget Sound — a good reminder to check bloom advisories before digging clams or gathering mussels. With no fresh buoy or gauge readings available for this update, we're leaning on seasonal patterns: typically for mid-September, Chinook and coho runs stay active along the coast and into Sound tributaries, and Dungeness crab remains a reliable target where seasons are open. Check state regs before harvesting.
Fall Chinook buzz builds on Columbia rivers as season shifts
With no fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings pulled this cycle, we're leaning on WDFW's ongoing creel and stocking reports and on-the-water chatter to gauge how Columbia and Puget Sound river systems are fishing heading into mid-September. Anglers on IFish.net Fishing Reports describe "HOT chinook action" trolling solo near the mouth of the Columbia this week — promising, but it's forum-level chatter with no shop or agency confirmation yet, so treat it as an early signal rather than a sure thing. WA Sea Grant's SoundToxins program, marking its 20th year, is a reminder that harmful-algae monitoring runs in parallel to the fishery — worth a glance before any shellfish plans tied to a river-mouth trip. Fall Chinook and coho typically build through September in these systems, while winter steelhead stay weeks away. Check WDFW's stocking and creel pages directly before you head out, since specific flow and temp data wasn't available for this report.
Rockfish Fill In While Ocean Salmon Bite Turns Spotty on the Oregon Coast
Anglers posting on the IFish.net forums this week described a mixed picture along the coast: one report near Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia called the chinook action "hot" while trolling solo, but a trip out of Garibaldi found salmon "weren't so cooperative" and turned to rockfish instead, which came through strong off the bottom. We don't have fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings for this stretch today, so this update leans on angler accounts rather than instrument data — treat the salmon reports as anecdotal until more captains or shops weigh in. Rockfish and other nearshore bottomfish look like the more dependable bite right now, typical for mid-September as the fall chinook push works through estuary mouths unevenly. Check current state regulations before harvesting anything, since seasons and limits shift through the fall.
Lower Laguna Madre reds, trout stir as fall snook bite kicks in
Sport Fishing Mag's fresh rundown on the Gulf snook fall transition sets the tone for the Lower Laguna Madre and South Padre Island right now: as summer's heat breaks, snook start sliding toward their winter holding water, and aggressive swimbaits like a Mulletron-style paddletail or a Diezel MinnowZ are drawing reaction strikes along channel edges, according to the report. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data came back for this stretch of the Texas coast today, so water temp and current are unknowns until you're on the water — check local readings before you run. Redfish and speckled trout remain the bread-and-butter bite here and typically build through September as mullet and shrimp push into the flats and back lakes ahead of cooler nights, though nothing in today's feed confirms a hot bite yet. Black drum stay quieter until the classic winter run develops later in the season.
Fall Transition Puts Bass and Crappie on the Move at Kentucky Lake
Fishing the Midwest's 'Find the Green, Find the Fish' notes that as weeds die back late in summer, bass and baitfish concentrate in whatever grass holds on longest — a pattern that tracks well with the early fall transition now underway on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge reading came back for this stretch, and none of this week's angler-intel feeds carried a dedicated Kentucky Lake or Lake Barkley report, so treat this as the seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed local bite. Tactical Bassin's September Tennessee River reports describe a two-phase day — bass tight to docks and grass edges early, then sliding out over open water around baitfish as the sun climbs — a workable template for Barkley's docks and KY Lake's creek-mouth flats right now. Crappie should be shadowing the same shad schools, with white bass and catfish holding on secondary points and channel swings, typical for mid-September on these reservoirs.
Huron's Fall Salmon Push Meets Saginaw Bay Walleye
Mid-September marks the heart of the fall king salmon push into Lake Huron's tributary systems, with Saginaw Bay walleye typically shifting onto deeper structure as surface temperatures ease off summer highs. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for this stretch this cycle, so today's outlook leans on typical seasonal patterns for the region rather than fresh instrument data. Yellow perch usually begin schooling tighter in the bay's mid-depth flats this time of year, a dependable early-fall pattern for anglers working small jigs and minnows. Smallmouth bass remain catchable on nearshore rock and structure before cooling water pushes them out deeper. We're not seeing corroborated angler reports specific to Huron or Saginaw Bay in today's intel feed — most of what came through this cycle covered other regions or species entirely. Treat the species status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed on-the-water reports, and always check current Michigan DNR regulations before targeting migrating salmon around tributary mouths.
Hill Country lakes ease into early-fall bass and white bass patterns
No buoy or gauge readings came in for Travis, LBJ, or Buchanan today, and none of this week's angler-intel feeds carry a dispatch specific to the Highland Lakes chain either, so this report leans on established September patterns plus the one useful regional data point available: My Canyon Lake Fishing, covering a nearby Hill Country reservoir on the Guadalupe River system, reported that lake sitting well above last year's level and still in good shape for boating and fishing. On Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan, early fall typically pushes largemouth bass onto secondary points and grass edges to chase shad, while white bass and hybrid striper schools group up over baitfish in open water, worth working with topwater or slabs at first light. Blue and channel catfish usually stay steady on cut bait through the warm early-fall stretch. Treat these as seasonal expectations, not confirmed bites, until fresher local reports come in for these specific lakes.
NY walleye bite stays hot as fall jigging season ramps up
Walleye limits keep coming easily on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario water this week, per Brookdog Fishing Co.'s latest Buffalo-area report, and lake trout action out of Barcelona has been especially good — including some anglers' first-ever deep-water jigging trips producing consistent fish. Smallmouth bass are also starting to cooperate as the region eases into its fall pattern. No fresh USGS gauge or buoy readings came through for the Hudson Valley or Finger Lakes corridor this cycle, so we're leaning on the closest regional freshwater intel — the western NY Great Lakes fishery — which tracks the seasonal shift Finger Lakes anglers should expect too: walleye and lake trout waking up as surface temps ease down, smallmouth staged shallow before the fall push. With a waxing crescent moon overhead, low-light hours are the safer bet for predator feeding windows. Check current state regulations before harvesting walleye or lake trout, since seasons and limits vary by water.
Fluke limits stack up as albies push onto NJ reefs
Fluke has been the headline in Sandy Hook Bay this week — Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands reports anglers filling three-fish limits on clean, current-driven drifts, with pool fish running 5 to 9 ounces and multiple boats putting several five-fish boxes on ice. Just north along the reefs, OTW Northern New Jersey's latest report has false albacore joining bonito and Spanish mackerel, with fluking staying consistent even as the offshore bluefin bite runs "spotty at best." Grumpys Tackle echoes the same mix — blues, bonito, Spanish mackerel and FAs all in play as bait works out of the back bays toward the ocean. Current and wind have been the wildcard for Raritan Bay boats: Capt Ron's crew has had to "get the lead out" on hard tides and scratched trips outright when wind swung out of the north and northeast. Bluefin retention stays capped under NOAA's 2026 HMS limits for anyone running offshore for tuna.
Albies and Bonito Blitz the Jersey Shore as Fluke Holds Steady
False albacore and bonito are lighting up the reefs off northern New Jersey, joined by Spanish mackerel, in a fast light-tackle bite — per OTW Northern New Jersey's report from September 10, though the tuna bite there is described as spotty. Fishermans HQ LBI is running 30-to-45 miles offshore for the same bonito-and-albie mix plus bluefin tuna in the 27-to-30-inch range, all worked on light spinning rods and jigs. Fluke remain the steadier, closer-to-home option: OTW Northern New Jersey calls the reef bite "consistent," and Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands has been posting pool fish in the 5-to-6-pound class on good drift days, though wind has scrubbed a few recent trips. Grumpys Tackle reports the same fluke-blues-Spanish mackerel-bonito-albie mix showing up at the counter. Striped bass are still a background player for now, with NJ Fish & Wildlife News noting them among the regulars anglers pull from the Shark River Inlet access area as the fall run builds.
Delaware Bay anglers await fall push as fluke, stripers stir
No source filed a dedicated report from the Delaware Bay side of Cape May and Cumberland counties this cycle, so this update reads the season through statewide signals. Along the ocean side, Fishermans HQ LBI is running open-boat trips on bonito, albacore, and 27-to-30-inch bluefin, while fluke action holds steady on nearshore reefs per OTW Northern New Jersey's September 10 report — both signs the fall baitfish push is underway and typically reaches bay systems like Delaware Bay in the following weeks. Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged "excellent" fluke fishing with several three-fish limits before a cold front moved through. NJ Fish & Wildlife is also collecting angler data on summer flounder and black sea bass to inform future regulations — a fishery Delaware Bay anglers fish directly. With no live buoy or gauge readings for the bay this cycle, treat water temp and current as unknowns and check conditions before running out.
Cooling nights set up the fall bite on NJ's Delaware River waters
No fresh USGS gauge or buoy readings came in for the Delaware River watershed or Pine Barrens this cycle, so today's picture leans on seasonal pattern rather than a direct on-the-water report. Nearly all of this week's New Jersey angler intel — from Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands, Grumpys Tackle, Fishermans HQ LBI, and OTW Northern New Jersey — is coming off the saltwater coast (fluke, bonito, albies, bluefin), not the freshwater Delaware corridor or Pine Barrens cedar streams. That's a reporting gap, not a conditions read, so treat today's species notes as typical-for-the-date rather than confirmed bites. Mid-September in this region typically means overnight cooling starting to push water temperatures down off summer highs, which usually nudges smallmouth bass and chain pickerel into more active feeding as they key on baitfish before the fall turnover. NJ Fish & Wildlife News continues its statewide push to expand angler data collection, a reminder to log your own trips since dedicated freshwater reports for this stretch were thin this week.
Second mahi run arrives as Keys snapper bite carries into fall
Sand Key's buoy (SANF1) is logging a stiffer breeze at roughly 10.3 m/s versus a calmer read at Sombrero Key (SMKF1, 4.1 m/s), with air temps still in the mid-to-upper 80s — classic early-fall Keys weather. The bigger story offshore is timing: per Saltwater Sportsman, South Florida's second mahi season typically materializes around mid-September, right on schedule this week, giving offshore trollers a fresh target as the spring push fades into memory. Inshore and on the reef, Bud n' Mary's and ALL IN Key West have both flagged strong yellowtail and mutton snapper action in recent reports, and while those reports skew toward summer, snapper fishing on the reef tends to hold up well into fall. No water temp or wave readings came through on either buoy this cycle, so plan bottom fishing and trolling depth by feel and local knowledge until fresher numbers post.