Fishing reports
16335 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Giant bluefin and squid-fed striper blitz mark Cape Cod Bay's fall turn
Captain Billy Hayes boated a 753-pound, 108-inch bluefin tuna in just 27 minutes after running into a mid-afternoon feed in Cape Cod Bay, per On The Water — a sign big pelagics are still working bait schools close to the Cape. Just up the coast, OTW Saltwater is calling it the "craziest striper blitz of 2026": a heavy shortfin squid concentration has pushed 40- and 50-inch bass into a feeding frenzy in the Cape Cod Canal current, with soft plastics reportedly outfishing traditional squid-pattern plugs. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the bay today, so we're leaning on angler reports rather than water-temp data this cycle. MA Sea Grant's WHOI drifter work shows water routinely exiting Cape Cod Bay to the north within days of release, which tracks with the moving bait and roaming blitzes anglers are describing. Expect stripers to stay the headline story into the new-moon tides, with bluefin opportunistic wherever bait balls up.
Squid blitz stripers spill toward Buzzards Bay as fall run builds
A significant squid push through the Cape Cod Canal has striped bass busting bait in 40- and 50-inch sizes on soft plastics, according to this week's On The Water surfcasting coverage — a pattern likely spilling toward the Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound approaches as bass and bait filter west and south. On The Water also reported a 753-pound bluefin tuna landed in just 27 minutes during a mid-afternoon feed in nearby Cape Cod Bay, confirming big migratory fish are actively working this stretch of coast. Warm-water strays are turning up too: On The Water documented a barracuda taken off Massachusetts and a young surfcaster landing a rare Caribbean cubera snapper on Nantucket, both flagged as unusual visitors tied to above-normal water temperatures. With a new moon pushing stronger spring tides through Woods Hole and the Elizabeth Islands passages, current-driven ambush points should keep producing through the week — check state regs before harvesting anything you plan to keep.
Albies fill in off Montauk as Long Island's fall run gets going
False albacore are filling in off Montauk and yellowfin tuna are working the midshore grounds, per On The Water — New York / Long Island's September 10 report, while big fluke keep chewing from the Western Sound down to the South Shore as they push out of the backwaters. On the East End, White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays notes striped bass are 'beginning to show' in Shinnecock Bay, a sign the fall push is arriving, and Tight Lines Tackle reports bluefish running above cocktail size at the inlet. South Shore action stays strong too — Fishfinder II out of Captree calls the night bluefish bite the best in years, and Bob's Bait and Tackle in Amity Harbor still finds fluke thick in the bay. Bonito and Spanish mackerel are filling gaps along the Sound and North Fork per River Bay Outfitters, with false albacore right behind them.
Albie blitz lights up South County as stripers hold in the ponds
False albacore and green bonito have taken over the South County scene this week, with both the Saltwater Edge and Snug Harbor Marina reporting steady action around the Harbor of Refuge and along the south county beaches — best early, before boat traffic and pressure push the fish down. Striped bass are still around, with Quonnie Bait and Tackle noting bass feeding heavily on bait pushed into the salt ponds and along the outer beaches, though the Saltwater Edge says many anglers are easing off targeting bass as brown shark encounters climb. Fluke remain a mixed bag — Frances Fleet is still boating solid numbers of keepers with a shot at doormats on full- and half-day trips, while Snug Harbor Marina says fish are sliding into deeper, traditional fall water. Black sea bass are filling coolers for Booked Off Charters and Frances Fleet alike, and tautog reports are just beginning to stir as water starts to turn over.
Chesapeake mouth eases into the early fall transition
No NOAA buoy readings, USGS gauge data, or Chesapeake-mouth-specific angler reports came through in this cycle's intel sweep, so this update leans on typical seasonal patterns rather than fresh, on-the-water confirmation. Mid-September at the Bay mouth is usually the hinge point between summer's cobia-and-Spanish-mackerel program and the first stirrings of the fall striper run, with water still warm enough to hold summer species while cooler nights start nudging things toward a transitional bite. This week's New Moon means stronger-than-average tidal swings, which typically sharpen current-dependent bites around structure, channel edges, and oyster rock. Anglers fishing the mouth this week should expect a mixed bag rather than one dominant pattern. Treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation, not confirmed local reports — check regional shops and Virginia DWR for updated regulations and current conditions before planning a trip, since none of today's source feeds carried Chesapeake-specific catch intel.
Early fall transition stirs on Chincoteague's Eastern Shore
Mid-September is a genuine hinge point for anglers working the barrier-island waters around Chincoteague, as summer's grip on water temperature starts to loosen and the first meaningful bait pushes move toward the inlets and back bays. No buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, and this week's regional wire didn't carry a Chincoteague-specific shop or captain report, so what follows leans on typical seasonal patterns rather than confirmed bites — we're flagging that gap rather than guessing at numbers. Striped bass activity along coastal Virginia and the lower Chesapeake usually begins waking up as water cools through September, though the bigger push is generally still weeks away. Red drum and speckled trout tend to settle into the marsh edges and channels behind the barrier islands this time of year, while summer flounder typically starts staging toward the inlets ahead of their fall offshore migration. Check current Virginia DWR regulations before harvesting anything this month.
Western Basin walleye anglers lean on the fall feed window
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for the Western Basin today, so this update leans on seasonal pattern and general walleye technique notes rather than a live temperature snapshot. Early September sits right at the edge of the fall transition for Lake Erie's Western Basin, when walleye begin shifting off summer structure and following baitfish as shallows start to cool. Fishing the Midwest's recent walleye piece notes anglers are blending old-school approaches, jigging live bait and pulling crankbait rigs, with forward-facing sonar to locate suspended fish more efficiently this season, a combination worth trying as the bite reorganizes. Yellow perch and smallmouth bass typically stay catchable through this stretch on reef and shoal structure, while white bass activity usually eases after their spring-into-summer peak. Check current water clarity and wind direction locally before running out, since no region-specific reports came through today's feeds.
Tennessee River Bass Dial Into Early Fall Pattern
Anglers working the Tennessee River are finding largemouth bass pushing into their early-fall groove, per Tactical Bassin (blog), which reports fish holding tight to grass edges and actively feeding as they transition off summer patterns. The crew worked a mix of flipping, topwater, and reaction baits to stay on fish that kept moving through the day — typical this time of year, when bass key on baitfish near open water instead of tight cover. Tactical Bassin's broader September rundown backs this up, noting bass across the region are chasing baitfish and responding to topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits worked to cover water quickly. Docks are worth a look too — the same outlet flags this stretch of early fall as some of the best dock fishing of the year, with bass pouring in behind baitfish pushed off dying grass beds. No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Cumberland system this cycle, so treat flow and temp as unconfirmed until you're on the water.
Olympic Peninsula rivers ease into their early fall salmon shift
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife's ongoing fishing and stocking reports remain the primary check-in point for Olympic Peninsula anglers as the region moves through its early-September transition, though no fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle to confirm current flows or water temperature. With a new moon overhead and no specific on-the-water intel available for these freshwater systems this week, conditions are best read through the calendar: early September sits at the seam between summer steelhead tailing off and the fall Chinook and Coho pushes that typically build through the month on Olympic Peninsula rivers. Anglers should lean on WDFW's creel-check data and current regulations rather than assume any run has turned on yet. We're treating this cycle as a data-light window — real-time flow and temperature readings, along with any shop or captain reports specific to these rivers, weren't available, so check local gauges and current WDFW updates before planning a trip.
Fall Transition Sets Up Yakima and Spokane Trout Bite
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife's statewide creel and stocking report program remains the primary resource for Eastern Washington anglers this week — no specific catch reports for the Yakima or Spokane-area waters came through our regional feeds this cycle, and no NOAA buoy or USGS gauge coverage exists for these interior freshwater systems. That's a data gap worth naming honestly rather than guessing at numbers. Early September in this region typically marks the shift between late-summer patterns and the fall bite: trout begin sliding into deeper, cooler holding water as surface temperatures ease off summer peaks, kokanee stack up over deep structure, and smallmouth bass continue feeding heavily on main-lake points before the seasonal slowdown. With a new moon this week, low-light bite windows around dawn and dusk should be worth prioritizing. Anglers heading to Yakima River tributaries or Spokane-area lakes should check WDFW's fishing and stocking reports directly for current, water-specific numbers before planning a trip.
Lake Superior Trout Bite Cools While Inland Fall Bite Builds
Surface temps near Duluth read 65-70°F this week, dropping to 60°F toward Two Harbors, per the MN DNR's Lake Superior Summer Fishing report (Sept 10) — and the lake trout bite has gone 'fairly slow' for the 18-33 inch class, with anglers still finding some success trolling spoons, flasher flies, and stick baits high in the water column near Duluth. That North Shore slowdown lines up with a broader shift happening across Twin Cities and North Woods waters: Fishing the Midwest notes fall weed die-off is starting to push baitfish and gamefish out of stale cover and into the healthiest green weeds left on the flats, a pattern worth chasing for walleye, pike, and bass right now. Field & Stream also flags early fall as prime time for suckers-under-a-float presentations on muskie water, as fish key on baitfish before the cold really sets in. Expect a transition week — Superior's trout bite stays choosy, inland gamefish activity should keep climbing.
Bluefish blitzes and steady fluke keep Sandy Hook anglers busy
Bluefish put on a show over the holiday weekend — Capt. Al Shinn aboard the Miss Belmar Princess (per The Fisherman — Northern NJ) reported slammers busting the surface everywhere on the best day, mixed in with bonito and Spanish mackerel. Closer to the Bay itself, Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ is still grinding out fluke through tricky current, with a 5-lb 9-oz pool fish and steady one-to-three-fish limits, plus black sea bass filling in around the boat. Albies have joined the bonito and Spanish mackerel showing on the reefs and fluking remains consistent, per OTW Northern New Jersey's September 10 report, even as the tuna bite stays spotty. Grumpys Tackle (NJ) confirms the same mixed bag — fluke, blues, Spanish mackerel, bonito, and false albacore all in play. Fluke season closes 9/25 and the black sea bass bag limit steps up to 10 fish on 9/23, per The Fisherman — New Jersey edition.
Pine Barrens bass and pickerel hold as Delaware River smallmouth show up
Water temps are holding in the upper 70s across the Delaware Bay freshwater systems, per Smith's Bait Shop in Leipsic, which means the summer pattern of early-and-late-day bites is still the rule heading into mid-September. In the Pine Barrens, Creekside Outfitters describes a stormy, quieter week overall, but Ocean Acres is still giving up largemouth to 3 pounds along with pickerel and panfish on Chatterbaits and killies, and a recent HOFNOD contest produced a 3-pound largemouth for angler Lilly. Batsto Lake continues to hold bass and pickerel, while Waretown Lake is putting out good catfish action. Down in Cape May, Hands Too Bait and Tackle notes fair largemouth in local ponds and steady catfishing in Ponderlodge Lake, with Dennisville leading for bass and panfish. Dave's Sport Shop also flagged some good smallmouth fishing turning up in the Delaware River itself, and Allen's Dock reports recent storms bumped water levels in the tidal feeder streams.
Fall Bite Builds as Albies, Blues, and Fluke Collide in NJ
Fluke remain the backbone of the Jersey Shore bite as the season winds toward its September 25 close, with Fisherman's Headquarters in Central Jersey reporting a 9-pound flatfish on a mullet strip and Miss Barnegat Light finding sea bass mixed in on Gulp grubs tipped with squid or sea robin strips. Bluefish have turned aggressive — Capt. Al Shinn aboard the Miss Belmar Princess saw slammers "everywhere on the surface" this past week, and the Mary M IV boated a full boat limit up to 3 pounds. Fall migrants have arrived: OTW Northern New Jersey reports albies joining bonito and Spanish mackerel on the reefs while reef fluking stays consistent and the tuna bite runs spotty. Along the surf, fluke are biting heavy at the point per The Fisherman's NJ/DE Surf report, with tog and sheepshead stacking on the jetties. Black sea bass limits expand to 10 fish on September 23.
Delaware Bay flounder bite holds strong as fluke season nears close
Delaware Bay's flounder bite remains the story heading into mid-September, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle (per The Fisherman — Southern NJ) reporting a boat limit of keepers to 22 inches on minnows, spearing, and squid strips, while Big Dave's Tackle noted flounder to 23 inches and weakfish to 19 inches on the same drifted baits. Hands Too Bait and Tackle described "tons and tons" of bait pushing bluefish and weakfish onto the bay beaches and jetties, with stripers stirring in the back-bay sod banks. Black drum to 20 pounds are mixing into the flounder catch on clam baits, and tautog and sheepshead are working the lighthouses and sea walls on sand fleas and green crabs. The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay Region forecast flags that fluke season closes 9/25 and black sea bass bag limits rise to 10 fish on 9/23 — worth planning trips around before rules shift.
Chinook chatter builds as WA salmon season rolls into fall
An angler on the IFish.net Fishing Reports forum reported losing a rod overboard this week while trolling solo just north of the legal boundary near Buoy 10, noting 'HOT chinook action' on the troll — forum chatter that hasn't been corroborated by a shop, charter, or agency report yet, so treat it as a lead worth checking rather than confirmed intel. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data came through for this update, so water temperature and swell height are unavailable; check a local source before running offshore or into the Strait. WA WDFW Fishing Reports continues publishing statewide creel and catch data, the most reliable read on what's actually being landed at access sites. Early September in Puget Sound and along the Pacific approaches typically means salmon dominating angler attention as chinook and coho pushes build toward river systems, while bottomfish like rockfish and lingcod hold a steadier, quieter pace.
Georgia coast anglers ease into September's slow transition
Georgia's Atlantic coast is sliding into its early-fall pattern as September opens, per the Georgia Wildlife Blog's September 4 report, which frames the new month as a fresh window for time on the water. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings are available for this cycle, so treat any water-temp estimate as a placeholder — check a local source before heading out. The Georgia Wildlife Blog also confirmed in August that its fishing reports have shifted to a rotating regional format (North, Central, Southeast, Southwest), which means coast-specific bite detail is thinner in this feed than usual. Regionally, Coastal Angler Magazine flags the fall kingfish migration as building toward its October push along the South Atlantic coast, a useful marker for GA nearshore anglers watching bait movement. Inshore, redfish, spotted seatrout, and flounder remain the dependable marsh-and-creek targets as water temperatures ease off summer highs under this week's new moon tides.
Fall Chinook push builds on WA's river systems as season turns
Washington Sea Grant marked the 20th anniversary of its SoundToxins biotoxin-monitoring program this week, a seasonal reminder that fishing on Columbia tributaries and Puget Sound river systems is turning toward fall mode. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this region in this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried a direct on-the-water report from Columbia or Puget Sound rivers — so treat this update as seasonal grounding rather than a live bite report. Early-to-mid September typically marks the build phase for fall Chinook returning to Columbia system tributaries and Puget Sound river drainages, with WDFW's ongoing creel interviews and stocking program (per WA WDFW Fishing Reports) the standard way anglers track real-time run timing. Coho typically follow a few weeks behind the early Chinook push. We'd check WDFW's regional creel and stocking reports directly before planning a trip, since specific counts and hookup numbers weren't available in this feed cycle.
Salt River chain bass ease into their fall feeding shift
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for Roosevelt Lake and the Salt River chain today, so this report leans on the seasonal pattern rather than a same-day number. Tactical Bassin's early-September coverage of the nationwide bass transition is the most useful signal available: as summer gives way to fall, bass are pushing onto baitfish and schooling in open water, with topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits doing the work. That shift typically reaches Arizona's desert reservoirs a bit behind cooler-climate lakes, so expect largemouth and smallmouth to still be holding on deeper rock and points early in the day before working the shallows as the morning warms. Crappie stay tucked around brush and rock through this stretch of the transition, and channel catfish remain a dependable after-dark bite on cut bait. With no buoy or streamflow data reporting in for this chain right now, treat lake level and water clarity as unconfirmed until you're actually on the water.
Missouri River blue cats still holding as early fall nears
Real-time buoy and gauge readings for the Platte and Missouri systems weren't available this cycle, so today's read leans on seasonal pattern plus one regional nod worth flagging: Wired 2 Fish this week retold self-described 'river rat' Soda Popp's account of a 100-pound blue catfish pulled off a Missouri River trotline — a good reminder of what these waters can hold, though that particular catch is roughly a decade old rather than a fresh bite report. With early September pushing water toward typical fall-transition temperatures across the central Plains, blue and channel catfish should stay the most dependable target on the Missouri's deeper holes, while walleye and smallmouth on Platte tributaries begin sliding shallower as baitfish move. No Nebraska-specific shop, charter, or agency reports came through our feeds this cycle, so treat the species outlook below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite until fresher local intel lands.
Chinook chatter builds at Buoy 10 as Oregon Coast salmon season closes out
With no NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings available for the Oregon Coast this cycle, on-the-water chatter is doing the talking. One angler working the mouth of the Columbia reported "HOT chinook action trolling solo" near Buoy 10, per a thread on the IFish.net Fishing Reports forum — unconfirmed, single-source, but worth watching as the fall run winds down. A separate Garibaldi trip report on the same forum described salmon as uncooperative while rockfish bit steadily during a harbor cleaning-station stop, another single, unverified data point. Early September traditionally sits at the tail end of the Columbia-system fall Chinook push, so the Buoy 10 chatter tracks with typical seasonal timing rather than signaling anything unusual. Dungeness crabbing remains a reliable fallback along the Oregon Coast into fall. Check state regs before harvesting any species, and verify current conditions locally — instrument data is thin this week.
Louisiana anglers ride out late-summer heat on the Atchafalaya
Louisiana's freshwater scene is still locked into a late-summer pattern this week. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission just approved a notice of intent to revise commercial menhaden reporting requirements under Act 444 from the 2026 legislative session (per Louisiana Sportsman — Fishing) — a reminder the Commission is actively updating fisheries rules statewide even as recreational focus stays on the Mississippi River backwaters and Atchafalaya Basin. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch, so this outlook leans on typical seasonal norms: early September water here usually holds in the low-to-mid 80s, keeping largemouth bass, catfish, and bream as the dependable players while crappie lag until real cooling arrives. National bass blogs are already flagging early-fall transition techniques — free-rigged creature baits and dock fishing (per Tactical Bassin) — worth testing as Louisiana's own cool-down begins.
Fall transition arrives for South Padre's redfish, trout, and snook
Sport Fishing Mag's new fall-transition piece on Gulf snook frames this week for the Lower Laguna Madre: as snook across the Gulf begin sliding toward winter holding areas, the same seasonal cue reaches South Padre's resident snook, redfish, and speckled trout. No live buoy or gauge feed came through for this stretch of the Texas coast this cycle, and no shop, charter, or state-agency report filed anything specific to South Padre or the Lower Laguna Madre, so this update leans on typical early-September patterns for the system rather than a fresh bite report. Expect reds working skinny grass flats and mangrove edges, trout schooling over deeper sand potholes and drop-offs, and black drum staging near channels as water starts to ease off summer's peak. Texas Fish & Game Magazine's recent note on unpredictable ship-channel wakes is worth a re-read for anyone running the Brownsville Ship Channel or Port Isabel jetties this week.
Hopper Season Still Producing on Catskill, Adirondack Trout Water
Hard numbers are thin for the Adirondacks and Catskills this week — no NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through, and none of our angler-intel feeds filed a direct report from New York trout water. What we do have: Trout Unlimited highlights ongoing habitat work on the Saranac River's North Branch in Clinton County, part of a broader push to reconnect floodplains and cool water for trout across the region. Seasonally, early September is peak terrestrial time for trout streams like these — hopper and ant patterns typically produce through midday as grasshopper populations peak before the first hard frosts. With low, clear flows typical of this stretch of the calendar, expect fish to hold tight to shade and structure and to spook easily on bright, high-sun days. Early mornings and last light remain the highest-percentage windows until nights start cooling water meaningfully.