Fishing reports
16412 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Bass and pickerel keep biting across the Pine Barrens as summer lingers
South Jersey's lakes and ponds are holding in the upper 70s, per Smith's Bait Shop's report in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater, which keeps the summer pattern of early- and late-day fishing in play, with bigger bass working weed-line shadows on plastics. Deeper in the Pine Barrens, Creekside Outfitters told The Fisherman that Ocean Acres is giving up bass to 3 pounds along with pickerel and panfish on chatterbaits and killies, Batsto Lake is producing bass and pickerel, and Waretown Lake continues to yield catfish. Panfish stay a dependable target — Smith's Bait Shop reports crappie, perch and panfish stacking in spillways below area dams, and a recent HOFNOD contest produced bass, pickerel and panfish, with a 3-pound largemouth topping the field. Allen's Dock notes recent storms pushed water levels up in the tidal reaches of upper-area streams. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data came back for this stretch this cycle, so lean on the reported bite windows over hard numbers.
Fluke, blues, and false albacore keep Jersey Shore anglers busy
No buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, but shore intel is thick for early September. Fisherman's Headquarters in Southern NJ notes bluefish, weakfish, and croaker mixing with stripers moving into back-bay sod banks on Delaware Bay beaches, while Boulevard Bait & Tackle in Sea Isle City reports tog to about 4 pounds and bonito and Spanish mackerel busting bait outside the jetty rocks. Fin-Atics in Ocean City is seeing fluke from shorts to 4-5 pounds at Corson's Inlet on live minnows, with scattered weakfish off the back docks. Offshore, Hands Too Bait and Tackle notes mahi and yellowfin action building on the pots and reefs. NJ Fish & Wildlife News flags public hearings on menhaden management, a reminder that bait supply policy is in play this fall.
Delaware Bay flounder bite stays steady as fall bait floods the bayshore
Anglers are still finding keeper flounder up and down the Delaware Bay this week. Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports a boat limit of flatties to 22 inches on minnows, spearing and squid strips, with croaker, spot, bluefish and even black drum to 20 pounds mixed in. Big Dave's Tackle is seeing a similar spread — flounder to 23 inches and weakfish to 19 inches on drifted minnows and squid strips, plus scattered black drum on clam baits. Hands Too Bait and Tackle says bait is thick from the bay to Cape May and the Wildwoods, pulling bluefish to 6 pounds and weakfish to 4 pounds along the bayshore, with stripers starting to work the back-bay sod banks. Tog and sheepshead remain a solid option at the lighthouses and sea walls on sand fleas or green crabs. Water is transitioning toward fall with the waning crescent moon overhead — check state regs before harvesting.
Permit and Kingfish Keep Naples Anglers Busy on the Gulf
Permit are eating well off Naples right now, with captains sight-casting to fish stacked over grass flats and pairing morning trips with steady kingfish action on plugs and flies, per Naples Offshore Fishing Charters. Their recent reports also note cobia and amberjack mixed into the same structure, a typical late-season bonus pattern for this stretch of the Gulf Coast. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water temp and flow as unconfirmed and check a local source before running offshore. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida continues tracking Gulf red snapper allocation fights tied to a new stock assessment — worth watching if snapper are part of your trip, and always confirm current season dates before harvesting. Salt Strong's weekly Gulf Coast game-plan advisories are another good check-in this time of year for spot-specific local trends beyond what's covered here.
Late-Season Silvers and Halibut Still Working the Gulf of Alaska
Early September sits at the tail of Southcentral Alaska's silver salmon run and inside the tail end of the region's summer halibut charter season, both of which typically hold into fall before weather and closures shut things down. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds didn't turn up any charter, tackle-shop, or agency reports specific to Gulf of Alaska bite conditions — the available Alaska Sea Grant items covered oyster farming, a Kasaan boating-safety workshop, and community programs rather than what's biting. That gap means today's outlook leans on general seasonal knowledge rather than fresh reports: expect halibut still feeding on deeper structure, coho salmon finishing their nearshore push, and bottomfish like lingcod and rockfish holding steady on rocky structure. Check state regulations before targeting any species, and watch local marine forecasts directly since no wind or sea-state data was available this cycle.
Yellowtail and mutton snapper feeding heavy across the Keys
Snapper action anchors the Keys report this week. ALL IN Key West describes yellowtail snapper "practically jumping in the boat" alongside strong mutton snapper numbers, with grouper, cobia, and kingfish rounding out recent trips. Bud n' Mary's early-summer report echoes the same pattern, noting warm water, abundant bait, and strong variety from the flats to the Gulf Stream, with tarpon around the bridges and mahi offshore. Sailfish have also shown well on strong Gulfstream current pushes per ALL IN Key West's live-bait trips, alongside king mackerel and tuna. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so treat water temperature and current strength as typical early-September Keys conditions until a direct reading is available. Snapper remains the most consistently reported bite; bottom and reef structure are the places to start.
Redfish and speckled trout fire up as Gulf water stays hot
Water at buoy 42001 southeast of the Delta is holding at 89°F with light 6 m/s wind this morning, keeping the bite pattern squarely in late-summer mode. Sport Fishing Mag's inshore guide to the Louisiana coast points anglers to big trout on larger plugs and live baitfish like mullet, pogies or croakers when targeting trophies, with Matrix Shad, Strike King Redfish Magic and Rage Swimmer among the go-to picks. Redfish remain a reliable target on a wide range of artificials plus live and cut bait, per that same guide. Salt Strong's trip report from Louisiana backcountry water describes sight-fishing shots at big redfish and chunky black drum in shallow water, underscoring how visible the shallow bite has been. No buoy wave or gauge data came through this cycle, so plan around warm, stable water and typical early-September Delta patterns rather than a specific tide push.
Bonito Blankets the Bight as Bluefin Push Offshore
Bonito are thick from Point Conception to Point Loma, with anglers finding it hard to avoid a hookup on the local grounds, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater's latest Bight-wide report, and yellowtail are showing shots along the same stretch of coastline. Offshore, the bite has real teeth: a Western Outdoor News charter dispatch out of Dana Point cracked roughly 70 tuna by 11 a.m. on a two-day run to Tanner and Cherry Banks, and a San Diego crew tagged a 441-pound bluefin that could challenge the state record, also per Western Outdoor News. NOAA buoy 46221 near the Channel Islands read 74°F water with 4.9-foot seas, while buoy 46025 off the eastern San Pedro Channel logged 72°F and a stiff 11 m/s breeze. Surf anglers, meanwhile, are calling August their best stretch of an otherwise rough, El Niño-battered season, per Surf Fishing in So Cal.
Keeper flounder still stacking up in Delaware Bay
Keeper flounder to 22 inches are coming from Delaware Bay boat drifts on minnows, spearing, and squid strips, per Higbee's Bait and Tackle, while Big Dave's Tackle reports a similar mix of flounder to 23 inches, weakfish to 19 inches, and blues from bay boats working the same grounds. Hands Too Bait and Tackle notes heavy bait loads from the bay down to Cape May have pulled bluefish and weakfish onto the Delaware Bayshore beaches and jetties, with stripers starting to push into back-bay sod banks. Farther up-bay, Smith's Bait Shop says Port Mahon boats are picking croaker, flounder, and trout on the reef sites, and small striped bass are showing at the Woodland Beach pier on bloodworms. Eric Burnley notes early-September rain muddied inshore water but the bite held from croaker to tilefish. Winds are light out of the east near 13 mph under warm late-summer air.
Croaker and flounder keep Chesapeake anglers busy into fall
Boats working reef sites out of Port Mahon are stacking croaker, flounder, and bluefish this week, with blues favoring cut bait and metal lures while flounder come on live minnows and jig-and-squid combos, per The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake. A Woodland Beach pier report from that same source added small striped bass on bloodworms and Fishbites into the mix, and Bowers Beach jetties are giving up flounder, trout, and croaker, with trout keying on peeler crab or yellow bucktails. Heavy rain in the first week of September muddied inshore waters, but Eric Burnley notes fishing stayed good from croaker to tilefish. Farther out, head boats at the Old Grounds are returning with sea bass and flounder, and charter boats trolling Fenwick Shoal are finding Spanish mackerel on Clark and Drone spoons, per Hook 'em and Cook 'em. Regional air readings sit near 76°F with a light breeze, per NOAA buoy 44009.
Groundfish Steady, Stripers Staged for Fall Push on NH's Gulf of Maine Coast
NOAA buoy 44007 in the Gulf of Maine logged 62°F water and a light 6 m/s breeze this morning, still comfortable water for the region's late-summer holdovers. Bottom fishing is the more reliable bite right now: per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME, Capt. Tom Lukegord of Beauport Fishing Adventures reports steady action on cusk, redfish, and pollock, though codfish haven't been as plentiful as hoped since the Gulf of Maine season reopened. Bluefish remain scarce across the region this year, per the same report. Striped bass are still working through southern Maine waters and haven't yet begun their typical fall push south into New Hampshire and Massachusetts, per the South Shore Massachusetts to Maine dispatch — anglers up and down the coast are watching for that migration to kick into gear. September historically opens up the offshore grounds, and that pattern appears to be holding here.
Bottom Bite Rolls On in CT's LI Sound as Albies Push Toward Watch Hill
Long Island Sound buoys read 73-74°F this week (NOAA buoys 44025 and 44065), water still warm enough to keep the Sound's bottom bite humming into September. Bluefish are steady on the Connecticut side — Tartan II reports plenty of scup, sea bass, and bluefish coming over the rail, with sharks mixed in on the bottom grounds. Scup are running numerous and large, and AW Marina notes sandworms, squid, and clams have been effective for porgies fishing both sides of the river at Fort Trumbull and Avery Point, with striper fishing in the mouth holding decent. Black Hawk's Waterford Napa trip filled coolers with porgies and sea bass, though a Thursday fluke trip came up light on keepers, mostly shorts. Further out toward the Rhode Island line, J&B Tackle is seeing false albacore arrive, with the early-morning bite the most consistent window. The Fisherman's New England forecast also flags gator bluefish working through the Sound this week.
Chicago's Lake Michigan gears up for the fall salmon push
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle for the Chicago lakefront, and this week's angler-intel pull surfaced no on-the-water reports specific to southern Lake Michigan — worth saying plainly rather than guessing. The one directly relevant signal is administrative: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes 2024 was a standout year lakewide, with a record 210,000-plus coho salmon harvested and the best Chinook year since 2012, evidence of a lake that's currently supporting strong salmon numbers overall. Early September is the traditional window when Chinook and coho begin staging toward river mouths and nearshore structure lakewide, a seasonal pattern rather than a confirmed local bite. Anglers working the Chicago lakefront and harbors should expect that setup to be developing now, but should treat it as typical-for-the-calendar rather than a verified report until fresher local intel comes in.
Fall salmon staging begins on the Indiana Lake Michigan shoreline
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant this week posted that registration is open for the 2026 State of Lake Michigan Meeting, set for November 4–6 in Michigan City — a research-and-management gathering held right on the Indiana shoreline. Beyond that, none of this week's angler-intel feeds carried a direct on-the-water bite report for this stretch, and no buoy or gauge readings came in either. Broader lake context comes from the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report, which recapped a strong 2024 harvest of Chinook and coho salmon plus steelhead lakewide, with better alewife survival credited for the strong stocked-fish returns — useful backdrop, not this week's bite. Early September is typically when Chinook and coho begin staging toward river mouths along the Indiana shoreline ahead of the fall run, with yellow perch still working nearshore structure on crawlers and minnows. Treat today's report as seasonal-pattern guidance rather than confirmed local intel, and check with a local shop or the state DNR before heading out.
September chill flips the switch on Northwoods musky and walleye
Water temperatures across the Vilas and Oneida County musky grounds are sliding out of the upper 60s and low 70s and tumbling through the 60s this week, according to Rollie & Helen's Musky Shop, as the first real north winds of September push through the Northwoods. That cooling trend is the signal Northwoods anglers wait for all summer — muskies are shifting off their lazy late-August patterns into a more aggressive early-fall mode, with the shop flagging topwater as a productive early-morning approach before the bite pushes deeper later in the month. Walleye anglers on the region's lakes are leaning on a mix of old and new this time of year — traditional jigging and live-bait rigs alongside forward-facing sonar, per Fishing the Midwest. Panfish, per Wired 2 Fish, are sliding toward deeper suspended structure as the transition continues, rewarding smaller baits over the usual summer spread.
Bonito and Spanish Mackerel Fill In as Bluefin Bite Cools
Long Island's inshore action is shifting as summer gives way to the fall push. Bonito and Spanish mackerel are filling in for anglers, per On The Water's September 3 Long Island and NYC report, even as the midshore bluefin jig bite — described as red-hot in the same outlet's August 20 report — has begun to slow. Ocean fluking, excellent off the South Shore in mid-August, took a hit following the August full moon, also per On The Water. On the east end, weakfish, bluefish, and porgy have kept inshore anglers busy. Two tiger sharks landed on back-to-back nights off Long Island, also reported by On The Water, point to an active, bait-rich system along the beach right now. With the waning crescent moon and cooler nights settling in, anglers are watching for false albacore to show behind the bonito, following the usual seasonal handoff along this stretch of coast.
MS Sound Red Snapper Season Reopens as Fall Bite Builds
Mississippi's recreational red snapper season came back online this month under an MS DMR order that opened territorial waters Friday, September 4, running Friday through Sunday plus a bonus Monday, September 7. That's the headline for Sound anglers this week, since no fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for a hard water-temp or tide read today. Early September in the Sound typically still holds late-summer warmth, keeping speckled trout and redfish workable around structure and marsh edges even as snapper draws boats to nearshore reefs on open days. General Gulf-coast technique notes from Salt Strong point anglers toward skinny, clear-water sight-fishing for redfish and black drum this time of year, while Sport Fishing Mag's Gulf inshore coverage leans on live bait and soft plastics for trout and flounder. Check MS DMR's posted schedule before targeting snapper, since open days are date-specific and territorial waters close in between.
Fall transition nears for Kennebec and Penobscot waters
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings and no Kennebec- or Penobscot-specific angler reports came through this cycle — the ME Sea Grant items filed this week covered oyster-reef restoration and marine-economy workforce topics, not river conditions, so nothing here can be pinned to a named source. What we can say is seasonal: early September in central Maine is typically when landlocked salmon and brook trout start responding to cooling surface water, smallmouth bass begin sliding off summer flats toward drop-offs and current seams, and chain pickerel hold steady in weedy backwaters as vegetation starts to thin. A Waning Crescent moon usually means calmer, low-light bite windows around dawn and dusk. Without hard water-temp or flow numbers this week, treat all of the above as general seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite — check a local shop or the state's current fishing report before planning a trip.
Squid-Fueled Striper Blitz Puts Cape Cod Bay Anglers on Alert
A massive shortfin squid concentration has turned the Cape Cod Canal into a striped bass feeding frenzy, with 40- and 50-inch fish crashing bait in the current — a blitz On The Water's podcast crew called one of the craziest of 2026. Squid runs like this typically pull big resident bass out of Cape Cod Bay proper, and anglers working soft plastics through the rip are reporting some of the best surface action of the season, outproducing traditional squid-pattern plugs. On The Water also flagged a rare warm-water visitor this week: a barracuda landed in Massachusetts, a species that almost never shows this far north. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for this report, so treat water temp as unconfirmed. Regionally, Saltwater Edge in Rhode Island is already seeing baitfish push out of the salt ponds ahead of the fall run, a pattern that typically reaches Cape Cod Bay within a couple of weeks.
Squid-driven striper blitz lights up the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal is the story right now: a heavy push of shortfin squid packed the Canal and triggered what On The Water's "Squid Hounds" podcast called one of the craziest striper blitzes of 2026, with 40- and 50-inch bass tearing through squid schools in the current. OTW Surfcasting notes soft plastics have been outfishing traditional squid-pattern plugs as bass key on the smaller profile. Just offshore, OTW Saltwater flagged a rare barracuda landed in Massachusetts waters — a reminder of how warm the water's running this stretch. Down the coast in Rhode Island, Saltwater Edge Blog reports peanut bunker, silversides, and sand eels pushing out of the salt ponds toward open water, with bonito and the first spanish mackerel already showing and albies expected close behind. No live buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so lean on local reports and tide tables until fresh data lands.
Fall Chinook Arrive as Olympic Peninsula Rivers Hold Steady Flows
Flow readings from the two Olympic Peninsula gauges we track this morning show moderate, fishable water — 456 cfs and 293 cfs — with no water-temperature data reporting in from either site. No direct captain or shop chatter came in from the Peninsula's salmon rivers this cycle, so the outlook here leans on the calendar: early September is typically when the fall Chinook push starts stacking into these systems, with coho following close behind through the month. For angler-reported creel counts and current stocking activity on specific rivers, WA WDFW Fishing Reports is the place to check before heading out. Expect crowds to build on popular stretches as the run develops. Water levels at both gauges are holding rather than spiking or dropping hard, which is generally favorable for consistent fishing rather than the blown-out or gin-clear extremes a fast rise or crash can bring.
Early-fall cooldown sets up trout and bass shift in Eastern WA
USGS gauge 12484500 logged a steady 1,780 cfs flow early this morning, with no water-temperature reading currently available for the Yakima/Spokane region. That leaves us without a fresh, region-specific bite report this week — the agency and blog feeds pulled for this update lean toward coastal marina programs and national bass/panfish tactics rather than Eastern Washington creel data, so we're working off seasonal patterns rather than confirmed local sightings. WA WDFW Fishing Reports notes the department runs an ongoing creel and stocking program covering lakes and streams statewide, including this region, so check current WDFW numbers before you head out. Early September typically keeps rainbow trout and smallmouth bass active as water starts to cool, with walleye beginning to push toward baitfish concentrations. We'd rather flag the gap than guess — no captain, shop, or forum report specific to Eastern Washington surfaced in this cycle's intel.
Bass turn toward baitfish as CT holds onto summer warmth
USGS gauge 01184000 read 73°F this morning with flow running high near 7,090 cfs, while the smaller gauge at 01193500 sits low at 34.4 cfs — a split picture of a swollen mainstem holding summer warmth against a trickling tributary. Largemouth bass are starting their push toward fall feeding patterns, keying on baitfish near open water, according to this week's coverage from Tactical Bassin and On The Water. Panfish anglers should scale down: Wired 2 Fish notes that as water stays warm and weeds thicken, bluegill and crappie slide off classic shallow cover to suspend deeper or hold tight to structure, rewarding smaller baits over the usual spring-size offerings. Trout activity typically stays subdued through early September until overnight temperatures start pulling water down further. For multi-species trips, Fishing the Midwest points to a bladed swim jig as a reliable pull across weedlines, drawing bass, pike, and walleye on the same retrieve.
Illinois River current stays strong as panfish slide deep
The Illinois River gauge at site 05586100 logged roughly 9,850 cubic feet per second in early Monday readings, a solid push of current for anglers working seams, eddies, and current breaks along the river this week. No water-temperature reading came through with that gauge, so plan around flow rather than a specific number for now. Per Wired 2 Fish, panfish are sliding away from shallow summer cover as the heat lingers, with bluegill and crappie suspending over deeper structure — downsizing baits is the move. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch is still leaning on a bladed swim jig paired with a plastic trailer worked along weed edges for a mixed bag of bass, northern pike, and walleye, a pattern that travels well to Illinois River backwaters and Lake Michigan harbor structure. IL/IN Sea Grant's latest updates are program news — a November Lake Michigan meeting, new seed-grant funding — not bite reports. Check state regs before harvesting anything you keep.