Fishing reports
16480 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Erie tributaries hold steady as smallmouth eye the fall shift
Flow on the region's tributary gauge (USGS 04213000) reads a modest 33.1 cfs this morning — low and stable, typical for early September before fall rains bump levels. No water-temperature reading came through with this cycle's data, and this week's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up direct on-the-water reports from Lake Erie or Presque Isle specifically, so we're leaning on typical seasonal patterns rather than fresh bite reports. Historically, early September on Erie sits in the shoulder period: walleye and yellow perch stay catchable on classic summer presentations while smallmouth bass start sliding toward deeper structure, echoing the fall-transition cues On The Water flagged nationally this week. Steelhead remain a few weeks out from their typical tributary push. Check PA Fish & Boat's Biologist Reports for the latest stocking and creel updates before you head out, and expect low, clear tributary flow to keep wading options open into the weekend.
Okeechobee and St. Johns bass ease into the fall transition
The only hard number in from the region this morning is a USGS reading: gauge 02232000 logged flow at 960 cfs, an unremarkable early-September stage with no sign of the runoff spikes that scatter bass off structure. No shop, charter, or state-agency reports came through specifically on Lake Okeechobee or the St. Johns River today, so this update leans on typical seasonal patterns rather than fresh dock talk. Largemouth bass sit in the early window of the summer-to-fall shift, gradually pushing toward baitfish as nights start to cool, though the change is slow-moving this early in September. Panfish are the trickier read — per Wired 2 Fish, bluegill and crappie in warm, weedy water tend to slide off shallow cover and suspend deeper once heat and vegetation peak, which argues for smaller baits and a patient, deeper presentation over a bank-beating approach right now. Channel catfish typically stay steady through this stretch regardless of the bass pattern.
Grand River salmon push builds as fall transition nears
The Grand River is running elevated at 3,170 cfs as of this morning's USGS reading, a solid pulse for anglers watching the fall salmon migration build through Michigan's Great Lakes tributaries. On the Michigan Sportsman Forum, anglers on the Grand describe rapids filling in and fish 'moving up' as cooler nights approach, and a separate post on the same forum noted early cohos already showing at Harbor Beach on Lake Huron's Thumb side — both angler chatter, not yet confirmed by an agency or shop report, but consistent with the seasonal push. MI DNR's Weekly Fishing Report continues to flag walleye as the most heavily harvested species in Michigan's Great Lakes waters, keeping it a reliable go-to. Panfish are turning tougher as summer lingers — one Michigan Sportsman Forum angler managed just two gills on Bishop Lake — echoing Wired 2 Fish's note that panfish slide deep and suspend once the heat sets in. Expect a gradual shift toward fall patterns over the coming week.
Quabbin and Wachusett smallmouth eye the early fall transition
USGS gauge 01174500 on the Swift River below Quabbin shows flow sitting at a bare 1.24 cfs this morning, with no water-temperature reading logged — a reminder that late-summer drought conditions are still squeezing outflow into early September. No direct reports have come in from Quabbin or Wachusett Reservoir proper this week, but the broader New England freshwater picture, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, offers a useful proxy: at Congamond Lakes bass have cooled off their hot two-weeks-ago pace though plenty of largemouth remain around structure, while at Wallum Lake anglers are finding smallmouth bass and rainbow trout by drop-shotting in 30 feet of water. Expect Quabbin and Wachusett smallmouth and lake trout to be following the same seasonal script — sliding toward deeper, cooler structure as surface temps ease and baitfish reposition for the fall transition.
Live bait shortage reshapes South Texas trips as STAR Tournament wraps
Down in Port Isabel, Capt. Cliff Fleming reports live shrimp remain scarce at area bait camps, with live croakers stepping in as the go-to bait for South Texas guides, per Galveston Daily News — Reel Report. Farther up the coast, Galveston Bay stayed calm and quiet over the weekend — Eagle Point Fishing Camp saw light boat traffic and flat water, while Capt. Derrick Greene, running charters out of Galveston Yacht Marina, filed his own inshore and offshore notes. The CCA Texas STAR Tournament wraps its final weekend Monday at 6 p.m., pulling angler attention toward last-minute entries before the deadline. With early September still carrying summer's edge along the upper and lower coast, expect trout and redfish to hold typical late-summer patterns until the first cool fronts start nudging the fall bite into gear.
Redfish, trout hold in Gulf backwaters as a late cobia surprises
A Pensacola-area boater working structure roughly 17 miles into the Gulf hooked a cobia — locally called "ling" — this week after running out into 2-3 foot chop on a forecast that called for calmer water, per a report on the Pensacola Fishing Forum. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Mobile Bay/Gulf area this cycle, so this report leans on angler intel rather than hard numbers. Inshore, the read points toward redfish and speckled trout holding in stained backwater pockets, a pattern Salt Strong flagged this week — fish stacking in dirty water that looks unfishable but isn't. To the west in Louisiana, Sport Fishing Mag notes trout keying on bigger meals like mullet, pogies and croakers, a pattern that typically tracks east into Alabama's bay systems as water cools. Offshore, gag grouper trolling produced well off Florida's west coast this month per Sport Fishing Mag, though anglers should check Alabama's own recreational season and limits before targeting them.
Bluefin Push Reaches Half Moon Bay as Warm Water Lingers
Northern California's bluefin bite is running hotter than anyone expected this month. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports Captain John Marfia of Tanker City Sport Fishing landed six bluefin between 130 and 170 pounds out of Half Moon Bay, putting quality tuna squarely in Central Coast waters and well north of where anglers typically find them this late in the season. The same outlet notes dorado and yellowtail have been showing on kelp paddies as far north as Santa Cruz Island, another sign that warm-water pelagics are pushing up the coast further than usual. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat sea-surface temperature and swell as unconfirmed until you check a live source before heading out. For Central Coast anglers the real question now is whether this tuna and yellowtail push holds through the weekend or slides back south as September wears on.
Bluefin Bite Explodes Off Half Moon Bay in Northern California
Half Moon Bay's bluefin tuna bite has moved from remarkable to record-setting, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater: Captain John Marfia of Tanker City Sport Fishing recently boated six bluefin between 130 and 170 pounds, and party and commercial boats are now routinely blowing past what used to be a standout five-fish day. That kind of sustained big-fish action this far north signals warm, bait-rich water pushing up the Northern California coast. We don't have fresh buoy or gauge readings for the SF Bay/Bodega corridor today, so plan around a forecast check rather than a specific temperature. Inshore, expect the usual early-September mix — striped bass working structure and current lines, California halibut over sandy bottom, and rockfish holding on structure — though none of those bites were specifically reported today, so treat them as seasonal expectations rather than confirmed action. Check current state regulations before harvesting any species.
Buoy 10 Chinook Chatter Builds as WA's Fall Run Gets Going
Anglers on the IFish.net forums this week describe strong, if unverified, chinook trolling action just north of Buoy 10 near the mouth of the Columbia, with one angler working the bite solo before losing a rod and reel overboard in roughly 22 feet of water — a sign of real traffic in that stretch even if the catch reports themselves are chatter rather than confirmed data. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for Puget Sound or the outer coast this cycle, so we have no fresh water-temperature or flow numbers to anchor conditions against. Washington Sea Grant's calendar points toward the Dungeness crab fishery, with a commercial Skills and Drills course set for South Bend September 28–29 — a reminder that crab remains a major fall draw alongside salmon. Check WDFW's site-specific creel and catch reports before you head out, since state-specific bite data was thin in this pull.
Eufaula bass and crappie shift patterns as fall arrives
Flow at USGS gauge 07247500 in the Lake Eufaula/Red River corridor is running very low this week (2.39 cfs) — the clear, low-water stage typical of late summer before fall rains pick things up. No Oklahoma-specific reports came in this cycle, but the regional seasonal signal lines up with what other Midwest and southern guides are describing right now: Tactical Bassin notes bass beginning their early-fall push around docks and schooling on baitfish as water starts to cool, while Fishing the Midwest reports fish sliding out of dying, oxygen-poor summer weeds toward the greenest remaining grass. Wired 2 Fish's panfish piece is a useful reminder that bluegill and crappie are often still suspended deep over structure in lingering summer heat, not yet pushed shallow. Expect a gradual transition here rather than a hard switch, with bass activity likely to build faster than panfish over the next couple weeks.
Western NY bass, walleye shift gears as fall transition begins
Water temperatures sitting at 69°F on the regional tributary gauge (04231600, flow near 1,390 cfs) mark the classic late-summer-to-fall crossover for Western New York's Lake Erie and Niagara-area fisheries. Panfish are pushing deeper and suspending over open water as the heat lingers, per Wired 2 Fish's late-summer panfish notes — smaller baits and slower presentations are the play. Smallmouth bass are following a similar shift: Tactical Bassin's September reports describe fish transitioning from summer to fall patterns and keying on baitfish near open water, while Fishing the Midwest points anglers toward docks and green, living weed edges as classic multi-species holding areas this time of year. Walleye anglers can lean on the tried-and-true — jigging live bait and bladed swim jigs remain productive per Fishing the Midwest, even with forward-facing sonar changing how many anglers locate fish. Expect a slow, steady seasonal shift rather than a hard switch over the next week.
Salmon Show Up Big on Lake Ontario Ahead of Tributary Push
"Salmon are here!!" is the headline out of Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario) this week, and it's backed up by a genuinely strong bite: Chinooks mixed with browns and lake trout, all coming from 100 to 160 feet of water on the open lake. Preferred depth is shifting day to day as wind moves the thermocline, and captains say Mag Dipsey Divers are producing once fish settle deep, with green, white, and chartreuse e-chip flies behind Atomic attractors drawing strikes. On the tributary side, the gauge on the Salmon River system (USGS 04250750) is reading a lean 49.3 cfs with no fresh temp data available — thin, clear, low-water conditions typical for early September before a rain event pushes fish up from the lake. Tributary anglers are still mostly waiting; the action right now is offshore. Watch for a flow bump to signal the first real push into the river.
Delta stripers and bass set up as strong flow pushes through
The only hard number in this morning's pull is a strong one: USGS gauge 11455420 logged flow at 52,800 cfs in the early hours of September 8, a notably elevated read for early fall that's keeping current moving hard through the Delta's channels, cuts, and tidal flats. No water-temperature reading came through alongside it, so structure calls this week lean on flow and season rather than a thermometer. Delta-specific bite reports were thin in this week's feeds — nothing came through naming a Delta water, shop, or captain directly. The closest regional signal is Wired 2 Fish's note on channel catfish running hot on Clear Lake in west-central California, a different system but a sign warm-water cats are still active statewide. On technique, Tactical Bassin's September rundown flags bass sliding onto baitfish-holding structure as the summer-to-fall shift takes hold, a pattern that typically shows up in the Delta's tule lines too. Expect stripers and largemouth to key on current seams while sturgeon and catfish stay steady bottom bets. Verify local access and regs before you launch.
Yellowstone-Area Cutthroats Key on Hoppers as Terrestrial Season Peaks
Per Hatch Magazine's "Yellowstone terrestrial countdown," anglers across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are hitting the annual sweet spot for hopper fishing, and conditions on the Snake and Yellowstone drainages back that up: our USGS gauge reading (site 06192500) shows 1,820 cfs and 58°F water, comfortable, actively-feeding trout temperature for early September. That combination favors terrestrials fished tight to grassy banks, the approach Caddis Fly Shop (OR) details in its recent hopper and sunken-ant pattern posts, both built specifically for late-summer trout keyed on grasshoppers and ants. Gink and Gasoline notes that technical, pressured trout this time of year reward careful presentation over fly selection alone, worth keeping in mind on well-fished stretches near Yellowstone and the Tetons. Cutthroat should be the most reliable player right now, with rainbows and browns mixing in as the bite holds through the terrestrial window before fall streamer and mouse patterns take over.
Fall Chinook Trickle Into the Lower Columbia as Smallmouth Hold Deep
An early fall push showed up at the mouth of the Columbia this week: one boater trolling solo near Buoy 10, just north of the legal line across from Skipanon, reported hot chinook action, per IFish.net Fishing Reports — a single, uncorroborated account, so treat it as an early signal rather than a confirmed bite. Our monitored gauge on the system read 67°F this morning with flow running an elevated 5,910 cfs, conditions that typically favor salmon staging in cooler, faster water while pushing smallmouth bass and other warmwater species toward deeper structure — a late-summer pattern Wired 2 Fish notes as panfish slide off the shallows once the heat sets in. Gear lost overboard near the mouth of the Lewis — a guide-style rod paired with a coldwater reel spooled in yellow braid, per another IFish.net report — matches typical lower-river salmon trolling setups right now. Expect scattered early-run activity to build through the week as more boats get on the water.
Mosquito, Pymatuning bass ease into early fall transition
USGS gauge 03110000 held flow at a steady 65.7 cfs as of early Thursday, a quiet base-flow signal that mirrors what several regional sources are describing for early September patterns on inland reservoirs like Mosquito and Pymatuning. Tactical Bassin notes bass are 'transitioning to Fall patterns' and pushing onto baitfish near open water this month, a shift anglers here should expect on main-lake flats and points. Fishing the Midwest points anglers toward green, living weed edges as summer grass dies back — a starting point worth checking on Pymatuning's shallower coves. Panfish are sliding deeper too: per Wired 2 Fish, warm-water bluegill and crappie often suspend over open water or deep structure this time of year rather than holding shallow cover, so scaling down bait size can help. Walleye anglers should lean on the jig-and-livebait or FFS approach Fishing the Midwest describes for clear Midwest waters. Expect a slow but steady transition period on both lakes.
Green River trout perk up as Utah's high country cools toward fall
USGS gauge 09234500 read 57°F and 1,830 cfs before dawn today, comfortable trout water that should hold through the week as Utah's Green River tailwater and the high Uinta Lakes settle into the early-September cooldown. No direct on-water reports came through our Utah freshwater feeds this cycle, so we're leaning on the seasonal pattern: as surface temps ease off summer highs, browns and rainbows typically feed more actively through the middle of the day instead of pulling back to dawn-and-dusk windows only, and cutthroat in the higher Uinta lakes respond to the same cue. Wired 2 Fish's note this week on warm-season panfish sliding to suspended, deeper structure is a useful general reminder that fish follow temperature, not the calendar — worth keeping in mind on any Uinta lake that's still holding summer warmth in its top few feet. A waning crescent moon means darker nights, which can nudge feeding toward daylight hours.
Green River tailwater trout still keyed on terrestrials into September
The Green River gauge below Flaming Gorge (USGS 09234500) logged 1,830 cfs and 57°F this morning — a steady, cold tailwater release typical for early September, the kind of water that keeps trout feeding through the day rather than shutting down at midday like warmer freestone streams. Terrestrial season is still the story: Hatch Magazine's late-summer terrestrial countdown notes hopper activity building through August into fall across the region, and Caddis Fly (OR) has been tying to it directly, with hopper patterns and sunken ant imitations built for exactly this stretch of the calendar. MidCurrent's tailwater-focused tying coverage this week leaned toward spare, low-contrast patterns suited to clear, pressured water — a good match for a stable dam release like this one. Trout Unlimited also flagged ongoing restoration work in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest after 2024 fire damage, a reminder that nearby Utah drainages are still recovering even as the Green's tailwater fishes on schedule.
Kansas River catfish and white bass hold summer patterns into fall
Water on the Kansas River sat at 84°F this morning per USGS gauge 06892350 — unusually warm for a September reading — with flow holding steady near 1,950 cfs. That warmth means summer patterns are still in play: channel catfish should keep feeding aggressively on current breaks, and nationally cats are having a strong late-summer run, with Field & Stream reporting a near-record channel cat out of a Midwest river last month. Bass are starting their early fall transition, per Tactical Bassin, pushing toward baitfish in open water and around grass edges as temperatures ease. Panfish, per Wired 2 Fish, are likely still suspended deep over structure rather than holding shallow cover — try downsizing baits if you're marking fish but not getting bit. No angler reports specific to the Kansas or Arkansas Rivers came in this week, so treat species status as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed local bite.
Hawaii anglers eye the early-fall pelagic transition
No buoy or gauge readings came through for the islands this cycle, and this week's feeds carried no fresh Hawaii-specific catch reports — a thin stretch for direct intel rather than a confirmed slow bite. Early September typically sits in the shoulder period for Hawaiian offshore waters, as the peak-summer mahimahi push begins to taper while ono (wahoo) and yellowfin ahi remain reliable mainstays of the troll. Hawaii Fishing News, the state's official record-keeper, tracks exactly this kind of seasonal shift through its monthly moon and tide calendar — a useful reference for timing trips around this week's waning crescent moon. Inshore, ulua (giant trevally) fishing off rocky points and channel mouths tends to stay productive year-round regardless of season. With no direct captain, shop, or agency reports on hand for these waters this cycle, treat the species snapshot below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed action, and check a local shop or the state record-keeper's tide calendar before locking in a trip.
Heavy fluke and stacked sea bass keep Raritan Bay boats busy
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands boated a 7-pound, 11-ounce pool fluke this week, with keeper fluke and sea bass stacking so thick around the boat that anglers had to move spots just to get baits past the sea bass down to legal-size fluke, per the shop's Labor Day weekend reports. Grumpys Tackle confirms fluke, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and bonito are all in the mix locally, with the season's first false albacore starting to show. OTW's Northern New Jersey report backs that pattern, noting bonito, blues, Spanish mackerel, and albies working the surf while fluke keeps producing steady on the reefs. Sea bass action around Sandy Hook and Raritan Bay is holding strong into early September, and NJ Fish & Wildlife's Shark River WMA note lists striped bass, bluefish, tautog, and winter flounder among the area's typical inshore catch as the fall transition builds. Current has been running hard on recent drifts, per Capt Ron's.
Fall transition sets up Delaware River smallmouth, Pine Barrens pickerel
Tactical Bassin's new 'How To Catch Tough September Bass' breakdown lands right as Delaware River and Pine Barrens anglers hit the seasonal transition window: bass are shifting from summer holding patterns toward baitfish-focused fall behavior, and that shift typically pulls Delaware River smallmouth out of deep summer holes and onto current seams and rock structure as the river cools. In the Pine Barrens, cedar-water lakes and slow rivers should keep producing chain pickerel and largemouth bass around remaining green weed edges — Fishing the Midwest's 'Find the Green, Find the Fish' notes that as weeds die back with cooling water, baitfish and gamefish concentrate on whatever healthy growth is left, a pattern that plays out here as much as anywhere. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for this region today, so treat water levels and clarity as unconfirmed. Direct NJ freshwater reports were thin in today's intel pull — most regional feeds this week focused on the Jersey Shore's saltwater fall run rather than inland rivers and ponds.
Bluefin and Bonito Push In as Jersey Shore Turns Toward Fall
Fishermans HQ LBI reports 25- to 40-pound bluefin tuna within 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet this week, working for both trollers and bait-drifters, with live squid producing the best hookups. Sea bass and fluke remain the reliable Jersey Shore combo — Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ has put keepers in the box on every recent trip, including a 7-lb, 11-oz pool fish, though hard current has made some days tough fishing. Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) calls sea bass and fluke trips "excellent" right now and adds that shark fishing has "busted wide open," with multiple mako sharks caught and released this week. Per OTW Northern New Jersey's Sept. 3 report, bonito, blues, Spanish mackerel, and false albacore are working the surf while scattered bluefin and mahi hold midshore. NJ Fish & Wildlife News also notes public hearings are underway on a menhaden bait-supply management addendum — worth watching, since baitfish are the backbone of this fall push.
Fluke and sea bass carry NJ into early fall as bait floods the inlets
With no live buoy or gauge readings for Delaware Bay this cycle, this report leans on angler intel from up the Jersey coast, where the pattern is a useful proxy heading into the bay. Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands reports steady keeper fluke over the past week, including a 7lb 11oz pool fish, with sea bass thick enough around the boat to force anglers to relocate. Fishermans HQ LBI notes spearing, peanut bunker, and mullet flooding the surf and back bays as summer gives way to early fall signs. Grumpys Tackle (NJ) confirms fluke, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and bonito activity along the coast. NJ Fish & Wildlife News continues tracking summer flounder and black sea bass data collection this season. Expect similar bait-driven action pushing into Delaware Bay's back bays and channels as water temps ease.