Fishing reports
16671 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Delta Bass Shift Into Fall Feeding Mode As Flows Hold Steady
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is holding a steady late-summer stage, with the USGS gauge at station 11455420 reading 479 cfs as of Wednesday morning — no dramatic flow shift to report, which usually means fish haven't been pushed off their established early-fall spots. Water temperature wasn't available from this reading, but early September is typically when Delta largemouth bass start keying on baitfish as the fall transition sets in; per this month's broader coverage from Tactical Bassin, bass around the country are moving off deep summer holds toward reaction baits and topwater as shad schools tighten up, a pattern that generally plays out in the Delta's sloughs and tule lines as well. Striped bass, catfish, and sturgeon don't have direct Delta-specific intel in today's feeds — NorCal Fish Reports tracks this system closely among its regional coverage and is worth checking for hyper-local bite details as the week develops. The Last Quarter moon favors early and late light feeding windows over the next few days.
Champlain smallmouth stay locked in as the fall transition begins
Lake Champlain water is holding at 72°F per the regional USGS gauge (04294500), still warm enough to keep smallmouth bass feeding aggressively as Labor Day wraps up the summer pattern. No direct on-the-water reports from Champlain itself crossed our feeds this week, but national bass coverage is unanimous that the fall transition is underway — On The Water's rundown of fall-transition baits and Tactical Bassin's September guidance both flag baitfish starting to move, with bass following them off summer structure into open water and along emerging weed edges. That mirrors what Champlain smallmouth typically do this time of year: roam shorelines and drop-offs chasing shad rather than holding tight. Landlocked salmon are the bigger question mark — with surface temps still near 72°F, they're likely staged deep on the thermocline rather than up shallow, a pattern that should ease as nights cool through September and surface temps drop toward salmon's preferred range.
Yellowstone terrestrials hold as fall mousing window nears
Water temperatures on the region's gauge read a comfortable 59°F this morning, with flow holding steady near 2,050 cfs (USGS gauge 06192500) — solid numbers for active trout through the day. Hatch Magazine's Yellowstone terrestrial countdown notes anglers across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have been counting the days since early August, working through what's been a long, hot, smoky summer, with hopper and ant patterns still doing work on cutthroat and rainbows in the mid-day window. Flylords Mag flags mouse-fly season creeping in for brown trout as September nights start to cool, a pattern worth watching on any deeper, slower runs in the Snake and Yellowstone drainages. Gink and Gasoline's notes on presenting to educated, pressured trout are worth keeping in mind on water that's seen a full summer of pressure. Whitefish remain a steady, if unglamorous, bycatch this time of year.
Smallmouth begin fall baitfish chase on the New River & Ohio
USGS gauge 03051000 is reading a steady 129 cfs as of midday today, a stable, wadeable flow for early September on WV's New River and Ohio River systems — no water-temp reading came through this cycle, so plan around air temps and time on the water. No New River- or Ohio-specific fishing reports came in from our tracked sources this week, so we're leaning on regional seasonal patterns and the broader fall-transition signal anglers elsewhere are already seeing. Per Tactical Bassin, smallmouth and largemouth bass are shifting off summer haunts and keying on baitfish schools as water begins to cool, a pattern that typically reaches WV rivers through September. Fishing the Midwest notes a bladed swim jig is producing on bass, pike, and walleye alike as fish key on baitfish — worth trying on the New River. In lighter news, Wired 2 Fish reports a new WV catch-and-release pumpkinseed record out of Cheat Lake, a reminder panfish are active statewide.
Guntersville and Wheeler bass shift into fall feeding mode
USGS gauge 03575100 logged flow near 151 cfs this morning, a stable, low-water read typical of the Tennessee River system that feeds Lake Guntersville and Wheeler this time of year. Bass across the region are moving out of the deep summer pattern, per Tactical Bassin, which reports fish keying on baitfish near open water and increasingly willing to eat topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits around schooling activity — "the bite can be downright hot" when anglers find the right group of fish. A recent Tactical Bassin outing on the Tennessee River documented largemouth pushed onto grass edges, taking flipping baits, topwater, and reaction baits as conditions shifted through the day. On The Water's fall-transition primer echoes the same seasonal cue, pointing anglers toward baits suited for cooling water and baitfish migrations. Today's gauge reading didn't carry a water temperature, so treat the fall push as directional rather than confirmed cold-front trigger just yet.
Early Fall Chinook Chatter Builds on the Columbia System
USGS gauge 14211720 has the system running warm at 71°F on about 5,200 cfs as of this morning, flows that push salmon and trout activity into the cooler dawn and dusk windows rather than midday. Anglers on IFish.net Fishing Reports are buzzing about the lower Columbia this week — one post out of the Buoy 10 area described "HOT chinook action trolling solo," but that's a single forum report with no shop, charter, or agency confirming it yet, so we're treating it as early word rather than a sure thing. Elsewhere on the forum, boaters are still finding and losing gear near the river mouth and up around the Lewis and Nehalem, a sign of steady traffic working the tide-influenced water. With flows holding warm for early September, smallmouth bass should stay the more consistent daytime target on the Rogue side, while salmon and trout activity concentrates in the low-light hours until temperatures ease.
Hopper Bite Holds as Late-Summer Flows Linger Into September
Our flow gauge (USGS 12372000) read 69°F and 5,630 cfs as of Wednesday morning — a warm, high mark for early September that points to a slower-than-usual transition toward fall conditions on Flathead Lake and Bitterroot water. No local shop or captain reports came through this cycle to confirm what's actually biting, so treat species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed intel. Regionally, the pattern anglers are chasing right now is terrestrials: Hatch Magazine's coverage of the nearby Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem describes an active "terrestrial countdown," with hoppers, ants, and beetles still pulling strikes as late-summer heat holds on. That's the same window Flathead and Bitterroot trout typically key into before flows drop and water cools into true fall patterns. With water still running warm, expect trout to concentrate feeding into the cooler early-morning and evening hours, and handle fish gently if you're targeting them midday.
Snake and Salmon River Fish Shift Into Early-Fall Feeding Mode
A regional USGS gauge in the Snake and Salmon River system logged 65°F and 1,120 cfs early this morning, solid late-summer numbers that still favor an active bite before the real fall cooldown. We didn't pull a fresh Idaho-specific dispatch this cycle — no state agency or local shop report came through the feed — so this update leans on the flow data plus broader seasonal signal. Nationally, bass anglers are already talking fall transition: Tactical Bassin's early-September coverage this week notes bass keying hard on baitfish near open water as temperatures ease, a pattern that typically shows up on the Snake's smallmouth water within a few weeks. On the trout side, terrestrial patterns are still producing elsewhere late in the season per Caddis Fly (OR), and that approach should still be worth a look on Salmon River side channels. Flows are steady, no spike to complicate wading.
Des Moines River bass shift into early fall feeding mode
USGS gauge 05465500 on the Des Moines River is running 5,580 cfs this week, keeping current up and water on the stained side. No water-temp reading came through with this update, but early September is squarely fall-transition territory for Iowa's rivers. Fishing the Midwest's regional coverage points anglers toward living weed edges and current breaks as baitfish start bunching up, with a bladed swim jig doing double duty on smallmouth, walleye, and the occasional pike. Tactical Bassin's September notes back that up, describing bass pushing shallow onto baitfish early and late before sliding to moving-water reaction baits once the sun climbs. On The Water's fall-transition roundup adds swimbaits and other moving baits to the box as shad and other forage begin migrating. Catfish should stay steady on cut bait worked through the deeper current seams typical of elevated late-summer flow like this.
Low, clear water settles in as VT bass shift into fall mode
Flows have dropped to a bare trickle across the watershed, with our regional gauge reading just 3.8 cfs as of Tuesday midday — about as low and clear as this system gets heading into September. No captains or shops filed reports specifically from the Connecticut River or Lake Champlain this cycle, so we're leaning on the broader seasonal pattern bass anglers nationwide are watching right now: On The Water's fall-transition roundup and Tactical Bassin both point to baitfish pushing shallow as water cools, with bass keying on topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits around schooling activity. Fishing the Midwest notes a bladed swim jig doubles as a multi-species option for bass, pike, and walleye this time of year — a reasonable starting point on low, clear Vermont water too. Expect finesse presentations and low-light windows to outperform until flows and temps shift.
Cumberland tailwater sits at a flow lull as bass eye the fall turn
The USGS gauge on the Cumberland River tailwater (site 03413200) logged a bare 2.8 cfs this morning, a minimal-flow reading consistent with the dam sitting off generation right now — good news for waders working the tailwater's usual trout water, though no water-temp reading came through with this update. No angler reports came in directly off Lake Cumberland or its tailwater this cycle, so we're leaning on the broader seasonal picture: Tactical Bassin's latest September coverage has bass across the region transitioning off summer patterns and keying on baitfish near open water, while On The Water flags the same fall-transition shift pushing fish onto moving prey. Expect that pattern to apply lakeside as surface temps start easing. Cumberland's résumé species — smallmouth, largemouth, walleye, and its noted lake striper fishery — should all begin waking up as the transition takes hold; check current state regs before harvesting anything this month.
Tennessee River bass push into grass as fall feeding kicks in
Bass on the Tennessee River chain are settling into their early-fall transition. A Tactical Bassin video shot on the Tennessee River this week shows an angler working active fish tight to grass, mixing flipping, topwater, and reaction baits to keep up as fish chase baitfish in open water. The same outlet's September roundup backs that up, noting bass across the region are feeding aggressively on baitfish and that fast-moving baits — topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits — are producing whenever schooling fish are located. USGS gauge 03578500 is reading a modest 7.57 cfs, pointing to low, stable flow through the system; no current water-temperature reading is available for this cycle. With the moon in its Last Quarter phase, expect a workable but not blowout bite. Striper, catfish, and crappie activity has no direct local reporting this week, so treat those as typical-for-season until fresher intel comes in.
Old-school jigs still working Mille Lacs walleye as fall nears
Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch, who fishes the Alexandria, MN area regularly, notes that traditional Mille Lacs-style walleye presentations — jigging live bait, pulling spinner rigs tipped with leeches or nightcrawlers, and crankbait trolling — are still producing even as forward-facing sonar reshapes how many anglers locate fish in today's clearer lake water. A companion post from the same source flags the bladed swim jig as a multi-species option worth having tied on, since it draws strikes from walleye, smallmouth bass, and northern pike alike over emerging weed flats. Our only hard number today is a flat 0 cfs reading from USGS gauge 05227530, a local flow gauge rather than a direct measurement of Mille Lacs itself, so treat lake conditions as inferred rather than confirmed. With weeds still green heading into September, expect a structure-based bite rather than a wide-open one this week.
Fall transition puts bass on the move at Texoma and Eufaula
The most concrete read we have today comes from the USGS gauge (07331600) serving the Texoma/Eufaula watershed, showing flow holding near 57 cfs as of midday September 2 — a stable, low-to-moderate stage typical for late summer before fall rains push levels up. No water-temperature reading came through, but this part of Oklahoma is squarely in the seasonal fall-transition window bass anglers everywhere are watching right now: per Tactical Bassin's latest September coverage, largemouth are shifting off summer haunts and keying on baitfish schooling near open water, with topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits doing the work. Fishing the Midwest's fall notes back that up, pointing anglers toward the healthiest remaining green weed edges as baitfish and gamefish relocate once shallower vegetation starts to die back. Expect Texoma's striper and white bass schools to follow the same baitfish-driven logic as surface temps ease. Crappie remain the slower bite until water cools further.
Hill Country bass push toward baitfish as fall transition begins
USGS gauge 08158000 in the region is holding a steady 294 cfs today, with no fresh water-temp reading logged as of this morning — flows that read as unremarkable for early September and don't suggest recent heavy rain or drawdown on the Highland Lakes chain. No shop or captain report specific to Travis, LBJ, or Buchanan came through this cycle, so we're leaning on regional seasonal patterns: Tactical Bassin's September bait rundown this week points anglers toward topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits around schooling fish as bass key on baitfish moving toward open water, while Fishing the Midwest notes fish sliding off dying summer weed edges toward the last green cover as the transition sets in. Expect largemouth to still be scattered but increasingly baitfish-oriented, with striper and white bass activity typically starting to build on the Highland Lakes chain this time of year as surface temps ease. Check state regs before harvesting, and confirm local conditions before you launch.
Winnipesaukee smallmouths dial in as fall bass transition begins
Smallmouth bass fishing across New Hampshire's river systems remains a bright spot heading into September, with The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reporting that the Hooksett and Nashua stretches of the Merrimack continue producing nice smallmouths, while pike are showing above the Essex Dam in deeper water — a pattern that typically extends onto Winnipesaukee's rocky points and drop-offs this time of year. On The Water flags the fall transition as underway statewide, with baitfish migrations pulling bass shallow to feed as water begins to cool; Tactical Bassin echoes that September bass are actively chasing baitfish and can be covered quickly with reaction baits before they disappear on inattentive anglers. Our lone flow reading, from USGS gauge 01081000, shows moderate discharge (328 cfs) with no temperature data available today. Lake trout and landlocked salmon reports were quiet in this cycle's intel — expect that to change as surface temps drop further into September.
East Texas bass shift into fall patterns as reservoirs hold steady
Flow at USGS gauge 08030500 is running near 728 cfs as of midday September 2, a steady late-summer stage feeding the East Texas reservoir system. No water-temp reading came through on this gauge, but regional water bodies are still carrying summer heat into early September. Over at Lake Fork, the closest reporting big-bass fishery in this part of the state, Lake Fork Trophy Bass described August holding lake levels in good shape with plenty of bass-holding cover despite a run of 100-plus-degree days, and clients still landing quality fish through the heat. Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn anglers should expect a similar pattern: bass loaded up shallow through summer are starting to slide toward the fall transition. Per Tactical Bassin, September bass nationally are moving onto baitfish and can be caught on moving baits — topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits — before schooling activity picks up later in the month.
Fall Transition Kicks Off Bass Bite on Ohio's Big Reservoirs
USGS gauge 03110000 held a steady 58 cfs as of early Tuesday afternoon, signaling normal late-summer base flow feeding Ohio's inland reservoir system — no runoff spike, no muddy pulse to push fish off structure. Water temperatures at Mosquito and Pymatuning aren't in today's data, but early September is exactly when these impoundments start their fall transition, as baitfish shift toward main-lake points and creek channels and gamefish follow. Per Tactical Bassin's latest September coverage, bass are grouping up on baitfish in open water right now, with topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits all producing when schools show. Fishing the Midwest points to the same shift from a different angle, noting fish pull off dying, oxygen-poor weed growth toward healthier green cover as summer fades. We'd expect walleye and crappie to start following that same baitfish push over the coming weeks, with muskie action typically building as water cools further. No direct reports in from the lakes themselves this cycle — treat species notes below as seasonal expectation, not confirmed bite.
Upper Mississippi pools bass push into fall transition near Clinton-Dubuque
USGS gauge 05420500 logged water at 83°F with flow running an elevated 29,000 cfs this morning — a summer-strength push that's still shaping how fish are relating to structure through the Clinton-Dubuque pools. High, warm water tends to hold walleye deeper and tighter to current breaks, while smallmouth and white bass stay more willing to chase as they start the seasonal shift toward baitfish. Per Fishing the Midwest, a bladed swim jig with a plastic trailer is a solid multi-species search bait right now, drawing bass, pike, and walleye around emerging weed edges and current seams. Tactical Bassin notes that September bass across the Midwest are transitioning from summer to fall patterns, pushing baitfish in open water — moving, schooling fish that reward anglers covering water rather than sitting on one spot. Expect current-driven bites at wing dams and eddies while the flow stays up.
Ohio & Cumberland rivers bass push into the fall transition
Flow at USGS gauge 03301500 held light and stable at 48.1 cfs as of Tuesday midday, typical of the low, settled water Ohio and Cumberland River anglers see before fall rains start pushing levels around. Water temperature wasn't reported at this station, but the seasonal signal lines up with what Tactical Bassin (blog) found this week on a nearby Tennessee River pool: bass holding tight to grass and actively feeding on baitfish as the summer-to-fall shift kicks in, with their crew mixing flipping, topwater, and reaction baits to stay on fish through the day. Fishing the Midwest's read on the same transition backs it up — as weeds start dying back late in the season, baitfish and gamefish concentrate around whatever green, living grass remains. Expect largemouth and smallmouth to keep favoring moving baits around cover through the week. Catfish should stay a reliable bite in the deeper river channels, and crappie will likely start easing toward deeper structure as afternoons cool. Check Kentucky regs before harvesting.
Roosevelt Lake bass eye fall transition as Salt River flow holds steady
The Salt River gauge near Roosevelt Lake (USGS 09498500) read 101 cfs at 9:30 a.m. local time on Sept. 2, a steady late-summer flow with no water-temperature reading logged this cycle. No Arizona-specific catch reports came through this week's angler-intel sweep, so we're leaning on the calendar and national trends rather than local testimony until reports pick back up. Nationally, bass anglers are already talking fall transition: Tactical Bassin's latest September coverage points to reaction baits and topwater worked around baitfish schools as bass key on shad, while Fishing the Midwest notes fish pushing toward green, oxygen-rich weed edges as summer winds down. Those seasonal shifts typically show up on Roosevelt Lake and the Salt River chain through September too, with largemouth bass following baitfish onto points and flats and catfish holding steady on cut bait after dark. Panfish action should stay modest until water temps drop further. Check current fishing regulations before heading out.
Bull Shoals and Norfork trout face a warm, low-water stretch
Gauge data at USGS site 07060710 show minimal flow and a water temperature pushing into the high 70s as of this morning — a combination that puts Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwater trout in a tougher spot than the cold, generation-driven flows anglers usually count on here. None of today's regional intel feeds carried direct reports from White River guides or shops, so we're leaning on general knowledge of this fishery rather than fresh on-the-water testimony: when generation drops off and residual water warms, rainbows and browns typically pull tight to deeper runs, spring seeps, and shaded banks to find cooler refuge, and morning bite windows become more important than midday. Wading access improves during low-generation stretches, but trout can turn lethargic and line-shy in warmer water, so downsizing tippet and fishing early are the safer plays until flows or temperatures shift.
Catskills trout streams thin out as late-summer flows drop
One Catskills-region streamflow gauge (USGS 01415000) is reading a lean 10.4 cfs this morning — a stark late-summer number that points to skinny, clear water and midday thermal stress for wild trout. That tracks with Trout Unlimited's recent account of drought-stressed rivers forcing voluntary closures elsewhere in the Northeast this summer. A second gauge (USGS 01413500) is holding steadier at 95.7 cfs, offering more workable wading depth and cover. Neither station reported a water-temperature reading, so treat any thermal call as provisional rather than measured. Direct Catskills/Adirondacks bite reports were thin in this week's intel sweep, so we're leaning on the classic low-water September pattern: browns and rainbows pushed into deeper pools and undercut banks, brookies holding better in spring-fed headwaters, and the productive window shrinking toward first and last light. Wade carefully on the low stretch, keep any releases quick, and check current flow before committing to a specific run.
Delaware Bay flounder limits stack up as weakfish push back in
Flounder are carrying Delaware Bay right now. Per Higbee's Bait and Tackle, the EP Tower has been this week's hotspot, with private boaters, party boats and the charter fleet finding limits of keeper flounder to 22 inches and pool winners to 25 inches, mixed with croakers, bluefish, weakfish, tog, triggers, spot and the occasional blowfish. At Port Mahon, Smith's Bait Shop reports flounder taking live minnows or jigs tipped with squid strips over reef sites, trout hitting yellow bucktail-and-worm combos, and croaker and spot working bloodworms. Eric Burnley notes croaker and spot fishing is solid from the Woodland Beach pier out to the Old Grounds — mind the 9-inch minimum on croaker. Weakfish, largely missing all spring and summer, have pushed back into the bay, per The Fisherman's NJ/DE Surf report, with fish to 24 inches on bloodworms and jigs worked around jetty tips.