Fishing reports
16911 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Late-summer heat keeps Kentucky Lake bass and cats running deep
Local telemetry is thin heading into the final week of August — the USGS gauge at site 03611500 wasn't reporting flow or water temperature this week, so anglers on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley should lean on their own electronics for exact numbers rather than the usual readout. Regionally, late-summer heat is still producing standout catches: Wired 2 Fish detailed a Virginia guide's 108-pound blue catfish landed after dark on Lake Gaston during a heat wave, a deep-water night-bite pattern that typically carries over to Barkley's blue cats this time of year. On the bass side, Field & Stream's breakdown of Carolina-rig fishing on clean-bottom points and ledges past 10 feet lines up with how Kentucky Lake's well-known ledge bite tends to play out in late August, while Fishing the Midwest notes fish increasingly relating to whatever green weed growth remains as the fall transition approaches. Expect largemouth holding deep through midday heat and crappie in a typical late-summer lull.
Bitterroot and Flathead trout push to dawn and dusk as water warms
The USGS gauge on the Bitterroot drainage (site 12372000) logged 72°F water and 5,650 cfs as of Wednesday evening, warm enough that anglers should check current Montana FWP hoot-owl restrictions before planning a midday float on this stretch. With a full moon overhead, the low-light windows at dawn and dusk are the play until temps ease. Terrestrials are the story right now — Hatch Magazine's late-summer terrestrial countdown for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem notes hopper activity building through late August, a pattern that extends into Bitterroot and Flathead-drainage water for cutthroat and rainbows working banks and foam lines. Browns and bull trout, more heat-sensitive, are the likely stragglers, holding deeper or in spring-fed pockets rather than feeding hard midday. Flylab's dispatch on beating summer heat by fishing higher, cooler water is a useful playbook here: get out early, stick to shade, and don't rule out a short hike upstream for a few degrees of relief.
Late-summer warmth tests trout on Idaho's Snake and Salmon
The USGS gauge on the Salmon River (site 13340000) logged water temperatures at 74°F Thursday evening, with flow holding around 1,190 cfs — warm, low-key late-summer conditions typical for this stretch as August winds down. We don't have fresh angler reports specific to the Snake or Salmon corridors this week, but Idaho remains in the spotlight after Outdoor Hub reported a 44-inch lake trout catch-and-release record broken at Payette Lake in July, a reminder that the state's cold-water fisheries are producing outsized fish even during a hot summer. At 74°F, water in this range sits near the upper comfort threshold for trout and steelhead — anglers should expect fish holding in deeper, cooler pockets and tributary mouths during peak afternoon heat, with better activity concentrated in early morning and evening hours until temperatures ease.
High water on Iowa rivers turns catfish into the safe bet
The Des Moines River is running high, with USGS gauge 05465500 reading 6,620 cfs on August 28 — well above what anglers typically expect on Iowa's rivers this deep into summer. No water-temperature reading accompanied this update, and no shop, charter, or state-agency report specific to the Iowa or Des Moines Rivers came through our feeds this cycle, so the species notes below lean on general seasonal knowledge rather than fresh, region-specific intel. Elevated, likely stained flow after recent rain typically pushes channel catfish and flathead toward current breaks, eddies, and shoreline cover — a pattern river anglers should expect through the week. Bass fishing usually gets tougher when rivers run high and dirty; per Tactical Bassin's late-summer notes, working slow presentations tight to bank cover is the safer play, while Fishing the Midwest's advice on tracking green, living weed edges is worth applying once flows settle. With this week's Full Moon overhead, low-light hours should produce the most consistent action.
Low Flows Push VT River Smallmouth Into Deep Cool Pockets
Flows on our tracked gauge (USGS 01135300) are running a scant 4.11 cfs early this morning — a low-water signal that's concentrating baitfish, and gamefish with them, into deeper pools and shaded current breaks. No direct Connecticut River or Lake Champlain reports came through this cycle, so we're leaning on regional New England freshwater trends: per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, smallmouth bass action remains excellent on nearby river stretches like the Merrimack, with largemouth still coming from area ponds on shiners and topwater. Field & Stream's late-summer smallmouth piece on New England rivers offers useful technique cues for VT rivers running low and clear right now. On The Water's late-summer largemouth advice points anglers toward dense cover in low light — frogs, jigs, and stickbaits — as the play until temperatures ease. Walleye and lake trout are the quieter story, typically pulling deep once surface water warms this time of year. Under this week's Full Moon, plan trips around dawn and dusk for the most consistent action.
Late-summer walleye bite builds on Lake Erie ahead of turnover
Buoy and USGS telemetry for the Lake Erie and Ohio River region came back empty this cycle — gauge 03271601 logged no flow or water-temperature reading as of today's pull, and this week's angler-intel feed carried no Ohio-specific field reports from shops, charters, or the state agency. That leaves us leaning on typical late-August patterns for the region rather than fresh eyewitness accounts. Historically, Lake Erie walleye are pushing toward deeper basin structure and reef edges as surface water cools into fall staging, smallmouth bass are working rocky humps and drop-offs, and Ohio River catfish and hybrid stripers stay active through the warm-water stretch, often feeding harder after dark. A full moon tonight typically boosts nocturnal feeding activity for catfish and walleye alike. Treat species calls below as seasonal expectation, not confirmed local reports, until fresh regional intel comes in.
Low Flows Open a Wading Window on the Cumberland Tailwater
USGS gauge 03413200 on the Cumberland River tailwater logged just 3.26 cfs in the early hours of August 28, about as low as flow gets — a sign turbines were largely idle overnight. That kind of minimal-generation window is exactly when the tailwater fishes most like a wadable trout stream rather than a big-water release fishery, favoring anglers working small water with light tippet and careful presentations. We don't have a fresh water-temp reading for the gauge, but late-August flows this low typically mean clearer, more stable water than during heavy generation days. None of tonight's regional angler reports specifically cover Lake Cumberland or its tailwater, so we're leaning on typical late-summer patterns for the fishery: trout holding tight in the coldest tailwater pockets, and lake-side bass and stripers pushing deeper as surface temps stay up under the full moon. Check current generation schedules before wading — flow can change fast once release resumes.
Late-summer bass bite shifts to low light on Arkansas water
On The Water's late-summer largemouth playbook makes a useful starting point for Arkansas lake edges and river backwaters this week: shore anglers are still finding fish tucked into dense cover, working low-light windows with frogs, jigs, and stickbaits, per the outlet's latest coverage. The USGS gauge feed for the White River system (site 07263620) posted no fresh flow or temperature reading this cycle, so treat conditions as typical for late August in the Ozarks until a current number comes through. Field & Stream's notes on smallmouth retreating to cooler, deeper refuges during a hot stretch track with what's likely happening on White River smallmouth water right now, and the cold tailwater releases below Bull Shoals and Norfork should keep the trout fishery comparatively insulated through the regional heat. This week's Full Moon typically means a stronger nighttime and low-light bite across species. No Arkansas-specific report came through this week's feeds — treat the species notes below as seasonal generalizations rather than confirmed local activity.
Gulf of Alaska settles into late-summer silver salmon and halibut season
No buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, and this week's Alaska Sea Grant items covered coastal-community programs and fellowships rather than on-the-water conditions — so nothing in today's feeds speaks directly to what's biting along the Gulf of Alaska right now. Absent fresh testimony, this report leans on general seasonal expectations: late August typically sits inside the summer coho (silver) salmon push, king salmon fishing is usually tapering off by this point in the run, halibut remain a dependable bottom-fishing target into early fall, and lingcod tend to draw more interest as water temperatures ease off their summer peak. Treat every species note below as typical-for-the-calendar rather than a confirmed report. Anglers heading out should check the latest charter and state updates before committing a trip to any single target, since we have no first-hand intel to confirm current bite activity in the region this week.
Door County and Sheboygan salmon season builds into the fall run
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Door County/Sheboygan stretch of Lake Michigan today, and this cycle's angler-intel feed came up thin on direct, dated reports from the water — most of what surfaced from the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report was administrative (a since-resolved Rowley's Bay boat launch closure, a whitefish quota meeting notice) rather than a current bite update. What is worth carrying forward: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report noted 2024 as a standout harvest year on the lake, with more than 210,000 coho salmon landed (a record) and over 160,000 Chinook, the most since 2012, on the back of stronger alewife survival feeding the stocked salmonids. Late August typically lines up with the front edge of the fall king run for this stretch of shoreline, so Chinook and coho should be the primary targets right now, with lake trout a steady secondary option. Confirm sizes and structure with a local shop before running deep water — we don't have fresh readings to anchor exact depths today.
Gulf of Maine cod reopens as big stripers ride the pogie push
Squid and pogies are stacked up along the Gloucester waterfront this week, and Capt. Tom Lukegord of Beauport Fishing Adventures reports the striper bite riding right along with the bait — big fish only right now, nothing small enough to keep, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME. That's the closest on-the-water read available for the NH coast, since this outlet's reports cover South Shore Massachusetts through Maine as one Gulf of Maine region. Bluefish remain a no-show up this way, with the same report noting blues are "completely absent above Salem so far this year." The bigger regional headline for Granite State bottom fishermen: Gulf of Maine cod reopens September 1st with a 1-fish limit at a 23-inch minimum, the first access anglers have had all of 2026, per Dave Anderson writing for The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME — though the Southern New England stock area stays closed through year-end. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so lean on tide tables and a local forecast check before you launch.
Spanish Mackerel Fire Up Around Cape Lookout
Dave at Chasin' Tails in Morehead/Atlantic Beach, per Fisherman's Post (NC), reports a good nearshore spanish mackerel bite this week, with the bigger spanish showing up specifically around Cape Lookout. Further out, bottom fishing has also been producing, though species weren't detailed. Up the coast at Swansboro/Emerald Isle, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors says pier anglers throwing casting jigs and Gotcha plugs are hooking spanish mackerel and bluefish, with a few king mackerel mixed in. On the Pamlico side, Hugh at TW's Bait and Tackle notes surf-zone anglers picking up sea mullet, bluefish, and plenty of croakers on bottom rigs, with inshore action finally strengthening after a slow stretch. Red drum are typically present in the Sound this time of year as well. With tonight's full moon pushing extra water, expect stronger current swings around the inlets.
Fluke and porgy hold strong as bluefin bite shifts offshore
Fluke fishing remains the story on Long Island this week, with Bob's Bait and Tackle in Amity Harbor calling the bite 'cannot be any better' and Super Hawk out of Pt. Lookout landing a notable 13-pound, 7-ounce keeper (The Fisherman — Long Island West End). The nearshore bluefin jig bite has cooled slightly per On The Water's August 27 Long Island and NYC report, though Double D Charters out of Montauk says it's still running strong offshore, and Babylon Fishing Station logged a 57-inch bluefin by the Towers. Porgy fishing is excellent from North Sea to Cedar Beach, with jumbo porgies stacking up on jigs around Montauk per Double D Charters. Striped bass are showing at night on eels and topwater in the surf and back bays, and shops from Shinnecock to the North Fork are noting rumors of false albacore and a growing Spanish mackerel push as the fall transition nears.
Savannah River Stripers Hold Below Augusta's Lock and Dam
Anglers are still working striped bass below the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam near Augusta, where Wired 2 Fish reported an angler hooked into a far bigger surprise than expected while jigging for stripers on the Savannah River in late July. Upstream on the reservoir side of that same river system, GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News notes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Savannah District is holding Lake Hartwell below full pool while it works through a seepage-related dam-safety review at the Clemson Lower Diversion Dam saddle dike — a non-emergency, ongoing situation, but one keeping water levels a bit lower than a typical late-August pool. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for either the Chattahoochee or Savannah basins this cycle, so treat surface temps as typical late-summer highs until a local reading firms that up. Largemouth bass elsewhere in the state are settling into the usual dog-days pattern, with tighter cover and low-light windows producing the better bites.
Late-summer bass tactics carry Eufaula and Red River into fall turn
Tactical Bassin's late-summer advisory this week cautions anglers against retreating to spots that were productive earlier in the year, urging a shift in approach as the fall transition nears — timely advice for Lake Eufaula and Red River anglers grinding through late-August heat. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this region this cycle, so this report leans on seasonal patterns and technique reporting rather than local numbers. Field & Stream's Carolina-rig breakdown notes the rig produces best in 10-plus feet of water along flat points and ledges with clean bottoms — a pattern worth testing on Eufaula's channel ledges. On The Water's shoreline largemouth piece points anglers toward dense cover during low-light hours with frogs, jigs, and stickbaits, a tactic that should translate well to Red River's warm, shallow flats. Striped bass and catfish remain the region's other headline species, typically most catchable during low-light and overnight hours while surface temperatures stay elevated.
Terrestrial patterns keep drawing looks on the Green River tailwater
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Flaming Gorge/Green River system this cycle, so this update leans on technique intel rather than a temperature snapshot. Trout Unlimited's "The True Cast" feature recalls floating the Green River's "B" section below Flaming Gorge Dam and finding fish keyed on cicada patterns during a late-summer stretch — a reminder that terrestrial imitations typically earn their keep on this tailwater as August winds down. No Utah-specific shop, charter, or agency reports came through in this cycle's feed, so treat the species status below as a seasonal read rather than a live bite report. Rainbow and brown trout remain the mainstay here through late summer, with cutthroat and kokanee present across the broader Flaming Gorge system. We'd recommend checking current dam release flows and water temperatures directly before planning a trip, since we don't have a fresh gauge reading to confirm today's conditions.
Speckled Trout Limits Keep Coming In Galveston Bay
Galveston Bait and Tackle's Capt. Billy Howell reports that captains Garry McAninch and Brad Panek have been putting clients on solid limits of speckled trout with scattered redfish mixed in, all on live bait, per this week's Galveston Daily News — Reel Report. Away from the guided trips, anglers Ed Lantz and Armando Huereca launched out of Eagle Point Fishing camp and worked a gas well in the middle of the bay, grinding through choppy water for a decent trout bite. Elsewhere in the lower bay, soft-plastic anglers are still finding trout limits despite persistent southwest winds slowing the pace. With a full moon overhead, we'd expect stronger tidal movement to concentrate bait and gamefish around structure like gas wells and channel edges. Redfish are around but scattered rather than schooled, and conditions favor patient, methodical presentations over run-and-gun trips this week.
Northwoods muskies flip on as fall transition begins
Northwoods musky lakes are shifting into fall mode, per Rollie & Helen's Musky Shop, with water temperatures easing into the low 70s as days shorten and overnight lows dip into the 40s and 50s. That cooling trend is triggering the shop's much-anticipated September Topwater Bite, and local guides are already downsizing rubber baits to better match late-summer forage as muskies key into the early-fall pattern shift. The shop also flags a regionally significant complication this year: water levels are running well below normal amid a severe drought, a factor that tends to concentrate fish and baitfish around remaining deep structure and any current-influenced stretches. For walleye anglers, the broader Midwest trend is toward Forward-Facing Sonar for locating suspended fish off traditional bottom structure, per Fishing the Midwest — a technique shift as relevant on Northwoods lakes as anywhere else on the walleye belt. Expect the musky bite to keep building as nights cool further, with walleye and bass activity holding steady into the holiday weekend.
Warm Gulf Waters Keep Redfish and Trout Shallow Ahead of Fall Push
NOAA buoy 42012 off the Alabama-Florida line logged water temperatures around 88°F this week under light 3 m/s winds — classic late-August Gulf conditions that push the best bite windows to first light and last light. Inshore, that warm, calm water keeps redfish and speckled trout the most dependable targets; Sport Fishing Mag's Gulf inshore guide points anglers toward soft plastics and topwater plugs for reds, while trophy trout typically want a bigger meal like larger plugs or live bait. Offshore, Coastal Angler Magazine's amberjack primer is well-timed as reef structure keeps producing 'reef donkeys,' and Sport Fishing Mag notes gag grouper trolling picking up ahead of the Gulf's short early-fall season — always check Alabama regs before targeting either species. On the Pensacola Fishing Forum, anglers describe getting out before sunrise with topwater gear, matching the dawn-bite pattern typical of this heat.
Bluefin push builds off Central Coast waters
Monterey Bay's NOAA buoy 46042 read 58°F this morning, with the Cape San Martin buoy (46028) running warmer at 61°F and light 6-8 m/s breezes across all three Central Coast buoys — steady, fishable conditions with no swell warnings on record. The headline for California saltwater this week comes from Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, which reports the Northern California bluefin bite out of Half Moon Bay 'exploding to unheard of levels,' with Captain John Marfia's Tanker City Sport Fishing boating fish from 130 to 170 pounds and what the report calls increasingly common five-fish days. That action sits just north of the Central Coast proper, but with our readings trending into the low 60s at the warmer stations, it's worth watching whether that push slides south. Closer to home, expect rockfish and lingcod over structure to carry most of the effort this week, with the full moon adding a strong tide push worth timing around.
Yellowfin and Dorado Stack Up on SoCal Kelp Paddies as Surf Finally Settles
Warm water is pulling yellowfin tuna, dorado, and yellowtail into range along the Orange County coast, with Dana Wharf Sportfishing's Sum Fun landing 43 yellowfin in the 30- to 40-pound class for 26 anglers off San Clemente Island, captain Brian Woolley reported via Western Outdoor News — Saltwater. Sea surface temps hit 80°F near San Clemente and held in the upper 70s from Oceanside to Newport, with boats picking dorado and yellowtail off kelp paddies as far north as Santa Cruz Island. Our nearshore buoy reading came in a touch cooler at 76°F. Sand bass are drawing attention too — the Pfleger Institute for Ecological Research has tagged over 1,000 fish at and below the border this season, per Western Outdoor News. Surf anglers, meanwhile, are finally catching a break: after a brutal, rough-surf stretch through July, Surf Fishing in So Cal calls August "the best opportunity we've had all year."
Half Moon Bay Bluefin Blitz Reaches Unheard-Of Levels
Water temps sit near 58°F off the San Mateo coast (NOAA buoy 46026), with a stiff 15-18 knot breeze pushing across the fishing grounds (NOAA buoys 46026 and 46013). The headline story this week is offshore: per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, Captain John Marfia of Tanker City Sport Fishing out of Half Moon Bay has been posting six-fish days on bluefin tuna in the 130-170 pound class, a pace the outlet calls unheard of for Northern California, with party and commercial boats blowing well past what was recently considered a banner five-fish day. Inshore, striped bass and rockfish/lingcod remain the typical targets around SF Bay and Bodega for late August, though none of today's feeds carried specific inshore reports. We're watching the offshore bluefin push as the story to track heading into the weekend, with breezy conditions worth checking before running out.
Late-summer bass and smallmouth patterns hold ahead of fall shift
Connecticut's inland season is deep into the late-summer stretch, and Field & Stream's rundown on late-summer smallmouth fly tactics still points to the Farmington and Housatonic rivers as go-to Connecticut water once low, warm flows push trout into scattered cool-water refuges. No buoy or gauge readings came through in this cycle, so verify current flow and clarity locally before you launch. On the largemouth side, Fishing the Midwest notes that as weeds start dying back this time of year, bass and baitfish shift out of browning growth toward the remaining green, oxygen-rich cover — a pattern that applies to CT ponds and lakes just as much as the Midwest waters it describes. Tactical Bassin's late-August advice backs that up: sticking to spots that produced a month ago is a common late-summer mistake as the fall transition nudges fish into new areas. With a full moon overhead, look for the strongest bite windows around dawn and dusk low light.
King salmon begin staging as NY's summer bass bite holds strong
On The Water's rundown of New York's King Salmon Run flags the Salmon River's fall Chinook push as the marquee event on the state's freshwater calendar right now, with early fish already staging as nights start to cool heading into September. Closer to home, largemouth bass remain catchable using On The Water's late-summer playbook — working dense shoreline cover with frogs, compact jigs, and stickbaits during low-light hours, a pattern that should translate well to Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes bays and weed edges. Farther west on Lake Erie and the Niagara corridor, Brookdog Fishing Co. continues reporting a strong walleye bite with limits coming easily despite crowded launches, plus cooperative smallmouth bass — a useful directional signal for NY's inland waters even though it sits outside our immediate region. No buoy or gauge readings came back for Hudson Valley/Finger Lakes this cycle, so treat water temps as seasonal-typical for late August until fresher data lands.