Fishing reports
16911 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Charleston reds and trout turn as fall pattern approaches
Charleston-area anglers are getting their first taste of the fall turn, with Coastal Angler Magazine's Haddrell's Point and Tackle report calling September the start of the best inshore fishing of the year as summer heat finally breaks. Up the coast at North Myrtle Beach, Dave's Outpost (via Fisherman's Post) reports summertime trout biting steadily on a slip-cork rig fished with live shrimp, with red drum holding in the same water — a pattern Charleston Harbor anglers should expect to see mirrored in the marsh creeks and grass flats as temperatures ease. Red snapper stays off the table for now: Saltwater Sportsman reports South Carolina is pushing NOAA for a fall Oct. 1–31 recreational season after this year's original season was halted by litigation, so confirm the final ruling before targeting that species. Tonight's Full Moon brings stronger-than-average tidal swings, worth building a trip around for current-fed bites in the harbor's creek mouths.
Permit and Kingfish Keep Naples Anglers Busy Through Late Summer
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters' most recent trip logs highlight strong sight-fishing for large permit alongside steady kingfish action on trolled plugs and flies, with cobia and amberjack rounding out the mixed bag on nearshore structure. Their winter and spring reports also flagged some of the best King Mackerel fishing captains have seen in years, a pattern that typically carries into the warmer months as bait schools push along the beaches. Tarpon, which Naples Offshore Fishing Charters tracked moving steadily through the area earlier this year, are typically tapering from their peak spring run by late August, though stragglers often still show for anglers working the passes. With a full moon pushing stronger tidal exchanges this week, expect faster-moving water on the flats and around structure — good news for bait-ambushing predators like permit and snapper. No fresh buoy or gauge data was available for this cycle, so check a local marine forecast before running offshore.
Snapper Season Fight and Full-Moon Marsh Reds Highlight Georgia Coast
Georgia's Atlantic coast enters late August with the biggest headline coming from the regulatory side rather than the water: Florida, South Carolina and Georgia are pushing NOAA Fisheries for a Oct. 1-31 red snapper season after a lawsuit halted the original 2026 opener, per Saltwater Sportsman, with the public-comment window having closed Aug. 25. On the direct fishing side, the Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing is mid-transition to a new rotating regional report format and didn't carry specific Southeast Georgia catch detail this cycle, so we're leaning on typical seasonal patterns: this week's full moon should push redfish onto flats and grass edges on the tide swings, spotted seatrout should stay active around structure and dock lights after dark, and flounder tend to slide toward deeper water in the late-summer heat, per general technique notes from Salt Strong. Check current state regs before targeting snapper given the season uncertainty.
Stripers light up Cape Cod Bay around Provincetown, Fishing Ledge
Stripers are showing up all along the Cape Cod Bay shoreline this week, with the Fishing Ledge area and waters off Provincetown holding the thickest concentrations, per the Goose Hummock Shop report carried in The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands. Ocean beaches are just starting to give up bass to surf casters, though it remains mostly a bait bite rather than a topwater blitz. Offshore, Goose Hummock also noted canyon runs producing near-record yellowfin tuna and a deep-dropped swordfish, a sign bigger pelagics are still working well outside the bay. Closer to shore, Black Rose Fishing Charters out of Cape Cod is mixing good striper trips with black sea bass and big scup, staying rigged for tuna when timing allows. Elsewhere around the Cape, Sports Port and Falmouth Bait and Tackle report bluefish working the rips near Nobska and Robinsons Hole, plus early albie and bonito sightings worth watching as that action can push into the bay.
Louisiana marsh reds tail up as trout demand bigger baits
Louisiana's inshore bite is leaning on scale-matching right now: Sport Fishing Mag's guide to the Louisiana coast notes that big speckled trout want a big meal, pointing anglers toward larger plugs and live baitfish like mullet, pogies, or croakers, while redfish are eating a wide mix of artificials and live or cut bait worked along the marsh edges. That same guide lists Strike King's Redfish Magic and Thunder Cricket, Rage Swimmer, and Down South Lures soft plastics fished under a Boat Monkey Cork as producers. Salt Strong's tailing-redfish breakdown adds that presentation, not just lure color, is what decides whether a marsh red commits, especially in clear or pressured water. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for the Delta this cycle, so treat water temp and current as a check-the-forecast item. With a full moon pushing bigger tidal swings this week, we're expecting stronger moving water around the marsh drains morning and evening.
Bluefish push fires up Vineyard Sound as early albies scout the gaps
Bluefish are lit up across Vineyard Sound this week, with 4- to 6-pound blues working the north shore of the Vineyard up to Nobska Point and bigger fish coming off Horseshoe Shoal, per Falmouth Bait & Tackle. Sports Port in Hyannis is seeing the same pattern from the Nantucket Sound side, with blues stacked in the rips between Nobska and Hyannis on tins and epoxy jigs. False albacore have shown up around Quicks Hole and Robinsons Hole, though Sports Port notes the bonito and albies off Osterville and Bass River keep moving and aren't holding in one spot yet. Striped bass fishing remains solid per Black Rose Fishing Charters, who are also putting clients on black sea bass and big scup. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this region on this run, so treat the water as unmeasured and lean on the shop intel below for where to start.
CT Sound fluke bite catches fire as blues work The Race
Fluke fishing is the story in eastern Long Island Sound this week. Black Hawk described a Thursday trip where the first drift alone produced three fish over 7 pounds, followed by a 9-pounder and an 11-pounder, while J&B Tackle reports keeper fluke and sea bass holding steady around Black Point, Niantic Bay and Two Tree Channel, with bigger fish showing from the Montauk side. Striped bass remain mostly a dawn-and-dusk game — J&B notes live-lined eels at night are still producing the biggest fish. Bluefish are working The Race and Plum Gut per AW Marina, though sizes have trended smaller ahead of the area's upcoming bluefish tournament. Tartan II is finding porgies thick, with sea bass and triggerfish mixed in on bottom drops, and calls sea bass fishing much improved after a slow start. With a full moon overhead, expect stronger tidal swings to sharpen bite windows around the moving-water peaks and low-light hours this week.
Salmon push stirs Lake Michigan basin as fall nears
A Michigan Sportsman Forum angler logged seven king salmon up to 21 pounds plus three coho in the 11-13 pound range on a recent multi-day Lake Michigan trip — an early signal that the basin's fall Chinook push is stirring, though the report comes from the lake's Michigan-side tributaries rather than the Indiana shoreline itself. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back this cycle for the Indiana side, so treat the outlook below as general seasonal guidance rather than measured conditions. A second forum post described a tougher morning on spinners during the same run, a reminder the bite stays patchy this early in the transition. Nearshore and inland, Fishing the Midwest's fall-transition advice applies directly to Indiana's Lake Michigan waters: work remaining green weed edges for smallmouth and panfish as shallower grass starts dying back, and expect walleye to keep sliding off traditional structure toward suspended baitfish as the lake cools toward fall.
Toledo Bend bass settle into a hot, low-light pattern
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for Toledo Bend or the Sabine River border this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carry a direct report from the reservoir itself — so this update leans on seasonal pattern and the technique notes actually available rather than guessing at local numbers. Full moon overhead tonight typically sharpens night and early-morning feeding windows for largemouth bass and catfish on reservoirs like Toledo Bend. Tactical Bassin's hot-August reservoir breakdown points anglers toward shallow points at first light with topwater and a finesse jig, then a slide toward deeper, shaded structure as the sun climbs — a pattern that generally holds for Toledo Bend bass once late-August heat sets in. Field & Stream notes bass have been eating urchin-style soft plastics unusually well this summer, worth trying if largemouth are sluggish on moving baits. Catfish typically stay the more dependable bite through midday heat. Check current Louisiana regs before harvesting anything you plan to keep.
Late-summer bass and walleye patterns take hold across Illinois waters
With no fresh buoy or gauge readings available for the Illinois River or Lake Michigan today, this report leans on seasonal patterns and the available regional angler intel. Late August is a transition window: largemouth bass are pushing into dense shallow cover during low-light hours, with Tactical Bassin pointing anglers toward topwater frogs, compact jigs, and stickbaits worked tight to the bank at dawn and dusk. On the walleye side, Fishing the Midwest notes that forward-facing sonar has changed how anglers locate suspended fish away from the traditional bottom-hugging structure anglers were taught to target, with green, living weed edges still a reliable starting point as waters begin their slow fall cooldown. Illinois River catfish are typically still active on cut bait and stinkbait rigs worked in deeper holes this time of year. Along the Lake Michigan shoreline and tributary mouths, watch for the seasonal salmon push to build as water temperatures ease. Check state regs before harvesting.
Limestone spring creeks settle into classic late-summer terrestrial pattern
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Spring Creek/Penns Creek corridor this cycle, and today's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up a single field report specific to central Pennsylvania's limestone water. That's worth saying plainly rather than papering over. What we can say with confidence is seasonal: late August on spring-fed limestone streams like these typically means stable, cool base flows even after a hot stretch, low and clear conditions, and fish keyed on terrestrials — hoppers, ants, beetles — worked on long, fine leaders in low light. A full moon tonight tends to push some feeding activity into overnight hours, which can mean a quieter pre-dawn bite and better action right at last light. Treat brown trout as the default target on both streams; expect technical, spooky fish in skinny, gin-clear water. Check current PA Fish and Boat Commission regulations before keeping anything — much of this water runs catch-and-release or special-regulation sections.
Mille Lacs walleye anglers lean on sonar as summer winds down
No live buoy or gauge readings are in for Mille Lacs this cycle, so today's outlook leans on regional technique intel and late-August norms rather than a fresh catch report. Per Fishing the Midwest, longtime walleye anglers are rethinking old-school approaches now that forward-facing sonar has reshaped how fish get located — jigging live bait, pulling leech and crawler rigs, and crankbait trolling still catch fish, but FFS is increasingly pulling anglers off classic structure like points and weedlines toward suspended fish over open water. Typical for this time of year, Mille Lacs walleye should be holding on mid-lake mud flats and deeper breaks as surface temps stay warm into early fall. Smallmouth bass and northern pike are usually active in the same zones, and perch remain a dependable fallback. With no on-the-water reports specific to Mille Lacs this cycle, treat this as seasonal guidance — call ahead to a local shop before you launch.
Full-moon low-light windows set up late-summer smallmouth and walleye
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Susquehanna and Allegheny corridor today, so we're leaning on regional technique reports and the calendar: late August under a Full Moon typically pushes smallmouth bass and walleye into low-light feeding windows. Tactical Bassin's late-summer playbook this week highlights morning topwater and finesse presentations over deep structure as fish key on baitfish patterns, a tactic that translates well to Susquehanna and Allegheny smallmouth. On The Water's late-summer largemouth notes point anglers toward dense shoreline cover, frogs, and stickbaits during low-light windows — good advice for the slower, weedier stretches both rivers hold. Muskellunge remain a patient game this time of year, typically most active around dawn and dusk and around moon-phase feeding windows. Walleye anglers should expect a similar low-light pattern, and Fishing the Midwest's structure notes suggest working suspended fish rather than bottom-hugging structure. Check current flow stage before heading out — no live gauge data was available for this report.
Chesapeake stripers turn on in the tidal creeks
Smith's Bait Shop reports striped bass running 20 to 24 inches out of Delaware and Maryland tidal creeks and rivers this week, taking sandworms and shrimp alongside a solid mix of croaker, per The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake. Flounder remain a dependable target too: Hook 'em and Cook 'em notes fish coming off the Old Grounds along with sea bass and croaker, while the Bowers Beach jetty is giving up both croaker and flounder on live minnows and bucktails tipped with squid strips or Gulp. Eric Burnley's column cautions that many croaker are running short of the legal 9-inch mark, so expect to sort through some throwbacks before filling a stringer. Offshore, canyon boats continue picking at tuna and tilefish. With the full moon pushing extra water through the Bay's creek mouths and jetty rips, the stronger tidal exchange over the next few days should sharpen the bite on current breaks and structure.
King salmon push stirs on Michigan's Great Lakes tributaries
Chatter out of Manistee has anglers buzzing: one angler wrapping up a three-day trip on Great Lakes tributaries reported landing seven King (Chinook) Salmon — the largest going 21 pounds — plus three Coho Salmon in the 11-13 pound range, per posts on Michigan Sportsman Forum. Results elsewhere on the early run have been spottier; another forum post out of a favorite early king tributary described going 0-for-2 on spinners over several hours, calling the fish "damn near impossible" to land in current conditions. We're treating both as unconfirmed forum chatter rather than a settled pattern — no state or charter reports corroborate either account yet, and buoy or river-gauge readings weren't available for this update. With a full moon overhead and water still carrying late-August warmth, walleye and smallmouth bass remain the steadier freshwater options across Great Lakes and Grand River waters while the salmon run gets sorted out.
Topwater Bass and Snakeheads Fire Up on Delaware's Tidal Rivers
No live buoy or gauge readings came through for the Christina and Nanticoke systems this cycle, so what follows leans on regional reports rather than a thermometer. Across nearby Delaware freshwater, The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater relays from Smith's Bait Shop in Leipsic that largemouth are eating well on top early and late around thick vegetation, with snakeheads showing in the same grass. The same report notes perch and panfish already stacking up in spillway areas at Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, and Silver Lake — a pattern that typically extends through Delaware's tidal freshwater stretches this time of year, Christina and Nanticoke included. Today's full moon should push a stronger tidal exchange through both rivers, which can concentrate baitfish and gamefish around current breaks near the moon phases. Water is still summer-warm and weed-choked, so early and late light with weedless plastics or a walking topwater over grass edges remains the higher-percentage play until overnight temps start trending down into September.
Hopper season keeps Yellowstone trout dialed in through late August
Terrestrial season is in full swing across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with Hatch Magazine's annual 'terrestrial countdown' confirming hoppers, ants and beetles are now the go-to summer trout food in this stretch of Montana's blue-ribbon water. It's been a long, hot, smoky summer by regional standards, per that same report — conditions that typically push feeding into the margins during low light. Yellowstone National Park is closing Buffalo Creek, a Slough Creek tributary in the park's north end, from August 31 through September 7 for native cutthroat restoration work, per Flylords Mag — worth noting if that drainage is on your list. Access and public-water conversations remain active in the region too, with Bozeman-based guide Jim Klug highlighting Montana's public fishing access via Flylab this week. No live gauge or buoy readings came through for this cycle, so check current flows before you head out — but with hopper season peaking, foam and rubber-leg patterns fished tight to grassy banks should keep producing through the Full Moon week.
Full moon, late-summer heat push Coosa and Tennessee bass deep
On The Water's late-summer largemouth advice frames this stretch of the calendar: dense shoreline cover fished during dawn and dusk low-light windows with frogs, compact jigs, and stickbaits. No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Tennessee and Coosa system this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feed named Alabama waters directly, so this report leans on that general seasonal pattern rather than fresh local sightings. A full moon on August 27 typically reinforces the same low-light bite for largemouth and Alabama's signature spotted bass, the Coosa spots. Tactical Bassin's late-summer coverage echoes the shift, warning that fish are already moving off spots that produced earlier in the season as the Fall transition nears. Channel and blue catfish, a mainstay of the Tennessee River, should stay steady through the heat. Crappie tend to go quiet in late-August warmth without a cooling front. Check state regs before harvesting.
Historic Drought Squeezes Colorado Rivers, Frying Pan Holds Steady
Colorado's rivers are running low and clear through one of the driest years on record, and Crystal Fly Shop's real-time reports show it plainly: the Roaring Fork sits at 113 cfs near Aspen, the Crystal River at 107 cfs near Redstone, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife has posted voluntary fishing closures — a daily noon-to-midnight closure on the Roaring Fork below Carbondale, a full-day closure on the lower Crystal, and an indefinite full-day closure on the Colorado River through Glenwood Springs and Rifle — as low water pushes afternoon temperatures higher. Cutthroat Anglers is urging anglers to carry a thermometer and quit once water hits 68°F. The bright spot is the Frying Pan, running a steady 145 cfs below Ruedi Reservoir and holding in the 40s year-round, where afternoon PMD, BWO, and Green Drake hatches are still bringing rainbows up. Per Anglers Covey, the August heat has rivers moving at a slower pace with fish favoring low-light windows.
Freshwater bite settles into typical late-August pattern in Rangeley/Androscoggin headwaters
No direct buoy or gauge readings are available for the Rangeley Lakes and Androscoggin headwaters this cycle, so this update leans on regional context and general late-summer freshwater patterns for Maine's cold-water fisheries. With a full moon overhead and water temperatures typically stable-to-warm for the season, expect classic late-summer behavior: trout and landlocked salmon holding in deeper, cooler water during midday and pushing shallower to feed during low-light windows at dawn and dusk. Smallmouth bass, common in Maine's headwater systems, tend to stay active through late August, working structure and drop-offs. No angler-specific reports from state agencies, shops, or captains covering this exact region came through in this cycle's intel feed, so specifics on what's actually being caught locally aren't available today — treat this as a seasonal-pattern outlook rather than confirmed on-the-water intel. Check local fly shops or the Maine Sea Grant network for the latest specific reports before heading out.
Hartwell topwater holds as Russell bass demand more finesse
Lake Hartwell is fishing typical for late summer, with guide Cole Wilson of Spot Chaser Guide Service (via GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News) reporting largemouth still working shallow — anglers heading way up the rivers are drawing strikes on buzzbaits, Whopper Ploppers, and prop baits around bream beds, while a weightless Fluke is producing up on brush and points. Water there is clear and running around 88 degrees, roughly 8 feet below full pool. Downstream on Lake Russell, tournament angler Kerry Partain notes spotted bass fishing has gotten tougher as water temps peak for the year; decent spots are still coming when there's current from generation, but once the water goes still, a drop shot rigged with a Zoom Swamp Crawler or finesse worm is the most consistent producer. Russell is also clear, sitting about 1.4 feet below full pool. Expect a slow grind into early-fall patterns as the heat finally starts to break.
Grand Haven and Muskegon anglers wait out the late-August lull
Michigan Sportsman Forum's 2026 Grand Haven/Muskegon/Whitehall report thread is back open for the season, though no specific catches from those Lake Michigan ports had been logged as of this week's check — a typical quiet stretch on the calendar. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Grand River corridor this cycle, so this report leans on seasonal norms rather than live numbers. Late August on Lake Michigan usually falls in the staging window before Chinook salmon and steelhead begin working toward tributary mouths like the Grand River ahead of the fall run, with the real push typically building through September. In the meantime, smallmouth bass and walleye stay the steadier summer-pattern targets; Fishing the Midwest notes forward-facing sonar has reshaped how anglers locate suspended walleye away from bottom structure this time of year. With tonight's full moon, expect a slower midday bite and better low-light windows.
Full moon tides set the stage for Chincoteague's early fall turn
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Eastern Shore this cycle, so this week's outlook leans on the seasonal calendar and this full moon's tidal push rather than a fresh reading. Late August on Virginia's Eastern Shore typically holds a mixed bag: flounder still working the inlet channels and grass edges, Spanish mackerel and bluefish snapping on bait pods along the beachfront, and the first scattered red drum starting to show as water begins its slow cool-down toward fall. Cobia, a mainstay of the Chincoteague summer season, is typically winding down by this point in the calendar. Further north, The Fisherman's New England coverage and Anglers Journal both flag early signs of the fall striper blitz building along the coast this week — a seasonal cue that, in most years, precedes the migration's push into Virginia waters by several weeks. No hyperlocal Eastern Shore reports came through this cycle, so treat species calls below as seasonal norms, not fresh eyewitness accounts.
Olympic Peninsula rivers eye early coho as summer flows run low
No fresh buoy or gauge data came through for this region this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried an on-the-water report specific to Olympic Peninsula salmon rivers — WDFW's Fishing and Stocking Reports hub (WA WDFW Fishing Reports) remains the go-to for current creel data on the Peninsula's river systems, but nothing region-specific surfaced in this run. We'd rather flag that gap than guess at a bite. Late August here is typically a transitional window: the tail end of the summer Chinook push overlaps with the first trickle of early Coho, resident cutthroat stay active in riffles and side-channels, and summer steelhead fishing stays a low-flow, technical game. Regulations on wild-origin Chinook retention vary river by river and change through the season, so check the current WDFW pamphlet for the specific system you're fishing before planning a trip.