Fishing reports
17379 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
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.
Delaware Bay Flounder Stay Hot on NJ Side Before Season Closes
Full-moon saltwater conditions find Delaware Bay's New Jersey side still delivering limit-worthy flounder. Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports customers bringing home fish to 23 inches around the EP Tower and areas near the lighthouse, while Big Dave's Tackle notes flounder spread from the beaches out to the shipping channel, with tog and sheepshead working structure on green crabs and sand fleas. Along the Cape May surf and back bays, Hands Too Bait and Tackle reports kingfish and snapper blues showing on the oceanfront, hardheaded croaker crushing squid and clam baits bayside, and weakfish in the 18-24 inch range hitting floated bloodworms around bayshore structure piles. Tog and sheepshead are also working the inlet rockpile areas and the Anglesea rocks. Anglers should watch the calendar: per The Fisherman's Eric Burnley, New Jersey's Delaware Bay flounder season is slated to close September 25, while Delaware's side keeps its four-fish, 17.5-inch limit running through year's end.
Sea bass stack up thick as fluke sort short from keeper in Raritan Bay
Sea bass are stacking up thick in Sandy Hook Bay and the surrounding Raritan Bay grounds — Capt. Ron out of Atlantic Highlands reports every drop loaded with sea bass on recent trips, with customers sorting through big numbers of shorts to find keepers and some jumbo bass mixed in. Fluke fishing has been more inconsistent: one midweek trip produced limits early and a 6-pound, 10-ounce pool fish, while other days described a stubborn bite with mostly short fluke and only the occasional keeper, especially when the drift died. Meanwhile Spanish mackerel and bonito have pushed into the surf and inshore waters per Grumpys Tackle and this week's Northern New Jersey report from On The Water, giving light-tackle anglers a warm-water bonus target on epoxy jigs. Striped bass remain a background player for now — NJ Fish & Wildlife notes the species around nearby Shark River structure, but no fresh striper reports have surfaced yet for this stretch of coast.
Late-summer transition puts Allegheny bass and walleye on the move
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Allegheny and Pittsburgh tailwaters this cycle, so this report leans on seasonal pattern rather than a hard temperature or flow number. The PA Fish & Boat Commission's Biologist Reports feed is normally the best stop for stream-specific stocking and condition notes, though this week's pull didn't surface a fresh regional writeup. What is available lines up with the late-August playbook national bass coverage is pushing right now: Tactical Bassin's latest roundup flags low-light topwater and finesse presentations as bass shift ahead of the fall transition, and Field & Stream's current bass coverage notes soft-plastic urchin baits working across depths and rigs. Walleye and channel cats should still be following typical late-summer deep-structure and after-dark patterns. Full moon tonight is worth factoring into dawn and dusk timing.
Green weeds and sonar tactics steer late-summer MN walleye bite
Green weeds remain the number-one signal to watch across Twin Cities and North Woods lakes this week. Per Fishing the Midwest, walleye anglers are leaning harder on forward-facing sonar to locate fish that no longer sit strictly on classic bottom structure like points and turns, a shift that's reshaped how a lot of local anglers approach late-summer walleye. Largemouth bass are still keying on shallow, living weed growth and baitfish concentrations, with green weeds outproducing weed clumps already showing die-off as water cools off its summer peak. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so treat water temp as unconfirmed and check a local source before you launch. With the full moon overhead, expect stronger low-light bites at dawn and dusk. Panfish and muskie remain typically active for the region this time of year, though we don't have a specific local report on either yet.
Lake Erie's multi-species bite holds strong into late August
Lake Erie continues to earn its reputation this week — Wired2Fish highlighted an angler fighting a stubborn fish through 38 feet of water off Erie, the kind of battle fueling talk of the lake as one of North America's top multi-species fisheries. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Presque Isle area today, so this update leans on angler intel and typical late-August patterns rather than hard numbers. Expect walleye and smallmouth bass to remain the most consistent producers working deeper structure and drop-offs as the full moon pushes bait activity overnight, with yellow perch still catchable over rock and gravel bottom. Steelhead anglers will want to be patient — Presque Isle's tributary run typically doesn't kick in until cooler water arrives in a few weeks. Check current PA Fish & Boat regulations before harvesting.
Early fall Chinook stir on Columbia tributaries as summer winds down
On the Columbia River near Buoy 10, one solo troller reported chinook action hot enough to yank his rod overboard mid-fight this week — an IFish.net account that's chatter rather than confirmed fact until a shop or agency source backs it up, but it lines up with steady late-August pressure at classic access points like the mouth of the Lewis River and Chinook Landing. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this report, so exact Columbia and Puget Sound water temperatures and flows aren't available today; check current gauge data before heading out. WDFW's ongoing creel-survey and stocking program, described in its Fishing and Stocking Reports, remains the most dependable read on statewide freshwater catch trends. For Puget Sound river tributaries, expect typical late-August patterns: low, clear flows with fish holding in deeper runs through the warmest afternoon stretch, moving more as mornings start to cool.
Late-Summer Transition Sets Up Fall Walleye Push on Saginaw Bay
No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried a direct report from the bay itself, so this update leans on seasonal pattern and general technique intel rather than a specific bite report. Late August on Saginaw Bay is typically transition season: warm-water patterns are still in play, but per Fishing the Midwest, weed beds begin thinning as water starts to cool, pushing baitfish — and the walleye, perch, and bass that follow them — toward the healthiest remaining green weed edges. The same source notes forward-facing sonar has shifted how anglers find walleye, with fish increasingly holding suspended off structure rather than pinned to bottom. Under this week's full moon, expect stronger low-light and overnight feeding windows. Always check current Michigan DNR regulations before harvesting.
Late-Summer Transition Sets Up a Shifting Bite at Lake Murray and Santee
No fresh buoy or streamgauge readings came through for Santee Cooper or Lake Murray this cycle, so today's read leans on seasonal pattern and technique intel rather than a hard number. Tactical Bassin's current late-summer coverage warns anglers against camping on the same shallow spots that produced back in July, noting that as the Fall transition nears, bass positioning shifts and reaction baits like buzzbaits and finesse jigs start outproducing static presentations in low light. That tracks with what's typical for South Carolina reservoirs heading into September — largemouth pushing shallower during dawn and dusk while midday heat still holds fish deep. Striped bass and hybrids at Santee tend to stack on deeper, cooler structure through late August, and blue catfish stay the more dependable after-dark option. Tonight's full moon should help push a stronger overnight catfish bite. Check current state regulations before harvesting.
Drop-shot smallmouth and night-bite catfish highlight late-summer VA action
Virginia's DWR Wildlife Blog is pushing drop-shot tactics for smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass this week, a rig built to suspend a bait naturally over structure — a solid full-moon-week play for Potomac and Shenandoah smallmouth holding tight to rock and ledge. Sunfish are also getting agency attention: the DWR Fishing Report highlights bluegill and redear sunfish biting well on ultralight spinning gear or fly tackle around cover, a pattern that should be running region-wide as late-summer temperatures ease bream into skinnier water. Elsewhere in Virginia, Wired 2 Fish reports a guide on Lake Gaston still finding giant blue catfish on hot summer nights, a reminder that after-dark cats remain a viable target statewide even as daytime heat slows other bites. On The Water's late-summer largemouth advice — working dense shore cover during low light with frogs, jigs, and stickbaits — applies directly to Potomac backwaters and Shenandoah pools right now. No live buoy or gauge readings are available for this write-up, so treat flow and temp as unconfirmed until you check a local source.
Wachusett smallmouth heat up as late-summer bass bite holds
A 12-year-old angler's 5-pound smallmouth bass — hooked on a jig on just his third cast at Wachusett Reservoir — headlines this week's freshwater intel, per Jerry's Bait and Tackle in Milford. His grandfather, Bill Alando, followed with a 4-plus-pound largemouth on a topwater lure, a sign that both species are actively feeding as late summer eases toward fall. The same report notes smaller largemouth and panfish action at nearby Louisa Lake, suggesting the pattern isn't limited to trophy fish. Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay reports smallmouth still hitting Jitterbugs at Cape Cod-area ponds, while largemouth action has slowed a touch but keeps responding to Senkos — a broadly similar late-summer pattern to what's showing at Wachusett. No fresh water-temperature or flow data came through for Quabbin or Wachusett specifically this cycle, so anglers should read stream/lake conditions on arrival. Lake trout, a Quabbin staple, weren't mentioned in this week's reports — worth checking locally before planning a deep-water troll.
Silver salmon push into Kenai system as summer light fades
Alaska's Kenai River drainage and Interior tributaries are entering the late-August window when coho (silver) salmon typically arrive in their heaviest numbers of the season, with sockeye and pink runs winding down and king salmon fishing largely closed in most local reaches by this point. No buoy or gauge telemetry came through for this region this cycle, and none of today's Alaska Sea Grant items covered fishing conditions — coverage this week centered on a Bering Sea village trash-reduction program, staff profiles, and the 2026 State Fellows announcement — so this report leans on general seasonal patterns rather than fresh eyewitness reports. Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden in the Kenai drainage typically key on drifting salmon eggs and flesh behind spawning fish this time of year. Interior grayling tend to stay steadier on dries and small spinners into early fall. Check current Alaska regulations before targeting any species, since in-season restrictions can shift quickly on Kenai Peninsula waters.
Smokies trout anglers eye early mornings as summer heat lingers
Hatch Magazine's late-August terrestrial-countdown dispatch is the clearest read we have on regional trout behavior right now: as water levels drop and warm through late summer, trout increasingly key on hoppers, ants, and beetles blown onto the water, especially during low-light morning and evening windows. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for Western North Carolina's Smokies-region streams this cycle, so we're leaning on that seasonal pattern plus this week's broader trout chatter rather than hard numbers. Wired 2 Fish also flags a useful late-summer-heat tactic from an Arkansas tailwater guide who found a stubborn big rainbow only bit after dark — worth trying on Smokies tailwaters and deeper pools if daytime action stays sluggish. Expect typical late-August conditions for the region: low, clear, warming flows that push trout toward shade, deeper runs, and cooler feeder creeks, with the bite concentrated in the first and last hour of daylight. Check current NC regulations before keeping any wild trout this time of year.