Fishing reports
17517 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Full Moon Puts Giant Cubera Snapper on the Bite in the Keys
Today's full moon is the headline event for Keys bottom fishing: per Coastal Angler Magazine, the August full moon triggers some of the most intense reef action of the year as giant Cubera snapper — "El Diablo" to local guides — move up to feed, with live lobster and stand-up gear the go-to setup. Earlier this summer, ALL IN Key West reported huge yellowtail and mutton snapper numbers with fish "actively feeding in large numbers," alongside good sailfish and king mackerel action on live bait. Coastal Angler Magazine also flags greater amberjack ("reef donkeys") as a solid target on structure right now. Florida Sea Grant notes permit spawning aggregations in the Keys can host over a thousand fish at a time this time of year. Regulatory backdrop: CCA Florida reports a federal court injunction has complicated 2026 South Atlantic red snapper season plans, so check current rules before targeting that species specifically.
Salmon staging season nears for Chicago's Lake Michigan anglers
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Chicago lakefront this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep turned up no direct current reports from Illinois waters, so treat this as a seasonal outlook rather than a today's-bite rundown. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report's recap of the strong 2024 season, a record coho harvest of over 210,000 fish and the best Chinook numbers since 2012, is useful backdrop: the lake-wide salmon fishery Chicago-area boats draw from has been trending healthy in recent years. Late August into early September is typically when Chinook and coho begin staging in open water ahead of the fall river run, while smallmouth bass stay active around nearshore structure through the tail end of summer heat. Yellow perch, a Chicago lakefront staple, tend to pick up as water cools into September. With no confirmed local reports this cycle, treat the species activity below as seasonal expectation rather than a logged bite.
Gulf of Maine cod season reopens as stripers ride a bait surge
Striped bass have turned on hard across the Gulf of Maine corridor this week. Beauport Fishing Adventures, working out of Gloucester, reports good numbers of larger stripers holding tight to fresh pogie and squid schools, with the current fish running too big to keep, while Belsan's Bait & Tackle notes the bass bite roaring back on a new push of pogies, with anglers scoring on live pogies, big spooks, big paddletails, and trolled mojos. Bluefish remain scarce this season, per Beauport, essentially absent so far. The bigger headline for Maine anglers: Dave Anderson's report confirms Gulf of Maine cod finally reopens September 1st after being closed for all of 2026, with a 1-fish limit at a 23-inch minimum (the Southern New England stock area stays closed through year-end — check NOAA's exact boundary lines before targeting them). Bluefin tuna have also pushed in close to shore, working the same bait-rich water as the stripers, and whales have moved back inshore chasing the same forage.
Charleston Harbor Redfish and Trout Wake Up as Heat Breaks
Haddrell's Point and Tackle's September report, via Coastal Angler Magazine, calls this the best stretch of inshore fishing all year as Charleston finally gets relief from the summer heat — the signal Lowcountry anglers watch for every year as the redfish and trout bite turns on. Further up the coast, Fisherman's Post's Carolinas saltwater roundup notes trout biting steadily on slip-cork rigs with live shrimp, with red drum showing consistently around inshore structure, a pattern that typically tracks into Charleston Harbor's marsh creeks and grass flats this time of year. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this report, so treat water temps as seasonally warm and check a local forecast before running out. Red snapper season stays closed for now — Saltwater Sportsman reports South Atlantic states, South Carolina included, are pushing NOAA for a fall October 1-31 window. With a full moon this week, expect bigger tidal swings and stronger current pushing bait through the marsh.
Full moon lights up Cubera bite as Gulf grouper season nears
Today's full moon lines up with the exact window Coastal Angler Magazine flags for the year's most intense Cubera snapper run, when giant reef-dwelling "El Diablo" show up on live lobster and stand-up gear. Buoy and gauge feeds are quiet for this stretch of the Gulf Coast right now, so the clearest signal comes from recent charter and blog dispatches. Naples Offshore Fishing Charters has been putting anglers on kingfish with plugs and flies plus steady sight-casting for permit on their warm-season runs, with amberjack and cobia mixing in around structure per the same reports. Sport Fishing Mag notes gag grouper trolling picks up on Florida's west coast as the short fall season approaches, a good marker for late-August anglers plotting their next trip. Expect a transitional bite as summer eases toward fall — check state regs before targeting grouper or snapper species.
Red snapper season push heats up Georgia's late-summer coast
Georgia's Atlantic coast heads into the last week of August with its biggest story being regulatory rather than a hot bite: after a lawsuit halted the original 2026 red snapper season, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia pushed for a fall reopening, with Saltwater Sportsman reporting a proposed Oct. 1-31 window and a public-comment deadline that closed Aug. 25. Anglers Journal adds that Florida is separately pursuing state management of the fishery, floating a 39-day split season for its own anglers — a sign the South Atlantic red snapper picture stays unsettled heading into fall. Inshore, expect the typical late-summer pattern for this stretch of coast: seatrout and redfish working grass edges and marsh creeks on the moving tide, with this week's full moon pushing extra water into the marsh and opening up sight-casting windows for tailing fish. No Georgia-specific shop or charter reports came in this cycle, so treat the inshore read as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite.
Cape Cod Bay stripers hold along the shore as fall signs build
Stripers are stacked along the Cape Cod Bay shoreline right now — Goose Hummock Shop (via The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands) points anglers to the Fishing Ledge area and around Provincetown, though the surf bite there is running mostly on bait rather than a blitz. Zoom out and the broader picture backs that up: The Fisherman (Northeast)'s New England forecast has striper action "catching fire" north of the Cape with some seriously big fish mixed in from Maine to Boston. Black Rose Fishing Charters is putting clients on stripers plus black sea bass and "big scup," a solid bottom-fishing combo for boat anglers working the bay. On the Islands side, bluefish are working the rips between Nobska and Hyannis per local shop reports, though that action leans more toward Vineyard and Nantucket Sound than the bay itself. With tonight's full moon pushing bigger tides, expect stronger current on the rips and better bait movement overall this week.
Dog-Days Heat Puts LA Reds and Trout on a Slower Bite
No live buoy or gauge readings came through for the Louisiana Gulf Coast & Delta today, so this report leans on seasonal pattern and technique intel rather than a fresh water-temp number. Salt Strong's latest column flags that peak August heat has fish avoiding energy-burning chases and recommends slowing presentations for lethargic redfish, trout, and other inshore species right now. The same outlet's shipping-channel piece points anglers toward flounder and mangrove snapper holding in deeper drainage cuts and canals once the shallows get pressured by afternoon heat, and a separate Salt Strong post breaks down how to read a tailing redfish before picking a lure. Louisiana Sea Grant's most recent notes cover oyster-industry planning and staff changes rather than bite conditions, so there's no fresh state-agency read on the Delta marsh this week. Expect a typical late-August Gulf pattern: redfish and trout most catchable in the low-light hours, with flounder and snapper working structure through the hottest part of the day.
Bonito and Albies Start Showing in the Elizabeth Islands Rips
Falmouth Bait and Tackle, reporting through The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands, is seeing the first real fall-run signs of the season: bonito and a handful of false albacore showing at Quicks Hole and the rips off Robinsons Hole, with 4-to-6-pound bluefish working the north shore of the Vineyard up to Nobska Point and bigger blues coming off Horseshoe Shoal. Just up the coast at Nobska and off Hyannis, Sports Port reports blues holding in the rips while a mixed bag of short fluke, keeper sea bass, and scup comes off the bottom between Bishops and Succonnesset. Black Rose Fishing Charters is finding solid striper action alongside black sea bass and big scup. Over in Rhode Island, Saltwater Edge's August full-moon forecast backs up the trend — bonito and Spanish mackerel already in, with albies expected any day. It's a scattered, early-season bite for the speedsters, best worked with small metals and epoxy jigs through moving water.
Big Fluke Steal the Show as CT Anglers Wait Out a Late-Summer Lull
Fluke are carrying eastern Long Island Sound this week. J&B Tackle in Niantic reports keeper flounder and sea bass coming from Black Point, Niantic Bay, and Two Tree Channel, with bigger fish reported out toward Montauk, while Black Hawk logged a standout Thursday trip that included a 7-pounder, a 9-pounder, and an 11-pound fluke over the rail. Sea bass fishing continues to build per Tartan II, who's also seeing jumbo porgies and mixed-size bluefish on the bottom. Striped bass remain a dawn-and-dusk game — J&B Tackle says live-lined eels at night are still producing the biggest fish. Bluefish are a mixed bag: AW Marina describes "a bit of a late summer lull" overall, though The Race and Plum Gut are still giving up smaller blues ahead of a local tournament. With tonight's Full Moon pushing stronger tides, expect sharper feeding windows on both the fluke grounds and the evening striper bite.
Indiana Anglers Eye Fall Salmon Push as Late-Summer Bite Holds
Lake Michigan's salmon fishery carries real momentum into this stretch of late summer: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report noted anglers lake-wide boated a record 210,000-plus coho salmon in 2024 along with the strongest Chinook numbers since 2012, and that same class of fish is now beginning to work toward river-mouth staging water as the lake's surface layer starts its seasonal cool-down. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Indiana shoreline this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried a direct, dated report from this stretch of coast, so treat conditions below as typical-for-the-season rather than confirmed-today. Expect the standard late-August pattern to hold: yellow perch schooling over deeper sand and gravel, smallmouth working nearshore rock and structure, and salmon starting to show more interest as water cools toward fall. Fish the low-light hours around this week's full moon for the best shot at consistent action.
Toledo Bend anglers wait out the August heat as bite reports stay scarce
Louisiana Sportsman's latest field notes column spotlighted outdoor recreation at Tickfaw State Park this week, but a full sweep of state-agency, charter, shop, and blog sources turned up no direct bite reports for Toledo Bend or the Sabine River border this cycle, and NOAA buoy and USGS gauge feeds returned no readings either. That's not unusual for the last week of August: reservoir bass fisheries across the Deep South typically slow under sustained late-summer heat, with largemouth pushing to deeper structure and staying tight to cover through the middle of the day. White bass and catfish tend to hold up better in the heat, feeding through low-light hours and after dark. With tonight's full moon adding extra nocturnal feeding activity, we'd expect any bite to concentrate around dawn, dusk, and moonlit night windows rather than midday. Check state regs before harvesting, and expect more specific reports as water temperatures start easing toward September.
Late-Summer Patterns Tighten for Illinois Bass and Walleye
With no fresh buoy or gauge readings in for the Illinois River or Lake Michigan this cycle, we're leaning on technique intel instead, and it points to a transition week. Fishing the Midwest notes forward-facing sonar has reshaped how anglers locate walleye, with fish increasingly found suspended off bottom rather than glued to points and weedlines, a pattern worth testing on the Illinois River's deeper holes. Tactical Bassin's late-summer breakdown warns against the common mistake of slowing down and re-fishing old spring spots; precise casts around isolated cover and baitfish schools are producing better bass instead. Channel catfish typically feed hard on baitfish and cut bait in warm late-August river current, and Lake Michigan yellow perch are typically starting their seasonal push toward deeper structure ahead of the fall school-up. Under this week's full moon, expect a stronger low-light bite across the board.
Late-summer terrestrials keep Spring Creek browns looking up
No dedicated stream reports for Spring Creek or Penns Creek turned up in this week's source sweep, so this update is built on typical late-August behavior for Pennsylvania's limestone trout fisheries rather than fresh eyewitness accounts. Both creeks are spring-fed systems that stay cooler and clearer through summer than nearby freestone water, which keeps wild browns feeding even as regional stream temperatures climb through late August. A full moon this week tends to concentrate feeding activity around dawn, dusk, and after dark, with fish more selective and harder to fool through bright midday hours. Terrestrial patterns — ants, beetles, hoppers — are the standard late-summer play on limestone water as aquatic hatches thin out for the season. Expect low, clear flows that reward long leaders, careful wading, and downstream presentations. Check PA Fish & Boat's current stocking notes and Biologist Reports for section-specific updates, and confirm special-regulation boundaries before keeping fish on either creek.
Mille Lacs walleye anglers lean on electronics as summer winds down
Late-August conditions have Mille Lacs walleye anglers leaning harder on electronics, per Fishing the Midwest's recent breakdown of how Forward-Facing Sonar has reshaped where anglers find suspended fish — no longer assuming walleye sit tight to bottom structure like points, turns, and weedlines. Traditional presentations still produce, the same source notes: live-bait rigs tipped with leeches or nightcrawlers, and slow-pulled crankbaits remain staples, especially as clear water pushes fish deeper and warier through the lake. No direct Mille Lacs bite report came through this week's intel sweep, and no buoy or gauge readings were available for the lake, so today's outlook leans on seasonal pattern rather than a fresh on-the-water account. The Full Moon overhead tonight typically concentrates walleye activity into low-light dawn and dusk windows, a pattern common on clear-water Minnesota lakes this time of year. Check current regs before harvesting, and confirm conditions with a local shop before heading out.
Susquehanna and Allegheny smallmouth settle into late-summer rhythm
No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for the Susquehanna and Allegheny basins on this cycle, and this run's angler-intel feed leaned heavily saltwater, Great Lakes, and out-of-state coverage rather than Pennsylvania river reports specifically. Rather than manufacture a number or a name-a-source catch we didn't actually get, this report is grounded in typical late-August freshwater patterns for these systems: warm, often lower and clearer flows, a full moon overhead, and smallmouth bass holding tight to rock structure and current breaks. Channel catfish tend to stay active into the evening in this water-temperature range, walleye bite windows compress toward low light and after dark, and muskellunge activity typically slows under the heat and bright lunar nights. Treat species notes below as seasonal expectation, not a confirmed bite report, until a buoy/gauge refresh or a Pennsylvania-specific angler source comes through. Check current PA Fish and Boat Commission regulations before harvesting anything this trip.
Croaker and flounder keep DE/MD anglers busy ahead of fall push
Chesapeake-area anglers are finding good numbers of croaker, flounder, and striped bass this week, with several DE/MD/Chesapeake Bay shops reporting an uptick as the region eases into September. Per The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake, Smith's Bait Shop is seeing 20- to 24-inch striped bass taken on sandworms and shrimp out of tidal creeks and rivers, alongside nice croakers, while the Bowers Beach jetty is giving up flounder on live minnows or bucktails tipped with squid strips or Gulp crawfish. Flounder are also showing over bay structure out of Port Mahon, willing to take live minnows or a jig-and-squid combo. Eric Burnley notes croaker numbers remain strong but undersized, with most fish running below the legal minimum. Offshore, canyon trips out of the region continue to connect with tuna and tilefish over deeper structure. No live buoy or gauge readings were available for this cycle, so treat water temps as seasonal norms until fresh data arrives.
Rangeley trout flash early fall colors as dusk hatches fire on Kennebago
A trout landed last week was already showing spawning colors, a notably early sign out of the Rangeley Lakes system per Mainely Fly Fishing (ME), whose author also flagged a strong dusk hatch with steady rises on Kennebago Lake in early August that outlasted the usual midsummer lull. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings are available for this headwater stretch today, so there's no hard number to confirm water temps — anglers should carry their own thermometer and check local conditions before committing to a spot. Under this week's full moon, the low-light windows at dawn and dusk are typically the highest-percentage times to find brook trout and landlocked salmon working the surface, which lines up with what's being reported upstream on the Rangeley system. Smallmouth bass in the Androscoggin headwaters should still be feeding actively in typical late-August fashion as nights start to cool and water temperatures begin their gradual seasonal slide toward fall.
Walleye still ruling Michigan's Great Lakes as bass shift toward fall
Walleye remain the headline story across Michigan's Great Lakes waters this week: the MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report (Aug. 19) flags that walleye is now the most harvested species in Michigan's Great Lakes fishery, a trend showing up across regional reports. Wired 2 Fish's deep dive on Lake Erie backs that up, describing it as one of the best multi-species fisheries in North America, with anglers working structure in the 30-40 foot range for heavy, hard-fighting fish. Chatter on the Michigan Sportsman Forum points to anglers still working the St. Clair River for walleye late into August, consistent with the DNR's broader walleye-dominance note. On the bass side, Tactical Bassin's late-summer breakdown warns against the common mistake of slowing down as the season turns — shallow topwater and finesse jigs are still producing in low light, with buzzbaits starting to earn their keep as the fall transition nears. A full moon overhead this week can push feeding windows toward dawn and dusk.
Hartwell and Russell bass hold to a late-summer heat pattern
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Hartwell or Russell this cycle, so treat any water-temp or flow numbers with caution and check a current source before you launch. Georgia's outdoor calendar is turning toward fall — GA Sportsman/Georgia Outdoor News notes the state just wrapped a brutal summer heatwave and the seasonal rhythm is resetting, which typically means slightly cooler mornings and a bit more fish activity in the early hours. On the reservoir side, Tactical Bassin's recent late-summer breakdown of hot-weather bass fishing is a useful template for the Savannah chain: largemouth working shallow points at first light on topwater before sliding to deeper structure as the sun climbs and the heat builds through midday. Expect Hartwell's spotted bass and striper populations to be following a similar deep, structure-oriented pattern this time of year, feeding up on schooling baitfish over the old riverbed and main-lake humps. This week's full moon can sharpen the overnight and dawn bite window.
Kings and Cohos Stage for Their Fall Grand River Push
Lake Michigan's fall salmon season is starting to take shape, with Chinook and coho expected to stage off river mouths like the Grand ahead of their spawning push upstream — a seasonal pattern that lines up with the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report's recap of a strong fishery, including a record 210,000-plus coho harvest and the best Chinook numbers since 2012, with agency biologists crediting healthy alewife survival for feeding the stocked salmon classes. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for this stretch today, so we're leaning on seasonal norms rather than live numbers for this update — treat any specific water temp or flow figures with caution until local reports firm up. Smallmouth bass and walleye remain steady secondary options working structure and drop-offs near the river mouth as this week's full moon pushes bait activity after dark.
Full moon tides set up the fall transition on Chincoteague
A full moon on August 26 pushes stronger tidal swings through Chincoteague's inlets and marsh creeks this week, the kind of current that typically gets flounder moving near channel edges and puts red drum up on skinny-water flats. No Virginia-specific saltwater report came through this cycle — the Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog's latest posts covered freshwater bass rigging and bluegill, not coastal conditions — so this read leans on seasonal pattern rather than a named source on the water. One useful directional signal: The Fisherman (Northeast) reported stripers and bluefish mixing with an early mackerel push in the NJ/DE Bay region on August 20, suggesting cooler-water species are starting to stage north of here. Spanish mackerel typically work the nearshore troll into early fall, spot and croaker usually hold steady through late August in the bay, and striped bass tend to stay sluggish in the still-warm water until nights cool further into September.
Fall Chinook season nears as Olympic Peninsula rivers stay quiet
Olympic Peninsula salmon rivers head into the back half of August with no fresh buoy or gauge readings this cycle, so today's report leans on typical late-summer timing and the state's own creel data rather than fabricated numbers. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's fishing and stocking reports remain the go-to source for river-by-river creel counts and recent plants — check it directly before heading out, since bag limits and closures shift by tributary this time of year. Seasonally, fall Chinook typically begin staging near river mouths in late August ahead of a bigger push through September, while Coho usually trail a few weeks behind on most peninsula systems. Resident cutthroat trout tend to stay catchable through the warm stretch, especially early and late in the day. A forum post out of the Columbia system (IFish.net) noted strong Chinook trolling action this week — unconfirmed chatter, and well south of the peninsula, but consistent with Chinook activity picking up regionally.
Delaware Bay flounder stay hot as NJ season nears its close
Delaware Bay's flounder bite is holding strong heading into the season's final weeks. Higbee's Bait and Tackle reports customers boating limits to 23 inches, with the EP Tower and lighthouse-adjacent grounds consistently giving up keepers, while Big Dave's Tackle has anglers finding flounder, croakers and spot from the beaches out to the shipping channel. Structure fishing is picking up too — Big Dave's notes tog and sheepshead on green crabs and sand fleas around jetty rock, and over in Cape May, Hands Too Bait and Tackle has weakfish running 18 to 24 inches on floated bloodworms along bayshore piles, plus a kingfish and snapper bluefish push showing on the oceanfront. The Fisherman's DE/MD/Chesapeake report notes the NJ side of the bay closes flounder season September 25, so the current hot bite has a hard deadline — Delaware's side stays open through year's end. Full moon tides this week should push more bait, and more fish, onto the structure.