Fishing reports
14884 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Fall turnover arrives on Roosevelt Lake and the Salt River chain
Water temperatures across Roosevelt Lake and the Salt River chain are easing into their autumn decline this week, the shift that historically re-opens feeding windows after a long, hot Arizona summer. As surface layers cool and begin mixing with deeper water, baitfish start pushing toward structure and drop-offs, and the predictable fall pattern anglers wait for on this chain starts to take shape.
Fall turnover begins reshaping Finger Lakes trout patterns
Early October marks the start of the fall turnover window on Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles, the stretch when cooling surface water breaks down the summer thermocline and lake trout and rainbow trout redistribute through the water column instead of holding to a single depth band. Dying weed growth in the shallows is also pushing baitfish, and the predators following them, toward deeper breaklines and drop-offs, a pattern that typically intensifies through mid-October.
Ozark rivers ease into the fall feeding transition
Missouri's rivers and Ozark lakes are moving through the heart of the fall turnover this week. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes that as weed beds die back through late summer into fall, oxygen in those beds drops and baitfish, followed by the gamefish chasing them, shift toward whatever green, living weed growth remains, a pattern that holds across Midwest multi-species water. Tactical Bassin's October coverage points to the same seasonal push: bass moving shallow to run down baitfish, with jigs, crankbaits and topwater all drawing strikes as the month progresses.
Columbia River anglers watch for the early-October turnover
Early October on the Columbia marks the seasonal pivot from the warm-water routines of late summer into the shorter, cooler days that define fall fishing in the Pacific Northwest. Water temperatures typically ease through this stretch of the calendar, concentrating fish activity into tighter windows around dawn and dusk rather than spreading it through the day.
Fall walleye and pike bite build across Minnesota lake country
Minnesota's fall walleye and pike bite is building, per Fishing the Midwest's latest reports out of the state's lake country. A bottom-bouncer rig with a plain snell and crawler or leech, long considered a summer tactic, is producing walleye through the cooling water when worked along deep weed edges and classic structure. The outlet also points to a bladed swim jig paired with a plastic trailer as a reliable multi-species producer this time of year, taking walleye, pike, and bass as baitfish pull off dying shallow weeds toward the healthier green cover and deeper flats that remain. That same late-season shift from shallow cover to structure is the pattern worth leaning on across Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River right now.
Fall brown trout run has Dream Stream tailwaters firing
Colorado Trout Hunters reports a strong fall push of migratory brown trout into the South Platte's Dream Stream this season, with guided trips focused on the larger lake-run fish that move up from the reservoir each autumn. The run comes against a backdrop of persistent 2026 drought — Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing (CO) has flagged it as one of the driest years on record for the state — but the dam-managed tailwaters of the South Platte and Arkansas continue to fish better than the freestone water around them, since releases keep flows and temperatures more stable through the low-water stretch.
Snake River and South Fork settle into fall trout rhythm
Early October marks the shift into fall rhythm on the Snake River and South Fork, as cooling water typically pulls trout into more active feeding windows after the slower pace of late summer. Trout Unlimited's ongoing work on the Snake River basin this month centers on salmon and steelhead recovery advocacy for the lower river, a reminder that this stretch remains core salmonid water heading into the colder months.
Fall Transition Settles Into Lake Eufaula and the Red River
Lake Eufaula and the Red River are settling into the heart of the fall transition this week. Cooling surface water is pushing baitfish into creek arms and shallow flats, the shift that typically triggers the strongest fall feeding activity on eastern Oklahoma reservoirs and tailwaters. A waning crescent moon keeps nights dark through midweek, favoring low-light bite windows at dawn and dusk over the next few days.
Delta Anglers Eye the Fall Turnover as Nights Cool
October marks the turnover window in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, when cooler nights start pulling surface temperatures down faster than the deeper channels and tidal cuts beneath them. That lag typically shifts activity off the flats and into deeper holes and current breaks as the month wears on, with the swing around a tide change becoming the more productive stretch of the day than the slack in between.
Red drum run strengthens along the NC coast as bluefish join in
Red drum are the story up and down the North Carolina coast right now. Per Fisherman's Post, Nathan of East Coast Sports reports anglers working the surf and piers at Topsail/Sneads Ferry are into a strong run of slot-sized red drum, with some over-slot fish mixed in. Further south on the Pamlico/Neuse River, Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication reports red drum are the main focus for anglers, with fish showing throughout the river as bait stacks up around New Bern. On the Swansboro/Emerald Isle beachfront, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors reports scattered red drum alongside bluefish working the same water. Water temp at the Beaufort tide station sits at 72.3°F, still comfortably in the range that keeps redfish and bluefish feeding hard through the fall transition.
Central Coast settles into fall pattern as afternoon tides set the window
Water temperatures along the Central Coast are holding in the mid-to-upper 60s, with Monterey Harbor reading 63.9°F and Port San Luis warmer at 67.1°F in today's NOAA CO-OPS check. Both stations show an afternoon low tide today, Port San Luis around 2:36 p.m. and Monterey around 3:01 p.m. local time, giving anglers a clear window to plan around. The more active angler intel this week comes from farther south: Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports San Diego's half-day boat Daily Double, running out of Point Loma Sportfishing, has been crushing the yellowtail on recent crew trips, a sign the warm-water push fueling Southern California's fall yellowtail run is still building.
Black sea bass and fluke lead the bite as NJ's fall striper run builds
Delaware Bay water sat at 66.7°F this afternoon, squarely in the range New Jersey's bottom fishery has been riding hard. Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged a very good all-day bite on black sea bass this week, with keepers for the whole boat and a pool-winning 2.5-pound fish, while Blue Chip Sportfishing reports fluke and sea bass being caught on both half-day and full-day trips. Fishermans HQ LBI backs that up, noting decent fluke fishing on the reefs even as the season winds down. Striped bass are moving the other direction: OTW Northern New Jersey's report flags improving fall-run striper fishing now that a recent nor'easter has cleared out, with false albacore and bluefish still lingering along the beaches. NJ Fish & Wildlife News's ongoing Delaware Bay trawl survey, running since 1991, is a reminder this estuary is tracked closely for exactly this kind of seasonal finfish turnover.
Warm Gulf water holds as Texas eyes redfish tag changes
NOAA CO-OPS readings across the Galveston-Corpus region are running warm for early October: 84.2°F at station 8771450, 83.3°F at station 8771341, and 81.7°F at station 8772471. Texas Fish & Game Magazine reports the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has proposed fishing rule changes touching flounder and redfish tags, while the annual November flounder closure is still expected to stand. Anglers planning around redfish this fall should watch for the finalized rule package before setting harvest plans.
Striped bass and sea bass turn on in Narragansett Bay breachways
NOAA CO-OPS readings at Newport (62.1°F) and Conimicut Light (62.4°F) show Narragansett Bay still comfortably in range for an active fall bite. Saltwater Edge reports surf and boat anglers doing well on striped bass tight to structure around the islands, and tautog reports are improving as October progresses. Frances Fleet and Booked Off Charters are both posting easy limits of keeper black sea bass, with Booked Off Charters noting the storm pushed smaller fish out and left better-sized sea bass behind. False albacore have been inconsistent: Saltwater Edge says the albies have largely moved off for now, while Snug Harbor Marina is still finding some working the windmills south of Block Island.
Cooler Fall Air Lifts the Bite Across the Florida Keys
Water held in the mid-to-upper 80s off the Keys early Tuesday, 85.6°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8724580 and 86.7°F at station 8723970, as the first real break from summer heat settles in. ALL IN Key West reports the change arrived this week after a September layoff for boat upgrades, calling it "cooler temperatures, hotter fishing" and noting strong interest in fall and winter trip bookings. The captain's post doesn't detail a specific target yet this early in the transition, but the tone matches what the Keys typically see once the heat breaks: more comfortable days on the water and renewed activity after the dog days of summer.
Yellowtail bite holds strong across the SoCal Bight this week
NOAA's San Pedro gauge (station 9410170) read a warm 77.5°F this morning while the Santa Monica side of the Bight (station 9410230) sat six degrees cooler at 72°F, a split that is keeping yellowtail stacked along the warmer edge. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the half-day boat Daily Double, out of Point Loma Sportfishing, ran a crew-reward trip this past week and came back crushing the yellowtail after what the captain called another strong season on the water. The same outlet's report out of San Clemente notes unusually strong big-game interest building around the Northern Channel Islands this fall, another sign that water this far north is running warmer than typical for early October. Anglers fishing out of Newport Harbor, also via Western Outdoor News, describe a similar warm-water push working along the coast this season.
Tautog and striped bass lead a building fall run on the Jersey Shore
Water temperatures are easing into the fall-run sweet spot, reading 63.7°F at the Sandy Hook CO-OPS station and 64.4°F off Cape May this morning. Tautog are the most consistent bite on the coast right now, with The Fisherman — Southern NJ, The Fisherman — Central NJ, The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, and The Fisherman — Northern NJ all reporting green-crab and sand-flea bites producing keepers to 4 pounds at the Cape May jetties, the AC Jetty, and Barnegat Light. Striped bass are building right alongside them. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition notes the first reports of 50-inch-plus bass along the north coast as the fall run gets underway, The Fisherman — Northern NJ has bass working inlets and jetties on live eels, and The Fisherman — Southern NJ has schoolies up to 33 inches on soft plastics after dark. Black sea bass remain a dependable bottom bite too: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ and Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) both describe limits coming over the rail on half- and full-day trips, with bluefish and the occasional fluke mixed into the same drifts.
Sea bass bite holds strong as early striper signs reach Raritan Bay
The NOAA tide station at Sandy Hook (8531680) is reading 63°F this morning, still holding onto late-summer warmth as the fall run gets underway. Bottom fishing is carrying the bay right now: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ reports lights-out black sea bass on every trip this week, calling it "no beat downs, no BS, just good all-day fishing" with everyone going home with dinner. The Fisherman — Northern NJ reports striped bass moving in and out of the inlet with the tide, with keeper fish off the jetties taking live eels, while green crabs are producing keeper tautog and bluefishing has turned on in patches for boats willing to search out the slammers. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition notes the first fall reports of striped bass over 50 inches along the north Jersey coast, an early signal that the migration is building.
Delaware River Smallmouth and Pine Barrens Crappie Hold Steady
Smallmouth bass are holding strong on the Delaware River north of Lambertville this week, with Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown quoted in The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater report. The same report has Smith's Bait Shop in Leipsic pulling crappie and panfish out of Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, Silver Lake and Lums Pond on small jigs tipped with Gulp or minnows worked through the dam spillways, alongside a decent evening crappie bite and suspended bass action at Lake Nockamixon. Cooling water is also getting credit for turning on the bite further north at Lake Wallenpaupack, where Hyper Striper Sportfishing, cited in that same roundup, says smallmouth remain a top catch. Deeper into the Pine Barrens, the report notes a few striped bass working above the tide line in the Mullica River, a reminder that this transitional stretch still mixes migratory fish with resident freshwater species this time of year.
Fall tide swings set the pace along the Oregon Coast
NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 logged a water temperature of 57.7°F at this morning's reading, in line with the seasonal cooldown settling over the Oregon Coast in early October. Tidal exchange is building as the moon wanes toward new, with today's cycle swinging from a late-morning high near 10:59 AM to a lower stand around 4:51 PM at that station. To the north, station 9439040 shows an early low near 5:39 AM ahead of a late-morning high closer to noon. That widening swing, paired with water still holding in the upper 50s, is the signal worth building a trip around this week.
Snook push onto Sarasota docks as fall flats bite builds
NOAA CO-OPS readings from St. Petersburg (station 8726520) and Clearwater Beach (station 8726724) both show gulf water still sitting in the low 80s this morning, holding firm into the fall transition. Capt. Rick Grassett's October forecast for CB's Saltwater Outfitters calls it a good month for snook, with fish moving off the passes and beaches toward docks, bridges, and shallow flats in the ICW as they stage for winter. Capt. Kelly Kurtz reported an active inshore bite in Sarasota Bay this past week, with anglers landing snook and redfish around the same structure. Capt. Brandon Naeve added that the Gulf Coast's fall snook season, open since September 1, is running strong while water stays warm.
Carolinas' fall redfish run signals good things for Charleston
Charleston Harbor water is sitting at 77°F this morning per NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530, still warm enough to keep redfish on the move as the region slides into its fall pattern. Fisherman's Post's Carolinas saltwater roundup reports a strong red drum push up and down the coast this week: Nathan at East Coast Sports, covering Topsail/Sneads Ferry, is seeing slot-sized reds in the surf and off piers with some over-slot fish mixed in, and Donald at Custom Marine Fabrication reports red drum spread throughout the Pamlico/Neuse system with bait stacking up nearby. That's the same coastwide signal that should be reaching Charleston Harbor as water temperatures ease down from summer highs.
Hartwell bass bite stays strong as fall pattern sets in
Lake Hartwell's bass bite is still producing winning stringers as the calendar turns toward fall. Per MLF News, Dawsonville angler Reed Rooke boated a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds to win a Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Hartwell, starting shallow each morning to hunt for a kicker bite before shifting his pattern as conditions changed through the day. The Georgia Wildlife Blog's October fishing report notes the broader statewide shift into fall across Georgia waters, with cooler mornings and changing leaves pulling anglers back out. On the Hartwell/Russell chain, that same morning-shallow, midday-adjustment pattern anglers are describing lines up with a typical early-fall transition for this system.
Bull Redfish Showing on Georgia Beaches as Mullet Run Builds
Water temperatures off the Georgia Atlantic Coast are holding at 77.7°F per NOAA CO-OPS station 8670870, still well within the range that keeps inshore gamefish active heading into October. Per Coastal Angler Magazine, the mullet run already underway along the coast is pulling oversize bull redfish right up onto the beach, with anglers sight-casting as bait schools move through the surf. That mullet-driven bite is the clearest signal in this week's reports: as pods of finger mullet push south along the beachfront, bull reds are tracking close behind, and anglers walking the sand rather than running offshore are finding the most consistent action right now.