Fishing reports
17551 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
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.
Sea Bass Stays Hot Off Sandy Hook as Bonito Push Into Raritan Bay
Sea bass are bailing out anglers even when fluke get stingy — Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ describes bottom that was "loaded with Sea Bass" on recent trips, with Pete from the Bronx topping the pool on a 4-pound 6-ounce fluke and Garry Karcer boating a 5-pounder mid-week, both against a backdrop of mostly short fluke and inconsistent drift. Just up the coast, Grumpys Tackle (NJ) and OTW Northern New Jersey both flag Spanish mackerel and bonito now mixing into the surf and inshore grounds, a sign the late-summer bait push has arrived. Fluking itself reads mixed: OTW Northern New Jersey calls it "a steady pick of keepers," while The Fisherman — Northern NJ notes area captains are already looking ahead to a strong September as sand eels stack up along the beach. Bluefin tuna remain a midshore coin-flip, hit or miss on the jig.
Late-summer transition play sets up smallmouth and walleye bite
Late-summer bass are shifting patterns fast, per this week's advisory from Tactical Bassin (blog), and that same fall-transition play applies to smallmouth working the Allegheny and Monongahela tailwaters below Pittsburgh's lock-and-dam system. No fresh buoy or gauge telemetry came through for this update, so today's read leans on seasonal pattern and current technique trends rather than an on-the-water PA report. Fishing the Midwest notes that forward-facing sonar has upended old assumptions about walleye sitting tight to bottom structure — fish are increasingly found suspended, a pattern that applies directly to tailwater walleye holding off current breaks. Smallmouth should still respond to moving baits worked over emerging weed edges and points early and late in the day, with a buzzbait or topwater presentation drawing reaction strikes as water cools toward fall. Catfish activity typically holds steady through this stretch. Check current PA Fish and Boat Commission regulations before harvesting anything.
North Shore Lake Trout Hold a Steady Bite as Summer Winds Down
Anglers working Lake Superior's Lower Shore near Duluth are still connecting with 18- to 33-inch Lake Trout on a steady bite, according to the MN DNR's August 20 Lake Superior Summer Fishing report — the same pattern DNR creel clerks have logged for a month straight from Duluth to Two Harbors. Salmon have thinned out some this week per that same report, though Coho and a few Chinook are still turning up at the access sites. Surface temps are running warmer near Duluth (65-70°F) and noticeably cooler toward Two Harbors (50-55°F), so working the temperature breaks matters. Inland, walleye anglers are leaning on forward-facing sonar to find suspended fish rather than pinning them to bottom structure, a shift Fishing the Midwest has been tracking all season. Bass are in their late-summer transition, with topwater and buzzbaits producing as fish key on baitfish before the fall turnover. Under this week's full moon, expect low-light windows to fish best.
Lake Erie's multi-species bite holds strong into late August
Lake Erie's reputation as one of North America's top multi-species fisheries held up this week — Wired 2 Fish highlighted an angler working roughly 38 feet of water on the lake and connecting with a quality fish while running with a veteran guide who "put them over some really productive bottom," a reminder that Erie's deeper structure keeps producing through late summer. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Presque Isle Bay this cycle, so specific water-temperature and clarity numbers aren't available — check a local forecast before heading out. For PA anglers working Presque Isle and the near-shore reef complex, late August typically means smallmouth bass holding tight to deeper rock and drop-offs, walleye sitting near the thermocline, and yellow perch beginning to school tighter as the season pivots toward fall. With a full moon overhead, we're expecting a stronger low-light bite at dawn and dusk this week. Steelhead activity remains minimal until cooler water triggers the fall run.
Fall Chinook Buzz Builds on the Columbia as WA Rivers Turn Toward Salmon Season
Anglers on the IFish.net forum this week described "HOT chinook action trolling solo" just north of the marked boundary near Buoy 10, alongside separate posts detailing salmon trolling below Chinook Landing and at the mouth of the Lewis River — consistent Columbia system chatter for late August, though these are forum reports and should be treated as early signal rather than confirmed bite data until an agency creel check corroborates them. No live NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through this cycle, so specific flow and temperature figures aren't available; WDFW's fishing and stocking reports page remains the best source for verified creel counts and any in-season regulation changes before you launch. With tonight's full moon pushing stronger low-light feeding windows, look for chinook activity to concentrate around dawn and dusk on Columbia tributaries and Puget Sound river mouths as the fall run continues building through the final days of August.
Saginaw Bay walleye and perch gear up for the Labor Day turn
Direct Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay reports were thin in this week's intel pull, so this update leans on regional Great Lakes trends and seasonal norms rather than a specific dock report. Elsewhere on the Great Lakes, Wired 2 Fish flagged a strong multi-species stretch on Lake Erie this month, a sign that the broader basin is fishing well as summer turns toward fall. On the technique side, Fishing the Midwest notes that forward-facing sonar has changed how walleye anglers find fish across the region, with more suspended fish being caught away from classic bottom structure. For MI's Huron and Saginaw Bay waters specifically, expect the typical late-August pattern: walleye and perch schooling over deeper structure during the day and pushing shallower at dawn and dusk, with early-season salmon activity building near tributary mouths as water starts to cool. Check the MI DNR's weekly report before heading out for the latest local detail.
Late-Summer Pattern Holds at Santee and Lake Murray
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for Santee or Lake Murray this cycle, so today's read leans on seasonal pattern rather than a live number. Late August on Carolina reservoirs is classic late-summer-to-fall transition water, and national bass coverage is already flagging it: Tactical Bassin's latest late-summer rundown warns anglers not to just slow down and camp on old summer spots, since fish are starting to shift with the shortening days. On Santee and Murray that typically means largemouth still feeding shallow in low light before sliding to deeper cover and ledges once the sun gets up, stripers and catfish holding on structure and bait concentrations in the heat, and crappie generally sluggish until water starts to cool. Treat species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed regional bite until a local shop or captain report comes through.
Drop-shot bass and sunfish action lead the Potomac-Shenandoah bite
The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog's late-summer output points anglers toward two dependable patterns on the Potomac and Shenandoah systems right now: drop-shotting for smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass, and ultralight sunfish tactics for bluegill and redear. Per DWR's "Drop Shotting in Virginia" piece, the rig suspends a bait just off bottom with a weight anchoring the line, giving bass a natural, hovering presentation that's a go-to for anglers targeting all three black bass species statewide. Separately, DWR's fishing report centered on Powhatan Wildlife Management Area flags late summer as prime time for sunfish, with ultralight spinning gear (or a simple bobber-and-worm rig) drawing steady bites from bluegill and redear on public lakes and ponds. No live buoy or gauge telemetry came back for this stretch today, so treat flow and temp as typical for a late-August full-moon period until a fresh reading posts.
Wachusett smallmouth surge as anglers land big fish on jigs
A 12-year-old angler landed a 5-pound smallmouth bass on his third cast with a jig at Wachusett Reservoir this week, then followed up with a 4-plus-pound smallmouth on a topwater lure, per a report from Jerry's Bait and Tackle carried by The Fisherman — New England Freshwater. That's the one direct signal we have from the Quabbin/Wachusett corridor this cycle — no report has come in from Quabbin itself, so treat conditions there as inferred rather than confirmed. Elsewhere in Massachusetts, The Fisherman — New England Freshwater notes smallmouth action holding up well through the Merrimack River's Lowell-to-Lawrence stretch, suggesting the regional smallmouth bite is broad-based rather than a one-off. With a Full Moon overhead and late-August water still carrying summer heat, bass should favor low-light windows — early morning and dusk — with jigs and topwater working best around structure and dropoffs. No buoy or gauge telemetry is available for this inland system this cycle, so we're leaning on angler reports alone.
Kenai-area rivers turn toward the fall silver salmon push
Late August is the hinge point for Kenai and interior Alaska river systems, as the summer sockeye and king salmon runs wind down and the fall silver (coho) salmon push begins working upstream — a pattern that typically holds through September in this region. No buoy or gauge readings and no Alaska-specific river reports came through in this cycle's data feed, so today's outlook leans on general seasonal knowledge rather than fresh on-the-water testimony. Anglers can expect rainbow trout and Dolly Varden to key in on drifting salmon eggs and flesh below spawning fish, a dependable late-summer pattern on interior systems. With a full moon overhead, dawn and dusk windows typically produce the most consistent action as fish feed heavier during low-light periods around the bright nights. Check current regulations before targeting any salmon species, since in-season closures and bag limits shift by drainage.
Smokies trout lean on terrestrials as late-August heat holds
With no fresh buoy or gauge readings out of the Smokies this cycle, this update leans on the broader late-summer trout pattern showing up across trout country right now. Hatch Magazine's terrestrial countdown flags hoppers, ants, and beetles as entering their prime window, and that timing tracks for Western NC's freestone streams as well. Heat management is the bigger story than any hatch: as Reno Fly Shop's guides are noting on the Truckee this week, rising midday water temperatures are pushing trout to concentrate their feeding into the first and last light of the day, a pattern that holds just as true in the Southern Appalachians. Expect rainbows and browns working banks, pocket water, and shaded runs at dawn and dusk, with native brook trout holding tighter to cooler, higher-elevation headwater tributaries. A full moon overhead tonight favors an early start — fish may already be feeding well before sunrise.
Deep-water bite carries Lake Erie's multi-species run into fall
Western New York's Lake Erie and Niagara stretch enters the last week of August without fresh buoy or gauge readings this cycle, so anglers should lean on local knowledge before heading out. What we do have: Wired 2 Fish's recent feature on Lake Erie's reputation as one of North America's best multi-species fisheries, describing a guide-led trip that found solid fish holding in roughly 38 feet of water — a reminder that late-summer bites here often come from deeper main-lake structure rather than the shallows. Expect smallmouth bass and walleye to keep feeding actively while the lake holds onto summer warmth, with yellow perch schooling up on deeper flats. Steelhead activity typically stays quiet until tributary temperatures drop closer to fall. Tonight's full moon should sharpen overnight and dawn feeding windows. Check state regulations before harvesting, and verify current water temps locally since no fresh reading came through this update.
Kings and Browns Turn On as Lake Ontario Salmon Run Builds
Salmon fishing has been very good on Lake Ontario this past week, with browns and lake trout mixed into the catch, according to Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario). Boats are working the 100- to 160-foot range, and preferred depths have been sliding day to day as wind pushes the thermocline around — Mag Dipsey Divers are producing when fish sit deep, with green, white, and chartreuse e-chip flashers paired with Atomic attractors drawing strikes. For anglers working the Salmon River and Oswego tributaries, this offshore staging is the setup phase before fish push upriver later in the run. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for this update, so plan around on-the-water reports and check conditions before you launch. With tonight's full moon, expect an active low-light bite at dawn and again after dark.
San Juan trout stay steady as Rio Grande flows thin under late-summer heat
The San Juan below Navajo Dam keeps running cold and clear on bottom-release flow, a pattern that typically keeps trout active on small midges and nymphs straight through late August regardless of surface heat elsewhere in the state. Downstream, the free-flowing Rio Grande is typically thinner and warmer this time of year, pushing smallmouth bass and catfish into deeper pools and making early-morning and dusk windows the more productive stretch of the day as water warms through midday. No New Mexico-specific captain, shop, or agency reports came through this week's regional feeds — coverage this cycle skewed toward other states and general technique pieces — so what follows leans on typical late-August patterns for this fishery rather than fresh on-the-water intel. With tonight's full moon, expect low, clear water on both rivers and plan trips around the low-light hours rather than midday.