Fishing reports
17903 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Yellowstone terrestrials fire up as flows hold steady
The Yellowstone River gauge near the park (USGS 06192500) logged 69°F and 2,190 cfs as of late afternoon August 24, warm enough that anglers should plan around morning and evening windows rather than midday heat. Hatch Magazine's seasonal terrestrial countdown says the annual hopper window across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is now in full swing after a long, hot, smoky summer, making foam hoppers and beetles a go-to searching pattern on the Yellowstone and Snake corridors. Flylab notes that when Rockies streams warm up like this, moving to higher-elevation water and tributaries can put anglers back on cooler, more active cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. With flows steady and no rain signal in the data, expect clear, low-and-warm conditions through the week best fished early before the thermal creep sets in.
New River and Ohio waters hold steady summer flows
Flow at USGS gauge 03051000 is running 597 cfs as of Sunday evening, a stable, wadeable summer stage for the New River and Ohio River drainages in West Virginia. No water temperature reading came through on this cycle, so anglers should check a handheld thermometer or local report before planning a session around thermal breaks. We didn't get any region-specific angler intel this round, so what follows leans on typical late-August patterns for these waters rather than fresh on-the-water reports. Expect smallmouth bass to be the most consistent target, with catfish staying active in the warmer water column. Muskie and walleye tend to go quiet and deep during the heat of August days, favoring low-light windows. Stable flow is generally good news for wading anglers and float trips alike, since it keeps access points and known holes predictable through the week.
Late-summer heat holds as urchin-bait buzz reaches Guntersville bass
USGS gauge 03575100 logged a steady 168 cfs as of Sunday afternoon, pointing to a normal, stable late-August flow stage for the region rather than any sharp rise or drawdown. No Alabama-specific catch reports came through this cycle, so this update leans on season and a national trend anglers are talking about: the "urchin" bait craze. Wired 2 Fish says the multi-tentacled urchin-style baits are producing across "a wide spectrum of conditions," and Fishing the Midwest's Bob Jensen reports a friend seeing outstanding results with a Tumbleweed-style urchin bait near bass. For Guntersville and Wheeler, typical late-August patterns hold: largemouth sliding to main-lake ledges and grass edges during low light, catfish staying consistently active on current breaks, and crappie going deep and quiet in the heat. We'd treat any single report with caution until more local sources check in. Check Alabama regs before harvesting anything you plan to keep.
High, Muddy Flows Push Catfish to the Front on the Kansas and Arkansas
Gauge 06892350 logged 82°F and a strong 6,890 cfs flow Monday afternoon, evidence of elevated, likely off-color water across the Kansas and Arkansas River systems after recent summer rain. That combination, warm water riding a high-water pulse, is classic catfish water: channel and flathead cats typically feed hardest in extra current and stained flow, working slower seams, eddies, and downed timber where drifting scent carries to them. White bass tend to stay active through the warm months too, often schooling along current breaks where baitfish concentrate. Largemouth bass and crappie, by contrast, usually slide deeper or tuck tight to cover once water sits in the low 80s, making for a slower, more finesse-dependent bite. No direct regional shop or captain reports came in for the Kansas or Arkansas systems this cycle, so treat the species read below as seasonal-pattern guidance rather than confirmed bites, and check conditions again before you commit to a spot.
Salmon trolling picks up on the Columbia as Rogue stays warm
The USGS gauge at site 14211720 read 74°F this afternoon, in line with typical late-August warmth on Oregon's Columbia system. Direct fishing intel was thin this cycle, but IFish.net Fishing Reports posts from Columbia-area anglers this week show trolling gear still going out for salmon — one angler reported losing a rod off the back of the boat near Chinook Landing while pulling a flasher spread, a sign boats are actively working the troll for fall Chinook as the run builds. On the coast, an IFish.net post out of Garibaldi noted salmon "weren't so cooperative" but rockfish saved the trip, a reminder that salmon bite has been inconsistent lately. With water sitting warm, smallmouth bass and sturgeon typically stay the more dependable freshwater options through late August on the Columbia and Rogue systems, though check current state regs before targeting either species.
Deep ledges take over as Kentucky Lake settles into late summer
Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are moving into the classic deep-structure stretch of late August, with largemouth and smallmouth bass sliding onto river ledges, main-lake humps, and channel swings as surface temperatures sit near their seasonal peak. No fresh on-the-water reports for this specific stretch of water came through our regional feeds this week, so we're leaning on typical late-summer patterns for this fishery. Nationally, bass anglers are leaning harder on forward-facing sonar to pick apart suspended fish over structure, a shift Fishing the Midwest has been tracking closely, and Wired 2 Fish flags urchin-style soft plastics as one of the more productive new bait trends of the year across a wide range of conditions. Either could be worth trying if bass are holding tight to cover on the ledges. Crappie typically pull deeper and suspend over brush and standing timber this time of year, while catfish stay active on flats and channel drops through the heat. Check Kentucky and Tennessee regs before harvesting.
Bass and Snakeheads Stay Active as Delaware Flows Run Low
Topwater bass and northern snakehead action remains steady across Delaware's freshwater ponds and lakes, with Smith's Bait Shop in Leipsic reporting good numbers of both species working thick vegetation this week, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater. That same report notes perch and panfish are already stacking up in the spillways at Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, and Silver Lake, a bite shop staff expect to strengthen as water temperatures ease into September. On the Christina and Nanticoke systems, USGS gauge 01493500 is reading a modest 12.2 cfs, consistent with the low, slow-moving flow typical of late-August drought stage in this region — expect clearer water with fish concentrated around structure and deeper holes. With the moon in a waxing gibbous phase, early and late low-light windows should stay the most productive stretches for topwater presentations over vegetation edges.
Bitterroot trout turn to dawn hours as heat holds on the Flathead
The gauge on the Flathead system read 73°F this afternoon (USGS gauge 12372000, observed 4:50pm), a temperature that pushes Bitterroot and Flathead-drainage trout toward low-light feeding windows and away from the warm midday hours. Flow is holding near 5,590 cfs, keeping wading water pushy in faster runs. Regionally, Hatch Magazine's Yellowstone terrestrial countdown piece notes hopper and terrestrial patterns are now in full swing across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a signal that typically applies to nearby Montana trout water as August closes out — grasshoppers, ants, and beetle patterns should be producing along banks and grassy cutbanks through the morning. With water this warm, expect cutthroat and brown trout to slide deeper or hold in shaded seams, while rainbows stay willing to chase a well-placed terrestrial early and late. Flathead Lake's lake trout fishery is less affected by surface warmth and should stay a steadier deep-water option. Check Montana FWP's seasonal restrictions before planning an afternoon session.
Warm water pushes ID trout bite to dawn and dusk hours
USGS gauge 13340000 on the Snake River system read 76°F with flow holding near 1,270 cfs as of this afternoon, warm enough to push trout into low-light feeding windows. No shop or captain reports this week name specific bites on the Snake or Salmon river systems in Idaho, but the pattern is textbook late-August: rainbow and cutthroat trout in this drainage typically pull back from midday feeding once water climbs into the mid-70s, concentrating instead in dawn and dusk hours, tailouts, and any cooler tributary inflows. Steelhead runs on the Salmon River are still building toward their fall push and aren't yet a dependable target. Anglers working this stretch should expect a slower, more selective bite through the heat of the day, with the best windows bracketing sunrise and the last hour of light. Anglers should check current state fishing regulations for any temperature-based closures before heading out.
High Flow Pushes Iowa River Catfish Bite Into the Eddies
The Des Moines River basin is running high this week, with the USGS gauge at site 05465500 clocking 8,500 cfs as of this evening's reading — well above the kind of flow that makes for easy wading or sight-fishing. No water temp reading came through with this update, so anglers should check conditions at the ramp before planning a trip. We're not seeing direct on-the-water reports out of Iowa this cycle, but the elevated flow is the story: expect stained water pushing river fish like catfish and walleye toward slack-water eddies, current breaks, and backwater mouths rather than open channel. Fishing the Midwest has been highlighting forward-facing sonar as a game-changer for finding walleye away from traditional bottom structure this season, a trend worth trying if you're marking fish but not connecting on the Des Moines. Smallmouth and crappie bite typically slows when flows spike like this, so plan around structure that breaks current.
Low water nudges VT rivers toward a late-summer smallmouth pattern
USGS gauge 01135300 logged flow at just 5.92 cfs as of Monday evening, the kind of skinny, clear water typical for Vermont's Connecticut River tributaries and Champlain-basin streams in late August. No water-temperature reading came through with this gauge, and no angler reports specific to Vermont surfaced in this cycle's intel feed. Regionally, though, the pattern is familiar: per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, smallmouth bass action remains excellent through the Merrimack River's Lowell-to-Lawrence and Hooksett, NH stretches, while largemouth bass continue to bite on Senkos and swim baits in area ponds. Vermont's own smallmouth water on the Connecticut River and largemouth bays on Lake Champlain typically mirror that same late-summer low-water, current-seam pattern. With low flow reducing oxygen and pushing fish to structure and current breaks, anglers should focus early and late in the day and check local regulations before harvesting.
Late-summer patterns settle in on Lake Erie and the Ohio River
Real-time buoy and gauge data for the Lake Erie and Ohio River corridor isn't reporting this cycle — USGS gauge 03271601 shows no current flow or temperature reading — so this update leans on typical late-August patterns for the region rather than fresh numbers. Walleye action on the Erie basin typically shifts toward deeper structure and open-water trolling as surface temps hold near their summer peak, while smallmouth bass stay tight to rock piles, reefs, and drop-offs. On the Ohio River, channel catfish remain a dependable summer target after dark, with sauger fishing typically staying slower until water starts cooling. Nationally, Wired 2 Fish reports urchin-style baits continuing to dominate bass fishing conversations this season, a trend worth testing on Erie smallmouth if standard tubes and drop-shots go quiet. With no OH-specific angler reports in this cycle's feed, treat the species status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite reports, and check locally before planning a trip.
Yellowstone anglers count down to peak hopper season
Anglers across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are marking the calendar for hopper season, per Hatch Magazine's Yellowstone terrestrial countdown piece out this week, which describes a long, hot, smoky summer building toward the terrestrial window that typically opens in earnest in the back half of August. On the Missouri River basin side, USGS gauge 06043500 is reading 441 cfs this afternoon, a flow on the lower, more wadable end for late summer that should keep sight-fishing to cruising trout in play on clear stretches. No water-temperature reading came through on this gauge today, so check a thermometer streamside before pushing fish through the warmest afternoon hours. With smoke haze cutting direct sun in spots, expect trout to key on terrestrials, hoppers, ants, and beetles pattering off grassy banks, especially during the low-light morning and evening windows when water runs coolest and fish are most willing to look up for a meal.
Low-Flow Window Keeps Cumberland Tailwater Prime For Wading
USGS gauge 03413200 on the Cumberland River tailwater logged flow at just 5.68 cfs as of 7 PM Saturday, a minimal-generation reading consistent with the dam sitting mostly off rather than running turbines. That kind of low, clear water below the dam is exactly what tailwater waders and fly anglers wait for. We don't have fresh angler intel specific to Lake Cumberland or its tailwater in this cycle, so what follows leans on typical late-August patterns for the fishery rather than new reports. The tailwater's cold, dam-fed water keeps trout the headline draw through the heat of summer, while the lake itself carries smallmouth and largemouth bass, crappie, and striped/hybrid stripers that tend to slide deeper as surface temps climb. No water temperature reading came through with today's data pull, so plan around the flow number and check the generation schedule before you head out, since releases can spike with little warning.
White River tailwaters hold steady as Ozark heat builds
Real-time telemetry for the White River is quiet this cycle — the USGS gauge at site 07263620 isn't reporting a flow or temperature reading, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried a dispatch specific to Arkansas or the White River fishery. Rather than guess at numbers, here's what's typically true for this stretch in late August: the tailwaters below Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams draw cold water from deep storage, so trout fishing generally holds up even as air temperatures climb, while the warmer, unregulated stretches of the Arkansas and White River systems tend to push bass and walleye into low-light feeding windows. We're leaning on seasonal norms rather than fresh reports today, so treat the species outlook below as a general expectation, not a confirmed bite, and pull a current gauge reading before you head out.
High water shapes the bite on the Tennessee and Coosa systems
USGS gauge 02339500 logged flow near 15,400 cfs late Sunday evening, a reading that points to higher, faster water across the Tennessee and Coosa river systems heading into the work week. No water-temperature reading came through with this pull, and today's feed carried no Alabama-specific reports from tracked shops, captains, or state sources, so we're leaning on typical late-August patterns for this fishery rather than fresh on-the-water intel. Elevated current in these rivers usually pushes largemouth and spotted bass tighter to current breaks, laydowns, and bluff walls, while catfish and hybrid striper activity tends to hold near tailrace eddies where bait stacks up against the flow. Nationally, bass-fishing outlets like Wired 2 Fish continue flagging "urchin"-style soft plastics as a hot producer for largemouth this season, a pattern worth trying if bites feel sluggish in the heavier water. Check conditions before launching, since current will keep shaping where fish set up this week.
Heavy Osage River flow pushes Lake of the Ozarks bass deep
A USGS reading at gauge 06934500 has the Osage River running a hefty 52,500 cfs with water sitting at 82°F as of Monday afternoon, a combination that points to strong dam generation layered on typical late-August heat. No shop, captain, or agency filed a direct Lake of the Ozarks report this week, so we're leaning on regional technique trends that still apply here: Wired 2 Fish and Fishing the Midwest both flag urchin-style soft-plastic baits as the technique dominating bass fishing right now across a wide range of conditions, while Fishing the Midwest notes forward-facing sonar has changed how anglers locate suspended summer bass instead of sticking strictly to bottom structure. With flow this elevated, current breaks below the dam should concentrate baitfish and catfish, while bass and crappie likely hold deeper and tighter to cover until generation eases. Check state regs before harvesting.
Black Hills creeks run thin as Missouri River holds through late August
The lone reading we have this cycle, from USGS gauge 06440200, shows flow at just 0.36 cfs as of the afternoon of August 24, essentially a trickle. That points to a small Black Hills freestone tributary running about as low as it gets, typical for a dry late-summer stretch and a signal that skinny water and warming afternoon temps are stressing trout in the smaller creeks right now. No direct South Dakota angler reports came through our sources this cycle, so what follows leans on general seasonal knowledge for the region rather than specific bite reports; check local shops and state resources for the latest word before you head out. On the Missouri River system reservoirs, deep summer structure fishing for walleye and smallmouth bass is typically the play into early fall, with catfish staying reliably active in warm water. Black Hills trout water rewards early starts while flows stay this low.
Smallmouth stay hot regionally as Winnipesaukee eyes early fall shift
USGS gauge 01081000 logged a steady late-afternoon flow of 321 cfs on August 24, with no water-temperature reading available for Lake Winnipesaukee this cycle. Direct testimony from the lake itself is thin this week. The closest regional signal comes from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, where Roger Aziz Jr. reports smallmouth bass action remains excellent along the nearby Merrimack River corridor, including the Hooksett, New Hampshire stretch, a reasonable proxy for how smallmouth are behaving across central New Hampshire water right now. No source this cycle reported directly on largemouth bass, lake trout, or landlocked salmon at Winnipesaukee, so we're leaning on typical late-August patterns rather than fresh testimony for those species. Anglers should expect smallmouth to stay the more reliable target through the week, with deeper structure worth checking as trout and salmon likely hold near the thermocline.
Cumberland system settles into steady late-summer bass rhythm
USGS gauge 03434500 on the Cumberland system logged 124 cfs this afternoon, a stable, near-base-flow reading that should mean clear-to-lightly-stained water for anglers heading out this week. No water-temperature reading came through with this update, so plan around the typical late-August pattern here: warm surface layers pushing smallmouth and largemouth bass toward dawn and dusk feeding windows, with catfish taking over after dark. We don't have a direct Tennessee or Cumberland-specific fishing report to attribute a bite to this cycle, so treat the species activity below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed report. Striped bass in Cumberland-system waters typically hold deeper against summer heat, stacking near thermocline breaks rather than showing up top. Stable flow like this favors consistent presentations over reactive adjustments, a small edge worth using while surface temps stay elevated. Check state regs before harvesting anything you keep this week.
Texoma stripers, Eufaula cats hold steady as summer heat lingers
Flow at USGS gauge 07331600 held low and stable at 59.7 cfs as of Monday afternoon, a typical late-August signature for the river systems feeding Lake Texoma and Lake Eufaula. No water-temperature reading came through this cycle, but late August in this region typically means fish are well into their summer thermocline pattern, and that usually keeps striped bass and blue catfish the most consistent bite while largemouth and crappie get harder to pin down in the heat. None of this week's regional angler-intel feeds carried Texoma- or Eufaula-specific bite reports, so this update leans on typical seasonal behavior rather than fresh local intel. Nationally, bass anglers are leaning hard on newer approaches worth testing locally - Wired 2 Fish reports the 'urchin' bait category has taken over much of the bass scene this year, and Fishing the Midwest points to forward-facing sonar reshaping how anglers find suspended fish over deep structure.
East Texas bass hold in summer cover as heat lingers
At nearby Lake Fork, guides are still boating big bass despite a scorching summer, with lake levels holding steady and enough cover to keep fish active through repeated 100-degree days, per Lake Fork Trophy Bass. Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn typically track that same late-summer pattern this time of year, with largemouth sliding into deeper cover and standing timber as surface heat persists, feeding hardest in the early morning and evening windows. USGS gauge 08030500 is reading near 756 cfs, a flow that points to stable water rather than a rise or drawdown event moving through the system. No direct water-temperature reading came through this cycle, so we'd check conditions dockside before locking in a game plan. Expect largemouth bass to stay the headline species on both reservoirs, with catfish and crappie settling into their typical deeper, cover-oriented late-summer holding patterns.
Texas catfish keep working through the August heat
Regional flow is holding low and steady while water temperature sits at 90°F, a classic late-August signature across Texas lakes and rivers. With water this warm, the pattern shop and guide reports describe for spring and rising-water conditions doesn't carry over directly, but the underlying principle still holds: catfish push toward deeper, cooler water and feed hardest in low light. North Texas Catfish Guide, working Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth, has repeatedly described active, feeding blue and channel catfish once water conditions turn favorable, and that dawn-and-after-dark pattern is the safer bet now that surface temps are pushing 90. On the bass side, Texas Fish & Game Magazine's recent note on a rare golden bass pulled from Lake Grapevine is a reminder that lake fisheries statewide are still producing quality fish even in peak summer heat, though daytime largemouth activity typically slows until temperatures ease. Plan trips around the coolest hours of the day.
Deschutes and Klamath trout settle into a late-summer waiting game
Late August has both the Deschutes and Upper Klamath sliding into their typical warm-water rhythm, with flows historically easing toward seasonal lows and afternoon surface temperatures climbing enough to push redband and rainbow trout into tighter, low-light feeding windows. No fresh reading came through for USGS gauge 14070500 this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep turned up nothing specific to either river system, so this report leans on the typical late-summer playbook rather than a fresh catch report. That's not unusual for a Pacific Northwest trout fishery outside the peak spring/fall chatter window. Anglers who know these waters should plan around early mornings and last light for redbands and rainbows, deeper runs and spring-fed stretches to hold fish through the heat of the day, and extra care handling fish once water temps climb, since stressed trout in warm water don't recover well. Check current Oregon fishing regulations before heading out, as warm-water afternoon closures are common on Oregon rivers this time of year.