Fishing reports
10999 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Lake Michigan salmon season enters late-summer transition near Chicago
Lake Michigan's Chinook, coho, and steelhead fishery came off a standout 2024, with anglers landing over 210,000 coho and more than 160,000 Chinook salmon — the best Chinook numbers since 2012 — per the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report. No fresh buoy readings or angler bite reports came through for the Chicago nearshore this cycle, so today's outlook leans on typical late-August patterns for southern Lake Michigan: salmon and steelhead holding deeper along the thermocline with trollers working spoons and meat rigs, yellow perch starting to settle onto nearshore structure, and smallmouth bass staying active around rocky points and harbor rip-rap as summer surface temps begin easing. Check current DNR advisories before heading out, since specific Chicago-area conditions weren't available in this pull — treat this as a seasonal outlook rather than a live bite report until fresher nearshore data comes in.
Sarasota Bay trout stay hot as Gulf tarpon start sliding inside
Sarasota Bay's summer trout bite continues at full strength, with Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters landing a 27-inch spotted seatrout this week and describing the bay as "aggressively biting" on inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and passes — target the sunrise and sunset feeding windows for the best results. Redfish are cooperating too: Capt. Chuck Cress reported reds hooked immediately on a rising morning tide near Siesta Key using a popping cork with live shrimp, alongside incidental snook. Capt. Rick Grassett's August outlook still has a few juvenile tarpon working the coastal Gulf on DOA Shrimp and Baitbusters, though as beach schools thin later in the month expect them to slide onto deep grass flats and bridges. Offshore, Sport Fishing Mag notes west-coast anglers trolling structure for gag grouper in relatively shallow water ahead of the short fall season. No live buoy or gauge readings were available this cycle, so check local conditions before you head out.
Big Stripers Push Toward Maine Ahead of Gulf of Maine Cod Reopening
Striper action has caught fire north of Cape Cod with some seriously big fish in the mix from Maine to Boston and beyond, per The Fisherman (Northeast)'s New England Video Fishing Forecast this week. Closer to shore, Belsan's Bait & Tackle (South Shore Massachusetts to Maine) reports Boston Harbor bass fishing roaring back on a fresh pogy push, with anglers working live pogies, big spooks, paddletails, and trolled mojos around bait schools, while bluefish remain largely absent north of Salem this season. The bigger regional story for Gulf of Maine anglers: after fishing without codfish access all of 2026, a 1-fish, 23-inch-minimum cod season opens September 1 in the Gulf of Maine Stock Area, per Dave Anderson's South Shore Massachusetts to Maine report, though the Southern New England Stock Area stays closed through year-end. No live buoy or gauge readings were available for this update, so treat water temps as unconfirmed and check a local source before running offshore.
Trout, redfish keep biting as SC pushes for fall snapper season
Live-bait anglers up the coast at Little River are into summertime trout, with a slip-cork-and-shrimp rig producing consistently, per Dave's Outpost via Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater; the same report notes red drum are around. No buoy or gauge telemetry came back for Charleston Harbor this cycle, so treat water temp and current as unknowns and lean on local tide tables. The bigger regional story is offshore: Saltwater Sportsman reports South Carolina is one of three South Atlantic states pushing NOAA for a 31-day red snapper season (Oct. 1-31) after a lawsuit scrapped the 2026 federal opener, with public comment open through Aug. 25 — worth watching if you fish structure. Inshore, expect the typical late-August Lowcountry mix of seatrout, redfish, and Spanish mackerel working the flats and nearshore bait schools, though none of that is directly confirmed by today's feeds for Charleston specifically.
Permit and kingfish keep Gulf Coast anglers busy into late summer
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters' most recent dispatch described consistent sight-fishing on large permit paired with a steady tarpon push, plus reliable kingfish action on plugs and flies mixed with cobia and amberjack over structure. No fresh buoy or gauge reading came through this cycle, so treat water temperature as typical Gulf Coast Florida late-August norms rather than a verified number — that's peak-heat season here. On that front, Salt Strong (articles) notes that as water temps push into the 90s, redfish stop burning energy chasing fast-moving prey and instead push into deeper, moving water, where a slow-fished blue crab rig outproduces reaction lures. Put together, the picture for FL Gulf Coast right now is a structure-and-timing game: work passes, channels, and deeper water through the heat of the day, and lean on dawn/dusk windows when fish are more willing to chase. Check state regs before harvesting any species targeted below.
Red snapper season push could reopen Georgia waters this fall
Georgia's Atlantic Coast enters late August with the biggest saltwater storyline being regulatory rather than a hot bite: Saltwater Sportsman reports Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia are pushing for a 31-day recreational red snapper season this October after a lawsuit halted the original 2026 opener, with the public-comment window on the plan closing today, Aug. 25. Direct on-the-water intel for the Georgia coast specifically was thin this cycle — the Georgia Wildlife Blog's own fishing report is mid-transition to a rotating regional format, so expect more localized detail in the coming weeks as that rolls out. In the meantime, the patterns typical for this stretch of coast in late summer hold: redfish and spotted seatrout working tidal creeks and marsh edges as peak heat pushes bait into moving water, with tarpon showing up in the sounds and inlets. Check current state regs before targeting red snapper given the pending season status.
Cape Cod Bay stripers fire up near Provincetown, Fishing Ledge
Captain Phil at Goose Hummock Shop reports stripers are showing all along the Cape Cod Bay shore this week, especially around the Fishing Ledge area and off Provincetown, per The Fisherman's Cape Cod & Islands report. Canyon runs out of the shop are producing near-record yellowfin tuna catches, plus a deep-dropped swordfish, with more giants reported around the Sword and Crab Ledge grounds. Ocean beaches are just starting to give up bass to surfcasters, though it's mostly a bait bite so far — live or fresh offerings will outfish artificials for now. Regionally, The Fisherman's New England forecast notes striper action has caught fire north of the Cape, with a strong mackerel push mixing stripers and bonito in the same feeds. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this region today, so plan around tide and moon rather than a specific temperature reading.
LA anglers watch for the marsh's late-summer shift
Louisiana Sportsman's latest Field Notes dispatch out of Tickfaw State Park highlights quiet, moss-draped Delta water drawing paddlers and wildlife watchers as the calendar tips toward fall — a reminder that late August in coastal Louisiana still runs hot, humid, and slow-moving both on the bank and in the marsh. Dedicated Gulf Coast/Delta bite reports were thin in today's feeds, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectations rather than confirmed catches. Redfish typically stay active around marsh points and grass edges while water holds in the mid-80s, speckled trout bite best early and late to dodge the heat, and flounder start showing more interest as they stage for their fall migration toward the passes. LA Sea Grant's ongoing coastal-habitat programming, including a recent Delta workshop on changing wetlands, is a useful backdrop for anyone fishing skinny water this time of year. Check state regs before harvesting.
Blues and early albies stack up in the Vineyard Sound rips
Falmouth Bait & Tackle is reporting the first bonito and albies of the season showing around Quicks and the rip at Robinsons Hole, alongside 4- to 6-pound bluefish working the Vineyard's north shore up to Nobska Point and bigger blues off Horseshoe Shoal. Sports Port in Hyannis backs up the bluefish push, noting fish working the rips between Nobska and off Hyannis, plus scattered bonito and albie reports off Osterville and Bass River that keep moving and won't hold still. Striper fishing remains steady per Black Rose Fishing Charters, which is also putting clients on black sea bass and big scup. Bottom fishing between Bishops and Succonnesset is producing mostly short fluke with an occasional keeper and a few legal sea bass, per Sports Port. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so plan around the well-known Buzzards Bay/Vineyard Sound rips rather than a specific temperature line.
Fluke and porgies carry Connecticut's late-summer bite
A Thursday charter out of Black Hawk landed the season's best fluke trip yet: three fish over 7 pounds on the first drift, then a 9-pounder and an 11-pounder later on, and that size upgrade shows up across the Connecticut shore this week. J&B Tackle reports keeper fluke and sea bass holding at Black Point, Niantic Bay, and Two Tree Channel, with bigger fish reported toward Montauk. Striped bass fishing is best at dawn and dusk, with live-lined eels at night producing the biggest fish, per J&B Tackle. Bottom fishing remains the most reliable summer bite: Tartan II and Black Hawk both report strong porgy numbers with sea bass improving after a slow start. Bluefish are around but running smaller: AW Marina notes a steady bite at The Race and Plum Gut, with anglers hoping bigger blues arrive ahead of the coming tournament, amid what AW Marina calls a late-summer lull.
Fall salmon staging begins along Indiana's Lake Michigan shore
Lake Michigan's Indiana shoreline heads into the final week of August carrying momentum from a strong prior season — the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report's season recap noted anglers boated more than 210,000 coho salmon and over 160,000 Chinook salmon in 2024, the best Chinook numbers since 2012, credited to stronger alewife survival feeding the stocked salmonids. That lake-wide trend typically extends across Indiana's stretch of shoreline as well, and late August is when Chinook and coho begin staging off river mouths and deeper structure ahead of the fall push. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for this stretch today, and no Indiana-specific charter, shop, or forum reports were available this cycle, so treat exact water temps and hot spots as unconfirmed — check a current local report before running. Yellow perch and smallmouth bass remain the steady, typical producers over deeper humps and rocky structure this time of year on the Indiana side.
Toledo Bend bass settle into deep-summer heat patterns
No buoy or gauge readings and no on-the-water reports came in for Toledo Bend or the Sabine River border this cycle, so this update leans on general late-August patterns rather than fresh local intel. Deep summer heat typically pushes largemouth bass toward early-morning and evening feeding windows, with fish sliding onto shade, deeper cover, or main-lake points once the sun climbs — a pattern Tactical Bassin's recent hot-August coverage describes across reservoir bass fisheries generally. Channel and blue catfish tend to stay active through the heat, feeding by scent around structure and channel edges, while white bass often group up and chase shad on main-lake humps. Crappie typically go quiet this time of year, suspending deep and requiring patience and precise depth control. Water levels on the reservoir and river border are typically seasonally low-to-moderate by late August; check current lake levels before launching. Treat today's picture as seasonal baseline guidance until fresh local reports come in.
Urchin Baits and Sonar-Suspended Walleye Trend as Illinois Anglers Await Fall Turn
Bob Jensen's latest for Fishing the Midwest flags a fast-growing trend: bass anglers finding success on unconventional 'urchin' style baits like the Tumbleweed, a pattern Wired 2 Fish separately calls the once-in-a-generation bait shaping bass fishing through next year. For Illinois River and Lake Michigan anglers easing into the late-August stretch toward fall feeding, that's one of the few concrete signals in this week's coverage — no buoy or gauge data came back, and no charter or shop filed a dedicated regional report. Mike Frisch, also writing for Fishing the Midwest, notes walleye anglers increasingly blending traditional live-bait presentations with forward-facing sonar to locate suspended fish rather than sticking to bottom structure alone. Tactical Bassin's general late-summer advice favors a junk-fishing approach on tough, hot days — rotating baits until a pattern shows. Treat the species status below as seasonal generalizations grounded in these regional technique trends rather than confirmed Illinois catches, since no source this cycle reported specifically from the Illinois River or southern Lake Michigan.
Spring Creek's cold flows keep trout active as summer heat lingers
No buoy or gauge readings came through for Spring Creek or Penns Creek this cycle, and none of this week's angler-intel feeds named either stream directly, so this update leans on typical late-August patterns for Pennsylvania's limestone fisheries. Spring-fed flows on both creeks generally run cooler and more thermally stable than nearby freestone streams through summer heat, which is usually what keeps wild brown and rainbow trout feeding when other Pennsylvania water gets too warm to fish comfortably. Expect the bite to concentrate into early-morning and evening low-light windows, with terrestrial patterns (ants, beetles, hoppers) typically the most productive approach on limestone water this time of year. Check the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's current stocking and biologist reports before heading out, and confirm current regulations for any special-regulation sections before keeping fish.
Mille Lacs walleye anglers shift tactics as FFS reshapes the search
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for Mille Lacs this cycle, so today's report leans on regional technique intel rather than a live bite report. Per Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch, the old walleye rules — hug bottom, fish points and weedlines — don't hold the way they used to now that Forward-Facing Sonar has anglers finding suspended fish in open water they'd have fished right past a decade ago. Fellow Fishing the Midwest writer Bob Jensen notes traditional live-bait presentations, jigging leeches and crawlers, trolling crankbaits, still produce alongside the newer sonar-driven approach. Late August on a big, clear-water fishery like Mille Lacs typically has walleyes scattered between deep basin structure and suspended fish over open water as the thermocline holds. No direct Mille Lacs bite report surfaced in today's feed, so treat the species status below as seasonal-typical rather than confirmed today.
Rangeley brook trout flash fall colors as dusk hatches hold
A brook trout landed last week already wearing spawning colors is the clearest signal yet that fall is arriving in the Rangeley Lakes region, per Mainely Fly Fishing (ME), who also logged a solid hatch with steady rises at dusk on Kennebago Lake in early August. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch today, so this update leans on on-the-water reporting rather than raw numbers. Brook trout are the headline species right now, taking dries and emergers in the low-light window as afternoons cool. Landlocked salmon typically start pushing shallower as surface temperatures ease off their summer peak, and smallmouth bass in the Androscoggin headwaters should stay active on moving baits through the transition. Expect the pattern to sharpen as September nears and cooler nights trigger the early stages of the brook trout spawning run into tributary mouths and inlets.
Walleye Lead the Way as Michigan's Great Lakes Salmon Season Builds
Michigan's Great Lakes waters are trending toward walleye as this season's headline species, with the MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report (Aug. 19) noting walleye has become the most harvested species in Michigan's Great Lakes waters — a shift worth watching for Grand River and connecting-water anglers targeting the same fish. On technique, Fishing the Midwest reports anglers increasingly finding walleye suspended off bottom via forward-facing sonar rather than locked to classic points and weedlines, a pattern worth trying if traditional structure spots are quiet. Smallmouth bass remain a solid option too — Fishing the Midwest also notes bass holding tight to emerging weed tops, with moving baits drawing strikes. Farther out on Lake Michigan, the DNR's Aug. 5 report flagged the ongoing salmon fishery, tied to hatchery-reared Chinook from the Platte River State Fish Hatchery, as late-summer stocking supports fall runs. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for this cycle, so check current water levels before launching on the Grand River.
Hartwell and Russell settle into deep summer holding patterns
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Hartwell/Russell system this cycle, and the state's own weekly report is mid-transition — Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing announced it's shifting to a rotating one-region-per-week format, so lake-specific detail on the Savannah chain is thin right now. That leaves us leaning on typical late-August patterns for this reservoir system: spotted bass and largemouth pushed to main-lake points, humps, and channel edges in 20-30+ feet, striped and hybrid bass following blueback herring and shad schools suspended over deep structure, and catfish staying active around river-channel bends and current breaks. Early-morning and late-evening windows should still produce topwater and moving-bait bites before the sun gets high and fish slide back down. With a Waxing Gibbous moon building toward full, expect stronger nighttime and low-light feeding activity through the week — worth planning a dawn or dusk trip around it.
Late-summer salmon staging begins as Grand River intel stays quiet
Late August marks the transitional window when Lake Michigan's Chinook and coho salmon typically begin staging off major tributary mouths like the Grand River ahead of the fall spawning run — a fishery that played out on a record scale in 2024, when the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report noted anglers boated over 210,000 coho and more than 160,000 Chinook lakewide, the best Chinook harvest since 2012. Direct, current angler intel for the Grand River mouth wasn't available in today's data pull — the MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report didn't return specific bite details this cycle — so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectations rather than confirmed reports. Walleye anglers across the broader Midwest are leaning on forward-facing sonar to find suspended fish off traditional bottom structure, per Fishing the Midwest, a technique shift worth trying if standard bottom presentations go quiet. Smallmouth bass and panfish remain the steady late-summer fallback while salmon numbers build.
Chincoteague awaits the fall push as late-summer staples hold
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for the Chincoteague area this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep turned up nothing specific to Virginia's Eastern Shore — so treat what follows as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed local intel. Farther north, signs of the fall transition are already showing: Saltwater Edge (RI) reported bonito and a handful of Spanish mackerel over the past two weeks with albies expected soon, and The Fisherman's New England video forecast (Aug 20) described big striped bass firing north of the Cape amid a strong mackerel push. That momentum typically works its way south toward the Mid-Atlantic in the weeks ahead. For now, Chincoteague's late-August staples — flounder in the channels, Spanish mackerel along the beachfront, and red drum starting to work the marsh edges — should be the more dependable bets while the striper run builds farther north.
Late-Summer Smallmouth Bite Holds on the Susquehanna and Allegheny
No buoy or gauge telemetry came through for the Susquehanna and Allegheny systems this cycle, and this week's angler-intel pull turned up no direct field reports from Pennsylvania freshwater stretches specifically — so this update leans on typical late-August patterns rather than fresh on-the-water intel. Late summer on these rivers is smallmouth bass season: warm, typically lower and clearer flows push river smallies into shade, current breaks, and deeper pools during peak daylight, with the most active feeding windows clustering around dawn and dusk. Walleye tend to slide off structure and hold deeper as surface temps climb, feeding mainly in low light or after dark. Muskellunge fishing is traditionally tougher through the hottest stretch of summer but starts to improve as water begins to cool toward September. Channel catfish, by contrast, stay comfortable and often more willing to bite through the heat. Check current Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations and any regional biologist updates before heading out, since specifics can shift stream to stream.
Olympic Peninsula rivers ease into the late-summer salmon shift
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Olympic Peninsula this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds carried nothing specific from the region's salmon rivers — so treat what follows as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed reports. Late August is typically the hinge point out here: summer Chinook activity is normally winding down while the first early coho begin pushing into lower river reaches and tidewater, a pattern typical for this window on Olympic Peninsula systems. Sea-run cutthroat usually stay active through the shoulder season and are commonly a reliable target while salmon numbers build. For real-time creel counts and current stocking activity, WDFW's Fishing and stocking reports page is the standard reference anglers lean on for exactly this kind of gap-filling. Check river-specific regulations before heading out — some Olympic Peninsula systems carry early-season closures or gear restrictions — and expect flows to still be running on the low, clear side under typical late-summer conditions absent recent rain.
Delaware Bay flounder limits stack up as tog bite fires at the jetties
Flounder fishing on the Delaware Bay side is running hot heading into the back half of the season, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle reporting customers boxing limits to 23 inches around the EP Tower and near the Cape May lighthouse. Big Dave's Tackle notes fish coming from the beaches all the way out to the shipping channel, and Pier 47 Marina says anglers are making the long run to the Old Grounds and Reef Site 11 for limits to 9 pounds as the season winds down, with Wildwood and Cape May Reef Sites also giving up fish closer to home. Structure fishing is strong too — Boulevard Bait & Tackle reports tautog really starting to pick up around jetties and back-bay bridges on green crabs, with sheepshead pushing toward 11 pounds at the same spots, a pattern Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May is seeing as well.
Sea Bass Loaded, Fluke a Grind Around Sandy Hook
Every drop is loaded with black sea bass along Sandy Hook Bay this week, but fluke are proving stingy — Capt. Ron out of Atlantic Highlands reports frustrating, short-heavy fluke drifts despite strong sea bass numbers on back-to-back weekend trips. Warm water pushing into the area has brought Spanish mackerel and bonito into range, with Grumpys Tackle recommending epoxy jigs for both, and On The Water's Northern New Jersey report confirms Spanish mackerel and bonito showing in the surf alongside a steady pick of keeper fluke offshore and a hit-or-miss midshore bluefin jig bite. NJ Fish & Wildlife notes the nearby Shark River WMA continues producing winter flounder, tautog, bluefish, summer flounder, and striped bass on hook and line. With the waxing gibbous moon building toward full, expect stronger tidal swings through the week — worth timing trips around the harder pushes for sea bass while you sort through fluke shorts.