Fishing reports
14678 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Fall Transition Takes Hold on Lake Eufaula and Red River
USGS gauges across the Lake Eufaula and Red River drainages are holding at 73°F this morning, with flows running low: 07335700 reads 0 cfs, 07247500 sits at 3.05 cfs, and 07198000 is at 180 cfs. That tracks with the fall transition a B.A.S.S. News report from an Oklahoma-based writer described this week. Hurricane Polo's late-September rain cooled area waters 6 to 10 degrees after a long dry stretch, and the piece notes fish are starting to shift off deep summer haunts toward shallower water as the season turns. With flows this thin, any current break in the moving-water sections is worth more attention than the open lake basin right now.
Delta channels cool into fall as Sacramento outflow stays strong
USGS gauges across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are reading in the upper-60s to 70°F this week, with one tidally influenced channel gauge logging a slight reverse flow of -107 cfs and the lower Sacramento River system still pushing well over 12,800 cfs through the system. That volume of moving water, paired with new moon tides this week, means strong exchange through the Delta's channels and sloughs. Water in the high 60s to low 70s sits right at the edge of the fall transition, cool enough to start waking up cold-water appetite without having fully turned over yet.
Hill Country lakes ease toward fall transition as flows run low
USGS gauge 08155500 near Lake Travis logged 72°F water and just 21 cfs of inflow this morning, while tributary gauge 08170990 downstream shows zero flow and 70°F, a pairing that points to a quiet, low-water stretch across the Highland Lakes chain right now. A feeder-creek gauge closer to Austin, 08105891, ran warmer at 81°F, and 08158000 posted a stronger 773 cfs push with no temperature reading attached. Together the four readings describe a system still holding pockets of late-summer warmth in its upper reaches while cooling at the margins, the kind of mixed signature that shows up as Hill Country lakes begin their fall turnover.
Catskills trout streams run clear and cold as fall base flow sets in
USGS gauges across the Catskills and southern Adirondacks show water temperatures in the upper 40s this week: 47°F at gauge 01414750 and 48°F at gauge 01434025. Flow is low and stable across the network, from 4.59 cfs at 01434025 and 7.96 cfs at 01415000 up to 36.7 cfs at gauge 0136219503 and 74.8 cfs at 01413500. That combination points to settled fall base flow, not a post-storm bump. Trout Unlimited's current nymph-rig tip is well timed for water this low and clear, where getting weight right to hold the seam matters more than it does at higher flow.
Sacramento-Delta water holds steady as fall cooling gets underway
Water across the three Delta gauges we track is reading tight together at 67 to 68°F, with flow at the southern site holding at 12,800 cfs. That kind of thermal consistency across sites several miles apart points to a stable water column as the region eases into its autumn cool-down, with surface temperatures still firmly in the range that keeps resident gamefish feeding actively rather than shutting down for winter.
Fall browns running as Colorado tailwaters hold steady flows
USGS monitoring stations across western Colorado show mainstem flows holding in the 205 to 1,080 cfs range, with water temperatures near 61°F to 63°F, typical cool-water conditions for early October. One tributary gauge sits at a bare 0.28 cfs, underscoring how thin some smaller drainages remain this season. Colorado Trout Hunters reports one of its best fall runs of migratory brown trout in recent memory, while Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing and Cutthroat Anglers both continue to flag persistent drought stress, reminding anglers to pull lines once tailwater temperatures climb toward the upper 60s.
Cooling tributaries set up the fall feeding push at Mosquito, Pymatuning
Gauges feeding the Mosquito and Pymatuning watershed are reading classic fall numbers this week: surface temps run from the mid-50s up to 65°F depending on the tributary (USGS gauges 03108500, 03119971, 03119979), while the inflow at gauge 03110000 is running a lean 34.3 cfs. Cooling water over stable, low flow is the setup anglers wait on all summer, it pulls baitfish and predators alike toward the last green weed edges before fall die-off.
Low, cooling flows set the stage for fall feeding on AL's rivers
USGS gauge readings across the Tennessee and Coosa River system show water settling into the mid-60s this week, with gauge 02338523 at 64°F and gauges 02413210 and 02413205 both holding at 66°F. Flow stays low on those three stations, running between roughly 7.65 and 23.2 cfs, while gauge 02339500 sits far higher near 919 cfs. That split points to calm, low tributary water feeding into fuller mainstem flow, a typical early-October signature as the region eases toward its fall pattern.
Fall cooldown settles into the Tennessee River chain
Tennessee River tributary gauges are reading in the mid-60s this week: USGS gauge 03582000 logged 65°F with flow holding near 306 cfs, and USGS gauge 03428180 came in a touch warmer at 69°F. A third station, USGS gauge 03578500, is running a trickle at just 3.45 cfs with no temperature reading available. That spread points to a system still working through its early fall cool-down rather than settled into a stable pattern.
Fall baseflow settles in across Truckee River trout water
USGS gauges across the Truckee River system show water easing into typical fall baseflow this week. The Truckee River itself near Tahoe City (gauge 10336730) is down to 0.05 cfs, while West Shore tributaries feeding the river run 16.8 cfs (gauge 10336780) and 5.21 cfs (gauge 10336610), with temperatures spanning 51-57°F across those three sites. Downstream near Essex (gauge 10311000), flow holds at 21.5 cfs. Cool, low, clear water like this is the classic late-season signal for trout to feed actively through more of the day rather than bunching up at dawn and dusk only.
Colorado River trout settle into fall rhythm as flows hold steady
Water temperatures are holding at 69°F across all three Colorado River gauges in the Grand Canyon corridor as of October 9, and the uppermost gauge (USGS 09380000) shows a steady 7,470 cfs release. The two downstream gauges, 09383050 and 09383100, both matched that same 69°F reading, pointing to a consistent temperature profile through the stretch rather than a wide swing from one section to the next.
Snake and Salmon river flows settle into fall rhythm
Readings from three USGS gauges across the Snake and Salmon River system show water running 54 to 59 degrees with flows between 1,150 and 3,090 cfs, a combination typical of the system easing out of early fall transition and into its cooler, lower base-flow period. Trout Unlimited's ongoing Snake River coverage this season has tracked returning salmon and steelhead counts as part of its push for lower Snake dam removal, underscoring that the stretch is currently mid-run for anadromous fish even though specific bite reports from the water aren't in yet.
Lake Cumberland tailwater stays cool as upper river drops low
The Cumberland River tailwater below Lake Cumberland read 61°F overnight into October 10, per USGS gauge 03414002, while upstream Cumberland River gauges near the headwaters ran noticeably warmer at 66°F and 67°F (USGS gauges 03409500 and 03408500) on thin flows of 13 and 17.7 cfs. A fourth upper-river gauge, USGS 03413200, is trickling at just 3.02 cfs. The spread fits typical autumn behavior for this system: the tailwater's bottom-release discharge is holding steady and cool while the upper river keeps surface-warming and running low under dry-weather baseflow.
Potomac and Patapsco tributaries settle into a cool, low-water fall pattern
A cool pulse is moving into the Potomac and Patapsco watershed. USGS gauge 01581920 read 54°F overnight, the coldest of four local stream gauges, while gauges 01589290 and 01649190 both held at 60°F. Flows stayed low and steady across the system, from 0.72 cfs on the smallest tributary gauge to 33.8 cfs at gauge 01589000, which carried no temperature reading this cycle. That six-degree spread between the upper and lower tributaries is the clearest signal of the week: the upper watershed is cooling faster than the lower stretches, typical as nights lengthen under this week's new moon.
Merrimack smallmouths stay active in the Concord stretch
USGS gauges across the watershed (01072870, 01073319, 01091000, 01073500) are reading 53 to 54°F this week at the three sites reporting temperature, with flows running low — from 3.76 to 20.6 cfs — keeping water clear and stable. On the Merrimack itself, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, smallmouth bass are active in the Concord stretch, taking spinnerbaits and topwater lures cast from shore as fish settle into the fall feeding pattern.
Columbia-side creeks run low and cool as the mainstem stays high
USGS gauges on the Columbia side are telling two different stories this week. The small tributary gauges at sites 14211542 and 14211550 are running low and cool, 14 and 17 cfs with water sitting at 56°F as of Friday evening, while the larger mainstem gauge at site 14211720 is pushing a much bigger 11,200 cfs at 65°F. That split, a nearly-dry feeder creek beside a still-warm, high-volume river, is the defining condition on this stretch right now.
Striped bass blitz holds strong as Narragansett Bay clears post-storm
Narragansett Bay is settling into its fall rhythm, with water running 63.7°F at the Bay's mouth (NOAA station 8452660) and a cooler 62.4°F upriver at Conimicut Light (8452944) as the seasonal cool-down pushes in from the back of the Bay. Per Saltwater Edge in Middletown, striped bass fishing is "blowing up" now that last week's nor'easter has cleared through, with surf and boat anglers doing well around the islands. The Fisherman's Rhode Island contributors back that up: Snug Harbor Marina has stripers producing along the south county beaches and breachways, and Quonnie Bait and Tackle adds Watch Hill Reefs as a reliable boat bite. Offshore, black sea bass fishing is strong as well — Frances Fleet logged a full boat limit of keepers this week, and Booked Off Charters is seeing better numbers of keeper-size fish now that smaller sea bass have thinned out.
Western NY tributaries ease into a fall walleye window
Three USGS gauges across the Lake Erie and Niagara tributary network show the classic early-October split: gauge 04218700 is running a healthy 110 cfs at 61°F, gauge 04231600 is up to 618 cfs at 60°F, and the smallest tracked creek, gauge 04232050, has dropped to a trickle at 5.27 cfs and 57°F. That's steady, fishable water on the bigger systems with the small tributary thinning out, arriving under tonight's new moon. Fishing the Midwest points to this stretch of fall as prime time for its "plain rig," a bottom-bouncer and nightcrawler presentation the publication leans on once water cools in spring and fall, a good starting template for walleye right now.
High, warm Mississippi flow keeps Atchafalaya backwaters the play
The Mississippi River gauge at Baton Rouge (USGS 07374000) logged a flow of 346,000 cfs with water holding at 77°F as of Thursday evening, a reading that keeps the river in a high-water, warm-water pattern rather than the cooler draw anglers typically look for by mid-October. That volume pushes current through the connected Atchafalaya Basin waters as well, which means backwater and slough access is the more fishable call over the high main channel this week.
Cooling flows set up fall feeding shift on the Finger Lakes
A watershed gauge feeding the Finger Lakes basin (USGS 04232050) logged water at 57°F with flow down to just 5.27 cfs late Thursday night, a classic low-and-cooling fall signature for Cayuga, Seneca, and Skaneateles. As Fishing the Midwest notes for this stretch of the calendar, cooling water pushes baitfish and gamefish out of dying summer weed growth and into whatever live, green vegetation remains, which tends to concentrate activity into tighter bands than the spread-out summer bite. With a new moon overhead this week, the low-light windows at dawn and dusk are the sharper bet for shallow presentations.
Fall walleye pattern holds steady on North Dakota's Red River
Red River gauges near Fargo held at 57 to 58°F overnight with flow steady in the 345-400 cfs range, a typical early-October signature for this stretch. That stability matters more than the numbers themselves: walleye are shifting toward classic fall feeding structure, and Fishing the Midwest reports a bottom-bouncer "plain rig" tipped with a nightcrawler producing fish as water temperatures ease into the high 50s. The same source notes a bladed swim jig working shoreline flats and weed edges for walleye and northern pike as baitfish and gamefish relocate off dying summer weed growth.
Rain-swollen flows stir fall transition on Texoma, Eufaula
Flow at USGS gauge 07331600, which feeds the Lake Texoma watershed, is running well above typical early-October levels this week, a sign of recent rain moving through the region. B.A.S.S. News reports Oklahoma anglers have already seen water temperatures drop 6 to 10 degrees following late-September rain tied to Hurricane Polo's remnants, kicking off the fall transition as fish shift out of deep summer holding areas. Lake Eufaula is drawing its own crowd: MLF News covered the Phoenix Bass Fishing League regional tournament there, with weigh-ins run October 8 and 9 concentrating boat traffic on the lake through the weekend.
Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn ease into the fall transition
Water temperatures across the Toledo Bend-Sam Rayburn system are holding in the low 80s as of Thursday evening, with USGS gauges 08017044 and 08017118 both reading 82°F and gauge 08017095 at 80°F. Flow on the Angelina-side gauge 08030500 sits near 978 cfs, steady and unremarkable for early October. Lake Fork Trophy Bass, reporting from a fellow East Texas reservoir, describes the broader regional pattern this week: cooling nights are pushing the fall transition along, feeding activity is picking up as water eases down from summer highs, and boat traffic is thinning as more anglers head to deer stands and blinds with hunting season opening.
Oregon Coast settles into a new-moon fall tide cycle
Water off the Oregon Coast measured 53.6°F at the NOAA CO-OPS coastal station as of this morning, a reading consistent with the seasonal cool-down already underway along this stretch. Today's new moon is pulling larger-than-average tidal exchanges, which is the factor most worth building a trip around this week.