Fishing reports
17922 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Walleye stays the headline as Michigan's Great Lakes season turns toward fall
Walleye remain the story across Michigan's Great Lakes and Grand River waters heading into the last week of August. The MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report (Aug. 19) flags walleye as now the most-harvested species in Michigan's Great Lakes waters, a trend worth watching as pressure typically builds into Labor Day weekend. Presentation is splitting two ways this season: per Fishing the Midwest, anglers are blending traditional bottom-bouncing, live-bait rigs tipped with leeches or crawlers, and crankbait trolling with forward-facing sonar to find suspended fish that used to get overlooked entirely. Smallmouth bass are settling into a typical late-summer pattern, holding on deeper humps and drop-offs as surface temps stay warm. Lake Michigan Chinook salmon are starting to stage for the fall run, a seasonal shift worth tracking over the coming weeks. Musky are fishing true to the calendar for late August, with the bite generally slower until water starts to cool. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so check local conditions before heading out.
Deep bites and dawn topwater carry Hartwell-Russell bass through late August
Blue catfish are having a moment in Georgia water this month — GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News reported angler Anthony Scroggins boated a 22-lb blue catfish on Lake Lanier on Aug. 19, a sign that catfish are feeding aggressively on Piedmont reservoirs statewide, Hartwell and Russell included. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this stretch of the Savannah chain today, so treat water level and clarity as unconfirmed until you check Corps of Engineers lake data locally. Seasonally, late-August largemouth and spotted bass on Hartwell/Russell typically hold shallow only briefly at first light before sliding to main-lake points and deep offshore structure as the sun climbs — a pattern Tactical Bassin's late-summer bass content has been reinforcing this month, working topwater and finesse jigs early and going progressively deeper through the day. Stripers and hybrids should be stacked near the thermocline this time of year on Hartwell, though no direct report on that bite came in this cycle.
Chinook staging builds at Grand River mouth as late-summer bite holds
Direct reports from the Grand River mouth are thin this week, but the broader signal for Lake Michigan salmon remains strong: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report highlights a stellar 2024 season, with Chinook salmon catches topping 160,000 (the most since 2012) and a record 210,000-plus coho landed, evidence of a resilient forage base for anglers working the nearshore. Separately, Outdoor Hub reports Illinois DNR crews pulled hundreds of juvenile silver carp from the Illinois River just 80 miles from Lake Michigan in mid-August, a reminder for boaters to keep bait buckets and live wells clean near the river mouth. With no fresh buoy or gauge readings available today and no on-the-water Grand River intel filed this cycle, we're leaning on typical late-August patterns: Chinook and steelhead begin staging near river mouths ahead of the fall run, while smallmouth and walleye remain active on deeper structure. Check local reports before heading out.
Late-summer patterns hold on Yakima and Spokane-area waters
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's statewide creel survey and stocking program remains the backbone of what we know about Eastern Washington fishing right now, and this week's angler intel feed didn't surface fresh, region-specific reports for the Yakima or Spokane waters — so we're leaning on typical late-August patterns rather than fresh word from the river. WDFW crews interview anglers at access sites across the state and keep lake and stream stocking current, which is worth checking directly for the latest numbers on specific waters. For late August in this region, redband and rainbow trout typically hold in deeper, cooler runs and early/late light windows as water warms, smallmouth bass stay active around rock and gravel structure, and kokanee fishing usually starts tapering as fish stage for the fall spawn. Waxing gibbous moonlight this week can push some low-light bites earlier into the evening. Check WDFW's current creel and stocking reports before you head out for water-specific numbers.
Late-summer flounder and mackerel action building around Chincoteague
No fresh Chincoteague-specific buoy readings or angler reports came through this cycle. The available intel today leans toward freshwater bass and wildlife content from the Virginia DWR blog and general marine-science updates from various Sea Grant programs, none of which touch the Eastern Shore surf or backwater bite directly. That gap noted, late August under a Waxing Gibbous moon sits squarely in the seasonal window when this stretch of Virginia's Seaside typically holds summer flounder, spot, and croaker in the inlets and channels, with Spanish mackerel and occasional cobia working the nearshore troughs and inlet mouths. Fuller moon tides tend to push bait and predators together on the stronger moving water, a pattern typical for the region this time of year. Water temperatures should still sit in the warm summer range typical for the lower Chesapeake and Atlantic-facing inlets in late August. Check Virginia saltwater regulations before harvesting any species, and expect a more specific report once fresh regional intel comes through.
Late-summer smallmouth and walleye patterns hold on the Susquehanna and Allegheny
Susquehanna and Allegheny anglers are in the tail end of the dog days, and this cycle came in with no fresh buoy or gauge readings, so plan around typical late-August river patterns until updated flow and temperature data lands. Smallmouth bass remain the go-to target on both systems, and the approach mirrors what Tactical Bassin lays out in its late-summer breakdown this week: fish grouped tight around baitfish and cover, topwater working the low-light hours, and a finesse presentation carrying the midday grind. Walleye anglers are leaning on forward-facing sonar to find suspended fish rather than working bottom structure, a shift Fishing the Midwest has been tracking as more anglers adopt the technology. Muskellunge typically slow down in late-summer warmth, while channel catfish stay a dependable warm-water bite after dark. Check PA Fish & Boat's Biologist Reports for the latest stocking and creel updates before you launch.
Olympic Peninsula rivers ease into the Chinook-to-coho handoff
No fresh buoy or gauge readings and no direct on-the-water testimony came through for Olympic Peninsula salmon rivers this cycle, so this report leans on general seasonal patterns rather than a specific bite report. Late August typically sits in the transition window here, with summer Chinook runs still active on peninsula systems while coho begin staging for the fall push that usually ramps up through September. Sea-run cutthroat trout tend to stay a reliable option for freshwater anglers through this stretch too, especially early and late in the day. Anglers should check WDFW's creel and catch reports and current fishing rules before heading out, since run timing and regulations shift river by river and can change quickly once counts come in. With a Waxing Gibbous moon overhead this week, low-light periods around dawn and dusk are typically the higher-percentage windows regardless of species targeted.
Delaware Bay flounder limits stack up as croakers flood the flats
Flounder fishing is running hot in the Delaware Bay backwaters, with Big Dave's Tackle in Port Elizabeth reporting customer limits to 7 pounds from deepwater reef and wreck sites like the Old Grounds, while the nearshore TI and Wildwood Reefs are producing decent keeper action to 5 pounds. Higbee's Bait and Tackle in Cape May notes the bay continues to give up a summer mix of flounder, bluefish, spot, croakers and black drum, with several limits of flounder nearing 23 inches taken along the deeper channels on minnows. Croakers are especially thick right now — Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May describes them as plentiful from the back bays, inlet, beachfront and into the bay itself, with fish just starting to reach eating size. Along the surf, Boulevard Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City reports triggerfish and tog working the 8th Street jetty rocks, with Spanish mackerel expected to push in as the season progresses.
Fluke and sea bass keep Raritan Bay boats busy as bonito push in
Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands worked through a stretch of stubborn drifts this week, but sea bass loaded up on nearly every drop even as fluke ran mostly short, with keepers including a 5-pound fish and a 4.5-pounder that took the pool. Grumpys Tackle in NJ reports warm water has pushed Spanish mackerel and bonito into the area, worth loading up on epoxy jigs, a pattern OTW Northern New Jersey confirms with mackerel and bonito showing in the surf and ocean fluking offering a steady pick of keepers. The Fisherman's Northern NJ desk notes bluefish "slammers" mixed with bonito and Spanish mackerel aboard the Golden Eagle, plus sea bass and tog rounding out bottom catches on boats like the Big Mohawk III. With the waxing gibbous moon building toward full, expect stronger tide swings to concentrate bait and predators around structure through the week.
Late-summer smallmouth and walleye hold steady on PA tailwaters
No fresh buoy or gauge telemetry came through for the Allegheny and Pittsburgh tailwaters this cycle, so this report leans on typical late-August patterns rather than a numbers-driven read. Smallmouth bass on tailwater stretches typically slide into a junk-fishing rotation this time of year, working shade lines, current breaks, and deeper bends as shallows warm through midday, a general summer approach Tactical Bassin has been detailing all season. Walleye anglers are increasingly leaning on forward-facing sonar to find suspended fish off traditional bottom structure, a shift Fishing the Midwest notes has changed how anglers locate fish compared to older jig-and-bait habits. Stocked-trout tailwater pockets should still hold some carryover fish in deeper, cooler water, though current stocking status is best confirmed directly through the PA Fish and Boat Commission's Biologist Reports page. Muskellunge and channel cat activity typically ticks up on overcast mornings. Check local flow and water temp before heading out, since hard readings weren't available this run.
Lake Superior lake trout hold steady as North Shore bite carries into late August
Surface temps along Duluth's North Shore ran 65-70°F this week, with Knife River and McQuade cooler at 55-60°F and Two Harbors coolest at 50-55°F, per the MN DNR Lake Superior Summer Fishing report dated Aug. 20. Anglers are locked into a steady Lake Trout bite in the 18-33 inch range from all stations, continuing a pattern that's held through the month — 18-28 inches on Aug. 13, 18-30 inches on Aug. 6. Coho Salmon in the 16-21 inch class have been part of the mix in recent reports, though the DNR noted salmon activity thinned out somewhat this past week. Inland, Fishing the Midwest reports Twin Cities-area anglers are leaning on forward-facing sonar to relocate suspended walleyes that have moved off traditional bottom structure, and casting moving baits over emerging weed edges has been putting largemouth in the boat on area lakes. The North Shore trout bite remains the most consistent read heading into the weekend.
Late-summer transition sets up Erie's walleye and smallmouth bite
This cycle's environmental sensors and regional intel feeds returned no buoy readings, gauge data, or direct Lake Erie/Presque Isle bite reports, so today's outlook leans on typical late-August patterns for this fishery rather than fresh testimony. Historically, this stretch of the season has smallmouth bass holding on deeper offshore structure and humps as surface water warms through the day, while walleye anglers typically work deeper contours and drop-offs with trolled crankbaits or spinner rigs, especially during low-light hours. Yellow perch generally suspend over open water in loose schools this time of year, providing a reliable option when bass and walleye go quiet midday. We're not seeing any regional shop, charter, or agency reporting specific to Presque Isle Bay in this cycle's feeds, so treat species activity below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed conditions, and check the PA Fish and Boat Commission's current advisories before heading out.
Fall Chinook Push Building on Columbia and Puget Sound Rivers
WDFW's statewide fishing and stocking reports page remains the go-to resource for real-time conditions on Columbia and Puget Sound river systems, though this cycle's feed carried no fresh buoy, gauge, or angler-catch data specific to Washington's freshwater rivers. That's typical for late August, a transition window when early fall Chinook begin stacking in the lower Columbia and its tributaries ahead of the bigger run that builds through September. Summer steelhead should still be holding in cooler, faster water on tributary systems, and Columbia smallmouth bass typically stay active in rocky shoreline structure through the warm-water stretch of late summer. Coho are generally a few weeks out from showing in numbers this far north. With no fresh reports to confirm specific bite windows this cycle, anglers should lean on WDFW's creel and catch reports for the latest counts before planning a trip, and expect typical late-August patterns rather than anything unusual.
Saginaw Bay walleye and perch settle into late-August summer pattern
Saginaw Bay and the Lake Huron nearshore are moving into their classic late-summer rhythm this week, with warm surface water typically pushing baitfish and predators toward deeper structure and the edges of the bay's channels. No buoy or gauge readings came back for this stretch of Lake Huron today, and none of this week's angler-intel feeds carried a dedicated Saginaw Bay or Lake Huron catch report, so what follows leans on typical late-August behavior for this fishery rather than a fresh bite report. Walleye tend to hold over deeper humps and channel edges once surface water warms, yellow perch school tight over mud and sand flats in the mid-bay, smallmouth bass work the rock piles and reefs, and Saginaw Bay's noted muskie fishery usually starts perking up as water eases toward the September transition. Check the Michigan DNR's weekly report directly for the latest bay-specific notes before planning a trip.
Late-August heat keeps Santee and Lake Murray on deep-summer patterns
No fresh buoy or gauge readings, and no charter or shop reports, came in for the Santee Cooper lakes or Lake Murray this cycle, so this update leans on typical late-August patterns for South Carolina's big freshwater systems rather than fresh field intel. With water still holding summer heat under a waxing gibbous moon, striped bass are typically pushed deep against the thermocline this time of year, largemouth bass settle into an early-morning-and-late-evening shallow bite bracketing a deep, structure-oriented midday, and blue catfish stay reliably active on cut bait regardless of the heat. Crappie tend to be the slowest player in late August, holding tight to deep brush and standing timber until nights start cooling. Treat all of this as seasonal expectation, not a confirmed bite report, and check current South Carolina regulations before keeping fish.
Drop-shot tactics take over as Potomac and Shenandoah bass go deep
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for this reach today, so we're leaning on this week's angler intel out of Virginia. The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog is pushing drop shotting hard right now, calling it a go-to way to suspend a bait naturally above the bottom for smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass — a solid signal for late-August fish that are holding tighter to structure as water warms through the day. DWR's other fresh post walks anglers through targeting bluegill and redear sunfish on Virginia's public lakes and ponds with ultralight spinning gear, timed specifically to late summer. Between the two, the read for Potomac and Shenandoah waters is a fairly typical late-August pattern: bass anglers working finesse presentations on structure, and panfish anglers finding easy action on sunfish with light tackle. No specific water temp or flow reading is available to confirm current conditions, so check state gauges before you head out.
Quabbin and Wachusett Settle Into a Late-August Deep Bite
With Massachusetts sliding through the back half of August, the freshwater bite statewide is leaning smallmouth and largemouth, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater — Roger Aziz Jr. reports smallmouth to 13 inches on white spinnerbaits and Aziz-rigged Senkos on the Merrimack below the Lawrence dam, while Jerry's Bait and Tackle in Milford logged largemouth on shiners at Hopkinton State Park's North Pond and Lake Maspenock. No direct buoy, gauge, or shop reports came in for Quabbin or Wachusett this cycle, so treat the picture below as typical-for-season rather than confirmed on-the-water intel. Expect both reservoirs' bass to be holding tight to deeper structure and thermocline edges as surface water stays warm, with lake trout and landlocked salmon pushed well down in the water column, a normal late-summer pattern for these two deep, cold-water Massachusetts reservoirs. Early and late light remain your best windows.
Kenai silvers move in as summer sockeye run winds down
Late August on the Kenai and interior systems typically marks the handoff from sockeye to coho, and this week fits that pattern — the sockeye push that dominated the lower and middle river through July is thinning out while silver salmon begin stacking in the tidal reaches and lower drifts. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for this region today, and this week's angler-intel feeds did not carry any on-the-water reports specific to Kenai or interior Alaska waters, so this update leans on typical seasonal timing rather than fresh field reports. Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden fishing behind the tail end of the salmon runs is usually productive this time of year, with fish keying in on drifting eggs and flesh below spawning gravel. We'd treat coho arrival as a general guide rather than a confirmed bite window — check the latest run counts and any active emergency orders before planning a trip, since timing can shift year to year with water temperature and flow.
Smokies trout turn to dawn light and terrestrial patterns
Western North Carolina's Smokies streams are deep into the late-summer low-water stretch, with wild brook, rainbow, and brown trout pushed into their typical early-morning and evening feeding windows as afternoon heat holds through the day. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this region today, so treat flow and water temperature as typical late-August levels until you check a local gauge before heading out. Terrestrial patterns (ants, beetles, hoppers) are the seasonal go-to as low, clear water makes fish spooky and selective — the same low-water, technical mood Trout Unlimited describes when writing about the challenge of targeting wily brown trout. Gink and Gasoline's fly box notes still hold for stocked and wild fish alike: a worm pattern like a San Juan worm remains a reliable producer, especially right after a rain bump moves water. Expect a slow, technical bite midday and a livelier one at first and last light.
Forward-facing sonar reshapes Upper Mississippi walleye tactics
Direct, on-the-water reports for the Prescott-to-La Crosse stretch were thin in today's feed, but the clearest regional signal came from Fishing the Midwest, where both Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen describe walleye pushing off the textbook bottom-and-structure spots anglers were taught for decades — fish are now showing up suspended in water-column positions that used to get skipped, a shift both writers tie to forward-facing sonar changing how anglers actually find fish. Late August on these Upper Mississippi pools typically has walleye and sauger sliding toward current breaks, wing dams, and secondary-channel edges as the seasonal cool-down begins, with smallmouth holding tight to rock and channel catfish staying active through warm afternoons — general seasonal patterns rather than confirmed local reports today. No live buoy or gauge data came through for this reach, so treat water temp and flow as unconfirmed until you check a current USGS gauge. Worth running FFS to scout suspended fish before committing to a milk-run of old spots this week.
Niagara anglers secure access as Erie's late-summer bite holds
Western New York's fishery access got a real win this month: per Wired 2 Fish, the Town of Newfane secured a permanent public easement protecting angler access to Burt Dam on Eighteen Mile Creek, ending a dispute that had put one of the region's more popular salmon-and-trout stretches in Niagara County in question. On Lake Erie itself, late-August conditions typically keep smallmouth bass working deep humps and rockpiles, walleye holding to open-basin trolling patterns, and yellow perch schooling tight over rock and gravel structure. More Great Lakes anglers are leaning on forward-facing sonar to locate suspended fish rather than blind-fishing structure, a shift Fishing the Midwest has been tracking as walleye crews adjust long-standing jigging habits. The Chinook salmon and steelhead push up the Niagara tributaries hasn't started yet, which is typical for this point in August. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this region this cycle.
King salmon push builds on Lake Ontario ahead of tributary run
Salmon are here — that's the read from Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario) this week, which reports very good salmon fishing with browns and lake trout mixed in on the open lake. Per Strike Zone Charters, the productive band has been 100 to 160 feet of water, with preferred depths shifting day to day as wind pushes the thermocline around. Mag Dipsey Divers are working when fish sit deep, and green, white, and chartreuse E-Chip spoons paired with Atomic-style attractors are getting bit. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Salmon River or Oswego River today, so we're leaning on this on-the-water report rather than instrument data. For anglers planning a tributary trip, this offshore staging activity is typically the leading edge of the run that eventually pushes kings and browns up into the Salmon River and Oswego River mouths as water temperatures ease into fall.
San Juan tailwater holds steady as Rio Grande copes with late-summer heat
No fresh buoy, gauge, or on-the-water dispatches came through for the Rio Grande or San Juan corridor this cycle, so this update leans on typical late-August patterns for the region rather than fresh field reports. The San Juan's tailwater below Navajo Dam typically keeps trout active through summer heat because of steady, cold dam releases, while the open Rio Grande corridor tends to warm and run lower this time of year, pushing trout activity into the cooler early-morning and evening hours. With a waxing gibbous moon adding extra overnight light, expect fish to feed a bit earlier before sunrise and shut down faster once the sun gets high. Anglers should treat today's picture as a seasonal baseline, not a confirmed bite report, and check current San Juan flow releases and Rio Grande gauge levels directly before planning a trip.
Taneycomo trout turn aggressive as guides dial in the afternoon bite
Trout on Lake Taneycomo have turned aggressive over the past few weeks, hitting hard with no pecking around, according to Lilleys Landing's August 1 report. The shop's trophy release program has picked back up after a slow spring, and guides are doing well in the afternoons working a Provo rig; simply drifting a straight line with a bottom weight and a drop shot loop set about 18 inches up is also producing fish. One trick making the rounds, per guide Blake Wilson via Lilleys Landing: swap to Vanish fluorocarbon for tippet material. That's a turnaround from June, when Lilleys Landing described inconsistent generation and fickle, day-to-day fishing driven by rain-swollen flows; by early July the shop noted flows easing, especially in mornings, with trout fishing improving as a result. Water clarity and stocked rainbow trout make this Ozark tailwater fishery a year-round draw, and August conditions look to be rewarding patience and technique over raw numbers.