Fishing reports
14939 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Mille Lacs walleyes dial into fall structure as cooldown deepens
Minnesota is settling into the heart of its fall walleye window, and Mille Lacs sits right in that seasonal shift as surface water continues cooling through early October. Fishing the Midwest points to a bottom-bouncer rig — a plain snell tipped with a nightcrawler — as a longtime stalwart for fall walleyes, a presentation built for the structure-holding fish typical of this stretch of the season. The same outlet notes traditional approaches like jigging with live bait and pulling livebait rigs still produce walleyes even as forward-facing sonar has reshaped how many anglers locate them.
Winnipesaukee enters fall turnover as NH smallmouth bite turns on
Early October puts Lake Winnipesaukee squarely in its fall turnover window, the stretch when cooling surface water sinks past the thermocline and pushes baitfish — and the predators chasing them — off their summer haunts and toward structure they'll hold through winter. Nearby, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, smallmouth bass are taking spinnerbaits and topwater lures cast from shore through the Concord stretch of New Hampshire's Merrimack River, a sign that smallmouth across the state are feeding harder as water temperatures drop. That shore-caster pattern is worth testing on Winnipesaukee's rockier points and drop-offs as the lake works through the same seasonal shift.
East Texas bass dial into the fall feeding shift
Lake Fork Trophy Bass's October report captures the pattern now settling in across East Texas: cooling air is pulling quality bass into more active feeding windows as deer season thins the boat traffic on area lakes. No validated water readings came back this cycle for Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn, so conditions here are best read through that same seasonal lens. Tactical Bassin's October roundup backs it up more broadly, pointing anglers toward jigs and moving baits as bass push shallow to chase baitfish with the cooldown.
Fall transition turns on walleye, pike and smallmouth on the pools
Early October's cooling water is pushing baitfish out of dying summer weed growth and onto firmer structure, the seasonal shift anglers across the Upper Midwest are already working around. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch reports walleyes responding to a bottom-bouncer rig with a plain snell and nightcrawler as water eases into fall ranges, and notes a bladed swim jig doubling as a multi-species draw for walleye and northern pike together. Tactical Bassin, introducing smallmouth specialist Cobi Pellerito this week, points anglers toward jigs worked tight to docks, laydowns and rock as bass settle onto hard structure for the season.
BFL season finales signal fall bass push on Ohio, Cumberland waters
MLF News reports Phoenix Bass Fishing League anglers closed out their 2026 season this week on waters that touch this region, with wins at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes and at Dale Hollow Lake, both part of the Cumberland River system, alongside a Hoosier Division finale on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek. Winning bags ran on spinnerbait and moving-bait patterns rather than finesse presentations, a sign bass are chasing baitfish shallow as the water cools into October.
Red drum run holds strong across Outer Banks inshore waters
Red drum are carrying the Outer Banks inshore bite this week. Nathan at East Coast Sports in the Topsail/Sneads Ferry area reports a solid run of slot-sized red drum off the surf and piers, with over-slot fish mixed in, per Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater. Further up the sounds, Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication tells Fisherman's Post (NC) that red drum are the main focus on the Pamlico/Neuse River, with fish showing throughout the system and bait staged heavily near New Bern. Bluefish are mixing into the surf catches too; Morgan at The Reel Outdoors, reporting to Fisherman's Post (NC) out of the Swansboro/Emerald Isle area, describes scattered bluefish working the beachfront alongside the red drum. Water temperature at NOAA CO-OPS station 8656483 read 72.9°F early this morning, still warm enough to keep bait active and red drum feeding hard before the real fall cooldown sets in.
Falling tides and warm water set up fall redfish push on Texas coast
Gulf water along the Galveston-Corpus stretch is still running warm for early October, reading 84°F at the Galveston entrance (NOAA CO-OPS station 8771450) and 82.6-82.8°F at the two stations further south. All three gauges are showing the same tide rhythm right now: high water in the pre-dawn hours, around 2:40-3:24 AM, falling through a strong outgoing tide to lows between 8:35 and 8:51 AM. That overnight-high, morning-low setup pulls bait out of the marsh drains and flats on the falling water, typically the window redfish work hardest this time of year. Texas Fish & Game Magazine reports TPWD is reviewing proposed rule changes touching redfish tags ahead of the season, worth checking before keeping fish.
Bodega and SF Bay anglers eye tide swings as fall sets in
Water off Arena Cove, just north of Bodega Bay, read 55°F Tuesday evening per the NOAA CO-OPS gauge stationed there, a solid mid-50s mark for this point in October. Both regional tide stations, Arena Cove and Port Chicago inside San Francisco Bay, show a similar rhythm through midweek: lows settling in the pre-dawn hours and highs building by mid-morning. The moon is in its waning crescent phase, which means tidal exchange is moderating after the last full push, smoothing out some of the stronger swings the coast saw a week or two ago.
Striped bass push hard across Long Island after the storm
Montauk's NOAA CO-OPS station (8510560) is reading 63°F this morning, and the striped bass bite across Long Island turned on hard in the wake of last week's nor'easter. Miller Place Bait and Tackle reports big striped bass holding at Cedar through the storm, with one customer landing and releasing nine fish over 30 pounds. White Water Outfitters calls the surf fishing at Shinnecock Inlet excellent, with striped bass over 40 pounds coming on bucktails and soft plastics after dark and poppers by day. Tight Lines Tackle on the South Fork saw striped bass running into the upper 40-inch range in the inlet, with fish to 51 inches around the Ponquogue Bridge. On the North Shore, Tyalure Professional Tackle & Gear says striped bass regained energy after the storm on live bait, trolling and swim shads, with bluefish improving alongside. Fluke remain in the mix too: Bob's Bait and Tackle says the fall fluke run is on at Fire Island Inlet, and JIB VI is seeing larger fluke to 6 pounds, though the season closes October 15.
Striped bass hold strong along RI's south county breachways
Water temps read 63°F at the lower bay entrance and 62.4°F further up the bay this week, still mild for early October. Striped bass fishing remains strong per Saltwater Edge, with surf and boat anglers doing well around the islands as fish feed tight to structure. Quonnie Bait and Tackle and Snug Harbor Marina both report good striper action along the south county beaches and breachways, with fish also showing around the Watch Hill Reefs for boat anglers. Black sea bass has picked up since the recent nor'easter pushed smaller fish out of the mix — Frances Fleet logged a full boat limit, and Booked Off Charters reports easier keeper counts with fewer shorts to sort through. Tautog are improving too, though Quonnie and Snug Harbor both flag plenty of short fish still in the catch as the bite builds. False albacore have moved off for now, per Saltwater Edge.
Maine stripers hang on as Gulf of Maine water cools
Water temperatures across the Gulf of Maine are easing into the high 50s and lower as you move north and east: the Portland station reads 57.9°F, Bar Harbor sits at 55.4°F, and Eastport has dropped to 54.5°F as of early this morning. Striped bass are still working the Maine coast — per Surfland Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME), bass reports keep coming out of Maine even as some of the state's own striper anglers make the drive south for eels, a sign fish are holding on before the fall push moves them along.
Central Coast fishing eases into its fall tide rhythm
Water conditions along the Central Coast are settling into a classic fall pattern. NOAA CO-OPS station 9413450 logged a water temperature of 64.4°F overnight, while station 9412110 read a milder 67.8°F, continuing the seasonal cool-down that typically defines this stretch of coast through October. Both stations show the overnight low giving way to a morning flood: 9413450's tide bottoms out near 2:42 a.m. and builds to a high around 9:14 a.m., while 9412110 tracks a similar push about 25 minutes earlier.
False Albacore Arrive Late as Stripers Hold Strong in Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay is reading 61°F this week at NOAA's Chatham-area tide station, still warm enough to keep the fall bite rolling. Falmouth Bait and Tackle reports schoolie stripers working the Falmouth shoreline, with blues and a few slot bass mixing in around Nobska on topwater and metals. Sports Port has bass back in the Monomoy rips and in the canal, plus blues stacked up at Craigville Beach and along both sides of Hyannis. Goose Hummock Shop finally connected with false albacore over the last two days of the week, some running into the mid-teens, while Black Rose Fishing Charters out of Bass River is mixing tautog with stripers and the occasional pod of albies.
Red drum push into the surf as DE/MD waters settle after the blow
NOAA's Ocean City Inlet station (8570283) reads 65.3°F this morning, and the week's story along the DE/MD/Chesapeake coast has been more about wind than fish. The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake reports red drum up to 40 inches showing in the surf, caught and released, before weekend rain and wind cut the window short. Old Inlet Bait and Tackle, writing in the same report, logged blues taking metal lures on the incoming tide — the only bite noted in winds reported at 40 to 50 knots. Offshore structure fared better, with black sea bass still coming over the rail.
Florida Keys anglers eye the turning season as heat breaks
NOAA's Key West tide station is reading 85.5°F and the Vaca Key gauge 87.6°F this week, still deep summer water for the first week of October. Per ALL IN Key West, the punishing late-summer heat is finally starting to break, with the captain back on the water after taking September off for boat upgrades, calling the cooler stretch a welcome turn heading into the fall and winter trip season.
Striped bass feeding heavy on NJ's Delaware Bay side after the storm
Striped bass are the headline story on the Delaware Bay side of South Jersey this week. Big Dave's Tackle reports stripers active in the bay alongside a renewed tautog bite from the Cape May jetties, and near Wildwood, Hands Too Bait and Tackle says striped bass 'really got on a good feed' along the back-bay sod banks, with quality weakfish also hitting off the rocks on pink Zooms, bucktails, and bloodworms. Up in Atlantic City, One Stop Bait and Tackle says stripers are feeding heavily on baitfish migrating past the inlet, with schoolies to 33 inches coming on hard and soft plastics after dark, and the tautog chew on the AC jetty rocks has picked back up on green crabs and sand fleas, with keepers to 4 pounds. Bluefish are mixed in too, with a wave of 2- to 3-pound fish rolling through Corson's Inlet on metal lures. The Delaware Bay's CO-OPS tide station reads 67°F this morning, still mild enough to keep the fall bite building rather than shutting down.
Yellowtail bite holds strong off San Diego as fall warmth lingers
Water temperatures across the LA Bight are holding warm for early October, with NOAA CO-OPS buoys reading 76.6°F off Los Angeles and 72.9°F in Santa Monica Bay. That warmth is keeping the fall yellowtail pattern alive: Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the Daily Double, running out of Point Loma Sportfishing in San Diego, took a dedicated crew trip to celebrate a season that kept producing solid yellowtail. The same outlet describes strong offshore action continuing throughout the SoCal Bight this week, a sign the warm late-season window for Southern California anglers hasn't closed yet.
Washington anglers eye morning tide swings as fall cool-down deepens
Water off Washington has cooled to 51.1°F this morning, per NOAA CO-OPS station 9443090, confirming the fall shift settling over Puget Sound and the outer Pacific coast. Today's tide swings from a low around 5:06 a.m. to a high near 11:33 a.m. Pacific time, a clean morning window for working structure and current lines before the afternoon slack. For specific bite reports, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife's creel and catch program remains the state's running record of what's hitting and where fish have been stocked.
Eastern Shore waters ease into the fall transition
Water held in the mid-to-upper 60s this week on Virginia's Eastern Shore, with NOAA's Wachapreague tide station (8631044) reading 66.2°F and the Kiptopeke station (8632200) to the south at 69.4°F. Both readings still sit in the range that keeps summer species comfortable a little longer. Further north, The Fisherman (Northeast) reports the fall striped bass run is already in gear, with fish topping 50 inches off the New Jersey coast and blitzes building on Long Island in the wake of last week's nor'easter, plus black sea bass showing well in the NJ/DE Bay region. That's the leading edge of a migration that typically works its way down the coast toward Virginia's barrier islands as the season progresses.
Red Drum Run Builds Through Pamlico Sound and Cape Lookout
NOAA CO-OPS tide stations in the Pamlico Sound region are reading 70.2°F and 72°F this week, textbook early-fall water for the push now underway. Donald, of Custom Marine Fabrication, reports red drum as the main focus on the Pamlico/Neuse, with fish showing throughout the river and bait staging up around New Bern. Down the coast, Nathan of East Coast Sports in Topsail/Sneads Ferry has anglers into a run of slot-sized red drum, with some over-slot fish mixed in from the surf and piers. In Swansboro/Emerald Isle, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors notes scattered red drum working the beachfront alongside bluefish, part of a broader mix moving with the bait.
Red drum make a run in Delaware surf as fall patterns shift
Delaware Bay sits at 65.7°F per NOAA's Lewes tide station, holding the fall transition in a slow, steady gear. The standout report this week comes from Eric Burnley: big red drum have arrived in the surf, with fish to 40 inches caught and released before weekend rain and wind shut most anglers out. Inside the bay, Big Dave's Tackle logged a mixed bag — striped bass, tautog off the Cape May jetties on green crabs and sand fleas, and scattered weakfish farther from structure. Offshore, Hook 'em and Cook 'em noted black sea bass coming off ocean structure, while Old Inlet Bait and Tackle's single bluefish report came out of 40- to 50-knot winds that kept nearly everyone else at the dock.
Jersey Shore stripers and tog turn on as fall run gains steam
Water temps are holding in the mid-60s at the Jersey Shore this week, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8534720 off Atlantic City reading 64.4°F and station 8536110 off Cape May at 64.9°F, and that warmth is still backing a strong post-nor'easter bite. Striped bass are the headline: the Fisherman's Den, per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, reports bass moving in and out of the inlet with the tides, with live eels taking fish off the jetties, while Pier 47 Marina (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) says stripers have fed most nights in the back bays on spook lures and paddle tails, and One Stop Bait and Tackle notes stripers from schoolies to 33 inches hitting hard and soft plastics after dark. Tautog have turned on as well, with Surf City Bait and Tackle saying the tog bite "continues to produce" on green crab, and One Stop Bait and Tackle reporting keepers to 4 pounds off the AC Jetties. Fluke and black sea bass remain productive too: Blue Chip Sportfishing is putting anglers on both species on half- and full-day trips, and Fishermans HQ LBI notes fluke mixing with bonita and albies on live peanut bunker. Bluefish are scattered but present, per Fin-Atics' report of 2- to 3-pound blues hitting metals. Weakfish of quality size are also showing in Wildwood, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, hitting pink Zooms, bucktails, and even bloodworms.
Tautog, sea bass heat up as stripers push through Jersey inlets
Sandy Hook's NOAA CO-OPS station read 63.9°F before dawn today, still mild water for early October and holding the fall bite together along the Northern Jersey Shore. Tautog are the standout: The Fisherman — Central NJ has keeper tog coming off green crabs at Barnegat Light, and The Fisherman — Southern NJ reports tog "chewing again" on the AC jetties after last weekend's nor'easter, with fish running to 4 pounds on green crabs and sand fleas. Black sea bass are just as strong — Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) calls its sea bass charters "very good" with full-boat limits, and The Fisherman — Central NJ's Mary M IV put together a 20-fish haul of sea bass and porgies, with bait outperforming jigs. Striped bass are moving with the tide: The Fisherman — Northern NJ has bass working the jetties on live eels, and The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf notes a strong back-bay feed on sod banks further south. Bluefish slammers are mixed in per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, fluke are still coming over the rail on half-day and full-day trips per Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ), and quality weakfish are showing on pink Zooms and bucktails per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf.
Delaware River smallmouth hold steady as Pine Barrens crappie turns on
The Delaware River is holding its early-fall pattern for smallmouth bass. Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown, cited in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater, reports continued smallmouth fishing on the river from Lambertville north, with bass suspended in 10 to 20 feet of water at Lake Nockamixon and a decent evening crappie bite showing just before dark. Recent rain has put local ponds and lakes in better shape, and that's translating into steadier catches. Further south at Leipsic, Smith's Bait Shop says crappie and panfish numbers are improving in Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, Silver Lake, and Lums Pond, with the better crappie action coming out of dam spillways on small jigs tipped with plastics or Gulp. Down in the Pine Barrens, Allen's Dock reports a few striped bass working above the tide line in the Mullica River, an early sign the fall push is reaching the cedar-water systems.