Fishing reports
18338 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Big Stripers Push Into the Gulf of Maine as an Early Fall Bite Builds
Fishing north of Cape Cod is showing an early taste of fall. The Fisherman (Northeast)'s New England Video Fishing Forecast reports striper action has 'caught fire' from Maine to Boston, with big fish mixed into ferocious mackerel-and-bonito feeds, a shift tied to a slipping average water temp and last week's new moon. Closer to the NH coast, Beauport Fishing Adventures out of Rockport reports landing big stripers off Dry Salvages feeding heavily on pogies (too big to keep, but great sport), with squid piling up east of Cape Ann and mackerel still thick, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME. Groundfishing in the same stretch has pollock running solid with a spottier haddock bite. Bluefish remain scarce closer to the South Shore, per Belsan's Bait and Tackle, so don't count on blues yet this far north. We're calling this an early-arriving fall pattern worth chasing over the next week or two.
Delaware Bay flounder and croaker action heats up late summer
Flounder anglers fishing Delaware Bay's deeper channels are boxing several limits with fish nearing the 23-inch mark this week, per Higbee's Bait and Tackle. Minnows along the channel edges have been the go-to presentation, and the bite improves the farther offshore boats push. Croakers are thick throughout the bay right now — Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May describes an influx of "giant" croakers along the Delaware Bayshore, while Smith's Bait Shop reports steady croaker action off the Bowers Beach jetty and from the pier at Woodland Beach. Striped bass in the 20-24 inch range are still coming from tidal creeks and rivers on sandworms and shrimp, per Smith's Bait Shop — worth noting under Delaware's current 20-24 inch summer slot limit (per Delaware Surf Fishing), so check regs before keeping fish. A handful of black drum and weakfish round out a lively late-summer mixed bag.
Chesapeake stripers and croaker keep late-summer bite steady
Striped bass in the 20-to-24-inch range are coming out of Chesapeake Bay tidal creeks and rivers on sandworms and shrimp, per this week's Smith's Bait Shop report in The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake. Croaker and spot continue to dominate the inshore scene, echoed by Eric Burnley's regional roundup in the same feed, which also notes flounder and sea bass holding over inshore structure while tuna and tilefish activity stays offshore in the canyons. It's a textbook late-August Bay pattern: shallow tidal water producing consistent striper numbers, with croaker and spot filling in steady action for pier anglers and families. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so check a local marine forecast before running out. We're seeing the usual late-summer split between inshore Bay structure and deeper offshore work.
Bluefin jig bite stays red-hot as fluke fishing peaks off LI
The jig bite for bluefin tuna is red-hot within reach of inshore and nearshore boats, and ocean fluke fishing is running excellent off the South Shore, per On The Water's August 20 Long Island and NYC report. On the East End, Trophy Hunter Montauk Charters called the bluefin bite "close and excellent" after weighing two fish in the Montauk Boatmen's tourney, while Tight Lines Tackle noted the jig bite has generally outfished trolling for bluefin running 35 to 60 inches. Fluke are producing keepers from the Fire Island and Jones Beach reefs on the South Shore and around Shinnecock and the Pocketbook out east, though shorts still dominate the box on many boats. Porgy fishing is strong in the Sound, with Shamrock Charterboat reporting excellent scup action on worms and clams. Striped bass remain the soft spot, with surf reports out of the South Fork calling the bite fairly limited for late August.
Late-summer low water pushes Catskills, Adirondacks trout to dawn and dusk
Flylab's newest post opens with the exact scenario playing out across Catskills and Adirondacks trout water right now: creeks running low and warm enough that trout are sliding into deeper pools and feeding mostly at the margins of the day. No fresh buoy or gauge readings crossed our desk this cycle, so treat flow and temp as typical late-August low-water conditions until you check a local gauge yourself. Trout Unlimited's latest brown trout feature is a good reminder that browns get fussier as pressure and low water stack up, rewarding stealthy approaches and precise drifts over searching casts. For stocked rainbows and holdover browns, Gink and Gasoline's case for worm patterns still holds, especially after any rain bumps flows and color. Expect the best action in the first and last hour of daylight, with midday better spent scouting than fishing.
Truckee & Tahoe trout settle into a typical late-August pattern
No buoy or gauge telemetry came back for the Truckee River or Lake Tahoe this cycle, and today's angler-intel sweep — national fishing blogs like Wired 2 Fish, Field & Stream, and Fishing the Midwest, plus a general fly-fishing forum — didn't turn up a single report tied to this fishery, so nothing here is being credited to a source that didn't actually cover it. What we can offer is the seasonal baseline: late August on Tahoe typically has mackinaw holding deep and willing to bite in the cool low-light hours, kokanee starting to stage in open water ahead of their fall spawning push, and Truckee River wild trout fishing best before the morning sun climbs high and warms the shallows. Expect a fairly standard late-summer pattern this week — deep trolling or jigging for mackinaw, downrigger work for kokanee, and early-morning river sessions for rainbows and browns. Check current state regulations before harvesting any limits.
Blue Cats Steal the Show on Lanier as Summer Bass Hold Tight
A new Lake Lanier record set the tone for Georgia freshwater action this week: Gainesville angler Anthony Scroggins landed a 22-pound blue catfish on Aug. 19, weighed on certified DNR scales, per GA Sportsman/Georgia Outdoor News — a sign the big-cat bite is running strong on Chattahoochee-system reservoirs. On the bass side, late-summer heat has largemouth grouping tight to structure; Tactical Bassin's current advice points anglers to shallow points and topwater at first light, sliding to finesse jigs and 'junk fishing' through scattered shad schools as the sun climbs and the bite gets tougher midday. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle for the Chattahoochee or Savannah systems, so treat flow and water temp as typical for late August until you check local conditions. Striper and spotted bass activity wasn't directly reported this week — expect both to track the same heat-driven, structure-hugging pattern until mornings start cooling off.
Surf mullet and blues keep Outer Banks anglers busy
Water temps are running warm at 86°F on both Diamond Shoals (NOAA buoy 41025) and Frying Pan Shoals (NOAA buoy 41013), with light winds under 12 mph keeping the surf manageable for bottom fishing. Per Fisherman's Post (NC), Hugh at TW's Bait and Tackle reports Northern Beaches surf anglers are into a solid mix of sea mullet, bluefish, and "plenty" of croakers on bottom rigs, with inshore action reportedly starting to pick back up. Down the coast toward Cape Lookout, Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater notes nearshore anglers at Morehead/Atlantic Beach are on a good spanish mackerel bite, a pattern that often works its way up toward the Northern Beaches later in the season. With water sitting this warm, we're seeing the classic late-August split: cut bait and bottom rigs for mullet, croaker, and blues in the surf, and casting jigs or Gotcha plugs for mackerel wherever bait is pushing through. Check current NC regs before harvesting anything you plan to keep.
High Wabash flows push Midwest anglers toward sonar-driven summer patterns
USGS gauge 03335500 on the Wabash River is reading an elevated 14,600 cfs as of midday, with no water-temperature reading logged this cycle. High flow like that typically pushes river fish off the main channel and into softer water along wing dams, laydowns, and creek mouths, the kind of spot channel catfish and smallmouth bass usually favor when the Wabash runs up in late summer. No Indiana-specific bite reports came through in this cycle's angler intel, so we're leaning on regional trends instead: Fishing the Midwest notes forward-facing sonar has changed how anglers locate suspended walleye rather than fishing bottom structure out of habit, and Tactical Bassin's late-summer notes point anglers toward junk-fishing tactics and smaller-baitfish patterns as bass group up in the heat. On the Lake Michigan side, water typically stays warm and stable through late August, with a slower bite for species like yellow perch until the fall turnover gets closer.
Patapsco bass and catfish settle into late-summer heat patterns
Patapsco River flow held steady at 115 cfs at USGS gauge 01589000 as of midday, with no dramatic swings expected over the next few days. Water temperature wasn't available in this reading, but late-August conditions on the Potomac and Patapsco typically mean warm, thinning shallows and fish sliding toward deeper holes, shade lines, and current breaks through the heat of the day. We didn't pull a Potomac- or Patapsco-specific angler report this cycle, so treat the species rundown below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite. Elsewhere, Tactical Bassin's recent summer-heat coverage describes a pattern that travels well to local largemouth: working shallow points with topwater at first light, then sliding to finesse jigs and mixed presentations as the sun climbs and fish tuck onto structure. Blue catfish and northern snakehead remain the region's headline late-summer draws, typically most active during low-light morning and evening windows as the water stays warm.
Rockfish hold steady off the Oregon Coast as salmon turn picky
Buoy readings off the Oregon Coast this week show water temps split in the low-to-mid 60s — 65°F at NOAA buoy 46002 and 60°F at buoy 46029 — with winds staying light, 0 to 5 m/s across the three regional stations, a calm setup for coastal trips. Anecdotal reports circulating on Oregon-focused forums like IFish.net describe a mixed salmon bite out of Garibaldi this week, with rockfish filling in steadily when kings stayed tight-lipped; that's chatter rather than confirmed testimony, so treat it as a starting point, not gospel. Regionally, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the Klamath Management Zone near the California/Oregon border has closed to ocean salmon and the Fort Bragg area opened only a narrow August window, a reminder that salmon regs are shifting fast up and down the coast this season — check current state rules before keeping fish.
Warm water pushes Western Basin walleye deeper as anglers adapt
Water sat at 74°F with flow running 4,820 cfs at USGS gauge 04193500 as of this morning, conditions typical of late-August warmth on the Western Basin. Today's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up a Lake Erie-specific bite report, so we're leaning on seasonal patterns rather than fresh testimony for the walleye read: at 74°F, walleye typically hold deeper and suspend off bottom structure during peak daylight, sliding shallower on low-light edges. Fishing the Midwest's recent notes on walleye technique are useful context here — the piece describes how forward-facing sonar has changed the old assumption that walleye are strictly bottom-oriented, with fish now regularly found suspended off traditional structure. That's a technique shift worth knowing even without a Western Basin-specific report today. Perch and smallmouth bass remain the other reliable late-summer players in this fishery, typically working structure and reefs as water stays warm. Check state regs before harvesting, and expect bite windows to tighten around dawn and dusk with water this warm.
Pine Barrens bass and pickerel bite through a quiet, low-flow stretch
The Maurice River gauge at Norma was reading just 36 cfs this morning, a typical low-flow mark for late August in the Pine Barrens. Fishing pressure on the freshwater side has thinned, with several shops in The Fisherman's NJ/DE Freshwater report noting anglers are chasing the better saltwater fluke bite instead, but the sweetwater action hasn't slowed to match. Creekside Outfitters says largemouth to 3 pounds are hitting poppers and buzzbaits at Waretown Lake and Pohatcong Lake, while Dave's Sport Shop reports early and late-day largemouth plus a steady evening crappie bite holding at Lake Nockamixon, alongside hit-or-miss smallmouth and catfish action on the Delaware itself. Hands Too Bait and Tackle notes pickerel in the cedar-stained Pine Barrens ponds are carrying the sweetwater scene. Smith's Bait Shop adds panfish and catfish from area spillways on small jigs, with Garrisons Lake producing snakeheads. One angler even boated a surprise holdover rainbow at the Toms River TCA.
Sea Bass Stay Red Hot at the Shore as Bonito, Spanish Mackerel Flood In
Sea bass are red hot along the Jersey Shore, with Blue Chip Sportfishing reporting anglers limiting out on almost every trip this week. Fluke fishing is more of a mixed bag: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands worked several drift areas for a modest handful of keepers after an overnight temperature drop, while The Fisherman — Northern NJ notes fluke are running heavy with shorts but still giving up keepers for anglers who stick with it. Warm water has pushed bonito and Spanish mackerel into the mix, with Grumpys Tackle and OTW Northern New Jersey both flagging steady surf and inshore action on small epoxy jigs. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI is finding 25-to-40-pound bluefin tuna within 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet on trolled spreads and live squid, though The Fisherman — NJ/DE Offshore calls the broader tuna bite hit-or-miss right now.
Moosehead Lake togue and smallmouth settle into late-summer rhythm
The USGS gauge on the upper Penobscot (site 01030500) read 68.2 cfs as of 7:15 a.m. this morning, a flow level typical of late August after a summer of gradual drawdown. No water-temperature reading came through with this update, but by this point in the season the Moosehead Lake and upper Penobscot system is normally settled into full summer warmth, which typically pushes smallmouth bass and landlocked salmon toward deeper structure and cooler thermoclines through the heat of the day, with better action concentrated around dawn, dusk, and low light. No angler intel specific to this region came through in today's report cycle, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite reports, and check with a local shop or guide before planning a trip. Low, stable flow like this usually means clearer water and calls for more finesse, technical presentations rather than reaction baits.
Bluefin and Bonito Fire Up Narragansett Bay as Fall Run Nears
Recreational bluefin tuna are finally clicking off Block Island and Montauk, with Snug Harbor Marina reporting the bite "really took off" this past week on jigs and soft plastics like RonZ, while Booked Off Charters logged two bluefin in the box locally before running out to the canyons for yellowfin, mahi, and trigger fish. Saltwater Edge notes bonito and even a few Spanish mackerel have shown over the past couple weeks, with false albacore expected soon as baitfish shoals push from the salt ponds toward the oceanfront. Striped bass are the outlier: Snug Harbor and Quonnie Bait and Tackle both describe the bite as slower, with water nearing 70°F and an overabundance of brown sharks complicating things. Bottom fishing stays the reliable fallback, with Frances Fleet and Quonnie both reporting solid keeper black sea bass and scup, plus fluke working in 50-70 feet.
Summer pelagic run keeps Hawaii's blue water busy
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge coverage feeds into this Hawaiian Islands report today, and this week's angler-intel sweep turned up no fresh HI-specific bite reports — Hawaii Fishing News, the state's official record-keeper and moon/tide calendar site, is the only Hawaii-focused source in the feed, and it didn't carry a current conditions post. That's a genuine data gap, not silence on the water: late August is typically prime time in Hawaiian blue water, with offshore trolling for ahi (yellowfin tuna), mahimahi, and ono (wahoo) running strong island-wide, and ulua (giant trevally) working nearshore structure at dawn and dusk, per typical seasonal patterns for the islands. The Waxing Gibbous moon this week means building tidal flow into the weekend, often favorable for current-dependent species. Until harder local reports come through, treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite, and check Hawaii Fishing News' tide and moon calendar plus local reports before heading out.
Warm-water bass keep biting through late-August heat inland
One of our monitored river gauges is holding at 75°F this week, squarely in the warm-water range that pushes Connecticut's inland bass fishery into its classic dawn-and-dusk pattern. Today's feed doesn't carry a Connecticut-specific freshwater report, but the regional intel from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater points to bass keying on herring fry and moving baits over emerging weeds, with anglers doing well on spinnerbaits, Senko-style soft plastics, and topwater walking baits worked early and late. Flow on our two tracked gauges sits at a modest 60 cfs on one and a much larger 3,080 cfs on the other, both unremarkable for late August and not the kind of numbers that should push fish off their usual haunts. Expect largemouth and smallmouth to stay the most reliable targets, panfish to keep biting through the middle of the day, and stocked trout to fish tougher as water temperatures linger in the mid-70s.
Missouri River running high keeps catfish the safer bet
The USGS gauge at site 06796000 clocked flow at 5,580 cfs as of early morning August 23 — noticeably elevated for late August on the Platte and Missouri system, with no water-temp reading available from the same station. High, pushy water like this typically favors catfish over finesse presentations: channel cats and flatheads key on current seams and eddies where displaced forage collects, while walleye and white bass tend to slide off the hard main current into softer water until flow settles. We don't have a direct angler report from this stretch this week, so treat the species read as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite. Boaters should plan around the elevated flow — debris and stronger current are the practical hazard, more than water clarity or temperature. Check state regs before harvesting any catfish limits, as rules can vary by reach on the Missouri.
Kennebec and Penobscot bass hold steady through late-August warmth
USGS gauge 01046500 logged flow near 1,520 cfs as of early Wednesday morning, a moderate late-summer stage that keeps Kennebec and Penobscot tributaries fishable without heavy current to fight. No Maine-specific shop or captain reports came through our feeds this cycle, so this update leans on regional New England freshwater patterns and typical late-August behavior for these watersheds. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are generally the most consistent producers this time of year, often keying on baitfish in low light and working shallow flats and structure at dawn and dusk — a pattern shops elsewhere in New England (per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater) are seeing right now with bass keyed on herring fry. Brook trout and landlocked salmon typically pull back into cooler, deeper pockets and tailwater stretches as surface water warms through August. Water temperature wasn't reported at this gauge; check current conditions before planning a trip.
Smokies tailwaters settle into a quiet late-summer trout rhythm
USGS gauge 03565000, which tracks the Hiwassee/Caney Fork system, isn't reporting a reading as of today, and no buoy data covers this inland stretch of the Smokies, so we're working without a hard number on temperature or flow this cycle. None of today's angler-intel feeds carry a direct report from the Hiwassee or Caney Fork tailwaters, so we can't credit a specific catch or fly pattern to a shop or captain on this water right now. What holds generally true for late August: these are TVA-regulated tailwaters, and the cold water pulled from behind the dam is what keeps trout viable here when other Tennessee streams have gone too warm to fish responsibly. Rainbow trout typically stay catchable through summer on these releases, while brown trout activity usually builds as water cools toward fall. Check the generation schedule before heading out; release timing moves fish more than the weather does on this water.
Iron Range walleye lean on sonar as late-summer patterns settle in
USGS gauge 05129115 near the Boundary Waters and Iron Range held a steady 59.7 cfs as of Wednesday morning, a typical late-summer base flow with no rain spike showing up in the data. That stability lines up with lakes settling into a classic August rhythm: walleyes suspended off bottom rather than glued to it. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes that forward-facing sonar has upended some long-held walleye "truths," with fish showing up well off points, turns, and weedlines where anglers used to assume they had to sit. Smallmouth bass working emerging weed edges with moving baits are producing too, per the same source, especially once trebles are kept sharp. AnglingBuzz's recent feature on the Lindner family's Brainerd roots is a good reminder of how deep the region's walleye culture runs. Panfish should still be workable over deep weed basins as typical summer patterns hold, though direct current reports on that specific bite were thin this week.
Green River tailwater trout bite holds steady into late summer
Our reading from USGS gauge 09234500 this morning showed the Green River running near 1,830 cubic feet per second with water temperatures holding at 60°F, a comfortable range for trout below Flaming Gorge Dam's cold-water release. Today's angler intel feed didn't surface any direct reports from Green River or Uinta Lakes shops, guides, or state sources, so this update leans on general seasonal knowledge rather than fresh eyewitness accounts. Late August on the tailwater typically means steady, dam-regulated flows and consistent cold-water temps that keep rainbow and brown trout active and feeding through midday, unlike freestone streams that struggle in summer heat. The high-elevation Uinta Lakes, meanwhile, are usually fishing well for cutthroat and brook trout as alpine water temps stay cool. Check current state regulations before targeting any species, and watch for afternoon thunderstorm buildup common to Utah's monsoon season this time of year.
Merrimack smallmouth bite holds strong as late-summer flows go skinny
Smallmouth bass up to 13 inches are keying in on white spinnerbaits, Aziz-rigged Senkos, and Whopper Ploppers on the Merrimack River, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater's report from angler Roger Aziz, who's working the stretch below the Lawrence dam down through Haverhill. Largemouth bass are mixing in on the same water. Aziz notes the water above the dam is drawing heavier angler pressure while his stretch below stays comparatively quiet, worth knowing if you want elbow room. The only local instrument read this cycle is USGS gauge 01073500, showing flow at just 13.9 cfs as of early morning August 23 — a skinny-water signal typical of a dry late summer, and a cue to fish early, go quiet, and work slower presentations tight to structure. No water-temperature reading came through this cycle, and no direct report from Lake Winnipesaukee arrived this week, so the Merrimack bass bite is the clearest signal in hand right now.