Fishing reports
14939 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Long Island Sound's Fall Cool-Down Opens a Dawn Tide Window
NOAA's Long Island Sound tide stations are showing a clear east-to-west temperature split heading into this week: New London (station 8461490) logged 62.6°F before dawn, while New Haven (8465705) and Bridgeport (8467150) held at 65.3°F and 65.7°F. That gap is typical for early October, when the more open eastern basin cools faster than the enclosed western Sound. Tonight's low tide arrives first at the eastern end, around 1:22 a.m., with New Haven and Bridgeport following near 3 a.m.; all three stations then build toward high water between roughly 7:15 and 9:15 a.m. That lines up an outgoing-to-incoming turn right around first light, the kind of window that typically concentrates bait and current activity tight to structure before most boats are even on the water.
Cooling VT water shifts the bite toward fall patterns
Water is cooling across VT, and the gauges show it. USGS gauge 01129500 reads 51°F at 340 cfs, and gauge 01135100 reads 45°F. That is a clear step down from summer, the kind of drop that moves fish off summer haunts toward the cover and current seams they hold in fall. Fishing the Midwest describes the cooler water periods of fall as productive for traditional rigs, and this is the window to plan around.
Red drum running the southern NC surf and rivers this October
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8656483 reads 75.2°F, and red drum are the story along the southern North Carolina coast this week. Per Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater, Nathan of East Coast Sports reports a run of slot-sized red drum in the Topsail/Sneads Ferry surf and piers, with some over-slot fish mixed in. Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication says red drum are the main focus on the Pamlico/Neuse, with anglers seeing fish throughout the river and plenty of bait in the water. Per Fisherman's Post (NC), Morgan of The Reel Outdoors reports scattered red drum on the Swansboro/Emerald Isle beachfront, with bluefish mixed in. These reports come from the southern coast rather than the Outer Banks itself, so read them as a picture of the regional pattern.
Mississippi red snapper season closed; Sound water still runs warm
Mississippi Sound water is still summer-warm. The latest NOAA CO-OPS readings are 80.8°F at station 8747437 and 82°F at station 8741533. The biggest news is regulatory. Per MS DMR, the state recreational Red Snapper season closed at 11:59 p.m. on September 27, 2026, and it stays closed for the rest of the year. No Red Snapper may be landed or possessed in Mississippi state waters while the season is closed.
Warm Gulf water holds the fall pattern as redfish tag rules shift
Gulf water is still summer-warm for early October: NOAA CO-OPS station 8771450 reads 83.7°F, station 8771341 reads 83.5°F, and station 8772471 reads 81.9°F. The only angler-facing item in this week's intel is from Texas Fish & Game Magazine, which reports that TPWD's proposed rule package changes redfish tags and that the usual November closure is not expected to disappear. Treat it as a regulations heads-up rather than a bite report.
Eureka's offshore fleet reported heavy fish on a recent run
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 9416841 read 54.7°F in the latest pull, a cool-water reading for early October. Western Outdoor News reports that a small fleet out of Eureka made a 30 to 35 mile run south on a recent Saturday and found the fish bigger than the count: most landed were 25 pounds or better, with some pushing 40. The fish were spread along the 125-line, from the 46-line down to the 38-line, and the report says the day is one anglers won't soon forget. Eureka's offshore grounds are the Northern California lead to watch this week.
Oregon Coast early-October tide windows worth planning around
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 read 53°F at 10:24 a.m. local time, and the tide there bottoms out at 3:55 p.m. local, making the late-afternoon ebb the window to plan around. Station 9439040 peaks at 11:14 a.m. local, so the morning high and afternoon low bracket the day's moving water. A 53°F reading this early in October fits the steady cool-down coastal water usually makes through the month, and the tide swing sets the timing for anyone heading out this week.
Fall run still building, but wait out the nor'easter before launching
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8510560 off Montauk reads 64°F, and the Battery reads 66°F. The sharpest signal in this week's intel is weather. NY DEC Saltwater Fishing and Boating is urging anyone whose boat is still in the water to monitor conditions and get off the water before an incoming nor'easter arrives. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) reports that after a hard nor'easter over the weekend, the water is settling and fish are back on the feed. That report comes from Rhode Island, so read it as regional context for the fall bite rather than a Long Island count.
Fall run settling into Narragansett Bay after weekend nor'easter
Water is reading 63°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8452660 and 63°F at station 8452944. Saltwater Edge reports fish are back on the feed after a weekend nor'easter, though the water needs a few more days to clean up in most spots. Anglers Journal describes the weeks before the equinox as the stretch when fall blitzes build, with baitfish and gamefish pushing south or offshore. The fall run looks to be settling in rather than still waiting to start.
Cooling Gulf of Maine water sets up an early fall tide window
Water temperatures across three Gulf of Maine stations ran from 54.7°F to 58.6°F at the 1:24 PM local observation, with station 8413320 at 55.2°F. That spread means the fall cooldown is uneven along the coast, so conditions can change meaningfully from one stretch of shoreline to the next. Fish respond to the direction of the cooling trend more than to any single reading, so the next few days matter most.
Santa Cruz nearshore fishing is good, with bigger action hinging on weather
Water is warm for early October. NOAA CO-OPS reads 66.9°F at Port San Luis and 63.9°F at Monterey, both taken at 10:24 a.m. PDT. Western Outdoor News reports that nearshore fishing out of Santa Cruz has been very good, and that the larger-fish opportunity is waiting on the weather to calm. The same report describes shoreline catches from the area, which is worth a look for anglers who want to stay off the boat.
Fall feeding picks up after a nor'easter, per a Rhode Island shop
Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) reports fish back on the feed after a recent nor'easter, with the fall run in full swing. Its read is that the water may need a few more days to clean up in most spots, so expect clarity to improve unevenly through the week. Anglers Journal's fall-migration writing describes the same seasonal shift: as days shorten and the water cools, baitfish and gamefish start pushing toward the coast and offshore. This intel comes from Rhode Island, so treat it as a regional signal rather than a local one.
Snook move to docks and bridges as fall inshore fishing takes hold
Water is still summer-warm at 83.7°F on NOAA CO-OPS station 8726520 and 82.9°F on station 8726724. Snook are the fish to watch. CB's Saltwater Outfitters (Sarasota) reports an active inshore bite for snook and redfish in Sarasota Bay in Capt. Kelly Kurtz's latest weekly report, and Capt. Rick Grassett's October forecast has snook leaving the passes for the ICW and shallow flats, staging around docks and bridges.
Fall run feeding settles in as Cape Cod Bay water cools
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8449130 read 62.4°F at 1:24 PM EDT, cool enough that fall feeding habits are taking over. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) reports the fall run has settled back onto the feed after a recent nor'easter, with fish back to eating as the water clears in most spots. Anglers Journal describes the late-season blitz as packed with action, with birds and baitfish gathering in the weeks before the equinox. Both accounts come from Rhode Island and the wider Northeast, so treat them as the regional pattern and scout the bay itself.
Chesapeake Bay redfish signal the fall shift as water cools
NOAA CO-OPS station 8570283 reads 65.3°F water this afternoon, with the next high tide due near 5:49 PM local time (21:49 UTC). Saltwater Edge (RI) reports that fish are back on the feed after a nor'easter, and that the fall run is the time to be working structure. Redfish is the only species the intel names for this window, and the source gives no Hot or Active call for it, so treat it as a lead rather than a confirmed bite.
Keys water stays warm into October as fall fishing settles in
NOAA CO-OPS station 8724580 read 84.7°F at 1:18 PM, which is still summer-warm water for the Keys this week. ALL IN Key West reports the heat is finally easing and it is taking fall bookings again after a September break. Coastal Angler Magazine's October 2026 coverage calls the month prime time on the water and leans on live bait for fall fishing.
Redfish feeding in Carolina surf and rivers as early fall bait gathers
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530 in Charleston read 78.4°F at 1:18 PM local, and the Springmaid Pier station (8661070) sat at 77°F, a warm base for early October. Redfish is the only species with reports behind it this week, and the freshest ones come from North Carolina and Florida waters rather than Charleston. Per Fisherman's Post, anglers working the surf and piers around Topsail and Sneads Ferry have been catching a run of slot-sized redfish with some over-slot fish mixed in. The same outlet's Pamlico/Neuse report calls redfish the main focus, with fish spread through the river and a lot of bait in the area. Coastal Angler Magazine logged a 30-inch redfish caught at Vilano Beach, Florida, with oversize fish around the same surf. Two independent non-forum outlets describe redfish activity, which keeps this at Active rather than Hot.
Lake trout quota meeting Oct. 15 puts Superior's fall fishery in focus
The Wisconsin DNR has a public meeting on the recommended lake trout quota for the WI-2 management area set for Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Vaughn Public Library in Ashland, according to WI DNR Lake Superior Fishing. The release centers on lake trout, so that is the species to watch for regulation changes heading into next season. Anglers fishing Superior's North Shore should review state regulations before planning any harvest.
Lake trout quota talks on Superior set for Oct. 15
Wisconsin's DNR has put lake trout on the agenda for Superior anglers this fall. A release dated Sept. 30 announces a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. in the Vaughn Public Library Community Room in Ashland to discuss the recommended lake trout quota for WI-2, the agency's Lake Superior zone. The release is open to the public, which is the simplest way for anglers to weigh in. It is the most concrete fishing signal in this week's intel, and it tells anglers on the big lake that harvest limits for a primary target species are being reviewed now. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch, writing about fall walleye, says the plain rig of bottom bouncer, snell and nightcrawler is a go-to when fish hold in cooling water.
Kenai and interior rivers shift toward the fall-to-winter transition
Early October marks the turn from the fall fishery toward winter on Kenai and interior rivers, and the water keeps cooling as daylight shortens. Fish typically slow and feed in shorter, more predictable bursts at this stage. The most useful planning window is the warmest part of the afternoon, when the day's heat peaks and fish are most likely to move.
Midday tide window sets the pace on cold Gulf of Alaska water
Water reads 48°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 9455500 and 47.3°F at station 9452210, both taken this morning, so the cold-water fall pattern is in place along this coast. The timing that matters is the midday high: 11:11 AM AKDT at 9452210 and 12:34 PM AKDT at 9455500. Build your plan around that window, since moving water around the high tide is when fish tend to be most active.
Redfish run the surf and piers while bluefish show along the beach
Redfish are the clearest signal in this week's reports. Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater says anglers working the surf and piers around Topsail and Sneads Ferry have found a run of slot-sized redfish, with some over-slot fish mixed in. Fisherman's Post (NC) describes the same fishery on the Pamlico/Neuse River, where redfish are the main focus, fish are spread throughout the river, and a lot of bait is up. Bluefish are a secondary story: The Reel Outdoors, reporting in Fisherman's Post (NC) from Swansboro and Emerald Isle, describes scattered bluefish on the beachfront. These reports come from central and southern NC rather than the Outer Banks itself, and both Fisherman's Post listings carry the same redfish reporting, so read this as one regional pattern, not two independent confirmations.
Warm Sound water holds through fall as state closures narrow the plan
Water is still summer-warm across the Sound: NOAA CO-OPS station 8741533 reads 81°F and station 8747437 reads 79.7°F, both observed at 12:06 PM CDT. Those are instrument readings, so they describe the water, not the bite. The most actionable item this week comes from MS DMR, which confirmed that the state recreational season for one of the Sound's reef species closed at 11:59 p.m. on September 27 and stays closed for the rest of the year. While it is closed, nothing from that group may be landed or possessed in Mississippi state waters, so check state regs before keeping any fish. Separately, MS DMR has a coastal review open for a private pier and two mooring pilings on Beach Blvd in Pascagoula, with public comment invited, which matters only if you fish that shoreline.
Morgan City anglers turn their sights to redfish this early-October week
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8760922 read 84.2°F and station 8761724 read 82.2°F this afternoon, still summer-warm for the Louisiana coast. Louisiana Sportsman profiles a Morgan City angler setting his sights on redfish this week, the one local name in the intel pointing at inshore targets. The piece does not describe a bite, so treat redfish as worth scouting rather than a sure thing.