Fishing Reports

Water temps holding at 65°F across the LA Bight — confirmed by NOAA buoys 46025 and 46221 — are fueling an early offshore push that SoCal anglers haven't seen in years. Western Outdoor News reports bluefin and yellowfin tuna have already moved into grounds southwest of San Diego, well within 1-day-trip range, and the first albacore in the San Diego fleet in several years was gaffed April 30 aboard the Tribute. Two- and three-day trips are adding yellowtail and early dorado to the mix. Closer in, Surf Fishing in So Cal calls May a turnaround after a mixed April: "things are starting to come together in a big way." Corbina and leopard shark are the go-to surf targets right now, and 65°F water has them active along sandy beaches throughout the region. Wave heights of 4.3–5.2 ft (buoys 46221 and 46025) will add texture to the surf zone — plan your beach entries accordingly.

May 18

No live buoy or gauge data reached this report cycle — the USGS gauge at site 04157000 returned no readings — so conditions here are drawn from angler chatter and seasonal patterns. The Michigan Sportsman Forum logged a punishing early-season outing out of Oscoda: water barely clearing freezing at the pier, pockets of bait marking on sonar but no takers, and air cold enough to ice a windshield. By late April the picture had shifted considerably — a Michigan Sportsman Forum thread titled "Wind and Waterwolves" (April 30) documented water in the lower 50s with roughly two feet of blue-green visibility, and pike answering aggressive jerk-pause retrieves from the very first cast. Now at mid-May with a new moon overhead, Saginaw Bay's celebrated walleye fishery should be in full post-spawn dispersal mode, fish fanning out from gravel and river-mouth structure onto open-bay flats. Yellow perch, staging smallmouth, and the season's first panfish blitzes fill out what is typically the most productive stretch of the Great Lakes calendar.

May 18

The Grand River is running at 3,910 cfs as of early morning May 18 (USGS gauge 04119000), a solid mid-spring flow delivering a warm, sediment-laden river plume into Lake Michigan at Grand Haven — historically one of the most reliable triggers for Chinook and coho salmon to stack near the river mouth ahead of the season's first big wave. No water temperature reading is available from the current instrument array; anglers should probe conditions on arrival. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report provides optimistic context: 2024 was a banner year on the lake's open water, with more than 210,000 coho harvested (a record) and 160,000 Chinook (the most since 2012), both tied to a strong alewife forage class that sharply boosted stocked-fish survival. That strong baitfish base suggests the nearshore food web remains in solid shape heading into this spring's salmon staging window.

May 18

USGS gauge 01546500 registered 81.2 cfs Monday morning, with no water temperature available from this station. Mid-May is the signature moment for Centre County's limestone trout fisheries: the Green Drake hatch on Penns Creek — one of the most celebrated emergences in Eastern fly fishing — sits squarely in its typical mid-May-to-early-June window. Flylords Mag reported this week that nearly half the U.S. is in severe drought, the Mid-Atlantic included; however, groundwater-fed limestone spring creeks are far more insulated from runoff swings than freestone streams and should hold steady flows and temperatures. Gink and Gasoline noted earlier this season that unseasonably warm temperatures pushed Sulphur and Light Cahill hatches ahead of their normal late-April–May schedule, suggesting 2026 emergence timing across the region may be running early. Today's New Moon can extend the productive evening hatch window into low-light dusk periods. No shop, charter, or state-agency field reports specific to Spring Creek or Penns Creek appeared in today's intel feeds.

May 18

NOAA buoy 45005 logged 57°F on Lake Erie's surface this morning — water temperatures that typically push walleye into mid-column transition patterns and put Presque Isle Bay smallmouth on the doorstep of pre-spawn staging. Direct on-water reports from PA's Erie waters were sparse in this week's intel feeds; PA Fish & Boat Commission biologist report data did not return populated conditions in this pull, so anglers should check that page directly for the most current local update. Broader Great Lakes context: Michigan Sportsman Forum chatter from late April described walleye active in the low 50s using aggressive jerk-and-pause retrieves — chatter only, not confirmed for PA waters, but suggestive of regional fish behavior heading into the 57°F window. A tributary watershed gauge (USGS 04213000) shows flow at 161 cfs, indicating moderate and fishable conditions in Lake Erie feeders. PA Sea Grant flagged active Round Goby management concerns in Northwestern Pennsylvania as recently as December 2025 — worth noting for live-bait anglers working near bottom structure. Today's new moon keeps overnight light minimal; expect stronger morning bite windows at first light.

May 18

Flow at 217 cfs (USGS gauge 03051000) signals moderate, wadeable conditions across WV freshwater as of May 18. With the new moon aligning with peak post-spawn timing, smallmouth on the New River are expected to be recovering from beds and dispersing toward transition structure — typical behavior for this week of May. Tactical Bassin reports the bluegill spawn is now in full swing across the region, a key trigger that draws big bass into shallow heavy cover for aggressive topwater and frogging action. Finesse rigs, swimbaits, and chatterbaits round out the post-spawn playbook, per the same source. Wired 2 Fish spotlighted new research this week suggesting Appalachian smallmouth may represent a genetically distinct evolutionary lineage from their Midwest counterparts — a timely note for New River regulars. No local charter or state-agency conditions reports were available for this cycle.

May 18

NOAA buoy 46041, positioned off Washington's outer coast, logged winds of 7 m/s and air temperatures near 52°F this morning — manageable spring conditions for Sound runs and coastal bar crossings. Buoy 46087, near the Strait of Juan de Fuca entrance, showed similar readings at 6 m/s and 51°F; water temperature was unavailable from both stations. No specific catch reports for Washington's Puget Sound or Pacific zones appeared in today's angler-intel feed; WA WDFW Fishing Reports is the go-to source for current creel data and stocking updates. Seasonally, mid-May is a recognized prime window for spring Chinook moving through Puget Sound sub-areas, with Pacific halibut season drawing significant effort to offshore grounds. Lingcod and rockfish complete the spring bottom-fishing picture. The New Moon phase this week intensifies tidal exchanges — plan salmon and halibut windows around peak current changes and verify current WDFW Emergency Rules before heading out.

May 18

USGS gauge 14113000 recorded water at 53°F and 1,240 cfs on May 18 — conditions sitting squarely in the prime temperature band for spring Chinook salmon migrating through Columbia system tributaries. WA WDFW Fishing Reports maintains statewide creel and stocking data but no targeted weekly field intel surfaced in this update cycle, so the assessment leans on gauge readings and mid-May seasonal patterns. At 53°F, trout and late-run steelhead are also feeding actively, and the cool water keeps migrating Chinook holding longer in deep runs rather than racing through. New Moon conditions on May 18 typically compress feeding windows into low-light periods — dawn and dusk transitions are worth prioritizing. On the Columbia mainstem, smallmouth bass are likely finishing the spawn or transitioning to post-spawn mode at these water temperatures, staging near rocky points and current seams. Always confirm current retention rules with WA WDFW before targeting spring Chinook, as seasons carry strict punch-card and wild-fish-retention restrictions.

May 18

The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog's spring striped bass report spotlights rockfish schooling along channel edges, sandy flats, grass beds, and rocky structure across Virginia's tidal rivers — a pattern directly applicable to the lower Potomac. On The Water's May 15 striper migration map confirms the spring push has fully extended through the region. USGS gauge 01646500 shows the Potomac at 2,500 cfs early Monday, a moderate, fishable flow. Upstream on the Shenandoah and upper Potomac reaches, smallmouth bass are in the post-spawn transition typical of mid-May. Per Tactical Bassin, the bluegill spawn is in full swing regionally, drawing largemouth into shallow cover and making topwater and frog presentations productive around dawn and dusk. No water temperature reading was available from the gauge, but mid-May conditions in this watershed typically push surface temps into the upper 60s to low 70s°F — a productive range for all three warmwater targets. New Moon phases this week sharpen feeding windows.

May 18

USGS gauge 01135300 logged a flow of 99.4 cfs in Vermont's Connecticut River watershed early May 18 — a moderate spring level that leaves shorelines accessible and wading conditions manageable. The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reports the Connecticut River in its middle reaches is already producing shad and carp, signaling that the head of the annual shad migration is working its way northward toward Vermont's stretches. On Lake Champlain, the new moon (May 18) falls right at the onset of the smallmouth bass spawning window; Tactical Bassin notes that bass pushing into heavy shallow cover during the bluegill spawn respond aggressively to topwater frogs and big swimbaits. MidCurrent recently spotlighted the Battenkill Fly Fishing & Arts Festival in Arlington, Vermont, a clear indicator that trout in the state's tributary drainages are active and drawing anglers out. Walleye are likely wrapping their spring run on Champlain and transitioning toward mid-depth structure.

May 18

Buoy readings from NOAA buoy 46029 and NOAA buoy 46002 put Oregon coastal water temps at 55–56°F as of early this morning — right in the bracket that typically pulls spring Chinook salmon toward nearshore feeding lanes. Wave heights of 5.6 to 6.9 feet across three offshore stations point to a moderately choppy surface, a condition that will favor protected-bay fisheries over open-ocean small-boat runs today. No Oregon-specific charter or tackle-shop reports surfaced in this cycle's regional intel, so conditions-based inference is guiding the outlook. For broader Pacific Coast context, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater notes that Half Moon Bay, California captains recently reported "vastly improved salmon conditions" as water temps there settled into the mid-50s — a similar thermal window to what our buoys are currently recording. Bottomfish such as rockfish and lingcod should remain accessible from jetties and rocky headlands even with elevated swell. Verify current regulations before targeting salmon or halibut; season windows vary by zone.

May 18

Water temperatures at the Catskill gauge are sitting at 62°F (USGS 01357500), placing the Hudson River squarely in its prime window for the spring striper run. On The Water's May 15 striper migration map confirms the Northeast push has fully extended — fish are now reaching Maine — putting the Hudson Valley corridor in the thick of the action. River flow at Catskill (4,000 cfs) and Green Island (12,700 cfs, USGS 01358000) reflects active spring runoff; expect some color in the upper sections. Up in the Finger Lakes, NY DEC's Fishing Line (April 24 issue) reports spring trout stocking is actively underway — brook, brown, and rainbow — and the coolwater sportfish season covering walleye, northern pike, and tiger muskie opened May 1, making mid-May an ideal early-season window for those fisheries. Tonight's new moon phase favors the low-light feeding bursts that Hudson stripers are known for; first and last light are the premium windows on the tidal river this week.

May 18

Water temps at NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 sit at 54–55°F as of Monday morning, providing the backdrop for what Fishermans HQ LBI calls 'as good as it gets for surfcasters' — striped bass feeding up and down the LBI shoreline on fresh clam, frozen bunker, and glide baits. Grumpys Tackle confirms a 41-inch personal best at Seaside Park on an SP Minnow, while The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf reports a 51-inch striper released from the surf on salted clam, with slot-to-overslot fish widespread coast-wide. Black drum have joined the surf mix alongside bass at multiple shore stretches, also responding to fresh clam in the wash. Sea bass season opened May 15 with a 12.5-inch minimum, per The Fisherman — New Jersey edition, but Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands warns the bite started slow — water temps need to climb a few more degrees. Blue Chip Sportfishing calls this the best striper fishing possible, with open dates still available.

May 18

Nebraska Game & Parks is signaling an active spring across the state, with their "Springing On" dispatch noting abundant time being spent in the field and on the water. USGS gauge 06796000 shows the system running at 1,930 cfs as of early Monday morning — a healthy late-spring flow that typically concentrates channel catfish and walleye in deeper current seams and slack-water pockets along the main channels. No water temperature reading is available from the gauge this week, but mid-May in Nebraska typically puts river temps in the upper 50s to low 60s — conditions that push channel cats into active feeding and draw white bass into upstream tributary flows. Fishing the Midwest highlights shallow presentations and drop-shot rigs as productive during this post-spawn transition window, while Tactical Bassin confirms the bluegill spawn is fully underway — a reliable trigger for largemouth bass in adjacent backwaters and coves. The New Moon this week adds favorable dark-night windows for catfish and walleye.

May 18

Water temps running 53–56°F across Cape Cod Bay, per NOAA buoys 44013 and 44020, confirm the season is right on schedule — and the striper run has arrived in force. The Fisherman (Northeast) calls it a supercharged spring striper run across New England, with fish averaging upper-teens to 20 pounds and 40-pound-class stripers now entering local waters. Charley Soares in The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands reported schools of stripers very few of them below 37 inches crashing a topwater bite in upper Buzzards Bay and extending east toward the Canal. On The Water's May 15 migration map confirms the push has fully extended through the Northeast, with migratory fish recorded beyond Boston. The Canal is a prime convergence where Cape Cod Bay tides meet Buzzards Bay current. Tautog remain productive around Canal openings and the West Falmouth shoreline per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands, the scup bite is just getting started on the rock piles, and black sea bass season opened May 16.

May 18

Water sitting at 59°F per NOAA buoy 44009, and the Chesapeake Bay region is hitting its mid-May stride. The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake reports that black drum have arrived at the Coral Beds area, taking clams, sand fleas, and female blue crabs — a textbook sign the Bay's late-spring run is on. Striped bass remain productive, with big fish caught and released on bloodworms and cut bunker at shoreline spots per Smith's Bait Shop coverage in The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake. White perch and catfish are holding in tidal creeks and rivers. OTW Saltwater's May 12 migration tracker noted that Chesapeake-class stripers — including 50-pound fish — were already staging off New Jersey and Long Island ahead of this week's new moon, confirming the spawn push is well underway. Wind and small craft advisories earlier in the week limited open-water access per The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake, but calmer windows are now opening up.

May 18

NOAA buoy 44007 logged 49°F water in the Gulf of Maine this morning — cool but clearly not stopping the fish. Per On The Water's May 15 striper migration map, migratory striped bass have fully extended their northward push into Maine, completing a Northeast-wide run. The Fisherman (Northeast) described a "supercharged spring striper run" in New England as of mid-May, with fish averaging upper-teens to 20 pounds and some 40-pound class bass entering the region. The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME's report from Surfland Bait and Tackle noted stripers exiting the Merrimack River alongside fresh migratory arrivals making landfall. Today's new moon brings stronger tidal exchanges that should concentrate bait and push feeding bass onto structure. Offshore, buoy 44027 registered 43°F, pointing to a thermal gradient that may hold fish along the warmer nearshore edge.

May 18

Water temperature registered 76°F at USGS gauge 06892350 early Monday morning, placing the Kansas River squarely in the post-spawn feeding window most Midwest bass anglers target. Tactical Bassin reports the bluegill spawn is "in full swing" on comparable Midwestern fisheries, with largemouth moving into shallow cover and responding to topwater frogs, swimbaits, and chatterbaits worked tight to structure. River flow sits at 1,880 cfs — a moderate, fishable level that keeps current seams and channel edges productive. Fishing the Midwest confirms this is prime time for a shallow casting approach, with fish schooled and cooperative after the spawn. No species-specific intel arrived for channel catfish or white bass this cycle, but at 76°F both should be feeding actively along current breaks and deeper channel edges into the evening hours. Tonight's new moon typically sharpens the pre-dawn bite window — plan an early start if conditions allow.

May 18

Cooler water along the CA Central Coast is translating directly to improved salmon fishing, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater. Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady, working out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, reports that water temperatures have dropped to 54°F — down from 58°F at the start of salmon season in April — and that the change "makes a huge difference on the water." Boats working the zone below Pigeon Point are finding "vastly improved salmon conditions," while bonita that congregated during the warmer early-season water have departed. Buoy readings confirm the temperature story: NOAA buoy 46042 logged 52°F offshore Monday morning, with buoy 46028 recording 55°F. The significant caveat is sea state — all three Central Coast buoys show wave heights between roughly 10 and 14 feet on sustained winds, making offshore runs a rough proposition today. Rockfish and lingcod remain typical mid-May nearshore targets, though no specific bite reports for those species are available from current sources.

May 18

The Penobscot above West Enfield (USGS gauge 01030500) was reading 3,310 cfs as of the evening of May 17 — solidly in spring runoff range, enough to keep the mainstem slightly off-color but not blown out. No water temperature readings were available from buoys or gauges this cycle, and no direct angler reports from Moosehead Lake or the upper Penobscot surfaced in this week's intel feeds; what follows draws on well-established seasonal patterns for mid-May Maine. Tonight's New Moon — generally a trigger for low-light feeding activity — falls squarely in the prime landlocked salmon window, when fish that stacked near river mouths and inlet areas after ice-out remain aggressive and accessible. Togue (lake trout) are still likely in the upper water column before summer stratification sets; brook trout concentrate at tributary mouths where current meets the warmer lake edges; and smallmouth bass are approaching or entering early spawn stages in the shallower, warmer coves.

May 18

Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing opened its May 15 dispatch with an encouraging signal: 'another great week of fishing gets underway across Georgia.' At Lakes Lanier and Allatoona, the post-spawn transition is the headline. USGS gauge 02334430 on the Chattahoochee below Buford Dam logged 48°F at 636 cfs on May 17 — cold tailwater from Lanier's deep reservoir releases that keeps anglers mindful of the thermocline. Tactical Bassin reports the bluegill spawn is 'in full swing,' driving big largemouth to prowl heavy shallow cover; topwater frogs and walking baits are drawing strikes. Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing documented an 8-pound, 11-ounce largemouth taken on a spinnerbait during post-rain conditions across the state in April, underscoring how effective power presentations remain when water carries color. GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News warns that hot weather is approaching and fish will likely begin their push toward deeper structure — the shallow topwater window is open now but closing gradually.

May 18

Water temperatures sitting at 58°F per NOAA buoy 44009 have Delaware Bay's NJ shoreline in prime mid-May form. Boulevard Bait & Tackle (via The Fisherman's Southern NJ desk) reported a 51-inch striped bass taken from the surf on salted clams this past week, with the run generally producing fish from slot keepers to fish pushing 48 inches. Black drum have arrived alongside them: Fin-Atics confirmed steady drum action along the oceanfront on fresh shucked clams, and One Stop Bait and Tackle described striper and drum areas as "on fire" with bloodworms, clams, and soft plastics turning fish from back bays to jetties. The Fisherman's NJ/DE surf column flagged a notable drum "push" and — with today marking the new moon — specifically called out this window as one to watch for weakfish moving into bay tidal waters. Flounder season has opened to mixed early reports, but the overall picture for the Delaware Bay NJ shoreline is one of the stronger spring starts in recent years.

May 18

NOAA buoy 45005 recorded a 56°F surface temperature on the morning of May 18, placing Lake Erie's Western Basin squarely in the post-spawn walleye feeding transition. Wave heights were negligible at 0.7 feet with light winds around 4 m/s — comfortable trolling and jigging weather. The Maumee River (USGS gauge 04193500) is running at 2,000 cfs, adding some color to the shallowest inshore reaches but manageable for most boat fishing. No direct on-the-water walleye dispatches from charters or regional agencies surfaced in this week's intel feeds, so we're working from sensor data and seasonal benchmarks. Fishing the Midwest notes that jigs and slip-sinker live bait rigs remain the backbone of walleye presentations at this stage of the season. With a new moon on May 18, low-light windows at dawn and dusk are historically prime for walleye — plan early morning runs and stay flexible into the evening transition.

May 18

Water at 58°F (NOAA buoy 44009) and today's new moon put the Chesapeake mouth in a prime late-spring window. Virginia DWR's spring striped bass fishing report confirms rockfish are actively schooling along channel edges, sandy flats, grass beds, and rocky shorelines across Virginia's tidal waters — the full spread of classic Chesapeake structure. The big picture migration-wise is telling: OTW Saltwater's May 12 migration report notes that large Chesapeake-origin fish in the 50-pound class have already pushed north and are now stationed off New Jersey and Long Island. That exodus leaves the Chesapeake mouth with slot-sized and post-spawn rockfish filtering back toward summer habitat — still a quality bite for most anglers. Light winds around 7 mph keep boat conditions comfortable. Virginia DWR's field reports suggest channel edges and hard structure near grass beds remain the most reliable spring targets right now.

May 18