Fishing reports
18645 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Cedar-water pickerel and topwater bass carry Pine Barrens into late summer
Freshwater action across the Delaware River and Pine Barrens is holding steady this week but staying under the radar, with much of the local rod-bending happening in the salt instead. Creekside Outfitters called it a marginal week overall in central Jersey, but still logged fair-to-good largemouth, catfish, and panfish, plus a surprise stocked rainbow trout out of the Toms River TCA. Waretown Lake and Pohatcong Lake were the standout bass spots, with fish to 3 pounds coming on poppers and buzzbaits. Down in Cape May County, Hands Too Bait and Tackle says pickerel in the nearby cedar waters are supplying the bulk of Pine Barrens sweetwater action even with light angler pressure. Smith's Bait Shop reports spillways still giving up white perch, crappie, and panfish on small jigs, while Dave's Sport Shop notes the Delaware River is producing hit-or-miss smallmouth and catfish as anglers slowly filter back to the river.
Sea bass run red hot as Jersey Shore fluke limits stack up
Sea bass are red hot right now, per Blue Chip Sportfishing, with anglers limiting out on nearly every trip along the northern Shore. Summer flounder are cooking too: Big Dave's Tackle in Port Elizabeth reports limits to 7 pounds from deepwater reef and wreck sites like the Old Grounds, and bucktails tipped with Gulp are outproducing traditional squid-and-spearing combos on keeper-class fluke, per Miss Barnegat Light in Central Jersey. Offshore, bluefin tuna in the 25 to 40 pound class are holding within 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet on the troll and live-squid drift, according to Fishermans HQ LBI, with mahi mixing in around weed lines and lobster pots per Blue Chip and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore desk. Inshore, warm water has pulled Spanish mackerel and bonito into the mix, per Grumpys Tackle. Shark fishing has also picked up, with mako sharks hooked and released this week per Blue Chip.
Spanish Mackerel Fire Up Around Cape Lookout This Week
Spanish mackerel have turned on nearshore around Cape Lookout, with Dave of Chasin' Tails in Morehead City/Atlantic Beach reporting a good bite on the bigger fish showing up near the Cape, per Fisherman's Post (NC). Pier anglers working the Swansboro/Emerald Isle stretch are also connecting on spanish mackerel and bluefish with casting jigs and Gotcha plugs, with a few king mackerel mixed in, while bottom rigs are producing further offshore. Up toward the Outer Banks, surf anglers are on sea mullet, bluefish, and croakers, and Hugh of TW's Bait and Tackle notes inshore action has finally picked up after a slow stretch. Carolina Beach's surf scene stays a classic summer mixed bag: red drum, flounder, croakers, and assorted sharks, per Lewis of Island Tackle and Hardware. With no buoy or gauge readings available for this cycle, dial in local conditions before you launch, but the intel points to an active week across the Sound and Cape.
Moosehead lake trout and salmon settle into late-summer depth pattern
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for Moosehead Lake or the upper Penobscot this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feed carries no direct reports from Maine guides, shops, or charters working these waters — coverage instead skews toward Sea Grant program news (ME Sea Grant's own recent posts cover newsletters and an aquaculture exchange with Japan, not the bite) and saltwater or southern New England reports well outside this region. With no grounded local intel to attribute, what follows leans on general seasonal knowledge for this fishery: by mid-August, Moosehead's lake trout (togue) and landlocked salmon typically pull off the surface into deeper, cooler water and hold near the thermocline, smallmouth bass activity along rocky shoreline structure usually stays strong through the month, and upper Penobscot brook trout fishing tends to fade toward early-morning and evening windows as water warms. Confirm current conditions and check Maine fishing regs before heading out.
Groundfish bite holds Gulf of Maine as fall striper run builds south
Pollock and mackerel are keeping Gulf of Maine boats busy this week while the fall striper run builds well to our south. Capt. Tom Lukegord of Beauport Fishing Adventures, working the Rockport/Cape Ann stretch just below the NH line, reports solid pollock fishing continuing along with plentiful squid and mackerel around, and big stripers found off Dry Salvages feeding on pogies (fun fish, but oversized to keep). The haddock bite has been spotty there, though cusk are starting to show. Further south, The Fisherman's New England Video Fishing Forecast notes striped bass blitzes pushing from Narragansett up to Plymouth and a bonito surge building around Cape Cod, both signs the fall run pregame is underway and should work its way toward NH waters in the coming weeks. No NH-specific buoy readings or angler reports came through this cycle, so treat conditions here as regional context until local intel firms up; check state regs before harvesting groundfish or bass this time of year.
Flounder limits and thick croaker keep Delaware Bay busy
Flounder are the story in Delaware Bay this week, with anglers at Higbee's Bait and Tackle putting several limits of keeper-sized fish nearing 23 inches over the deeper channels on minnows, per The Fisherman — Southern NJ, while more than 380 boats fished the Paradise Pounder Tournament chasing bigger doormats. Croaker are thick along the Bayshore too — Hands Too Bait and Tackle described an influx of "giant" croaker anglers can barely fit two hands around, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, and Smith's Bait Shop is seeing them alongside 20-to-24-inch striped bass on sandworms and shrimp out of the tidal creeks, per The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake. Flounder and sea bass are also coming off inshore structure near the bay mouth per Eric Burnley's report, with tuna and tilefish holding in the deeper canyon water beyond. A few black drum are mixing into the bay's summer catch as well.
Striped bass, croaker keep Chesapeake tidal creeks producing
Striped bass in the 20 to 24 inch range are coming out of Chesapeake and Delaware Bay tidal creeks and rivers on sandworms and shrimp, per two reports this week from The Fisherman's DE/MD/Chesapeake feed via Smith's Bait Shop. Croaker are showing up alongside them at the same piers and jetties, and Eric Burnley's regional roundup notes croaker and spot are dominating inshore waters this summer while tuna hold offshore in the canyons. Flounder fishing remains a mixed bag: Hook 'em and Cook 'em reports keeper flounder and sea bass coming off ocean structure on all day trips, while the Flounder Pounder Tournament crowned a 10.3 pound fish worth six figures, a sign flounder are still biting well for those working deeper structure. Bluefish at Fenwick Shoal have stayed small, with better numbers of Spanish mackerel mixed in for boats trolling spoons. No live buoy or gauge readings are available for this update, so check water temp and tide tables locally before heading out.
Fluke dominates Long Island as bluefin bite stays red-hot
Fluke are carrying the Long Island bite into late summer, with keeper flatties reported from the Fire Island and Jones Beach reefs to Shinnecock Bay and Sheepshead Bay, per shops in The Fisherman — Long Island South Shore, West End and East End feeds. Offshore, the bluefin tuna bite remains "close and excellent" according to Trophy Hunter Montauk Charters, with jig fishing outproducing trolling per Tight Lines Tackle-East End. On The Water — New York / Long Island notes yellowfin easing in toward the midshore grounds while sand eels are fueling improved fluking off the South Shore. Porgy fishing is running strong on both the Sound and bay sides per Rip Tide III and Shamrock Charterboat, though the latter says the Sunset Fluke trips have stalled on slack drift. Striped bass have thinned out during the day, with night bites on live eels the more consistent play per Fishing East Coast Bait and Tackle.
Snook Bite Stays Strong on Treasure Coast Ahead of Sept. Reopener
Snook fishing has been excellent over the past few weeks around the St. Lucie Inlet, with anglers landing steady numbers of quality fish, including many in the 40-inch-plus range, according to Snook Nook's August report. Live croakers and threadfins fished around the inlet and along the beach have been the top producers; when the inlet bite slows, a dead threadfin worked on bottom is drawing bites too, though Snook Nook notes some bycatch mixed in. Florida's Atlantic Coast snook season is typically closed through August and reopens September 1, so current action is catch-and-release only, per Snook Nook. Offshore, Snook Nook Charters took first place in the small-boat division of the One More Bite Sailfish Challenge, going 7-for-9 on sailfish bites, a good sign for bluewater action. Red snapper remains in regulatory limbo after a federal court blocked the South Atlantic EFP pilot program, per CCA Florida, with a proposed fall season still pending public comment.
Summer heat pushes Okeechobee bass to dawn patterns
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Lake Okeechobee or the St. Johns River this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds skewed toward saltwater and out-of-state fisheries rather than Central Florida bass water. With nothing region-specific to report, we're leaning on typical mid-August patterns for these two fisheries: largemouth bass sliding onto matted vegetation and grass-line edges for a short window at dawn and dusk before the heat pushes them into deeper, shaded water; bluegill and shellcracker staying active around shallow bedding pockets; and black crappie going quiet as water temps sit well above their comfort range this time of year. Catfish remain a dependable after-dark option through the hottest stretch of summer. Expect typical late-summer heat, humidity, and frequent afternoon thunderstorms, with stained-to-off-color water common on both systems from seasonal rainfall. Treat this as a seasonal baseline rather than a live report until fresh buoy, gauge, or shop intel comes back online for this region.
Drop-Shot Tactics Take Center Stage on Smith Mountain Lake
The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog's latest angler-education post zeroes in on the drop shot rig this week, noting it works for smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass alike by suspending a soft plastic just off bottom for a natural, subtle presentation. That's the most directly relevant intel available for Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island bass anglers this cycle. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for either reservoir this run, so we can't report a hard water-temperature or flow number today; check a local temp and depth graph before you launch. Mid-August on these Piedmont reservoirs typically means warm surface water with bass sliding to deeper cover, points, and channel swings during daylight hours, exactly the kind of scenario where a slow-falling drop shot can out-produce moving baits. Stripers, crappie, and catfish don't have specific reports in this cycle, but typical late-summer behavior for each is covered below.
Chesapeake mouth eyes early signs of the fall migration push
Farther north on the coast, The Fisherman's Aug. 13 New England forecast is already flagging striped bass blitzes from Narragansett to Plymouth and a building bonito push around Cape Cod — early signs of the fall migration that typically works its way toward the Chesapeake in the weeks ahead. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Chesapeake mouth this cycle, and this round of angler intel didn't include a direct Virginia report, so we're leaning on typical mid-August patterns for the region. Cobia should still be workable over channel structure before the season eases off, Spanish mackerel are usually active along nearshore current lines this time of year, and red drum tend to hold on structure. Striped bass are typically the slow piece of the puzzle in high summer, with many Virginia waters under catch-and-release rules — check current regs before targeting them.
Dungeness crab season anchors late-summer Puget Sound action
Washington Sea Grant's Skills and Drills course, set for September 28-29 in South Bend, keeps the fall spotlight on Dungeness crab, which WA Sea Grant notes is one of Washington's largest commercial fisheries — a useful marker for recreational crabbers timing their late-summer pots too. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, and neither WA WDFW Fishing Reports nor WA Sea Grant's latest posts carried specific Puget Sound or outer-coast bite detail this week, so this report leans on typical mid-August patterns rather than a fresh on-the-water account. That said, this is generally peak window for Chinook and coho runs pushing toward river mouths and nearshore structure, with lingcod and rockfish holding steady over deeper rockpiles. Crabbers should expect solid interest as pots stay in play through the season. Check WDFW's creel and catch reports before heading out, since regulations and local hot spots shift week to week.
Yellowtail and mutton snapper keep the Keys bite alive
Yellowtail and mutton snapper are still the story on the reef, with ALL IN Key West describing "huge yellow tails" and "tons and tons of mutton snappers" feeding aggressively on recent trips, a stretch the captain called some of the best fishing he's seen in 16 years working out of Key West. Bud n' Mary's Islamorada Fishing Marina's early-summer report backs the pattern, noting tarpon still working the bridges and mahi mahi turning up on offshore runs to the Gulf Stream edge. ALL IN Key West also flagged cobia, king mackerel, and sailfish mixed into a hot live-bait bite closer to the reef. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat timing as a seasonal read rather than a today-exact forecast. The moon sits in a waxing crescent, past the full-moon mutton aggregations these reports describe, so expect a steadier, less concentrated bite than that peak spawn window.
Chicago's Lake Michigan salmon and perch settle into late-summer rhythm
Wisconsin DNR's Lake Michigan Fishing Report points to just how strong recent seasons have been on this water, noting anglers harvested a record 210,000-plus coho salmon and more than 160,000 Chinook salmon lakewide in 2024, the best Chinook numbers since 2012. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Chicago nearshore this cycle, so this update leans on seasonal patterns rather than a fresh on-the-water snapshot. Mid-August on the southern basin typically has salmon and lake trout holding over cooler water offshore while yellow perch push into harbor structure and breakwalls, and smallmouth bass stay active around rocky nearshore habitat. None of this week's angler-intel feeds carried a Chicago-specific bite report, so treat the species status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed action, and check a local shop or the latest WI DNR update before you head out.
Lanier and Allatoona bass hold to deep, early-morning summer pattern
No direct reports surfaced this week from Lake Lanier or Lake Allatoona specifically, but the broader Georgia bass picture stayed solid despite scorching August heat. Joshua Barber's Southern Waters Fishing Report (GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News, August 15) notes anglers willing to brave the heat did well, with the bass bite "pretty good" statewide and river systems also producing fish. That lines up with the typical late-summer pattern on Georgia's north-Georgia reservoirs: largemouth and spotted bass pushing to deeper structure and staying tight-lipped through midday sun, with the best windows at first light and dusk. Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing also announced this week that its statewide report is shifting to a rotating regional format starting soon, which should mean more Lanier/Allatoona-specific detail in upcoming weeks. Until then, treat this as a seasonal-pattern read rather than an on-the-water Lanier/Allatoona account.
Sarasota Bay trout bite peaks as tarpon linger inshore
Spotted seatrout are stealing the show in Sarasota Bay right now, with Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters (Sarasota) reporting a 27-inch speck landed this past week and describing the peak summer trout bite as fully underway across inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes. Redfish are cooperating too — Capt. Chuck Cress, also with CB's, put a client on several reds on a rising morning tide using a popping cork and live shrimp, with a few small snook mixed in and released. Per Capt. Rick Grassett's August forecast, juvenile tarpon are still working the coastal Gulf early in the month on flies, DOA Baitbusters, and DOA Shrimp before shifting to bridges and deep grass flats as they thin out along area beaches. We're seeing a classic late-summer Tampa Bay/Sarasota pattern: trout and reds shallow at first and last light, tarpon transitioning to inside water as the month wears on.
Cape Ann stripers feast on pogies as Gulf of Maine action builds
Off Rockport, on the east side of Cape Ann, Capt. Tom Lukegord of Beauport Fishing Adventures ran three trips this week and found big striped bass stacked on pogies at Dry Salvages — plenty of size, though most fish were too large to keep, per The Fisherman's South Shore Massachusetts to Maine report. Mackerel remain plentiful in the same waters, squid have piled up east of Cape Ann, and the pollock bite has stayed solid, though haddock has been spottier. Further south, Surfland Bait and Tackle noted a 49-inch bass from the sand as the Plum Island refuge reopened to permitted night fishing, while Belsan's Bait & Tackle called the striper bite hit or miss, with bass keying on bait rather than structure and bluefish largely absent from Scituate to Provincetown. No fresh buoy or gauge data came through this cycle for the Gulf of Maine, so pair these reports with your own thermometer and local tide chart before heading out.
Summer trout and redfish keep SC coastal anglers busy
Along the South Carolina coast, anglers are still finding summertime trout, with a slip cork rig fished over live shrimp doing the most damage, per Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater, reporting out of the North Myrtle/Little River area. Red drum are also being described as "around" in that same report, typical for the marsh creeks and harbor flats this time of year. We don't have live buoy or gauge readings for Charleston Harbor in this update, so treat water temp and flow as unconfirmed until you check a local source before heading out. Regionally, the bigger story for South Atlantic anglers is the push for a fall red snapper season, per Saltwater Sportsman, with states including South Carolina backing an Oct. 1-31 window pending NOAA approval. Inshore, expect trout and redfish to stay the dependable pattern through late August under typical Lowcountry summer conditions.
Permit and gag grouper keep Naples anglers busy as snook reopener nears
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters has been sight-fishing large permit through the summer stretch and still working the tail end of a tarpon push moving through Southwest Florida's passes. Further up the coast, Sport Fishing Mag notes trollers working nearshore rock piles for gag grouper during the fishery's short late-summer window, with mangrove snapper, mutton snapper, kingfish, cobia, and amberjack showing up as bonus catches on the same trips. Inshore, snook stay catch-and-release only until the Gulf coast's typical September 1 reopener, which Coastal Angler Magazine flags as coming up fast and worth building a trip around. CCA Florida has also raised concerns about a proposed cruise port near Tampa Bay's seagrass flats, a reminder that habitat quality underpins these fisheries. No fresh buoy or gauge data came through for this update, so check a local marine forecast and tide chart before heading out this week.
Bluefin Push Fires Up Off Block Island as Bass Blitzes Return
The recreational bluefin bite "really took off this past week" around Block Island, per Snug Harbor Marina, with fish coming on jigs and soft plastics like RonZ and a few still eating trolled live bait. The Saltwater Edge echoes the trend, noting the inshore tuna bite sound of Block Island and Montauk is finally consistent after a spotty summer. Green bonito are showing in good numbers along the south county beaches, with a few mackerel mixed in. Striped bass are a split story: Snug Harbor calls the bite slower with water pushing toward 70°F and brown sharks complicating releases, while Quonnie Bait and Tackle says bass are still coming at night and early morning. The Fisherman's New England video forecast reported striper blitzes running Narragansett to Plymouth this week, plus a surf-caught hammerhead off Rhode Island. Fluke and black sea bass remain the steady bottom-fishing bright spot, per Frances Fleet and Quonnie.
OBX Surf Bite Holds Steady With Croaker, Bluefish, Sea Mullet
Surf anglers on the Outer Banks are working a solid summer mixed-bag right now: bluefish, sea mullet, and "plenty of croakers" are coming over the rail on bottom rigs, per Hugh at TW's Bait and Tackle as reported by Fisherman's Post. That same report notes the inshore bite has finally started turning a corner after a slower stretch, though the details on what's driving the pickup weren't spelled out. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water temperature and swell as unconfirmed until you check a live station before launching. The moon is in a waxing crescent, which typically means modest tidal swings rather than the bigger pushes anglers chase around new and full moons. For now, the safest bet along the Northern Beaches is bottom rigs in the surf zone during the croaker-and-bluefish window, with sea mullet filling in as a dependable third target on the same setups.
Georgia Coast Eyes October Red Snapper Reopener
A federal lawsuit from commercial fishing interests scuttled the anticipated 2026 red snapper season, and per Saltwater Sportsman, Georgia is now teaming with Florida and South Carolina to push NOAA Fisheries for a stopgap October 1-31 recreational season in the South Atlantic; public comment closes Aug. 25. Anglers Journal reports Florida has gone further, requesting an exempted fishing permit for a 39-day, two-segment Atlantic red snapper season, a sign states want more control over the calendar. On-the-water specifics for the Georgia Atlantic coast are thin in this week's feeds; the Georgia Wildlife Blog notes its weekly report is shifting to a rotating regional format starting this month. Expect the usual late-summer pattern to hold for nearshore reef and marsh species while red snapper access stays paused. Check state regs before any harvest attempt.
Bonito Flood Into Cape Cod Bay as Stripers Hold Along the Flats
Bonito have finally arrived in Cape Cod Bay, per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands, which reports fish now holding at Provincetown, inside the harbor, and around Wood End, with customers also picking up bones and four-pound bluefish from the Brewster Flats down into Wellfleet Harbor. Striped bass remain a decent bite along the bay shore, and a few big schools of jumbo bass are stacked up around Provincetown, where anglers live-lining mackerel are connecting with some quality fish. Regionally, The Fisherman (Northeast)'s New England forecast notes striper blitzes running from Narragansett to Plymouth and bonito numbers surging from the Canal to Chatham to Wood End, a sign the bay-wide push is broad rather than a single pocket. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so plan around reported bite windows rather than a specific temperature line today.