Fishing reports
18645 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Delta marshes hold steady as late-summer redfish patterns set in
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Gulf Coast and Delta this cycle, so this update leans on seasonal patterns and the latest from Louisiana's coastal community rather than hard numbers. Louisiana Sea Grant's newly released recordings from the "Louisiana's Pearl: Visioning Our Future" oyster industry workshop, held at the LSU AgCenter's New Iberia station, cover the state of the marsh and estuary habitat that anglers share with the oyster fishery, useful backdrop for anyone working the same marsh edges this month. On the rod-and-reel side, this stretch of the calendar is typically when redfish hold tight to shallow flats and marsh grass, speckled trout bite best in the low-light hours before the heat sets in, and flounder begin staging for their fall push toward the passes. Separately, Louisiana Sportsman reported the LDWF scheduling a drawdown at Cheniere Lake starting mid-August, a freshwater note worth knowing about even though it sits outside the Delta's brackish and saltwater grounds. Check current LDWF regulations before you head out.
Bonito and Blues Team Up Across Vineyard Sound
Small bluefish are pushing into Vineyard Sound from West Chop to Nobska Point, with a 4-pound class of bonito showing up alongside them near Monomoy, per Falmouth Bait & Tackle and Sports Port this week (The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands). Striped bass are still around Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound but the bite has shifted to daylight, favoring anglers who jig or troll rather than wait on a topwater blitz. Offshore, Falmouth Bait & Tackle reports the tuna grounds went quiet during recent storms but rebounded once weather moderated, with boats mixing 30-inch to 60-pound-plus yellowfin and bluefin pushing in closer to the canyons. Closer to home, Black Rose Fishing Charters found strong fluke fishing around the Nantucket Sound rips without needing to run all the way to Nantucket Shoals, plus a solid bottom bite. Sharks have also been more common around Monomoy, worth keeping in mind.
Panhandle anglers eye the Gulf gag grouper opener as pelagics hold
Sport Fishing Mag's look at Gulf gag grouper trolling sets the tone for late-August Panhandle prep: Florida's west coast gag season runs short and close to shore, and boats are already working structure ahead of it. Coastal Angler Magazine's note that gag season is around the corner, out of Hernando Beach, echoes that buildup on the Gulf side, a good signal for Destin and Pensacola bottom anglers as September nears. Farther south, O-Sea-D Fishing out of Pompano Beach reports kingfish still working live bait and trolled baits over structure, plus scattered wahoo behind planers, a pattern that typically holds across Florida's warm-water pelagics into fall even though that report comes from the Atlantic side. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Destin/Pensacola stretch today, so treat water temps and swell as unconfirmed and check a local source before running offshore. Inshore, redfish and Spanish mackerel remain the steady late-summer bet around passes and grass flats.
Porgy limits pile up in Long Island Sound as stripers bite dawn and dusk
Scup fishing is lights out along the Connecticut shoreline this week, with Tartan II reporting limits of porgies on nearly every bottom-fishing trip and Black Hawk seeing the same pattern mixed with sea bass, triggerfish, and some fluke. Striped bass remain catchable but require the right timing: J&B Tackle says the bite is best at dawn and in the evening, with live-lined eels at night producing the biggest fish, while AW Marina reports shore anglers connecting on bass blitzes near the mouth of the river close to Fort Trumbull Pier. Black sea bass action continues to improve per Tartan II, and fluke fishing is holding steady but tough for keepers, per J&B Tackle, with anglers sorting through many short fish at Black Point, Niantic Bay, and Two Tree Channel to find one or two legal fish. Bluefish are present but picky on tides, per Tartan II.
Peak summer pelagic season keeps Hawaii's blue water busy
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for the islands this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried on-the-water Hawaii reports — worth saying plainly rather than guessing. Hawaii Fishing News, the state's official record-keeper, does track the monthly moon and tide calendars serious anglers use to time trips, and mid-August sits at the height of the islands' offshore pelagic season, when mahimahi, ahi, and ono are typically the primary targets around structure, current lines, and FADs. Bottomfish species like opakapaka remain a steady deepwater draw for boats working ledges further offshore. With a waxing crescent moon this week, expect modest tidal movement and generally stable conditions typical for late summer in Hawaiian waters. Treat the species read below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite reports, and check a local shop or charter log before planning a trip.
Deep salmon trolling still the play on Indiana's Lake Michigan shore
Lake Michigan's king and coho fishery is coming off a standout stretch, with anglers lakewide landing more than 210,000 coho salmon and the most Chinook since 2012 during the 2024 season, per the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Indiana shoreline this cycle, so treat this as a seasonal outlook rather than an on-the-water snapshot: mid-August on southern Lake Michigan typically means Chinook, coho, and steelhead have pushed down into cooler water well off the thermocline, with trollers working meat rigs and spoons well below the surface. Yellow perch tend to scatter into deeper, cooler pockets this time of year and get tougher to pattern from shore or in the shallows. Check with a local Indiana shoreline shop or charter for a same-day read on where bait and fish are stacking before you run out.
Lake Superior whitefish buzz builds as UP streams settle into late summer
A growing summertime fishery for lake whitefish in the Chequamegon Bay region has caught the Wisconsin DNR's attention this season, per WI DNR Lake Superior Fishing — a sign of how far whitefish targeting on the big lake has spread beyond the traditional ice season, and it's worth watching on the Michigan side of the UP shoreline too. Hard current data for Upper Peninsula trout streams and Lake Superior waters is thin this week; no fresh buoy or gauge readings came through, and this week's angler intel skewed toward Wisconsin's south shore rather than Michigan reports. That said, mid-August typically means UP brook trout and brown trout fishing slows through midday as stream flows drop and warm, with the better bite concentrated around dawn and dusk. Out on Lake Superior itself, lake trout continue to hold in deeper, cooler water and remain a dependable target for anglers trolling structure, while coho salmon activity typically builds nearer shore as summer wears on. Check state regs before harvesting.
Shiners and shallow cover keep CT's bass and pickerel biting
Inland anglers are leaning on live shiners and soft plastics right now, and it's producing. This week's regional freshwater roundup from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater describes anglers taking largemouth bass, chain pickerel, and yellow perch from shoreline cover on shiners, with plastics also drawing largemouth strikes in the same mixed bag. Smallmouth bass are responding to white spinnerbaits, wacky-rigged Senkos, and topwater walking baits worked over deeper river and pond stretches, a pattern tied to baitfish activity typical of mid-August. No CT-specific gauge or state-agency data came through this cycle, so treat this as a regional read rather than a hyper-local one, but the pattern lines up with what's typical for inland Connecticut water this time of year: warm surface temps, bass and pickerel holding tight to weeds and shade, and the best action bunched around dawn and dusk before the sun gets high.
Wabash River cats and Lake Michigan salmon hold summer patterns
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for the Wabash River or the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried a direct report from this stretch of water, so this update leans on typical mid-August patterns for the region rather than a specific bite report. That's usually catfish country by mid-August on the Wabash: channel and flathead cats feed heavily after dark in warm water, while smallmouth hold on current seams and rock structure during the day. On the Lake Michigan side, Chinook and coho salmon are typically well offshore and deep by this point in summer, chasing cooler water and forage fish, with trolling the more productive approach than casting from the bank. We'll flag this report for a fresh regional check once a captain, shop, or state feed posts specifics for southern Lake Michigan or the Wabash corridor. Always confirm current regs before keeping fish.
Rangeley trout and salmon slide deep as late-summer heat holds
Mainely Fly Fishing's latest post, "It's Hatch Time: Summer Solstice Fishing Update," opens with the author apologizing for a lighter posting schedule this summer (new grandbaby duty pulled the region's regular voice off the water log), so there is no fresh on-the-water bite report for Rangeley this week, and no buoy or gauge readings came through for the Androscoggin headwaters system either. Absent current numbers, the safest read is the standard mid-August pattern: brook trout and landlocked salmon have likely pushed off the shallow flats into deeper, cooler water and thermocline edges as surface temps peaked through the summer. Smallmouth bass are less temperature-sensitive and should still be workable around rocky structure and flats, especially during the warmer midday stretch. Early morning and late evening windows are typically the most productive for coldwater species this time of year. Check current Maine fishing regulations before harvesting, and confirm actual water levels and flows locally before planning a trip, since this report has no live gauge data behind it.
Summer walleye pattern holds as Great Lakes anglers lean on electronics
Wired 2 Fish's latest breakdown of summertime walleye tactics notes that forward-facing sonar has changed where anglers are finding suspended fish this month, a shift playing out on Great Lakes tributary mouths and structure-rich water like the Grand River system. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS streamflow readings came through in this pull, so water temp and flow numbers aren't available for this update, and readers should check current conditions before heading out. The Michigan DNR's Weekly Fishing Report (most recent edition August 12) keeps its usual lake-by-lake regional breakdown and daily streamflow tracking running, though specific catch counts for this week weren't captured in this pass. On the Michigan Sportsman Forum, anglers are trading questions about depth and staging for Manistee-area kings and coho, chatter worth watching but not yet backed by a shop or agency report. Walleye and smallmouth bass remain the most reliably active targets for mid-August on Great Lakes water and the Grand River.
Georgia bass hold up as scorching August heat grips the state
Scorching mid-August heat is gripping Georgia's inland waters, and per GA Sportsman/Georgia Outdoor News' Southern Waters Fishing Report (Aug. 15), anglers who got out in the heat this week found the bass bite 'pretty good,' with the state's rivers also turning up solid catches. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Hartwell/Russell chain specifically this cycle, so we're reading local conditions through that same statewide summer pattern: largemouth and spotted bass working shallow cover at first light before sliding to deeper channel edges and points as the sun climbs, stripers and hybrids typically holding near the thermocline through midday, and catfish staying a reliable after-dark option. The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division's fishing report is also shifting to a rotating regional format this week, which may bring more Hartwell/Russell-specific detail going forward. Expect the same heat-driven, early-and-late pattern to carry through the weekend on the reservoir chain.
Late-Summer Walleye and Bass Patterns Take Shape on IL Waters
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Illinois River and Lake Michigan corridor this cycle, so this update leans on regional technique reporting rather than a hyperlocal bite report. Wired 2 Fish's rundown on 'Embracing Electronics to Jig Up Some Summertime Walleye' notes Great Lakes-region walleye anglers increasingly working suspended fish with forward-facing sonar instead of sticking to classic bottom structure, a pattern that tracks with how Lake Michigan's summer walleye scene typically plays out. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen describe the same structure-versus-suspended-fish debate shaping walleye trips across the broader region right now. Largemouth bass remain a solid mid-August target in the Illinois River's backwaters and current seams; Tactical Bassin's 'junk fishing' approach, rotating baits quickly to find an active pattern, is a reasonable template when bass go quiet in the heat. No direct Lake Michigan perch or catfish reports surfaced in this cycle's intel.
Catawba and Roanoke anglers lean on dawn-and-dark summer patterns
No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for the Catawba or Roanoke basins this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds didn't carry a direct freshwater report from either system, so this update leans on typical mid-August behavior for Piedmont and Coastal Plain NC reservoirs rather than a specific local bite call. Water levels and temperatures in these basins typically run low and warm by this point in summer, pushing largemouth bass tight to shade, docks, and deep cover through the heat of the day. Tactical Bassin's coverage of summer "junk fishing" this week describes exactly that pattern on a Southern reservoir — grouped-up bass, frequent bait changes, working the shady edges — a reasonable analog for Catawba and Roanoke largemouth right now. Fishing the Midwest also notes forward-facing sonar increasingly used to find suspended fish rather than assuming bottom orientation, useful for tracking summer crappie. Catfish typically feed best after dark this time of year.
Lake Michigan salmon season builds toward the Grand River mouth push
Direct water temperature and flow readings weren't available for the Lake Michigan and Grand River mouth stretch this cycle, and this week's angler feeds carried no fresh, corroborated reports of what's biting locally. The most notable item that did come through is regional: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report's year-end recap noted 2024 was a standout season lakewide, with anglers landing more than 210,000 coho salmon, a record, and over 160,000 Chinook salmon, the best Chinook numbers since 2012, credited to stronger alewife survival supporting stocked fish. Mid-August on Lake Michigan typically has Chinook and coho staging in cooler, deeper water and beginning to work toward river mouths like the Grand as they set up for the fall run, with steelhead providing a slower, deeper bite and walleye anglers leaning on electronics per Wired 2 Fish's recent look at forward-facing sonar jigging. Treat these as seasonal expectations, not confirmed local activity, until a direct report comes in.
Summer heat pushes Eastern WA bite windows to dawn and dusk
WDFW's fishing and stocking reports remain the go-to real-time read on Eastern Washington's Yakima and Spokane-area waters this week, tracking creel checks and the state's ongoing lake-stocking program across the region's trout and warmwater fisheries. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat conditions as typical for mid-August: warm, stable water pushing most feeding activity into the early morning and evening low-light hours. Rainbow trout tend to go sluggish once surface temps climb through summer and fish best at first light or after sundown. Smallmouth bass and walleye generally hold up better through the heat, working structure, drop-offs, and current breaks. Kokanee action typically starts tapering as reservoirs warm further into August. We're leaning on seasonal norms rather than fresh local intel this cycle, so check WDFW's latest creel data and confirm current regulations before you head out.
Chincoteague fluke and cobia hold as fall run builds to the north
No buoy or gauge readings came through for Chincoteague this cycle, so today's read leans on the broader Mid-Atlantic and Northeast pattern feeding into these waters. The Fisherman (Northeast) reports striped bass blitzes running from Narragansett to Plymouth and a bonito surge building around Cape Cod, with the outlet noting the fall run pregame is ramping up region-wide; its Long Island forecast adds a strong shark bite and nearshore bluefin tuna, while the NJ/Delaware Bay report has boats working yellowfin and bluefin grounds alongside a doormat-class ocean fluke catch. Closer to home, mid-August on the Eastern Shore typically means the tail end of summer flounder and cobia action, with red drum and speckled trout starting to stage as water temperatures begin easing. On The Water's fluke hookset tips are a timely refresher heading into peak flatfish weeks, and Saltwater Edge notes southerly winds finally arriving up the coast, a signal the seasonal turn is close.
Late-summer walleye lean on electronics across Platte, Missouri
No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Platte and Missouri corridor this cycle, so this update leans on regional technique trends and typical late-summer patterns rather than a live river reading. Wired 2 Fish's recent piece on "Embracing Electronics to Jig Up Some Summertime Walleye" captures where the regional walleye game is heading: anglers are leaning harder on forward-facing sonar to mark suspended fish and track baitfish schools instead of blind-casting bottom structure, a shift Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch has echoed in his own writing on walleye showing up away from the classic points, turns, and weedlines once FFS entered the picture. For Platte and Missouri anglers, that means covering water with electronics rather than parking on a spot out of habit. Channel catfish typically stay active through late-summer heat regardless of technique, while white bass schooling action tends to taper as August wears on. Check current flow before launching.
Susquehanna and Allegheny stay warm and lively as catfish lead the bite
USGS gauge 01540500 logged the Susquehanna basin at 78°F with flow running near 4,970 cfs early this morning, a bump that likely reflects recent rain moving through the watershed. That combination, warm water riding on elevated current, favors channel catfish, which tend to feed hardest right in the flow, and pushes smallmouth bass toward current breaks, eddies, and shaded structure rather than open flats. We didn't pull a fresh PA-specific angler report this cycle; Pennsylvania Fish & Boat's Biologist Reports page is the state's standing resource for stream-by-stream survey notes and current regs, worth a check before you head out. Fishing the Midwest's general summer walleye notes point to forward-facing sonar and vertical jigging producing when fish move off traditional bottom structure, a pattern that likely applies to the Susquehanna and Allegheny's deeper walleye holes as water stays warm into late August.
Toledo Bend/Sabine anglers lean deep and low-light as flows go flat
The USGS gauge at station 08025500 logged flow of just 0.43 cfs on the morning of August 18, essentially stagnant water for mid-August, with no water temperature reading available this cycle. No captain or shop reports came in specifically for the Toledo Bend/Sabine border this week, so we're leaning on regional patterns rather than fresh local intel. Statewide, Louisiana Sea Grant flagged an LDWF-coordinated drawdown getting underway at Cheniere Lake (a separate north Louisiana water, not Toledo Bend) as a reminder that agencies are actively managing summer lake levels right now. On The Water's recent pieces on low-light largemouth tactics, wakebaits over shoreline bank cover and swimbaits worked across weed flats at dawn and dusk, line up well with what typically produces on Toledo Bend and Sabine reservoirs once late-summer heat sets bass into a shade-and-shallows-at-the-edges pattern.
Olympic Peninsula rivers hold steady as early Chinook push continues
USGS gauge 12041200 logged flow near 531 cfs early this morning, with the 12035000 station running lighter at 286 cfs — both readings hold steady with no water-temperature data reported at either site. That's typical late-summer stability for these Olympic Peninsula drainages, with no rain-driven spike to muddy things up. This pull's angler-intel feeds carried no fresh on-the-water reports specifically from Washington salmon rivers, so we're leaning on WA WDFW Fishing Reports as the go-to source for current creel counts and stocking updates before you head out. Mid-August on the Peninsula typically means an early push of Chinook working up from tidewater, sea-run cutthroat following baitfish in the lower reaches, and coho still mostly offshore ahead of their fall arrival. Check current WDFW regulations and creel reports for your specific river before targeting kings, since run timing varies drainage to drainage.
River Bass Bite Holds Strong Through Georgia's August Heat
Per this week's Southern Waters Fishing Report from GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News (Aug. 15), the bass bite has been pretty good on Georgia's rivers despite scorching heat, and the rivers have also been producing some good fish. On the Chattahoochee, USGS gauge 02197000 is reading around 4,320 cfs, noticeably higher than typical late-summer baseflow, which should keep water moving and oxygenated even as air temps stay brutal. The Savannah River near Clyo was holding steady around 3.8 feet in that same report, a stable read that's easier to pattern than a rising or falling river. Expect largemouth to stay the headline fish, with catfish and panfish filling in behind them; stripers and hybrids are likely pushed deep and sluggish until the heat breaks. We're leaning on early and late windows to beat the worst of the midday sun this week.
Kennebec and Penobscot smallmouth settle into low-light patterns
The USGS gauge at 01046500 logged 1,580 cfs early this morning with no water-temperature reading available, putting river stage at a fairly typical moderate late-summer level for the Kennebec and Penobscot watershed. No captain, shop, or state-agency report specific to this region came through this cycle, so we're leaning on seasonal pattern rather than fresh testimony for the bite call. Mid-August on these rivers usually means smallmouth bass committing to dawn-and-dusk feeding windows as surface water warms, largemouth working weed edges and shaded structure on the same schedule, landlocked salmon sliding deeper toward cooler water during midday, and brook trout pulling back into spring-fed tributaries to escape the heat. Elsewhere in New England this week, The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reported smallmouth keyed hard on herring fry in mid-column water with topwater producing at Mashpee-Wakeby Pond, a pattern worth trying on Kennebec/Penobscot smallmouth water too. Check current water temp before planning your trip.
Largemouth Stay Hot on Shiners Across Central Mass Ponds
Shiners are still doing the work at Louisa Lake in Milford, where multiple largemouth bass came to shore anglers this week, per Jerry's Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — New England Freshwater). The same report has Lake Whitehall producing a mixed bag of pickerel, perch, and largemouth on plastics, while North Pond (Lake Maspenock) near Hopkinton is holding a solid smallmouth-largemouth combo bite on artificials — one angler tallied three smallmouths and six largemouths in a single outing, and another boated ten largemouth on shiners at Hopkinton State Park. Farther north in the Merrimack Valley, smallmouth up to 13 inches are hitting white spinnerbaits, Senkos, and Whopper Plopper-style topwaters, a pattern worth trying on central Mass ponds too. USGS gauge 01105500 is reading a low 4.3 cfs, typical of late-summer drawdown, while gauge 01111500 sits higher at 19.2 cfs; no water-temperature readings came through today.