Fishing reports
18670 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
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.
Steady Mississippi flow keeps summer catfish, bass patterns dialed in
The Mississippi River at the Baton Rouge gauge (USGS 07374000) was running 245,000 cfs with water temps at 82°F as of Tuesday morning — classic late-summer warmwater conditions across the Mississippi and Atchafalaya systems. Flow at that level keeps the main channel pushing hard while backwaters, oxbows, and flooded timber along the batture stay calmer and warmer, typically where catfish, largemouth bass, and bream group up once August heat sets in. Statewide, Louisiana Sportsman reports LDWF coordinated a scheduled drawdown at Cheniere Lake beginning August 11 with the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, a reminder that lake levels are shifting around the state heading into fall. In the Atchafalaya Basin and Mississippi backwaters, expect the usual late-summer pattern: cut bait worked deep near channel edges for catfish, largemouth holding tight to shaded cover, and bream staying active in the shallows during cooler morning hours. Check current LDWF regulations before harvesting.
Hopper season heats up on Smokies tailwaters
Grasshopper season is in full swing on cold tailwater fisheries like the Hiwassee and Caney Fork, and it's shaping up as a good window for trout keyed on the surface. Flylords Mag notes that small streams and tailwaters fed by consistently cold water are among the best August bets for trout, with grasshopper patterns drawing attention as terrestrials wash off grassy banks into faster current. Caddis Fly (OR) reports a similar trend elsewhere — foam and terrestrial patterns taking over fly boxes as summer hatches thin out, a seasonal shift that tracks for tailwater trout generally. Current flow and temperature readings from USGS gauge 03565000 aren't reporting right now, so check the latest generation schedule before wading. Rainbow and brown trout should still be active in the cooler tailwater discharge typical for mid-August in this region, with smallmouth working slower pools during low light. We're leaning on seasonal pattern more than fresh on-the-water reports for this specific stretch, so confirm current conditions locally.
Iron Range walleyes go electronic as late-summer patterns hold
The only hard number this cycle comes from USGS gauge 05129115, holding a steady 79.2 cfs as of Tuesday morning with no water-temperature reading reported — a stable, unremarkable late-summer flow that isn't pushing fish out of typical August behavior. Direct on-the-water reports specific to the Boundary Waters and Iron Range are thin in this feed, so we're leaning on regional technique coverage rather than fresh bite calls: per Fishing the Midwest, Minnesota walleyes are increasingly being found suspended off traditional structure as more anglers run forward-facing sonar, rewarding those who scan open water instead of parking on the same points and weedlines all season. Smallmouth bass typically stay active around rock and gravel through mid-August, and northern pike are usually still catchable shallow in the mornings and evenings. Lake trout are likely holding deep on the thermocline, as is typical for this time of year. Check current Minnesota regs before harvesting any species.
Ozark trout parks hold steady on strong spring-fed flows
The Current River gauge near Van Buren (USGS gauge 07067000) logged 863 cfs as of early Tuesday morning, a healthy, typical late-summer reading for this stretch of spring-fed water. No water temperature reading came through on this cycle, but Ozark trout-park water — fed by Montauk-area and Bennett Spring-area springs — typically holds in the low-to-mid 50s year-round regardless of August air temps, which is exactly why these fisheries fish well through the hottest weeks of the year. We don't have direct angler reports for the Current or Niangua trout parks in today's feed, so treat the bite notes below as seasonal general knowledge rather than sourced testimony. Expect the usual daily-stocked rainbow trout program to be the main draw, with a scattering of holdover browns in the trophy sections. Flows at this level should keep wading comfortable through midweek; check park-specific regulations before keeping fish.
Patapsco and Potomac bass settle into low-light shade patterns
The Patapsco River is holding at 293 cfs at USGS gauge 01589000 as of Tuesday morning, a steady, wadeable summer stage with no signs of drought or blowout on this stretch. Water-temperature data wasn't available at this station, but mid-August conditions across the Potomac and Patapsco freshwater systems typically mean warm, oxygen-thin water by midday and a bite that concentrates around dawn, dusk, and shade. On The Water's recent largemouth pieces on wakebaits over shoreline cover and swimbaits across weed flats in low light track well with what these fisheries call for right now — work the bank edges and grass lines early before the sun gets high. Blue catfish, northern snakehead, and panfish round out the typical August lineup in these tidal-freshwater stretches, though we don't have direct local reports in hand this week to confirm activity levels, so treat species status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite reports.
Rio Grande valley runs dry near Albuquerque as anglers eye tailwater options
USGS gauge 08330000 on the Rio Grande logged 0 cfs at 5:15 a.m. Tuesday, a sign the middle valley reach has gone dry heading into late summer — a recurring seasonal pattern in this stretch tied to irrigation demand as much as drought. No water temperature reading came through with this cycle, and none of this week's national fishing-blog feeds filed direct, on-the-water reports for Rio Grande or San Juan River conditions, so we're not going to manufacture a bite report where none exists. What we can say from general regional knowledge: New Mexico's San Juan tailwater below Navajo Dam and the higher-elevation Rio Grande headwater reaches typically hold up better through dry stretches than the mainstem valley, since dam-regulated or cooler upland water stays wetted through August. A Flylab profile on an angler who built his life around the Animas/San Juan corridor near Durango underscores the region's long-standing pull for trout anglers, even though it isn't a current-conditions report.
Taneycomo Trout Turn Aggressive as Summer Bite Rebounds
Fish have been "super aggressive lately, hitting hard with no pecking around" on Lake Taneycomo, per Lilleys Landing's most recent report, and the shop's trophy release program has picked up sharply after a slower spring. Guides are doing well in the afternoons working a Provo rig, while shop staff report success simply drifting a straight line with a bottom weight and a drop-shot loop set about 18 inches up, tied with Vanish fluorocarbon tippet on a tip from guide Blake Wilson. That's a shift from earlier this summer: Lilleys Landing described heavy, rain-driven generation through June that made bank and dock fishing tough, with conditions easing as July brought more no-generation mornings. We don't have a fresh reading from the Taneycomo gauge today, so treat flow and temperature as unconfirmed until you check the dam release schedule on site.
High Sacramento flows reshape the bite for Delta stripers and bass
The Sacramento River gauge near Freeport (USGS 11455420) logged flow around 80,000 cfs in the early hours of August 18 — a notably high reading for mid-August, when Delta flows typically run well below that mark. Elevated, likely stained water changes the game for Delta anglers this week: moving current tends to concentrate striped bass and sturgeon around structure, current seams, and current breaks, while largemouth bass often slide into slower backwaters and tule-lined sloughs to get out of the push. NorCal Fish Reports, which regularly tracks conditions across the Delta among its regional coverage, is worth checking as this week's flow event plays out. No water-temperature reading came through with this update, so plan around typical mid-August Delta warmth and lean on early mornings and last light. With the moon in a waxing crescent phase offering limited overnight light, expect a quieter after-dark bite and a bigger payoff at dawn and dusk for stripers, sturgeon, and catfish working the current edges.
South Fork cutthroat action holds as August hopper season builds
USGS gauge 13037500 logged flow at 11,300 cfs as of early Wednesday morning, consistent with the sustained high releases typical of late-summer irrigation demand across the Snake River system. No live water-temp reading came through this cycle, so carry a thermometer and watch for warmwater stress if you're sight-fishing through midday. Statewide, Idaho's native trout are having a moment: Wired 2 Fish reports a Moscow angler landed a new certified-weight record Westslope cutthroat (0.95 lbs) on the St. Maries River in June, a sign of how strong this year's cutthroat returns have been. Flylab (Substack) also notes the annual School of Trout dry-fly course continues to run out of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, underscoring how much technical dry-fly attention this drainage still draws in late summer. Expect the Snake and South Fork to keep producing on attractor and terrestrial patterns as hopper season ramps toward its peak.
Smallmouth Bass Turn On as Champlain Tournament Anglers Score Big
Water in the Winooski River watershed feeding Lake Champlain read 73°F this morning per USGS gauge 04294500, firmly in peak summer smallmouth range. The clearest signal on the lake itself comes from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, which reports a Bass Federation tournament ran on Lake Champlain over the August 8-9 weekend, with a fifty-two-year club member landing a non-boater-division haul of 30-plus pounds, a strong showing that points to smallmouth still schooled up and feeding hard on the rocky structure the lake is known for. No fresh intel on landlocked salmon specifically; they typically slide deep as surface water climbs into the low-70s this time of year. We're seeing this as a solid stretch for bronzeback fans working main-lake points and drop-offs, while salmon anglers should plan on downrigging or leadcore rather than surface tactics until temperatures ease.
Forward-Facing Sonar Reshapes Late-Summer Walleye Play on Mille Lacs
Late-summer walleye fishing on Mille Lacs Lake is increasingly a game of electronics. Wired 2 Fish's rundown on summertime walleye tactics notes that today's sonar units let anglers locate fish, track baitfish, and watch individual walleyes react to a jig in real time, a shift that has moved well beyond its bass-fishing origins into mainstream walleye play. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch echoes the trend, noting that forward-facing sonar has changed where anglers look for fish, since walleye are turning up suspended off traditional bottom structure as often as they are near points, turns, and weedlines. Traditional methods, jigging live bait, pulling leech or crawler rigs, and crankbait trolling, still produce fish, especially in clearer water. Our reading at USGS gauge 05227530 shows minimal outlet flow, consistent with a stable, typical mid-August water level for the system. Expect a mixed bag of suspended and structure-oriented walleye through the week.
Hopper Season Arrives for Wind River & North Platte Trout
Grasshopper season is the story right now for Wyoming's Wind River and North Platte trout water. Flylords Mag's How-to-Tie feature this week zeroed in on the Charlie Boy Hopper, noting that the dog days of summer mean rising water temperatures and hoppers — a read that lines up with what late-summer trout streams across the West are doing. No dedicated Wind River or North Platte report came through our feeds this cycle, and the USGS gauge at station 06259000 didn't return a fresh flow or temperature reading, so treat conditions as unconfirmed until you check locally. For a regional comparison, Reno Fly Shop (NV)'s late-July Truckee River report described warm afternoons pushing trout's peak feeding window earlier in the day, with fish going quiet by midday — a pattern typical of Western freestone and tailwater fisheries this time of year. Plan around mornings and evenings, and carry terrestrial patterns.
Wisconsin anglers lean on sonar as late-summer walleye pattern holds
USGS gauge 05391000 on the Wisconsin River is reading roughly 439 cfs as of the morning of August 18, with no water-temperature reading logged at that station. Direct on-the-water bite reports for the Wisconsin River and Lake Superior were thin in today's feeds, so this update leans on statewide season context and technique trends rather than fresh catch reports. WI DNR Wisconsin Fishing News confirms the general inland season has been running since the May 2 opener, keeping walleye, smallmouth bass, and panfish all fair game under standard regulations. On technique, Fishing the Midwest's Bob Jensen and Mike Frisch both describe forward-facing sonar reshaping how Midwest anglers locate suspended walleye instead of hugging bottom structure, a shift Wired 2 Fish also flags for summertime walleye fishing generally. Up on Lake Superior, WI DNR Lake Superior Fishing notes a growing Chequamegon Bay lake whitefish fishery that anglers in that area should keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Warm Water Pushes Red & Missouri River Walleye Deep as Catfish Turn On
The USGS gauge on the Red River system (site 05054000) logged water at 78°F this morning with flow holding a modest, stable 255 cfs — classic late-summer river conditions for North Dakota. No dedicated Red or Missouri River reports came through our regional intel sweep this cycle, so today's read leans on seasonal pattern and general technique context rather than a specific local catch report. At 78°F, walleye typically slide off shallow structure and suspend deeper or feed in low-light windows, a shift Wired 2 Fish's recent piece on electronics-driven summer walleye tactics speaks to directly — anglers are increasingly using forward-facing sonar to track suspended fish rather than blind-casting structure. Channel catfish, by contrast, tend to get more active as water warms into the upper 70s, and smallmouth bass should still be workable around current-breaks and rock. Check current state regulations before harvesting any species.」
Lake Chickamauga bass keep biting through the summer heat
Bass are still eating on Lake Chickamauga despite the late-summer heat, per a Tactical Bassin on-the-water report this week that found junk fishing — rotating through multiple baits and spots to dial in the pattern — kept the bites coming through hot, humid conditions. That mobile approach fits what's typical across the Tennessee River chain (Chickamauga, Watts Bar) right now: largemouth are grouping around structure and responding better to anglers covering water than those sitting still. On The Water's recent notes on wakebaits along shoreline bank habitat and swimbaits over weed flats point to low-light windows, dawn and dusk, as the highest-percentage time before largemouth slide deeper with the sun. Smallmouth and catfish should stay active on main-river ledges and channel points typical for August on these TVA reservoirs, while crappie tend to go quiet and scatter deep this time of year. Flow near USGS gauge 03578500 is reading low and stable.
Lake Mead stripers demand early starts as summer heat lingers
Real-time telemetry for Lake Mead and the lower Colorado is dark this cycle — the USGS gauge at site 09421500 returned no flow or temperature reading, and this week's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up any dispatches from Nevada guides, shops, or the state agency. With no fresh, region-specific testimony to synthesize, this report leans on general seasonal knowledge rather than invented reports. Mid-August on Lake Mead typically settles into a dawn-and-deep pattern for striped bass: surface schooling activity concentrated in the first hour of light before the sun pushes fish down onto the thermocline, where they hold tight to bait balls and structure through the heat of the day. Largemouth and smallmouth bass around the lake's rocky points typically slow with the warm surface temps, favoring low-light windows and deeper cover. Anglers heading out should expect a hot, sun-exposed day on the water and plan around dawn.
Steady Flows Keep Snake River Trout Active in the Tetons
The USGS gauge on the Snake River near Moran (site 06192500) logged 62°F water and 2,340 cfs early this morning, a comfortable late-summer combination that keeps trout metabolism active without pushing fish into stress territory. We don't have a fresh on-the-water report specific to the Yellowstone and Teton corridor this cycle, so the species notes below reflect general seasonal expectations rather than confirmed recent bites. Mid-August on Wyoming's freestone and tailwater trout water typically means a morning nymph window before the sun hits the runs, followed by an afternoon hopper bite as grasshoppers get active along grassy banks, and low-light streamer opportunities for browns as water cools toward evening. Flows holding in this range usually keep wading access reasonable through riffles and seams. Anglers should watch for the afternoon thunderstorm buildup common to this region in August and plan timing around it rather than around the water alone.
Low Water Tests Lake Eufaula Anglers as Summer Pattern Holds
USGS gauge 07247500 recorded flow at just 1.25 cfs early this morning, a strikingly low reading that points to drought-stage conditions moving into Lake Eufaula and the Red River system. No water temperature reading came through with this update, and no charter, shop, or state-agency reports specific to Oklahoma landed in today's angler intel feed, so we're leaning on typical August patterns for this fishery rather than fresh, sourced local intel. Historically, striped bass on Eufaula push toward deeper, cooler water and main-lake humps once surface temps climb, largemouth bass tuck into shade and grass edges during the heat of the day, blue catfish stay dependable on cut bait after dark, and crappie go quiet in the thermocline. With flow this low, expect clearer water and concentrated fish around structure and creek channels. Check current state regulations before harvesting, and watch for updated regional reports as the week progresses.
High water tests New River smallmouth as late-summer patterns hold
The New River gauge at Thurmond (USGS 03051000) is running elevated this morning near 6,980 cfs, above typical August baseflow — a sign of recent rain moving through the watershed. High, stained water like this typically pushes New River smallmouth bass tight to bank cover and slack eddies, where a slower presentation usually outperforms reaction baits. On The Water's recent notes on working wakebaits and swimbaits over shallow, low-light structure line up well with what elevated-flow smallmouth want. On the Ohio River side, walleye anglers continue leaning on forward-facing sonar to locate suspended fish, a trend Fishing the Midwest has tracked through the summer. Catfish typically get more active as flow rises and baitfish scatter, a reliable late-summer pattern on both rivers. No New River- or Ohio-specific shop or captain reports came through this cycle, so treat today's read as seasonal-pattern guidance layered onto the live gauge reading.
Summer largemouth bite holds steady on Guntersville, Wheeler
The Tennessee River system feeding Lake Guntersville and Wheeler is running light this week, with USGS gauge 03575100 reading 154 cfs at 5:30 a.m. Monday morning — a modest, stable flow that should keep current and structure fishing predictable into the weekend. No fresh temperature reading came through this cycle, but mid-August heat has these TVA reservoirs settled into a typical summer pattern, with largemouth pushing onto shoreline cover and grass edges during low-light hours, per On The Water's recent notes on working wakebaits and swimbaits over shallow structure at dawn and dusk. On nearby Lake Chickamauga, Tactical Bassin reported anglers junk fishing through the heat, rotating baits to dial in grouped-up summer bass — a pattern that typically holds across this stretch of the river system. Stripers and hybrids remain a wildcard here; Wired2Fish's recent look at freshwater striper behavior points to working bait balls under diving birds as the go-to move once surface activity shows.
High water keeps Kansas River catfish moving through late summer
The Kansas and Arkansas Rivers are running warm and full this week — the USGS gauge at site 06892350 logged 82°F water and flow near 3,520 cfs as of early Monday morning. That kind of volume keeps the river stained and pushing hard, which is the classic setup for catfish anglers working cut bait in current breaks, eddies, and seams below wing dikes rather than open flats. White bass can still be workable where current concentrates baitfish, though the bite typically softens once water temps sit in the low 80s. Walleye and largemouth bass are more likely a low-light or deeper-structure game in this heat. We did not see a captain, tackle-shop, or state-agency report specific to these rivers in this week's intel sweep, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectations grounded in the flow and temperature data, not confirmed on-the-water bites. Check current conditions and Kansas fishing regulations before you head out.
Columbia salmon trolling continues as Rogue water runs warm
USGS gauge 14211720 logged flow at 14,100 cfs and water temperature at 74°F early Monday morning, on the warm side for late August in the Columbia system. Near Chinook Landing, forum chatter via IFish.net Fishing Reports mentioned anglers actively trolling this week, though the post was thin on specifics about what was actually biting, so we're treating that as color rather than a confirmed pattern since no shop, charter, or agency source corroborated it. With no agency or charter update available for the Columbia or Rogue this cycle, the picture leans on typical late-summer expectations: fall Chinook should be beginning to stage in the lower river, summer steelhead remain a possibility in cooler tributary stretches, and Rogue smallmouth bass tend to stay active in warm water this time of year. Trout fishing in mainstem flows this warm is generally better in the cooler morning and evening hours, when fish are more willing to move.
Kentucky Lake bass turn to ledges and forward-facing sonar this week
Tactical Bassin's "Summer Junk Fishing" report this week — filmed on Tennessee's Lake Chickamauga — describes exactly the change-baits-every-stop, group-up-on-deep-structure pattern that mid-August typically brings to Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley largemouth. No angler reports came in specifically from these two reservoirs this cycle, and the USGS gauge covering the system (site 03611500) didn't return a current flow or temperature reading either, so treat the numbers as unavailable rather than calm. Forward-facing sonar keeps getting flagged across the fishing press (Fishing the Midwest) as the tool reshaping how anglers locate fish relating to points, ledges, and river-channel breaks — a trend that lines up with both lakes' well-known ledge bite. Smallmouth should be holding similarly deep on structure, while crappie and catfish typically slow and go more nocturnal in peak summer heat. Check current Kentucky and Tennessee regs before harvesting.