Fishing Reports

Chris Johnston's 113-pound, 12-ounce four-day total at the Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes underscores an elite-grade largemouth bite on these Clarendon County waters right now. Per B.A.S.S. News, Johnston broke away from the field by committing to urchin-style soft plastics — the Coike bait earning particular attention — while grinding heavy cover during the post-spawn transition. Runner-up Brandon Palaniuk and third-place Drew Cook (72-1) confirm multiple productive patterns were in play throughout the event. Tactical Bassin's recent coverage notes the bluegill spawn is in full swing across southeastern reservoirs, a calendar signal that largemouth are holding aggressively near shallow cover before beginning their deeper summer migration. USGS gauge 02160390 registered a steady 120 cfs on the evening of May 17, indicating stable inflow conditions across the watershed. With a New Moon phase overhead, low-light feeding windows at dawn and dusk should be particularly productive for anglers working both Santee Cooper and the Lake Murray system to the northwest.

May 18

Red drum are making a strong push onto Outer Banks beaches, with Ryan of Hatteras Jack (per Fisherman's Post NC) reporting active surf catches along the Hatteras/Ocracoke stretch. NOAA buoy 41025 recorded 74°F water off Diamond Shoals while buoy 41013 reads 76°F — prime late-spring temperatures for this run. Steve of Chasin' Tails (Fisherman's Post NC) confirms bull red drum working the Cape Lookout shoals alongside solid bluefish numbers. Atlantic bonito are excellent south of OBX — Tex of Tex's Tackle describes banner catches from the Liberty Ship out to the five-mile range near Wrightsville Beach — suggesting school fish are tracking north along the coast. Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication (Fisherman's Post NC) notes slot-sized reds spread across the Neuse River corridor. Today's New Moon brings the first spring tidal surge of this lunar cycle, a window drum anglers should plan around. Expanded red snapper EFP seasons for North Carolina are also coming this summer, per Saltwater Sportsman.

May 18

Jeff Sullivan reported a banner crappie session at Cook Pond in Massachusetts last week, pulling giants in the 18-to-19-inch bracket on NLBN 3- and 3.75-inch shad bodies and a Strike King spinnerbait, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater. Spring trout stocking continues across the state, keeping rivers and ponds supplied with catchable fish through mid-spring. USGS gauges for the region show moderate flows — 16.6 cfs on gauge 01105500 and 95.9 cfs on gauge 01111500 — though no water temperature data is currently available. The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands noted that freshwater fishing has not missed a beat, with trout and largemouth delivering consistent action across MA. On the bass front, Tactical Bassin reports the bluegill spawn is now in full swing, with big largemouths responding aggressively to topwater frog presentations over shallow, weedy cover. The new moon phase supports low-light dawn and dusk feeding windows across warmwater and coldwater fisheries through the coming days.

May 18

USGS gauge 09380000 logged the Colorado River at Lees Ferry running 8,070 cfs at 56°F on the evening of May 17 — flows that push waders off the main channel but keep drift-boat anglers in a sweet spot. At 56°F, the tailwater sits squarely inside the rainbow trout feeding window, and mornings should be the most productive window before desert heat drives fish deeper. No regional shop or charter reports are available in this cycle, so species statuses below are grounded in water-temperature benchmarks and seasonal norms for mid-May in this watershed. On the Salt River system, largemouth bass have likely finished spawning and are transitioning into post-spawn grouping behavior. Tactical Bassin (blog) notes that across similar fisheries this week, post-spawn bass are bunching up and responding to swimbaits, chatterbaits, and finesse presentations — a pattern worth testing on the Salt's coves and shaded structure.

May 18

USGS gauge 02339500 recorded 5,800 cfs as of May 17, signaling healthy late-spring flow across the Tennessee and Coosa drainages as the region enters the post-spawn transition. The bluegill spawn is in full swing—Tactical Bassin reports big largemouth locked into heavy cover and hammering topwater frogs as bluegill crowd the shallows. Post-spawn bass are coming off beds and beginning to school, setting up one of the most reliable early-summer feeding patterns on these river systems. Tactical Bassin's recent Lake Chickamauga coverage—a Tennessee River impoundment with conditions comparable to Alabama's river lakes—shows a split bite: clear-water fish respond to finesse presentations including drop-shots and swimbaits, while murkier reaches favor chatterbaits and power-fishing approaches. Wired 2 Fish notes that smallmouth bass across Tennessee reservoir systems are receiving fresh scientific attention, underscoring the region's consistent bronzeback productivity. Crappie are expected to be in post-spawn recovery (rated Slow) and landlocked stripers seasonally active, though no direct reports on either species appeared in this cycle's intel feeds. Tonight's New Moon may prime low-light topwater action along the river flats.

May 18

USGS gauge 05133500 on the Rainy River recorded 49°F water and 24,900 cfs flow on the evening of May 17 — elevated spring runoff conditions consistent with turbid water near the river mouth. Walleye are squarely in the post-spawn transition: Jason Mitchell Outdoors (YT) is publishing fresh content this week on trolling shallow walleye and a Canadian walleye camp trip that closely mirrors the border-water staging typically unfolding on Lake of the Woods right now. AnglingBuzz (YT) is also covering shallow-water walleye techniques across the Upper Midwest this week. Fishing the Midwest contributor Mike Frisch points to slip-sinker live-bait rigs and jigs on spinning gear as the most consistent walleye presentations as water temps approach 50°F. New Moon tonight reduces ambient light, sharpening the low-light dawn and dusk feeding windows. Fish the Rainy River mouth eddies and adjacent shoreline flats for concentrating walleye.

May 18

USGS gauge 04232050 on Cayuga Inlet recorded 64°F water temperature and 50.9 cfs flow on May 17, placing Cayuga Lake tributaries squarely in a prime late-spring window. No local charter or tackle-shop reports are available in this cycle, but Tactical Bassin notes the bluegill spawn is in full swing right now — a classic trigger for largemouth and smallmouth to stage in shallow heavy cover. Post-spawn bass across the region should be completing their transition off beds and pushing toward early-summer structure in the 5–15 foot range. A New Moon on May 18 can amplify low-light and dawn feeding windows. Wired 2 Fish highlights ongoing smallmouth research confirming that Great Lakes-strain bronzebacks may represent a genetically distinct lineage — a reminder that Cayuga and Seneca hold some of the Northeast's most prized smallmouth water. Deeper-oriented species like lake trout will be retreating to cooler water as nearshore temps climb through the mid-60s. Check state regulations before targeting any species.

May 18

The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report documented a banner 2024 season across the lake — over 210,000 coho salmon and 160,000-plus Chinook harvested, the best Chinook tally since 2012 — a strong indicator that stocked populations supporting Indiana's offshore fishery remain healthy heading into 2026. No current NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings were available this cycle, and dedicated Indiana-shoreline charter or tackle-shop reports were absent from our intel pulls. That limits precision, but the seasonal calendar is well-established: mid-May is one of the sharpest action windows on the Indiana shore, with Chinook and coho mixing in nearshore staging areas, yellow perch drawing pier anglers, and smallmouth bass wrapping up or exiting their spawn around jetties and rocky breakwalls. Tonight's New Moon creates favorable low-light feeding windows at dawn and dusk — worth timing a launch around. Check local forecasts and current Indiana DNR regulations before heading out.

May 17

USGS gauge 07060710 on the North Fork below Norfork Dam recorded 72°F and just 4.64 cfs on May 17 — thin flow and rising water temperature that put a premium on dam-release timing. With generation near zero, the river is running low and glassy; rainbows and browns are pulling into deeper pools, shaded slots, and any seam where cooler bottom water persists. No charter, shop, or agency reports specific to the White River corridor appear in this week's intel feeds, so this read is grounded in the gauge data and typical mid-May tailwater behavior. When flows are this slim, the playbook calls for fine tippets, smaller presentations, and a slower retrieve — MidCurrent's tying coverage this week highlights sparse midge-style patterns that "excel in the clear, pressured water of tailraces," a description that maps squarely onto the North Fork right now. Verify Norfork and Bull Shoals generation schedules before you head out; a fresh release pulse rewrites the entire day.

May 17

Virginia DWR's spring striped bass report highlights fish schooling along channel edges, sandy flats, and rocky hard structure across the Commonwealth's waters — a pattern well recognized at both Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island, where resident landlocked striper populations mirror this seasonal staging behavior. USGS gauge 02075045 recorded 507 cfs on the evening of May 17, reflecting moderate, fishable conditions in the regional watershed. No gauge water temperature is available this cycle; mid-May surface temps on both reservoirs typically run in the upper 60s to low 70s °F, historically one of the stronger striper-bite windows of the year. Meanwhile, Tactical Bassin blog reports the bluegill spawn is now in full swing — a classic trigger that draws big largemouth into shallow cover and makes topwater frogs especially productive. The New Moon on May 17 favors low-light feeding at dawn and dusk.

May 17

Water temperatures at NOAA buoy 44065 reached 55°F on May 17, and the striper action is matching the warmup. Blue Chip Sportfishing (NJ) reports bass 'crushing' on every Raritan Bay trip, while Capt. Pete Wagner — per The Fisherman — Northern NJ — called the past week 'super,' logging fish to 25 pounds with consistent keeper numbers. The center of gravity is shifting: OTW Northern New Jersey's May 14 report notes the bay bite has eased entering the new moon, but Sandy Hook's beaches are compensating. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf reports the Hook's shores 'lit up' with stripers on bunker chunks, clams, and Jersey Cape Glides. Black drum are turning up as a bonus for clam-soakers along the surf, and the first fluke of the season are showing on drifted killies near North Beach and the Keansburg Pier. Black sea bass season opened May 15.

May 17

Water temps of 54–56°F across Buzzards Bay (NOAA buoys 44085 and 44020) are meeting one of the better spring striper runs in recent memory. Charley Soares, writing in The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands, reports a ripping topwater bite in upper Buzzards Bay, with schools of large stripers — most running 37 inches and up — pushing west toward Fairhaven and east toward the Canal. Capt. Carl of Westport River Outfitters echoes that assessment: fish are coming over the rail in strong numbers, though slot-sized bass are scarce amid all the jumbos. Tautog are clicking in tandem — Red Top Sporting Goods flags a solid tog bite around the Canal openings, West Falmouth shoreline, and Cleveland Light. Scup season is just cranking up, with big schools already reported on rock piles from West Island to Wareham. Black sea bass season opened May 16th, giving structure anglers a welcome third option. With new moon tides running, this week is prime time for Buzzards Bay.

May 17

Mutton snapper are firing in the Florida Keys — ALL IN Key West reports the species 'chewing like crazy' as the May spawn cycle brings fish stacking on outer reef structure. Yellowtail action is equally strong, with the same charter noting they're 'practically jumping in the boat.' The broader offshore bite is well-rounded: Gulf-side trips out of Key West have been producing grouper, cobia, barracuda, and kingfish, with live bait doing most of the work along the reef edge. Inshore and on the flats, Captain Rick Murphy is flagging big tarpon action across Florida, and mid-May puts the Keys squarely at the peak of the spring migration. NOAA buoys at Sombrero Key and Sand Key show winds running 15–17 knots on May 17 — manageable for offshore but worth monitoring for flats sight-fishing. Buoy 41114 pegged water temps at 78°F in late April, with current readings likely warmer.

May 17

Water at NOAA buoy 46026 is reading 49°F offshore of San Francisco, confirming the deep cold-water upwelling pattern defining NorCal coastal fishing this week. The clearest signal comes from Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, where Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing reports 'vastly improved salmon conditions below Pigeon Point,' noting water temps cooled from 58°F at the April 11 season opener to around 54°F. Davis credits that four-degree drop with pushing warm-water bonito offshore and resetting the grounds for Chinook. Temperatures appear even colder further north, matching the offshore San Francisco reading at buoy 46026. NOAA buoy 46013 near Bodega is logging sustained northwest winds of 16 m/s — a rougher picture for offshore runs out of the north bay. Today's new moon brings amplified tidal exchanges that typically activate striped bass and halibut inside the Golden Gate.

May 17

Both NOAA buoys logged 65°F surface water this weekend — notably warm for the LA Bight in mid-May — and Surf Fishing in So Cal declares that "May has delivered" after a sluggish April, with conditions now "starting to come together in a big way." Corbina and leopard shark are the headline surf targets per Surf Fishing in So Cal's May report, with the corbina run picking up in the swash zone as water temps clear the mid-60s threshold. Offshore, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports bluefin and yellowfin tuna have pushed into 1-day range out of San Diego, with a rare albacore — the first San Diego fleet albacore in years — gaffed April 30 aboard the Tribute out of Mission Bay. Longer-range San Diego trips are also turning up yellowtail and early dorado, per Western Outdoor News. If the warm water mass holds or nudges north, LA Bight and Channel Islands boats could find pelagic action closer to home than a typical May allows.

May 17

Anglers at a "Nets for Vets" event out of Sebewaing reported boating 450 walleyes on May 17 despite "less than ideal conditions," with the top fish hitting 6 pounds; catfish over 15 pounds and a single freshwater drum also showed, per Michigan Sportsman Forum chatter. That single-day haul under suboptimal weather is the most direct local intel available this week — USGS gauge 04157000 returned no flow or temperature data this cycle, and the MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report was not successfully retrieved. Taken together, the signal from Sebewaing aligns with what mid-May historically looks like on Saginaw Bay: post-spawn walleye have completed their run up tributary rivers and are scattering across open flats, yellow perch should be staging on offshore reefs, and smallmouth bass are building toward their rocky-shoreline spawn along the Lake Huron coast. Today's New Moon shifts peak activity toward low-light windows — the hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset — rather than midday.

May 17

The Grand River is running at 3,940 cfs per USGS gauge 04119000 as of May 17 — elevated for mid-spring — pushing reduced clarity into the lower river and nearshore outlet zone. Direct on-the-water reports for this corridor are thin this week; the MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report returned no accessible content at publication time. Looking at the broader lake picture, the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report documented a record-breaking 2024 coho harvest exceeding 210,000 fish alongside more than 160,000 Chinook — the strongest Chinook tally since 2012 — signaling robust stocked cohorts entering this season. Tonight's new moon sets up favorable dawn and dusk feeding windows across species. Coho salmon near pier structures and the river mouth is the primary draw at this time of year, while post-spawn smallmouth bass are transitioning to rock and gravel structure along the nearshore zone. Treat species outlooks here as seasonally informed estimates pending MI DNR confirmation.

May 17

USGS gauge 01546500 recorded the Penns Creek drainage at 81.2 cfs Sunday evening — well below median mid-May levels — as Mid-Atlantic drought conditions flagged by Flylords Mag keep these limestone streams low and crystal-clear. The thin water demands stealth and precision: light tippet and long leaders are non-negotiable. Mid-May is the heart of Sulphur (Ephemerella dorothea) season on both Spring Creek and Penns Creek, and Gink and Gasoline has written that above-normal spring warmth can push Sulphur and Light Cahill hatches ahead of schedule on spring creeks — worth noting if evening emergences come on early this year. Daytime fishing favors slim nymph profiles through the deeper runs; evenings are all about rising fish keyed to the hatch. Wild brown trout are the primary quarry, and MidCurrent's recent tying coverage highlights spare, low-profile patterns — midge-style and CDC emergers — as the go-to in clear, pressured spring-creek conditions.

May 17

NOAA buoy 45005 clocked Lake Erie water temperatures at 58°F on May 17, a reading that places walleye firmly in post-spawn recovery and feeding mode and pushes smallmouth bass into the final days of pre-spawn staging. On the Michigan Sportsman Forum, one angler reported "first bites of the year" on largemouth bass near Erie using tube baits — forum chatter at this point, but worth watching if more reports follow. USGS gauge 04213000 measured tributary inflow at 161 cfs, consistent with normal late-spring drainage. The new moon phase this week eliminates ambient light overnight, concentrating active feeding into daytime windows — a favorable pattern for Erie walleye and perch anglers working the early-morning bite. Direct charter or tackle-shop reports were not available in this cycle; the picture below is framed primarily by conditions data and seasonal patterns typical for Pennsylvania's Great Lakes shore.

May 17

Water temperatures reached 59°F on May 17 per USGS gauge 04231600 — right in the sweet spot for pre-spawn smallmouth and largemouth staging across Lake Erie and the Niagara corridor. On the Michigan Sportsman Forum, anglers reported first largemouth bites of the year on tubes in Erie-adjacent water; with no charter or shop corroboration in this cycle, treat that as early-bird chatter rather than confirmed testimony, but it tracks with what 59-degree conditions typically produce here in mid-May. The New Moon phase this weekend suppresses ambient light, tightening the most productive windows to low-light morning and evening sessions for most species. Walleye, which spawn considerably earlier than bass in this system, should be entering post-spawn feeding mode and moving back toward mid-lake structure and ledges. No charter or tackle-shop reports were available in our current pull for this specific stretch — anglers are encouraged to check with local bait shops in Erie County or the Niagara Falls area before launching.

May 17

Tactical Bassin's current coverage centers on the post-spawn bass transition — a pattern that maps directly to West Virginia's New River, where smallmouth are pushing off gravel nests and stacking in shallow eddies as May matures. Their reports highlight frog, topwater popper, and chatterbait presentations for bass targeting baitfish in heavy cover, with the bluegill spawn creating prime ambush windows in shallow wood and rock. Fishing the Midwest reinforces the effectiveness of simple, shallow presentations during spring transitions, noting that post-spawn fish tend to school up when located. No USGS gauge readings were available for this update, so current flow and temperature should be confirmed before you launch. Today's new moon (May 17) typically compresses surface feeding into tighter dawn and dusk windows rather than spreading it across the day — plan your topwater sessions accordingly. If conditions allow, early morning along the exposed rock shelves and eddy lines of the New River Gorge section represents one of the best windows of the year.

May 17

NOAA buoy 46087 recorded a 4 m/s breeze and 51°F air on May 17 over the outer coast, while buoy 46041 showed a stiffer 8 m/s offshore at 53°F — workable Pacific conditions for this time of year. Water temperature data was unavailable from both stations this cycle; mid-May typically sees Puget Sound surface temps climbing toward the low-to-mid 50s°F, so anglers should confirm depth before committing. Tonight's New Moon drives the month's strongest tidal exchanges, concentrating baitfish on current seams and structure edges — the single biggest timing variable for Sound fishing this week. WA WDFW Fishing Reports is the authoritative weekly source for creel data and hatchery stocking updates; specific bite reports were sparse in this data cycle. The seasonal alignment of New Moon tidal energy and mid-May baitfish migration both point toward a productive window for chinook, halibut, and lingcod across Puget Sound and the Pacific coast.

May 17

USGS gauge 14113000 logged 54°F water and 1,260 cfs flow on May 17 — readings that place Washington's Columbia River tributaries squarely in the opening stretch of the prime spring Chinook window. WA WDFW Fishing Reports confirms active statewide monitoring and hatchery stocking operations, though specific catch counts from this gauge reach were not available in this cycle. At 54°F, springers typically settle into tailouts and deeper seams; a drifted roe cluster or swung egg-pattern fly are go-to presentations at this temperature band. Smallmouth bass in the Columbia mainstem are entering a pre-spawn transition, moving from wintering holes toward rocky structure as water edges through the mid-50s. Resident rainbow and cutthroat trout benefit from the same stable conditions, with stocked fish accessible in smaller tributaries throughout the drainage. Tonight's New Moon removes lunar brightness from the equation, tending to favor natural-profile presentations during the low-light dawn and dusk windows that typically drive the best freshwater bites this time of year.

May 17

The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog's spring striped bass report has rockfish actively schooling along channel edges, sandy flats, and grass beds across Virginia's tidal rivers this week — putting the tidal lower Potomac squarely in play. Virginia DWR fisheries biologists are seeing stripers hugging rocky shorelines and other hard structure, and highlight shore and kayak access as productive delivery methods during the spring push. Our USGS gauge at Little Falls (01646500) shows the Potomac rolling at 2,600 cfs as of Sunday evening — a relatively low, clear-water flow that rewards precise presentations and opens wading access on upper stretches. Further upriver in the non-tidal Potomac and the Shenandoah, the post-spawn transition is underway for smallmouth bass. Tactical Bassin notes the bluegill spawn is now in full swing nationally, a reliable trigger for topwater strikes on bass holding in shallow, heavy cover. No water temperature reading is available from today's gauge data.

May 17