Fishing reports
18670 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Ohio reservoir walleye lean on electronics as summer bite holds
USGS gauge 03110000, which tracks flow into the watershed feeding Mosquito and Pymatuning, is reading a steady 875 cfs as of early Thursday morning, though no water-temperature reading came through with this update. Direct on-the-water reports for these two reservoirs weren't available in today's feed, so we're leaning on regional technique intel and typical mid-August patterns for Ohio's inland walleye and bass fisheries. Wired 2 Fish's rundown on summer walleye electronics notes anglers increasingly using forward-facing sonar to track suspended fish and time jig drops precisely, a tactic that fits deeper basin water as surface temps climb. On The Water's piece on low-light largemouth details wakebaits and swimbaits worked over shoreline cover at dawn and dusk, a pattern that should carry over to these reservoirs as well. Crappie typically slide deep and sluggish through late-summer heat, while channel catfish stay a dependable bottom-bait option regardless of how the walleye and bass bite.
High Water Pushes Mississippi Pool Catfish and Walleye to Structure
The USGS gauge at Clinton (05420500) logged the Mississippi River running high at 37,300 cfs and a warm 78°F early this morning, a combination that's scattering fish away from the main channel and into current breaks below the pool's wing dams. Elevated, stained flow like this typically follows a summer rain pulse through the Clinton-to-Dubuque pools, and it favors bait worked tight to structure over open-water presentations. Nationally, Wired 2 Fish and Fishing the Midwest are both steering summer walleye anglers toward forward-facing sonar to pick suspended fish off deep breaks, a technique that should translate well here once the current settles enough to hold a jig vertical. Catfish typically thrive in this kind of high, warm water, working current seams and eddies for washed-in bait, while smallmouth bass tend to pull tight to isolated cover until flow drops and clarity improves. Expect the bite to keep shifting as this pulse works through the system.
Steady late-summer flows keep Ohio, Cumberland bite in typical pattern
The USGS gauge at site 03301500 logged a flow of 367 cfs early Wednesday morning, a steady read consistent with typical August base-flow conditions on Kentucky's Ohio and Cumberland River systems. No direct reports came in from the Ohio or Cumberland corridors this cycle, so we're leaning on seasonal patterns rather than fresh local intel. Catfish typically feed hardest after dark once daytime heat sets in, and largemouth bass tucked into backwaters and embayments favor the low-light hours, a pattern On The Water's recent wakebait and swimbait pieces speak to directly for shoreline weed flats. Wired 2 Fish's walleye coverage this week highlighted how forward-facing sonar is reshaping deep summer presentations for structure-oriented predators, a technique worth borrowing for sauger working the Ohio's channel edges. Water temperature wasn't available from the gauge this run, so plan around air temp and time of day instead.
High water reshapes the bite across the Pearl and Mississippi Rivers
The USGS gauge at Vicksburg (07289000) is reading elevated flow near 369,000 cfs as of today, a level that pushes Mississippi and Pearl River anglers into classic high-water tactics rather than typical August patterns. No water-temperature reading came through this cycle, and no state-agency or shop reports on Pearl River conditions specifically. General late-summer knowledge and technique coverage still apply: On The Water's recent low-light largemouth pieces point toward wakebaits and swimbaits worked tight to shoreline cover and shallow weed flats during dawn and dusk windows, a pattern that travels well to bass holding along Pearl River backwaters when the main channel runs high and off-color. Catfish typically turn more active as rising water stirs up forage, a dependable high-water pattern for blue, channel, and flathead cats working current seams and eddies. Crappie and bream tend to slide off main-channel structure into calmer secondary water until flow drops. Check state regs before harvesting.
Rising Allegheny Flows Push Pittsburgh Smallmouth Into Slack Water
The USGS gauge at Natrona (03036500) is reading roughly 12,100 cfs this week, a notably elevated flow for mid-August on the Allegheny, with no current water-temperature reading available. That kind of push usually means higher, stained water moving through the Pittsburgh tailwaters, and it tends to reshape the bite more than the calendar does this time of year. None of today's regional feeds carry a direct report from an Allegheny or Monongahela source, so we're leaning on typical late-summer, high-water patterns rather than fresh on-the-water intel. PA Fish & Boat's Biologist Reports page is worth checking directly for the latest Allegheny-specific survey notes. Expect smallmouth to slide off the main current into eddies and slack pockets, walleye to lean into their usual low-light and after-dark pattern, and catfish to stay willing to feed through the dirtier water while it lasts.
Lake Superior Lake Trout Hold Steady as Inland Walleye Lean on Sonar
Anglers working the North Shore near Duluth are seeing a steady bite for 18-28 inch Lake Trout, 16-21 inch Cohos, and a few Chinooks from all access sites, per the MN DNR Lake Superior Summer Fishing report dated August 13. Surface temps ran as warm as 70°F up to McQuade, with cooler pockets near 60-65°F by Knife River and roughly 50°F at Two Harbors, a reminder that Superior's thermal layering still shifts sharply by stretch this time of year. Inland, Minnesota's walleye game continues leaning on electronics; Wired 2 Fish notes today's sonar units let anglers track baitfish and watch individual walleyes react to a jig in real time, a shift that's reshaped summer presentations across the state's clear lakes. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch points to the Alexandria area as a reliable multi-species draw right now, with bass working structure and emerging weed growth. Flows on our tracked gauges sit moderate for mid-August.
Summer walleye bite favors forward-facing sonar on Lake Erie
Tributary flow into the Lake Erie watershed is running a steady 853 cfs at USGS gauge 04213000 with no temperature reading available for this cycle, so treat surface conditions as an on-the-water call until a direct read comes in. Specific Presque Isle and Erie basin field reports were thin this cycle, but the broader walleye pattern holds true here: per Wired 2 Fish, anglers chasing summertime walleye are leaning hard on forward-facing sonar to mark fish suspended off structure and track how they react to a jig in real time, a shift from the traditional bottom-bounce approach. Smallmouth bass typically stay active around Presque Isle's rock and weed structure through mid-August, and yellow perch fishing usually holds steady in the bay this time of year, though we don't have a direct bite confirmation for either species this cycle. Steelhead stay slow until fall rains cool the tributaries and pull fish back in from the lake.
Steady late-summer flows keep Columbia system trout and steelhead active
The region's monitored gauge (USGS 14113000) logged 690 cfs and 64°F as of Sunday evening, a comfortable late-summer flow and temperature band for Columbia and Puget Sound system rivers heading into the week. That combination favors continued summer steelhead movement toward cooler tributary water and keeps resident trout and smallmouth bass feeding actively through the cooler morning hours before the water warms further by midday. Specific current creel counts for these rivers weren't available in this update's feeds beyond WDFW's standing reminder that its Fishing and Stocking Reports page, built from angler creel interviews at access sites plus statewide stocking records, is the verified source for current catch detail. We're treating today's picture as seasonal-typical rather than a confirmed hot bite: steelhead and trout activity should track the moderate, stable flow, with smallmouth holding in a typical summer pattern along slower current seams and structure.
Saginaw Bay leans on typical late-summer walleye and perch patterns
No fresh reading came back from USGS gauge 04157000 this cycle, and this week's Michigan DNR weekly roundup didn't carry a Saginaw Bay or lower Lake Huron update, so there's no fresh bite report to lean on today. In its place, we're working off typical mid-August patterns for the bay and nearshore Huron. Walleye usually settle onto deeper basin structure and mid-lake reefs as surface temps climb, with crawler harnesses and deep-diving crankbaits the standard go-to. Yellow perch tend to school tighter over bay flats and river-mouth drop-offs this time of year, often taking minnows or small jigs under a slip bobber. Smallmouth bass generally hold on Huron's rocky nearshore structure and respond to tube jigs worked slow. Chinook salmon are typically still staging in cooler offshore water ahead of the fall river run, so inshore action for them usually stays limited until temperatures start to drop. Check current Michigan regulations before harvesting any species.
Catfish carry the bite as Santee-Cooper settles into summer pattern
USGS gauge 02160390 held a steady 135 cfs overnight into Wednesday morning, a normal late-summer flow signal for the Santee system feeding Lake Murray and the broader Santee-Cooper basin. No SC-specific "what's biting" reports came through our angler-intel feeds this cycle, so this update leans on typical seasonal patterns rather than fresh eyewitness accounts. Mid-August on these waters usually means largemouth bass sliding shallow at first and last light and pulling back to deeper cover once the sun climbs, a pattern On The Water highlighted this week in notes on wakebaits and swimbaits over shoreline and weed-flat habitat for low-light summer largemouth. Blue and channel catfish typically stay active through the heat on river-channel structure, while striped bass and crappie tend to slow and hold deeper as surface temperatures peak. Water temperature wasn't reported at the gauge this cycle.
Potomac smallmouth lean on finesse as late-summer flows ease
The Potomac gauge at Little Falls (USGS 01646500) read 3,170 cfs early Wednesday, a comfortably low late-August flow that favors slow, precise presentations over the mainstem and its Shenandoah tributaries rather than reaction baits. No angler catch reports specific to this stretch came through today's sweep, but the Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog published a drop shot primer this week, a technique built for exactly this kind of low, clear-running water where smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass key on a bait suspended just off bottom near rock and current breaks. With no water-temperature reading available at the gauge, we're leaning on typical mid-August behavior for Potomac and Shenandoah freshwater fisheries: bass sliding to deeper structure and shade during peak heat, panfish and catfish staying steadier around cover. Check current Virginia regulations before harvesting, and expect finesse tactics to outfish moving baits until flows or temperatures shift meaningfully.
Smallmouth Bite Holds Steady as Late-Summer Pattern Sets In
USGS gauge 01174500 logged a scant 2.37 cfs early this morning, underscoring how far area rivers have dropped after weeks of dry August weather, a low-water trend that likely extends across the Quabbin and Wachusett watershed as well. We don't have direct reports from either reservoir this week, but the broader Massachusetts freshwater picture is encouraging: per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, smallmouth bass up to 13 inches are still eating white spinnerbaits, Aziz-rigged Senkos, and Whopper Ploppers in the Merrimack River below the Lawrence dam, while largemouth bass are coming on shiners and soft plastics at ponds around Hopkinton, Milford, and Southwick. That bass-forward pattern is typical for Quabbin and Wachusett's rocky points and drop-offs this time of year, with lake trout and landlocked salmon pushed into deeper, cooler water as surface temps sit in their usual late-summer range. Check current regs before targeting salmonids at either reservoir.
Kenai-system coho arrival nears as interior flows stay elevated
USGS gauge 15266300 logged a flow near 14,000 cfs and a water temperature of 52°F on the evening of August 17, readings consistent with a glacially-fed system still running high and cool late in the melt season. No shop, charter, or state-agency intel specific to the Kenai or interior Alaska rivers came through in this cycle's angler-report sweep, so today's picture leans on typical mid-August patterns rather than fresh on-the-water testimony. This is usually the window when the late sockeye run tapers off and coho (silver) salmon begin pushing into interior systems, with rainbow trout and Dolly Varden typically keying on drifting salmon eggs and flesh behind spawning fish. Elevated, cooler flows like these tend to hold fish tighter to seams, eddies, and slower water along the banks. We'd check current state fishing regulations before targeting or harvesting any species, since seasons and limits shift through the run.
Smokies trout anglers ease into early mornings as water warms
The USGS gauge at site 03512000 in Western North Carolina's Smokies trout water logged 70°F on 447 cfs early Monday morning, a reading that sits right at the edge of comfortable trout activity for mid-August. Flows are holding at a moderate, wadable stage, keeping access easy on the region's freestone streams, but the warm number means fish will feed hardest in the low-light hours before afternoon sun pushes temps higher still. Trout Unlimited's seasonal reporting has flagged this exact pattern through the hot, dry stretch of summer, noting that when heat and drought put trout under stress, anglers do the fishery a favor by shifting some effort to warmwater species rather than pressuring fish already working hard just to breathe. Rainbow and brown trout should still take a well-presented nymph or small streamer at dawn; native brook trout, which need the coolest water in the drainage, are the ones most worth leaving alone until conditions ease. Check current state guidance before planning a trip.
Forward-facing sonar keeps walleye biting on Mississippi pools
The Mississippi River gauge at Prescott (USGS 05344500) is reading 11,300 cfs this week, elevated flow pushing current-oriented walleye and sauger toward wing dams and current breaks through the Prescott-to-La Crosse pools. Water temperature wasn't reported at the gauge, so plan around typical mid-August conditions for the stretch. Electronics continue reshaping how anglers approach summer walleye: Wired2Fish's latest notes anglers using forward-facing sonar to track baitfish and watch individual walleye react to a jig in real time, while Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen describe blending that same FFS scouting with traditional live-bait rigs and crankbait trolling once fish are located. In the backwaters and weed flats, On The Water's low-light largemouth pieces point anglers toward wakebaits along shoreline cover and swimbaits over weed flats at dawn and dusk. Smallmouth should stay active on rock and current seams typical for this time of year.
Low-light largemouth bite carries Roosevelt Lake into late summer
Flow at USGS gauge 09498500 held at 195 cfs as of Tuesday evening, a steady read that points to stable pool conditions on the Salt River arm rather than a sharp swing either way. With mid-August water temperatures typically running well into the 80s across the Roosevelt Lake and Salt River chain, the bite pattern is the familiar one for this time of year: largemouth and smallmouth activity concentrates in the low-light hours. Per On The Water's recent notes on shoreline and weed-flat presentations, wakebaits worked tight to bank cover and swimbaits cast over shallow-to-mid weed edges are producing largemouth bites during dawn and dusk windows this summer, a pattern that generally translates to Arizona's warm-water fisheries. Channel catfish typically pick up the slack after dark as the heat holds. No AZ-specific "what's biting" reports came through today's feeds, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed local intel.
Catskills and Adirondack trout streams ease into terrestrial season
USGS gauge 01413500 is running near 149 cfs while gauge 01415000, downstream in the same drainage, is reading a much thinner 13 cfs as of the most recent check last night — a wide spread worth knowing before picking a stretch to wade. Neither site reported a water temperature, so bring a stream thermometer and handle fish gently if it's reading warm. Per Flylords Mag's August tying feature, small streams and tailwaters fed by cold water are moving into peak terrestrial season, with grasshopper and hopper patterns drawing strikes from trout as aquatic hatches thin out for the summer. Elsewhere in the region, Flylab (Substack) describes a strong day of smallmouth bass fishing on a remote Adirondack lake, a reminder that warmwater options stay lively when trout streams get sluggish in the heat. Early and late sessions remain the smart play across Adirondacks and Catskills water through the rest of August.
Limestone trout turn to terrestrials as flows stay steady
USGS gauge 01546500 clocked flow at 135 cfs just after midnight this morning, a stable read that keeps Spring Creek and Penns Creek's limestone flows in normal shape for mid-August. No water-temperature reading came through with this cycle, so carry a stream thermometer and use judgment on stressed fish before playing them out in the heat. Pennsylvania Fish & Boat's ongoing Biologist Reports remain the best state resource for section-specific notes on these waters, though nothing PA-specific landed in this cycle's feed. Nationally, Flylords Mag flags this stretch of August as prime hopper season for tailwaters and cold spring-fed creeks exactly like these, where hopper, ant, and beetle patterns start pulling attention as terrestrial activity peaks. With no fresh Spring Creek or Penns Creek catch report this cycle, we're leaning on that broader seasonal pattern and the steady flow data rather than claiming a specific bite — treat any hot-bite claims for this stretch skeptically until firsthand reports come back in.
Western Basin walleye anglers lean on electronics as summer holds
NOAA buoy 45005 logged light winds around 9 mph in the western basin overnight, with water temperature and wave height not reporting this cycle, so treat surface conditions as calm rather than confirmed. No direct Western Basin bite report came through today's angler-intel feeds, but the technique chatter is still useful: Wired 2 Fish's rundown on summertime walleye describes anglers increasingly leaning on forward-facing and side-imaging sonar to mark suspended fish and track baitfish rather than blind-casting bottom structure, and Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch echoes that shift, noting walleye are turning up higher in the water column than the old bottom-hugging rules assumed. We'd treat that as the operative pattern for the Western Basin right now — fish aren't glued to bottom, so working the whole column with electronics beats parking on one spot. Early and late light windows remain the safer bet through the August heat, with perch and smallmouth holding to typical seasonal structure.
Kings and browns keep biting deep as Ontario salmon season builds
Lake Ontario's open-water surface temp read 75°F this week (NOAA buoy 45142), with less than a foot of chop and a light breeze holding through the period. Salmon fishing has been very good the past week with browns and lake trout mixed in, per Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario), and 100 to 160 feet of water is the ticket right now. Preferred depths are shifting day to day as wind pushes the warm layer around, so mag dipsey divers are earning their keep whenever fish slide deep. Green, white, and chartreuse e-chip spoons are the producers in that same report. For Salmon River and Oswego tributary anglers, this is still open-lake staging behavior; the river push typically builds as surface temps come down heading into September. Lake trout and browns are filling out the box nicely alongside kings in the meantime, and boats working the deeper program are getting consistent action.
Lake Erie walleye go deep as summer sonar bite holds strong
Lake Erie sits at 75°F this week per NOAA buoy 45132, with calm 1.3-foot waves and light 6 m/s wind, typical mid-August conditions that push summer walleye into their deep-structure pattern. Per Wired 2 Fish, electronics-driven jigging has become the go-to approach for locating suspended walleye and tracking baitfish schools in warm-water summer conditions, a technique increasingly favored on the Great Lakes as forward-facing sonar lets anglers watch fish react to a jig in real time. Fishing the Midwest echoes the shift, noting walleye are turning up off traditional bottom structure as anglers lean on FFS to find them suspended over open water. Smallmouth bass should be holding tight to offshore humps and rock piles in the warm surface layer, while yellow perch typically stay active in the western basin through late summer. Steelhead remain a fall story here, with tributary runs still weeks off. We're seeing a classic August pattern: fish deep, use electronics, and be patient up top.
Trout Take Focus in Mississippi Sound as Commercial Season Closes
Mississippi Sound anglers should note a hard deadline this week: the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is closing the commercial spotted seatrout season in state waters at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, per MS DMR's official notice. That doesn't touch recreational limits, but it's a signal trout have been thick enough to draw sustained commercial pressure through the summer, and it typically means less competition for the recreational fleet working the Sound's grass flats and bayous into September. Offshore, reef fishermen should keep an eye on federal rulemaking: NOAA Fisheries is proposing to continue DESCEND Act requirements (descending devices, venting tools) for all vessels harvesting reef species like red snapper and grouper, and MDMR is reviewing it for state coastal-program compliance. No fresh buoy or on-the-water bite reports came through this cycle, so treat trout and reef-fish activity as typical for mid-August until specific captain or shop reports land. Check state regs before harvesting.
Delaware Bay flounder limits build as summer mix holds strong
Flounder nearing the 23-inch mark are coming out of Delaware Bay's deeper channels on minnows this week, with several limits reported by party boats and private boaters alike, per Higbee's Bait and Tackle in Cape May. Blues, spot, croaker, and an occasional black drum round out the summer mix there. Just up the shore, Hands Too Bait and Tackle reports a strong push of "giant" croaker crowding the back bays, inlet, and beachfront along the Delaware Bayshore, while fluke are stacking tight against the jetties at the point and weakfish are working jumbo bloodworms floated along the rocks. Sheepshead and blackfish are showing up on the seawalls and pylons around Wildwood. Keeper ratios keep improving the farther offshore anglers push, a pattern echoed at Pier 47 Marina behind the Wildwoods, where croakers are thick on the deeper channels and the incoming tide has been the better window for flounder. Over 380 boats fished the Paradise Pounder flounder tournament this week, a sign of how active the bay's summer run has become.
Pine Barrens pickerel wake up as Delaware River smallies turn on
Central Jersey bass are answering the topwater bell: Waretown Lake and Pohatcong Lake produced largemouth to the 3-pound mark on poppers and buzzbaits this week, per Creekside Outfitters. Fishing overall in the central part of the state ran fair to good, with catfish and panfish rounding out the mixed bag and a surprise trout or two showing up (Toms River TCA gave up a rainbow, per the same report). Down in the Pine Barrens' famous cedar waters, pickerel are keeping local rods bent according to Hands Too Bait and Tackle out of Cape May, even as many freshwater regulars stayed on the tidal side chasing a strong fluke bite. Out on the Delaware, Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown says smallmouth bass and catfish are producing hit-or-miss action as anglers get back on the river after a slower stretch. No buoy or gauge telemetry came through for this cycle, so treat flow and temp as unconfirmed until the next check.