Fishing reports
18718 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Sea Bass Bite Runs Red Hot as Bluefin Push Close to the Jersey Shore
Sea bass fishing is red hot along the Jersey Shore right now, with Blue Chip Sportfishing reporting boats limiting out on almost every trip. Fluke action is a mixed bag but trending up — Fishermans HQ LBI notes sand eels holding around Barnegat Inlet with spearing, mullet and peanut bunker now showing too, while The Fisherman — Southern NJ calls flounder fishing out of Cape May "very hot," with limits to 7 pounds coming off deepwater reef and wreck sites. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI reports 25-to-40-pound bluefin tuna running within 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet on the troll and on live squid, and Blue Chip is finding mahi around the lobster-pot lines. Inshore, The Fisherman — Northern NJ notes the Miss Belmar Princess "hammering the blues" with bonito and Spanish mackerel mixed in. Shark fishing has "busted wide open" per Blue Chip, with three makos released on one recent trip. Nearshore water is running in the low 70s.
Merrimack smallmouth stay active as pressure pushes fish upriver
Smallmouth bass are still biting well on the Merrimack River, with anglers below the Lawrence dam landing fish up to 13 inches on white spinnerbaits, Aziz-rigged Senkos, and Whopper Ploppers, per a report from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater. Largemouth bass are mixed in on the same stretch, and the report notes far fewer boats working the water below the dam than above it — useful intel for anyone looking to beat the crowds. That pattern likely extends upstream into New Hampshire's stretch of the same river system, since water conditions and forage are shared across the corridor. We have no direct reports out of Lake Winnipesaukee this cycle, so treat that lake's outlook as general seasonal expectation rather than confirmed intel: lake trout and landlocked salmon typically hold deeper and feed best during the cooler low-light windows this time of year, while smallmouth and largemouth stay catchable on structure and weed edges through the warmer afternoon hours.
Delta anglers lean on late-summer patterns as fresh reports run thin
No buoy or gauge readings came through for the Sacramento-Delta this cycle, and this week's regional intel feed didn't turn up any Delta-specific catch reports either, so this update leans on typical mid-August patterns rather than fresh, attributed intel. That's worth saying plainly rather than papering over. In a normal late-summer stretch, Delta striped bass fishing tends to concentrate around low-light hours as afternoon heat pushes fish deeper and slows the daytime bite, while largemouth bass hold tight to submerged weed edges and tule lines. Channel catfish typically stay consistent through summer heat, especially after dark. Sturgeon action is usually the quietest of the group in August, picking back up as water cools into fall. None of this is drawn from a Delta-specific report this week, so treat it as a general seasonal baseline, not a confirmed bite, and check a current local source before planning a trip.
Low-light bite carries Salt and Colorado River bass through peak heat
With no fresh buoy or gauge readings logged for the Salt and Colorado River corridors this cycle, this week's outlook leans on seasonal pattern and technique intel rather than a hard water-temp number. Mid-August in central Arizona means the rivers are locked into peak summer heat, and that's pushing bass activity into the margins of the day. On The Water's recent low-light largemouth pieces are a useful read right now: wakebaits worked tight to shaded banks and swimbaits dragged over weed flats are producing best in that dawn-and-dusk window, a pattern that translates directly to Salt River backwaters and Colorado River coves. Smallmouth are the tougher read in this heat; Tactical Bassin's "junk fishing" approach, cycling through baits and depths rather than camping on one presentation, is the right mindset for grinding out bites on tough summer days. Channel catfish, as usual, stay the reliable after-dark option while the bass bite tightens up.
Columbia River anglers eye the fall Chinook build
Mid-August marks the traditional start of the Columbia River's fall Chinook build, when early fish begin staging in the lower river and gorge stretches ahead of the bulk of the run. We don't have fresh buoy or gauge readings for this update, so treat water conditions as unconfirmed until you check current flow data before heading out. Forum chatter on IFish.net Fishing Reports points to trollers working flashers near Chinook Landing on the lower river, though that's angler chatter rather than a confirmed bite report, so weigh it accordingly. White sturgeon fishing on the Columbia typically holds steady through summer on bait presentations, though retention rules shift seasonally and should always be checked before you keep a fish. Steelhead tend to fish slower this time of year until fall numbers build. With no direct water-temp or flow data available, plan your trip around typical late-summer patterns and verify current regs and conditions locally.
Truckee River trout bite holds strong through summer heat
Flows on the Truckee River are running close to their natural channel this summer, and Reno Fly Shop reports that despite hot air temperatures, "the summer has been hot but so has the fly fishing." The shop notes that rising daytime heat is warming the water and pushing trout's peak feeding window earlier in the day, with fish noticeably less active by midday. Their recommendation for anglers working the Eastern Sierra drainage: get out early, focus west of town, and push upstream onto the California side where the water runs cooler and fish stay more willing to eat. Earlier-season reports from the same shop described afternoon thunderstorms breaking up the heat and crayfish becoming more mobile as water temperatures climbed, a signal that streamer and crayfish-pattern presentations can still draw strikes once the sun gets high and the dry-fly bite slows.
Driftless browns key on streamers tight to structure
MidCurrent's Tying Tuesday roundup this week spotlights Root River Rod Co's go-to Driftless streamer, a pine squirrel jig built to bounce the rocky bottom of tight, technical spring-creek water without hanging up, a solid signal for what's drawing strikes in the region's skinny late-summer flows. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this report, so we're leaning on seasonal norms: mid-August Driftless streams typically run low and gin-clear, favoring stealthy approaches near undercut banks and woody cover. Brown trout should respond best to that tight-to-structure streamer presentation, while brook trout in the smaller spring-fed feeders tend to hold up better through summer heat than mainstem fish. Aquatic hatches are thinning this time of year, so terrestrial patterns remain a dependable fallback regionally. With a Waxing Crescent moon overhead, lunar influence on feeding windows should be minimal. Check current flows and any DNR guidance before heading out.
Redfish tournaments headline Texas Gulf Coast as snapper bite holds
Two redfish tournaments wrapped up this weekend along the Texas Gulf Coast, one based on the upper coast and the other on the lower coast, per Galveston Daily News — Reel Report. Inshore action turned into what the Reel Report called "a bit of a grind," attributed more to tidal movement than anything else, while offshore red snapper fishing continues to hold up well. Down on the mid-coast near Seadrift, Capt. Jeff Larson has stayed busy according to the same report, and the Sylvan Beach Fishing Pier has reopened after recent tropical systems damaged several public piers along the coast. Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes bull redfish working the summer nearshore surf zone as menhaden and mullet schools move along the beachfront. Salt Strong (articles) flags the typical August "summer slump" as water temperatures climb into the upper 80s and 90s, pushing redfish, trout, and flounder into different holding patterns anglers will need to adjust for through the dog days.
Treasure Coast snook bite stays red-hot through the summer closure
Snook fishing has been excellent the past few weeks on Florida's Treasure Coast, per Snook Nook's August report out of Stuart — anglers are putting up steady numbers of quality fish, including plenty in the 40-inch-plus range, with the best action coming from the St. Lucie Inlet and the adjacent beach on live croakers and threadfins. Atlantic-coast snook season is typically closed this time of year (Snook Nook notes the local closure runs June 1 through September 1), so plan on catch-and-release until it reopens. Offshore, red snapper access stays unsettled: CCA Florida reports a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper pilot programs just hours before the season opener, and Saltwater Sportsman notes Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are now pushing a fallback October 1-31 season, with public comment open through August 25. Offshore trollers are still finding mahi-mahi action per Florida Insider Fishing Report.
Spanish Mackerel Fire Up Around Cape Lookout
Nearshore anglers are on a good spanish mackerel bite, with the bigger fish showing up around Cape Lookout, per Fisherman's Post's Morehead/Atlantic Beach report this week. Up the coast toward the Pamlico Sound side, Fisherman's Post's OBX/Northern Beaches report has surf anglers picking away at sea mullet, bluefish, and plenty of croakers on bottom rigs, while inshore action is finally waking up. Closer to Cape Lookout, Fisherman's Post's Swansboro/Emerald Isle dispatch has pier anglers connecting on spanish mackerel and bluefish throwing casting jigs and Gotcha plugs, with a few king mackerel mixed in. It's a peak-summer pattern for the Sound and Cape — mackerel schools working bait pushes along the nearshore structure, croaker and bluefish keeping the surf and pier crowd busy. Water temps should be firmly in summer range; check state regs before harvesting anything you plan to keep, particularly around seasonal red drum or mackerel size limits.
Low-light weed bite carries the bass pattern on Okeechobee, St. Johns
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Lake Okeechobee or the St. Johns River today, so this update leans on regional technique intel and typical August patterns rather than on-the-water numbers. On The Water's recent coverage of low-light summer largemouth describes bass sliding onto shoreline shallows and weed flats to feed on wakebaits and swimbaits once the sun drops, a pattern that tracks well for Okeechobee's grass flats and the St. Johns' vegetated banks this time of year. Tactical Bassin's latest "summer junk fishing" notes add that bass are grouping tightly in the heat, rewarding anglers who cover water and rotate baits through likely cover rather than parking on one spot. Expect typical Florida August conditions otherwise: warm surface water, bass and panfish pushed toward dawn and dusk feeding windows, and catfish staying active after dark. Check state regs before harvesting anything you keep.
Drop-Shot Tactics Take Over as Virginia Bass Settle Into Summer Patterns
The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog's newest post makes a strong case for drop shotting as the technique to lean on right now, breaking down how the rig suspends a bait just above bottom to trigger smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass -- a natural fit for structure-heavy water like Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island (Kerr Reservoir). On The Water's summer largemouth coverage backs that up with two low-light plays worth trying at first and last light: wakebaits worked along shoreline cover and swimbaits cast over weed flats, both built around bass pushing shallow to feed before the sun gets high. No fresh buoy or stream-gauge readings came through for this stretch this cycle, so this update leans on technique and seasonal pattern rather than hard numbers. Expect largemouth and smallmouth to keep responding to structure-oriented presentations through the warm midday stretch, while deeper-holding species like striped bass and crappie are the better bet once the sun's up.
Chesapeake Mouth Bite Holds in Late-Summer Pattern as Fall Run Builds North
No direct on-water reports came in from the Chesapeake mouth this cycle, and no buoy or gauge readings were available, so this update leans on typical mid-August patterns for the region plus one broader coastal signal. Historically, the bay mouth settles into a quieter striped bass bite through the dog days of summer, with cobia, red drum, spot, and croaker carrying the bottom and inshore action instead. Further up the coast, The Fisherman (Northeast) reported striped bass blitzes already breaking from Narragansett to Plymouth this week, plus a surging bonito bite around Cape Cod — an early signal the fall migration is starting to stage, even though that push is still weeks from reaching Virginia waters. Expect the current mix of warm-water species over structure and channel edges to hold at the Bay mouth for now, with the striper bite staying mostly a waiting game until water temperatures start easing toward autumn.
Puget Sound salmon push continues as crab season anchors the coast
Washington Sea Grant's upcoming Skills and Drills course (September 28-29 in South Bend) is built around the Dungeness crab fishery, described by WSG as one of the state's largest commercial fisheries — a solid marker that crab remains the seasonal anchor for Puget Sound and coastal harbors right now. No fresh buoy or river-gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat water temp and swell as check-before-you-go rather than reported fact. WDFW's statewide program continues tracking angler activity through creel interviews at access sites and supplementing effort with stocked fish in lakes and streams, per the department's fishing and stocking reports page, though no specific current counts were available for this report. Late August typically keeps Puget Sound salmon seasons active as Chinook and Coho stage toward river systems. Outer-coast beach access looks normal following this month's CoastSavers cleanup on the Olympic Peninsula. Check current regs and area closures before heading out — salmon season structures shift fast this time of year.
Snapper Bite Carries Into Late-Summer Keys Season
Yellowtail and mutton snapper have been the story of the Keys this season, with ALL IN Key West reporting "huge yellow tails" and mutton snappers "chewing like crazy" during the spring spawn push, a pattern that typically holds fish active on the reef well into late summer. Bud n' Mary's Islamorada early-summer report pegged June and early July as prime time, with tarpon working the bridges and mahi mahi showing offshore in the Gulf Stream. Regulatory news is also front and center right now: Saltwater Sportsman reports Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are pushing for a month-long October red snapper season after a court injunction blocked the 2026 South Atlantic pilot program, with a public-comment window open through NOAA Fisheries until Aug. 25, per CCA Florida. No fresh buoy or gauge readings are available for this update, so check a local source before running offshore.
Chicago's Lake Michigan salmon fishery rides a strong multi-year trend
Direct Chicago-lakefront bite reports and buoy/gauge readings didn't come through in today's data pull, so this update leans on season context rather than an on-the-water snapshot. What we do have is the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report's rundown of the 2024 season, which anglers across the lake — Illinois included, since Chinook, coho, and steelhead roam the whole basin — are still riding the tail of: a record coho salmon harvest (over 210,000 fish) and the strongest Chinook salmon numbers since 2012, both credited to stronger alewife survival feeding the stocked salmon classes. That's a healthy baseline for a shared fishery. For mid-August off Chicago, typical late-summer patterns put Chinook and coho holding in deeper, cooler water reachable by trolling, smallmouth bass working nearshore rock and structure, and yellow perch starting to school up as the season turns toward fall. Check current WI DNR updates and local reports before planning a trip, since today's exact conditions couldn't be confirmed.
Georgia bass hang tough through August heat as fall bite builds
Georgia's statewide bass bite is holding up despite the late-summer heat: Joshua Barber's Southern Waters Fishing Report for GA Sportsman/Georgia Outdoor News (Aug. 15) notes the bass bite has been pretty good this week even as anglers battle scorching temperatures, with river fish adding to the pattern. No fresh, water-specific reports came in for Lake Lanier or Allatoona this week, so treat the following as seasonal guidance: August on these North Georgia reservoirs typically means bass and stripers pushed deep on main-lake humps and channel swings, feeding on schools of blueback herring and shad. Wired 2 Fish notes forward-facing sonar has reshaped how anglers locate and target structure-oriented fish, a technique increasingly common on deep, clear reservoirs like Lanier. Crappie should be holding tight to brush and standing timber in 20+ feet. The Georgia Wildlife Blog flagged a format change to its weekly report starting this week, spotlighting one region at a time, worth watching for a North Georgia-specific update soon.
Moosehead salmon and togue slide deep as summer heat holds
No live buoy or gauge readings are in for Moosehead Lake or the upper Penobscot this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carry region-specific reports from Maine guides or shops, so this update leans on typical mid-August patterns for the fishery rather than fresh eyewitness accounts. By this point in the season, landlocked salmon and lake trout (togue) typically hold below the thermocline and require trolling or jigging deep structure to connect, while brook trout activity usually tapers with warmer surface water and concentrates around spring seeps and cooler tributary mouths. Smallmouth bass tend to stay the most consistently catchable species through mid-August, feeding actively in low light around rocky points and drop-offs. Treat all of the above as seasonal expectation, not confirmed local reports, until fresher regional intel comes through the feed.
Trout bite peaks in Sarasota Bay as tarpon linger along the Gulf
Spotted seatrout are the story in Sarasota Bay right now, with Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters reporting anglers landing keeper-class trout up to 27 inches on the bay's grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and passes as the peak summer bite holds — CB's calls Sarasota Bay one of the state's best speckled trout fisheries, with sunrise and sunset feeding windows producing the most consistent action. Redfish are cooperating too: Capt. Chuck Cress hooked multiple reds on a rising morning tide using popping corks and live shrimp, with a handful of undersized snook mixed in and released. Offshore of the immediate bay, Capt. Rick Grassett's August outlook has coastal Gulf tarpon still around early in the month on flies and DOA Baitbusters/Shrimp before they push inside to bridges and deep grass flats, feeding alongside surface-schooling ladyfish. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so lean on the bite reports above for on-the-water conditions.
Bait-driven stripers and steady pollock mark the Gulf of Maine corridor
A 49-inch striper came off the sand at Surfland this week, one of several solid bass reported along the South Shore Massachusetts to Maine corridor that feeds into Gulf of Maine waters, per The Fisherman's South Shore Massachusetts to Maine report. Beauport Fishing Adventures found stripers keyed in on pogies off Rockport's dry salvages, all oversized and released, while squid and mackerel remain thick around Cape Ann providing steady bait. Groundfishing has been a mixed bag: pollock action stayed solid, but haddock turned spotty and cusk showed only light signs of life, per the same report. Bluefish, meanwhile, were largely absent from Scituate up toward Provincetown according to Belsan's Bait and Tackle. Night-fishing permits reopened at the Plum Island refuge, giving surfcasters another after-dark option as the fall run pregame ramps up across New England, per The Fisherman (Northeast).
Trout and reds keep the Lowcountry bite steady into late summer
Trout are turning on for anglers along the South Carolina coast this week — per Fisherman's Post's Carolinas saltwater roundup, a slip-cork rig baited with live shrimp is the top producer for summertime trout up in North Myrtle Beach and Little River, SC, with red drum mixed in on the same water. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for Charleston Harbor today, so treat conditions as typical for mid-August saltwater: warm and stable, with fish favoring low light and current breaks as the heat holds. Red snapper harvest stays closed in South Carolina for now — Saltwater Sportsman reports Florida, Georgia, and SC fishery managers are pushing NOAA for a proposed October 1-31 South Atlantic opener, with the public-comment window closing August 25. Redfish and trout remain the dependable Lowcountry targets while that plays out. Check current state regs before targeting any bottom species this month.
Gulf Coast anglers beat the summer slump as snook, gag season near
Salt Strong's weekly regional game plan tracks the Florida Gulf Coast as one of its zones, and this stretch's midsummer note is blunt: the redfish, snook, and trout bite that was rolling a few weeks back has cooled as water temperatures climbed into the upper 80s and 90s, per Salt Strong (articles). Their fix is timing, not location — sliding trips toward dawn, dusk, or low-light tide changes to find fish still feeding through the heat. Coastal Angler Magazine flags both snook season and gag grouper season as 'around the corner,' a seasonal marker Gulf Coast anglers watch closely this time of year. Earlier-season dispatches from Naples Offshore Fishing Charters described a strong permit-and-tarpon push mixing with cobia, amberjack, and kingfish on reefs and structure, a reminder of the variety this fishery holds once the heat eases. Check current state regulations before targeting or harvesting any of these species.
Bluefin Bite Ignites Off Rhode Island as Bottom Fishing Holds Steady
Rhode Island's inshore tuna grounds finally clicked into gear this week. Snug Harbor Marina reports the recreational bluefin bite 'really took off,' with fish coming mostly on jigs and soft plastics like RonZ, while Booked Off Charters had two keeper-class bluefin in the box by Sunday morning and found more yellowfin, mahi, and triggerfish on a canyon run. Saltwater Edge Blog corroborates the shift, noting the tuna bite sound of Block Island and Montauk is 'finally shaping up' after an inconsistent summer. Bottom fishing stayed the more reliable bread and butter: Frances Fleet and Quonnie Bait and Tackle both report a growing number of keeper black sea bass alongside solid scup and fluke catches in 50 to 70 feet off the beaches and around Block Island. Striped bass are a mixed bag. Snug Harbor and Quonnie call the bite slower as water approaches 70°F and brown sharks crowd south county beaches, though The Fisherman's regional forecast logged blitzes from Narragansett to Plymouth this past week.
OBX surf bite turns on with sea mullet, bluefish and croakers
Surf anglers on the northern Outer Banks beaches are finally getting rewarded: Hugh, of TW's Bait and Tackle, reports via Fisherman's Post (NC) that bottom rigs in the surf zone are producing sea mullet, bluefish, and "plenty of croakers," with inshore action reportedly turning a corner after a slower stretch this month. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water temp and swell as unconfirmed until the next check-in. Farther down the NC coast, Fisherman's Post also flagged a strong nearshore spanish mackerel bite building around Cape Lookout and out of Swansboro/Emerald Isle, a signal worth watching as that action historically pushes north toward Hatteras and the northern beaches through late summer. For now, OBX surf fishing is your most reliable bet, with bottom-fishing setups outproducing anything requiring long casts or specialized tackle.