Fishing Reports

Water temps of 53–54°F across offshore buoys (NOAA buoys 44085 and 44097) mark a welcome warm-up for Narragansett Bay, and the fishing has responded. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI)'s May new-moon forecast declares the bay is "loaded with life" — big bass are crushing big baits all over the state, the tautog bite has come to life, and weakfish are starting to show in decent numbers. The Fisherman — Rhode Island reports nice-sized bass being caught inside the bay by both boat and surf anglers, with a south wind earlier this week pushing bait and stripers within surfcaster range; larger soft plastics and topwater plugs have been the ticket, with fish keying on adult bunker and herring. The Fisherman (Northeast)'s May 14 forecast flagged the first real fluke reports of 2026 out of Rhode Island. On the squid front, the Frances Fleet ran a successful squid trip Friday and is adding dedicated squid nights to its calendar, while Booked Off Charters confirms squid are starting to show locally alongside an improving tautog bite.

May 17

Three NOAA buoys pegged water temperatures at 56°F across offshore Oregon Coast stations as of May 17, placing conditions squarely in the temperature band that spring Chinook salmon seek. Building swells of 5.9 to 7.5 feet — recorded at buoys 46002, 46050, and 46029 — are the primary constraint this weekend, restricting safe bar crossings and comfortable offshore runs for most trailer boats. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reported this week that Half Moon Bay's spring salmon fleet is actively finding fish in 54–56°F water below Pigeon Point, a temperature window that typically extends into Oregon coastal waters by mid-May. The new moon on May 17 sets up stronger tidal exchanges over the coming days, which traditionally benefits both salmon and bottomfish bite timing. Anglers planning offshore trips should monitor swell forecasts closely and check bar conditions before launching.

May 17

USGS gauge 14211720 logged 20,900 cfs and 64°F on Sunday afternoon — a reading that places the Columbia and Rogue systems at the warm edge of prime spring Chinook territory. Salmon are most comfortable in the mid-50s to low 60s, so at 64°F anglers should focus on deeper, cooler holds and plan launches around the predawn window when surface temperatures moderate a few degrees. No charter, tackle shop, or state-agency feed in today's intel payload filed a specific conditions report for the Columbia or Rogue, so this update is grounded in gauge data and established mid-May seasonal patterns for both systems. On the Rogue, the spring Chinook run overlaps with the first push of summer steelhead arriving from the Pacific — a crossover window that makes the next two weeks among the most versatile of the season. The New Moon — darkest nights of the month — sharpens low-light feeding windows at dawn and dusk through midweek.

May 17

Water temps hitting 63°F on the Hudson at Catskill (USGS gauge 01357500) as of May 17 put the river squarely in prime striper territory. On The Water's May 15 migration map confirms the spring push has extended fully through the Northeast, with fish now moving well into the lower and mid-Hudson corridor. The NY DEC coolwater sportfish season has been open since May 1, making walleye, bass, and pike legal targets across the region. NY DEC's April 24 Fishing Line reports active spring stocking of brook, brown, and rainbow trout throughout the state's streams and Finger Lakes tributaries. In a notable development, Wired 2 Fish reports that New York health officials have eased Hudson River fish consumption advisories on select species for the first time in roughly 50 years — a meaningful recovery milestone, though anglers should consult the current NY DEC guidance before keeping any fish.

May 17

Water temps at 55–56°F per NOAA buoys 44065 and 44091 are fueling a striper run that multiple sources are calling one of the best in recent years. Blue Chip Sportfishing describes the action as "the best Striper Fishing possible," and Grumpys Tackle recorded a 41-inch personal best from the Seaside Park surf on an SP Minnow. Yakitty Yaks Kayaks, reporting via The Fisherman — Central NJ, says Barnegat and Raritan bays are putting up "one of the best spring bass seasons they've seen in years." Fresh clams and bunker chunks are leading the surf bite per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf; glide baits are also drawing aggressive strikes. A black drum push has coincided with the run — fish to 38 inches showing on clam baits along the oceanfront per The Fisherman — Southern NJ. Black sea bass season opened May 15 (The Fisherman — New Jersey edition), though inshore counts are still building. On The Water confirms 50-pound-class stripers staging off New Jersey ahead of today's new moon.

May 17

Chain pickerel are delivering one of spring's better freshwater bites across the Pine Barrens cedar waters. Creekside Outfitters and Allen's Dock on Bass River — both via The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater — confirm strong pickerel action on killies, swimming plugs, and spinners, with largemouth bass also active in area ponds. Hands Too Bait and Tackle adds that Ponderlodge Lake is producing trout, catfish, and bass. On the Delaware River corridor, Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown reports mixed-size stripers at Trenton with a few fish pushing as far north as Lambertville — a welcome mid-May milestone. USGS gauge 01408000 shows local drainage at 27.7 cfs as of Sunday afternoon, indicating low, clear conditions suited to finesse presentations. Trout fishing has quieted from its early-season pace, per Dave's Sport Shop, with only scattered reports from the Tohickon and Unami drainages remaining. Anglers should note NJ Fish & Wildlife News has confirmed seasonal WMA closures beginning May 21.

May 17

Nebraska Game & Parks signals an active spring season with their "Springing On" dispatch — and conditions on the water back it up. The Platte River at North Bend is running at 2,120 cfs (USGS gauge 06796000), a healthy spring volume that pushes fish toward calmer edges, wing-dam pockets, and riprap banks. Fishing the Midwest recommends jig-and-minnow setups and slow-trolled slip-sinker live bait for walleye in this transition window, while their spinning-gear primer highlights finesse presentations as fish settle into post-spawn patterns. Tactical Bassin confirms the bluegill spawn is in full swing across the Midwest — a reliable trigger that sees largemouth moving into heavy shallow cover and chasing topwater in low-light periods. Channel catfish, the backbone of the Platte and Missouri fisheries, are typically hitting their stride through May as water temperatures climb. With no temp reading available at the gauge, structure and eddy lines are the key when current is running.

May 17

Water temps at 57°F (NOAA buoy 44020) and the spring striper run is firing on all cylinders across Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay. The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands reports schools of stripers — very few below 37 inches — breaking on bait in a topwater bite from Fairhaven west toward the Cape Cod Canal. Red Top Sporting Goods confirms slot-to-jumbo fish crashing the surface in mid to upper Buzzards, and Westport River Outfitters notes the main challenge right now is locating slot fish amid the oversized bass. The Fisherman (Northeast) calls this a 'supercharged spring striper run' with fish averaging upper-teens to low 20 pounds and 40-pound class stripers now entering the region. Tautog are the strong secondary bite, with multiple Cape Cod captains reporting improving action around Canal openings, the West Falmouth shoreline, and Cleveland Light structure. The big scup bite just began on the rock piles.

May 17

Black drum have arrived at the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach this week, per Smith's Bait Shop, hitting clams, sand fleas, and female blue crabs — a signal that the spring push is in full swing. Striped bass remain the other big story: Smith's reports big bass being caught and released at Greens Beach and the Woodland Beach fishing pier on bloodworms and cut bunker, while Old Inlet Bait and Tackle notes early-morning striper action at Indian River Inlet's South Pocket and both jetties on bucktails and plugs. Tautog are in the mix, taking sand fleas and green crab on structure on select days, per Old Inlet. Hickory shad are running through Indian River Inlet on shad darts. Eric Burnley writing for The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake reports that wind and small craft advisories limited open-water access much of the week, pushing anglers toward beaches and inlets. With winds now easing and the new moon arriving May 17, productive tidal windows should open up across the region this weekend.

May 17

Migratory striped bass have officially arrived in the Gulf of Maine. On The Water's May 15 migration map reports the spring striper push has "fully extended through the Northeast," with fish now making landfall in Maine. NOAA buoy 44007 logs water temperature at 50°F near Portland — cold but workable for early-season linesiders — while buoy 44027 further Downeast registers 42°F, suggesting the bite is concentrated in western coastal Maine for now. The Fisherman (Northeast)'s May 14 New England forecast describes a "supercharged spring striper run," with average sizes in the upper-teens to 20-pound range and 40-class fish already documented in the region. The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME confirms fresh migrants with sea lice making landfall as far north as Boston Harbor, with observers expecting the wave to continue pushing northeast in the days ahead. Tonight's new moon adds favorable timing — first tide changes of the cycle should concentrate feeding along estuary mouths and rocky points.

May 17

USGS gauge 06892350 on the Kansas River is reading 79°F at 1,870 cfs this afternoon — warm, manageable flow that signals post-spawn conditions are fully in play across the drainage. Channel catfish are entering their prime feeding window at these water temperatures, and tonight's New Moon sets up ideal after-dark bite conditions in current seams. Tactical Bassin's current post-spawn coverage documents big largemouth pushing into shallow cover to target bluegill beds — a pattern that applies directly to Midwest river bass in similar warm-water windows right now. Fishing the Midwest recommends keeping presentations simple and shallow early in the season when fish are cover-oriented and actively feeding. White bass, which typically peak their spring run in Kansas river systems when water temps are in the 55–65°F range, are likely past peak with the river this warm. Plan early-morning sessions for topwater bass action and shift to cut-bait catfish rigs after dark.

May 17

Tactical Bassin reports the bluegill spawn is fully underway, pushing big largemouth into shallow heavy cover where topwater frogs and swimbaits are drawing strikes. The St. Johns River at USGS gauge 02232000 is flowing at 179 cfs — a low-to-moderate stage for mid-May — which tends to concentrate fish along vegetation edges and structural transitions rather than scattering them across open flats. Water temperature was not available in this reading cycle; check local conditions at the ramp. Captain Rick Murphy (FL Insider) is flagging big tarpon action across Florida, and the St. Johns is historically one of the state's premier inland tarpon corridors as the spring push builds toward its peak. Bass on both Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns are working through the post-spawn transition, with Tactical Bassin noting that schooling behavior kicks in as fish scatter off beds — making swimbaits, chatterbaits, and finesse presentations worth rotating through between topwater sessions.

May 17

Water temps of 78°F at NOAA buoy 42036 signal prime late-spring conditions along Florida's Gulf Coast, and the fish are cooperating. Naples Offshore Fishing Charters reports the tarpon migration is "fully underway," with boats intercepting migratory fish and jumping quality tarpon on morning runs before switching to permit in the afternoons. Sight fishing for large permit has been consistently productive, with the combination of these two species making for what Naples captains describe as one of the area's marquee late-spring experiences. Kingfish are also delivering steady action on plugs and flies, while cobia and amberjacks are rounding out an offshore spread that captains call "very dynamic." Captain Rick Murphy (FL Insider) independently confirms big tarpon action is occurring across Florida statewide. Light winds of 3–5 m/s across Gulf monitoring stations are keeping conditions calm and fishable. The current New Moon phase brings stronger tidal swings that concentrate baitfish and create productive feeding windows on flats and nearshore structure.

May 17

Water temps measured at 58°F by NOAA Buoy 44009 on May 17, and the fishing is heating up to match. Per Smith's Bait Shop (The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake), black drum have moved into the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach and are taking clams, sand fleas, and female blue crabs — fish are also showing at Broadkill Beach on the same baits. Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reports stripers and black drum both hitting from 3Rs Road on sand fleas and clams, while the South Pocket and both jetties at Indian River Inlet produced early-morning striper action on bucktails and plugs. Tautog remain in the mix at Old Inlet, though the bite has varied day to day. Hickory shad are running through Indian River Inlet on shad darts. A stretch of wind and small craft advisories kept open-water boats sidelined mid-week per The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake, but shore and inlet fishing held up throughout.

May 17

Water temperatures holding at 56°F across Long Island Sound — confirmed by NOAA buoy 44025 and NOAA buoy 44065 — and CT anglers are making the most of it. The Fisherman — Connecticut reports a full-court striper blitz from Norwalk to New London: Bobby J's notes fresh fish with sea lice mixing with resident bass, and bunker chunks producing stripers into the 20-pound-plus class. Captain Morgan's Bait and Tackle calls feeding "cranked up," highlighting over-the-slot 40-pounders turning heads alongside slot and throwback fish on swimmers and plastics along the shoreline. Fisherman's World in Norwalk confirms bass spread from inshore harbors to deep-water structure, with reefs like 11B, Can 13, and the OB Buoy holding the freshest arrivals. The Fisherman (Northeast) describes the 2026 New England striper season as "supercharged," and On The Water's migration tracker placed fish all the way to Maine by May 15. With the new moon now underway, tidal current is running strong — ideal for working rip lines and structure.

May 17

Two 8-pound brown trout surrendered by Saugatuck Reservoir this week — each taken on a shiner from a different part of the impoundment — headline a freshwater bite that's firing on multiple fronts across Connecticut. Per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, Fisherman's World in Norwalk confirms the reservoir is also yielding solid largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappies, and perch alongside those trophy browns. Stocked-water trout action is rated "outstanding" by Fishin' Factory 3, with the Salmon River TMA, Coginchaug River, Day Pond Trout Park, and Chatfield Hollow Pond Brook Trout Park all delivering consistent catches. On the Connecticut River — logging 57°F at USGS gauge 01184000 — Fishin' Factory 3 reports shad, carp, and striped bass all active in the Middletown-to-Rocky Hill corridor, with sandworms and chunks working for linesiders. Rivers including the Mianus, Mill, Saugatuck, and Norwalk remain reliable trout spots. The New Moon this weekend sets up a favorable daytime feeding window across all species.

May 17

Water temperatures have dropped to the mid-50s along the Central Coast, and per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Half Moon Bay reports "vastly improved salmon conditions below Pigeon Point" since the water cooled from 58°F in April. NOAA buoy 46042 confirms 52°F near Monterey; buoy 46028 logs 57°F off Point Conception; buoy 46026 reads 49°F farther north. The cooling trend is exactly what Chinook salmon want — and the fish appear to be responding. The obstacle right now is access: all three Central Coast buoys are reporting wave heights between 12.8 and 14.1 feet with sustained winds up to 16 m/s, keeping most sport-fishing vessels at the dock. Anglers who can wait out the swell should focus below Pigeon Point and through the Half Moon Bay corridor when seas moderate. New Moon tides this weekend will drive strong tidal currents that concentrate baitfish near bay entrances and reef edges — a timing advantage worth planning around once conditions allow.

May 17

USGS gauge 11447650 logged 69°F and 15,800 cfs in the Sacramento-Delta on May 17 — water temperatures firmly in the prime feeding range for both largemouth bass and striped bass as the region works through its post-spawn transition. Angler-intel feeds this cycle did not include Delta-specific dispatches from citable sources, so the conditions below draw on the gauge data and established seasonal patterns rather than fresh on-water testimony. At 69°F, post-spawn largemouth should be scattering off beds toward shaded shoreline structure and tule mat margins; topwater and frog presentations are historically productive during the overlapping bluegill spawn, a timing trigger Tactical Bassin (blog) documented this week as producing aggressive big-bass behavior across comparable freshwater fisheries. Striped bass remain the Delta's signature mid-spring target; expect them to be holding on main-channel edges and points where tidal current concentrates on the New Moon cycle. Check NorCal Fish Reports' Delta section for the latest guide and shop intel before launching.

May 17

USGS gauge 11455420 recorded 119,000 cfs on the Sacramento River on the morning of May 17 — a notably elevated reading that signals robust snowmelt runoff still pressing through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. At that volume, main-channel turbidity runs high and the normal tidal pulse is largely masked by freshwater volume, driving fish out of open cuts and into slower-water refuges: tule edges, backwater sloughs, and eddies behind levee bends. No current catch reports from Delta guides or tackle shops reached our sources this pull; NorCal Fish Reports covers the Delta regularly but no specific recent bite data was available at collection time. Based on mid-May seasonal patterns for this system, striped bass are typically in the back half of their upstream spring run, largemouth bass are wrapping up or just past their spawn, and channel catfish hold reliably in murky conditions. High current demands slow presentations and structure-tight casts.

May 17

Mainely Fly Fishing (ME)'s early-spring 2026 report logged ice-out on Dundee Pond at April 4th — leaving Rangeley-area lakes well into their open-water season by mid-May. The Androscoggin headwaters are running at 424 cfs at USGS gauge 01054200 as of today, consistent with late-snowmelt drainage from the Western Maine highlands. No water temperature was available from the gauge. With six-plus weeks of open water behind us and today's New Moon, this is the classic window when landlocked Atlantic salmon chase smelt imitations and streamers near the surface before the thermocline fully establishes. Brook trout should be active along inlet streams and rocky lake margins. Mainely Fly Fishing noted spring arrived 'albeit slowly' in 2026, suggesting peak timing may be slightly compressed — anglers who get on the water this week rather than waiting for late May may catch the best of it. Verify size and bag limits against current Maine state regulations before keeping fish.

May 17

The USGS gauge at Buford Dam (site 02334430) recorded a tailwater discharge of 49°F at 636 cfs on May 17 — cold, hypolimnetic releases typical of Lanier's deep stratified structure, though lake surface temperatures are running considerably warmer this time of year. The bluegill spawn is in full swing across Georgia's reservoirs, and Tactical Bassin reports bass pushing aggressively into heavy shallow cover — frogs over matted grass and topwater along weed edges are producing big strikes. The Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing documented post-rain largemouth success across north-central Georgia, including an 8-pound, 11-ounce fish on a spinnerbait in Morgan County — a feeding trigger pattern that translates well to Lanier and Allatoona structure after storm events. GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News flagged that hot weather is now arriving and fish will likely begin shifting toward deeper water. Crappie anglers should still find fish in 3–8 feet around brush piles and docks per Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing spring spawn guidance, though the bite may be transitioning post-spawn.

May 17

USGS gauge 03512000 recorded 65°F water temperature and 201 cfs flow on May 17, placing Smoky Mountain streams at the warm edge of the prime trout feeding range. Water in the mid-60s is where rainbow and brown trout typically feed most aggressively ahead of the summer heat push, and the New Moon this weekend eliminates ambient light for active dusk-and-dawn feeding windows. Flylords Mag has flagged severe drought across the Southeast this spring — flows remain moderate for now, but anglers should watch for tightening levels if the dry pattern holds into June. On the hatch front, Gink and Gasoline noted that warm spring temperatures have been accelerating emergence timelines across eastern trout streams this year; mid-May in the Smokies typically aligns with caddis and sulphur activity, and current water temperatures suggest those hatches are likely in motion. Fish early, work the hatch windows, and keep an eye on the gauge.

May 17

NOAA buoy 44014 is logging 62°F water at the surface off Virginia's coast — right where spring striped bass action typically ignites on the Eastern Shore. Virginia DWR's Wildlife Blog dedicated its latest fishing report to spring rockfish, describing fish schooling along channel edges, sandy flats, grass beds, and coastal hard structure across Virginia's tidal and coastal systems. On The Water's May 15 striper migration map confirms the run has fully extended through the Northeast, and with the Chesapeake acting as the primary spawning ground, Chincoteague-area inlets are well-positioned to intercept fish moving north along the barrier island coast. OTW Saltwater's May 12 migration report noted 50-pound-class stripers staging off the Chesapeake ahead of this new moon. Today's new moon amplifies tidal swings and should sharpen feeding windows in the inlets. Offshore, buoy 44014 is reading 3.3-foot waves — manageable for seaworthy vessels, though inshore inlet mouths will offer the most accessible action this weekend.

May 17

The Fisherman — Southern NJ (via Boulevard Bait & Tackle) reports a 51-inch striped bass pulled from the surf on salted clams and black drum to 38 inches right alongside — a snapshot of Delaware Bay's active spring fishery as NOAA Buoy 44009 reads 57°F on May 17. Multiple Southern NJ sources confirm the pattern: stripers ranging from slot keepers to well-over fish are crushing fresh and salted clams in beach cuts and back bays, while an early black drum push has joined the bite. Fin-Atics adds flounder to 20 inches in the back bay on minnows and strip baits, though Ray Scott's Dock notes keeper fluke remain tough with bay temps still in the low 50s in some areas. Black sea bass season opened May 15, per The Fisherman (Northeast), broadening the inshore menu. And with today's new moon, The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf's Nick Honachefsky specifically flags weakfish as a species to target right now on the tidal current push along the bayshore.

May 17