Fishing reports
18750 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Croakers and Bluefish Keep Outer Banks Surf Anglers Busy
Sea mullet, bluefish, and "plenty of croakers" are keeping surf rods bent along the Outer Banks, per Hugh at TW's Bait and Tackle in this week's Fisherman's Post OBX/Northern Beaches report. Bottom rigs baited for croaker are the go-to right now, with bluefish mixing in for anglers working the wash. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch of coast today, so plan around the forecast rather than a specific water-temp number. Elsewhere on the NC coast, Fisherman's Post shops describe a broader summer pattern typical for early August: spanish mackerel on casting jigs and Gotcha plugs near Swansboro/Emerald Isle and around Cape Lookout out of Morehead/Atlantic Beach, plus red drum and flounder mixing with croakers and sharks in the Carolina Beach surf. New moon tides this week should push extra water and could sharpen the bite on the bigger swings, especially for bottom feeders working the wash.
Trophy snook keep biting on Florida's Treasure Coast
Snook fishing remains excellent along Florida's Atlantic coast heading into mid-August, per Snook Nook's August 2026 report out of Stuart — anglers are putting up steady numbers of quality fish, many in the 40-inch-plus range, working the St. Lucie Inlet and the adjacent beach with live croakers and threadfins, with a dead threadfin on bottom drawing bites (and some bycatch) when the inlet bite slows. Offshore, Snook Nook's own charter crew took first place in the small-boat division of the 2026 One More Bite Sailfish Challenge, going 7-for-9 on sailfish — a good sign for the bluewater bite right now. Regulatory attention is squarely on red snapper: Coastal Angler Magazine reports NOAA Fisheries opened a public-comment period on August 10 covering Florida, Georgia and South Carolina bids for more state control of the South Atlantic fishery, while CCA Florida notes a federal court injunction has complicated this year's approved pilot season. Check current status before targeting snapper.
Flounder, tarpon bite fires up on Georgia's coast
Doormat flounder are turning up thick in the St. Simons area this week, with GA Sportsman's Southern Waters Fishing Report (Aug. 8) calling the flounder bite one that's "firing off" along the Georgia coast. The same report notes the tarpon bite has also been good, and inland gauges feeding the coastal marsh system, the Altamaha at Doctortown, the Ocmulgee at Lumber City, and the Savannah at Clyo, are running steady to rising, keeping outflow into the marsh healthy. On the regulatory side, Coastal Angler Magazine reports NOAA Fisheries opened a public comment period this week on requests from Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina for more state control over South Atlantic red snapper management, worth watching for offshore anglers. With a new moon pushing bigger tidal swings, redfish and spotted seatrout should key on moving marsh water even without a specific report in yet. Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing also flagged a format change coming next week, shifting to a rotating regional spotlight.
Pogie blitzes light up Cape Cod Bay beaches on the new moon
Stripers are putting on a show along Cape Cod Bay this week, with pogie-fueled blitzes producing fish from 25 to 47 inches at Plymouth and Manomet, per The Fisherman — South Shore Massachusetts to Maine; anglers working topwaters, soft swimbaits, and metal lips are cashing in on fast, repeated action as bass push big schools of pogies right onto the beaches. On the bay side of the Cape, Goose Hummock Shop reports an improved bite from the Brewster Flats to Billingsgate, with slot bass mixing alongside a welcome push of four-pound-class bluefish, while Captain Phil's Crab Ledge trips continue turning up strong bluefin tuna, per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands. Duxbury Bay also chipped in solid fluke reports this week, per The Fisherman's New England video forecast. The one wrinkle: nearby Monomoy is seeing more shark pressure, per Black Rose Fishing Charters, pushing some captains to start early before the sharks show up. Bait is thick and bass are responding.
Bull reds stack up at Calcasieu Lake as summer bite holds
Slot reds up to bull-sized fish are stacking up at Calcasieu Lake, with the bite running from the coast north to the saltwater barrier, according to Capt. Erik Rue via Louisiana Sportsman's August 10 report. That's the clearest signal on the board for LA's Gulf Coast and Delta marshes right now: redfish are actively feeding across a wide stretch of brackish-to-salt water, which typically means fish are keying on bait pushed by tide movement through the marsh drains and lake mouths. No buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so treat water temp and flow as unconfirmed and lean on local reports and your own thermometer before committing to a spot. Speckled trout and flounder should still be working similar structure this time of year, though we don't have a direct report on either species today. New moon tides this week mean stronger swings, which is worth building a game plan around for redfish specifically.
Bonito push into Buzzards Bay as Vineyard Sound stripers hold strong
A strong push of bonito has moved into Buzzards Bay and along the Rhody-to-Cape shoreline, according to this week's New England Video Fishing Forecast from The Fisherman (Northeast), while striped bass action continues to hold in Vineyard Sound despite rising shark depredation. Falmouth Bait and Tackle reports good numbers of schoolies plus blues and bonito mixed together in the rips off the Falmouth Sound shoreline, with larger scup and sea bass also showing in those same rips. Sports Port in Falmouth notes school stripers and blues from Falmouth to Hyannis, with four-pound bonito mixed in and better results on night tides toward Chatham. On the outer Cape, Goose Hummock Shop describes the bite from Brewster Flats to Billingsgate producing slot bass and blues in the four-pound class, plus bluefin tuna action at Crab Ledge. Black Rose Fishing Charters is staying on stripers around Monomoy but working around a heavy shark presence.
Summer Salmon Push Keeps Puget Sound Anglers Busy
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's statewide creel and catch report program remains the backbone of what we know about Puget Sound and Pacific coast fishing right now, per WA WDFW Fishing Reports, though this week's feed carried no fresh regional catch specifics to layer on top. With water temperatures not available from buoy or gauge data today, anglers should lean on typical August patterns: summer Chinook runs are usually in full swing through Puget Sound's marine areas, with coho building behind them as the season progresses, and lingcod and rockfish holding steady over structure on the outer coast. The new moon this week means stronger-than-average tidal exchanges, worth planning trips around even without hard current data in hand. No shop, charter, or state-agency source in today's feed reported specific bite conditions for this region, so treat the species status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed activity, and check WDFW's latest creel reports before heading out.
Panhandle anglers lean on late-summer staples as direct reports stay thin
Salt Strong's Weekend Game Plan roundup (its Aug. 7-9 edition) lists the Florida Panhandle & Big Bend among the regions it tracks weekly, a sign the late-summer routine is still the primary play along the Destin-Pensacola coast. Fresh buoy and gauge readings didn't come back for this stretch, so we're leaning on seasonal pattern rather than a hard number today. Typical for early August in the northern Gulf, warm surface water keeps bait pushed into passes, troughs, and grass edges, with Spanish mackerel and redfish the dependable options while deeper-structure species stay more weather-dependent. On the Pensacola Fishing Forum, locals swapping notes on this year's scallop counts around Port St. Joe describe numbers as lighter than recent seasons — worth watching, not yet a confirmed trend since no shop or agency source has corroborated it. Tonight's new moon should bring stronger-than-average tidal push through the passes. Check current state regs before harvesting or keeping anything species-specific this month.
Keys snapper bite holds strong into peak summer
Yellowtail snapper have been 'practically jumping in the boat' this season, per ALL IN Key West, with mutton snapper feeding heavily during this spring's full-moon spawning push. Bud n' Mary's Islamorada Fishing Marina's early-summer report described the stretch from the shallow flats out to the Gulf Stream as some of the most productive fishing of the year, with tarpon holding under the bridges and mahi mahi working offshore. ALL IN Key West also logged strong grouper, cobia, and king mackerel action on Gulf-side trips, plus a sailfish push tied to a strong Gulfstream current earlier this year. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water temp as seasonal-normal and confirm before you run. Reports feeding this update run from spring into early summer rather than this exact week, but they point to a reef and bridge bite that typically carries into August in the Keys, with tonight's new moon adding tidal push on the flats and reef.
Fluke bite builds in eastern Long Island Sound as CT stripers dodge sharks
Fluke fishing is heating up along the Connecticut shoreline this week, with J&B Tackle reporting a lot of anglers finding success by Montauk and Cerberus Shoal, plus closer options like Sarah's Ledge, Two Tree Channel, Black Point and Hatchetts Reef. AW Marina in New London says its Fort Trumbull Pier regulars are turning up a mix of striped bass, fluke, scup and tog despite the summer heat, and customers are reporting stripers from the river mouth up past the bridge. Black Hawk's bottom-fishing trips are producing limits of porgies with sea bass and triggerfish mixed in, and even a brown shark showed up on one private charter before being released unharmed. Tartan II notes a good week for bluefish and bottom fish, but says the striped bass bite that was consistent earlier in the season has paused, with sharks pushing fish off some spots. Bonito have also pushed into nearby Rhode Island waters per the regional video forecast, a sign the fall transition is starting.
Spanish mackerel run lights up water off Cape Lookout
Dave, of Chasin' Tails in Morehead/Atlantic Beach, reports a strong nearshore Spanish mackerel bite this week, with the biggest fish showing up around Cape Lookout itself, per Fisherman's Post (NC). Down the coast in Swansboro/Emerald Isle, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors says pier anglers throwing casting jigs and Gotcha plugs are connecting with spanish mackerel and bluefish, plus a few king mackerel mixed in. On the sound side, Hugh of TW's Bait and Tackle notes surf anglers on the Northern Beaches picking off sea mullet, bluefish, and croakers on bottom rigs, with inshore action finally picking up after a slow stretch. Further south at Carolina Beach, Lewis of Island Tackle and Hardware describes a classic summer mixed bag: red drum, flounder, croakers, and assorted sharks in the surf. No fresh buoy or gauge readings are available for this update, so check local marine forecasts before running offshore.
Peak-season pelagics keep ahi and mahi in play across the islands
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Hawaiian waters this cycle, and the loaded angler intel skewed administrative rather than on-the-water: Hawaiʻi Sea Grant's latest posts cover coastal-resilience fellowships and Pacific RISA flood-indicator work in Palau, while Hawaii Fishing News's feed centered on its state-record tracker and moon/tide calendar rather than a fresh bite report. With no direct confirmation to cite, this update leans on the calendar: mid-August sits squarely in Hawaii's peak summer pelagic run, when ahi (yellowfin tuna), mahi-mahi, and ono typically work current edges and nearshore FADs, while ulua patrol rocky points after dark. This week's New Moon typically means stronger tidal exchange, which can push bait activity along channels and ledges. Treat the species read below as seasonal expectation, not a confirmed report, until a shop, charter, or agency source posts fresh conditions.
Dawn-and-Dusk Bite Windows Rule August at Mosquito, Pymatuning
Wired2Fish's midsummer feature on chasing "the most exciting bite of the summer" — the dawn and dusk "jumps," when packs of gamefish push baitfish to the surface — lines up with the classic August pattern anglers lean on at Mosquito and Pymatuning. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for either reservoir this cycle, and no shop or captain filed a direct Ohio report, so this outlook leans on regional technique guidance rather than on-the-water confirmation from these waters specifically. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen note that Forward-Facing Sonar has shifted where anglers find suspended walleye, away from the bottom-hugging, structure-only approach anglers were taught for years — worth trying if working points isn't producing. Tactical Bassin's summer coverage backs the same early/late pattern for bass, describing post-frontal, wind-shifted days as workable once anglers adapt bait choice through the heat. Expect walleye and largemouth to hold deeper through midday, sliding shallow at the margins of the day.
Sonar reshapes the summer walleye game on the Clinton-Dubuque pools
Forward-facing sonar keeps rewriting where Upper Mississippi walleye anglers should look, per Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch — the old rule that walleyes hug bottom structure like points and weedlines is giving way to suspended fish showing up on FFS in open water. Bob Jensen, also writing for Fishing the Midwest, notes an odd-looking 'urchin' style bait has been producing well for bass this season, a reminder that pressured August fish will eat unconventional presentations. For smallmouth and largemouth around Iowa's Clinton-Dubuque pools, expect a typical mid-August pattern: fish pushed deeper or tucked to shade during peak heat, with the best windows at first and last light, echoing Wired 2 Fish's note that dawn and dusk trigger the most aggressive feeding of the summer. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch today, so confirm current flow and temp before you launch.
Missouri River walleye go deep while Black Hills trout beat summer heat
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Missouri River/Black Hills stretch this week, so we're leaning on regional technique reporting rather than a local catch report. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch flagged a real shift worth noting for Missouri River walleye chasers: forward-facing sonar keeps turning up suspended fish well off bottom-structure, meaning anglers still working only points and breaklines the old way are leaving suspended schools untouched. Tactical Bassin's coverage of summer bass positioning and Wired 2 Fish's note on dawn/dusk feeding jumps both point the same direction for Missouri River smallmouth: early and late windows around structure and baitfish activity are outproducing midday grinding in August heat. Black Hills trout streams, meanwhile, are typical low-and-warm for this point in summer, favoring early starts before water temps climb. Channel cats should stay a steady bite after dark as usual for the season.
Frying Pan Stays Hot as Drought Pushes Trout to Early, Late Windows
Frying Pan River tailwater flows are holding near 145 cfs below Ruedi Reservoir, with water staying in the 40s below the dam even as the rest of the region bakes — Crystal Fly Shop calls it some of the season's best fishing right now, with PMDs, BWOs and Green Drakes firing in the afternoons. Elsewhere the story is drought: the Roaring Fork and Crystal River are running low and clear, and Crystal Fly Shop reports CPW voluntary closures in effect on stressed stretches of both, plus a full-day closure on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs. Cutthroat Anglers (CO) is telling anglers to stop fishing once water hits 68°F, and Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing (CO) calls 2026 possibly the worst drought on record here. As flows keep dropping, Crystal Fly Shop notes flies are sizing down and fish are pulling off the banks — expect a technical, small-fly bite through the heat.
Ohio River bass stay steady as anglers dial in dawn-and-dusk feeds
Competitive anglers on the Ohio River at Rocky Point near Cannelton weighed five-bass limits up to 8 pounds, 9 ounces this past weekend, per MLF News's recap of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on the river — a solid sign bass are still feeding well despite deep-summer heat. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat flow and temp as unconfirmed until you check a local source before launching. Tactical Bassin's summer coverage notes bass on Midwest reservoirs and rivers are splitting into predictable summer groups right now and responding best to adjusted presentations as boat traffic and heat build through the day. Wired 2 Fish points to the classic dawn-and-dusk window as the most reliable stretch for a true feeding frenzy this time of year, when baitfish get pushed to the surface. Catfish typically settle into a strong bite through August on Ohio and Cumberland River water regardless of bass activity, a seasonal pattern rather than a specific report this cycle.
Dawn and Dusk Windows Set the Pace for MS River Bass
No fresh buoy or gauge data came in for the Mississippi and Pearl River systems this cycle, and none of our tracked sources filed a Mississippi-specific report either, so this update runs on typical August patterns for the region's warmwater fishery. Largemouth bass are on the classic summer clock: Wired 2 Fish this week highlighted the low-light "jumps" window at dawn and dusk, when gamefish push baitfish to the surface for an exciting, short-lived bite, while Tactical Bassin's summer coverage stresses adapting bait choice through the day as conditions shift from dark and dreary to windy to post-frontal. Expect that same pattern on Pearl and Mississippi River backwaters and oxbows, with bass sliding to deeper cover and current breaks once the sun gets high. Catfish typically stay steady through the heat this time of year, while crappie and bream settle into a slower, structure-hugging pattern. The new moon should sharpen those low-light feeding windows.
Heat pattern shapes Okeechobee and St. Johns bass action
No direct reports came in this cycle from Lake Okeechobee or St. Johns River sources, so this update leans on the broader late-summer bass pattern national fishing outlets are describing for early-August waters like these. Per Wired 2 Fish, summer bass on busy, boat-heavy waterways bite best early and late in the day, with midday action falling off as pressure and heat build. Tactical Bassin (blog) notes that once temperatures peak, bass separate into predictable summer groups and become locatable once you understand a few key variables tied to structure and comfort. With a new moon overhead, low-light bites should sharpen around dawn and dusk. Panfish and catfish typically stay steadier through the heat than bass or crappie. Water temperature and flow readings were unavailable for this cycle, so check a local gauge before planning a trip.
Hoot-owl heat forces early starts on Yellowstone, Missouri waters
Montana FWP counts 23 waterbodies now under hoot-owl restrictions across 1,223 stream miles for 2026, with fishing barred from 2 p.m. to midnight on those stretches as rising water temperatures put trout at risk (MT FWP Fishing News). New sections of the lower Beaverhead River near Dillon join the list beginning Aug. 5, and additional statewide restrictions and a few localized closures took effect July 29 across southwest and western Montana rivers and creeks. FWP also kicked off further native Yellowstone cutthroat trout conservation work in the upper Shields River watershed starting Aug. 10. With trout under heat stress, Trout Unlimited's summer advisory suggests shifting some pressure to warmwater species like bass and panfish to protect stressed fisheries. Expect the best cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout action in the cool early-morning hours before the 2 p.m. closure window, on whichever Yellowstone and Missouri River system stretches aren't currently restricted.
Deep-water tactics take over as PA tailwaters settle into peak summer
Fishing the Midwest's latest walleye column sets the tone for what's actually changing in the Allegheny system right now: writers Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen describe forward-facing sonar exposing suspended fish well off the bottom-and-structure spots anglers default to, a shift worth carrying into any Pittsburgh-area tailwater trip this week. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this region on this cycle, so treat conditions here as a seasonal pattern read rather than a live snapshot. Peak August heat typically pushes Allegheny-system smallmouth bass into deeper, cooler holding water through the day, the positioning Tactical Bassin walks through in its recent summer-bass coverage, while Wired 2 Fish points to the classic dawn-and-dusk "jumps" as the highest-percentage topwater window left in the heat. Tailwater trout fisheries stay governed by the PA Fish & Boat Commission's stocking updates and season regulations, worth a check before targeting cooler dam-release stretches. Muskellunge activity typically eases through the hottest stretch of August.
North Shore Trout and Salmon Bite Stays Steady as Summer Deepens
Anglers working Lake Superior's North Shore out of Duluth and Two Harbors are into a steady bite for 18- to 30-inch Lake Trout, plus 16- to 21-inch Coho Salmon and a few 20- to 24-inch Chinook, according to the MN DNR Lake Superior Summer Fishing report released August 6. Surface temps ran from the low 60s near Duluth down into the mid-40s near Two Harbors this week, per the same report, with warmer water pushing offshore and cooler nearshore pockets typical of late-summer stratification on the big lake. The spring steelhead and smelt runs that dominated the North Shore's tributaries through May have wrapped, per earlier MN DNR North Shore Fishing Reports, and effort has shifted to open-water trolling programs. Inland, walleye anglers around the Twin Cities and North Woods lakes are increasingly working suspended fish with forward-facing sonar rather than bottom structure alone, a shift Fishing the Midwest has been documenting all season. Construction at the McQuade intersection and Lighthouse Point Road continues to affect North Shore access.
Mississippi Sound anglers count down to Labor Day snapper reopening
Mississippi's Department of Marine Resources confirmed this week that private-angler Red Snapper season reopens at 12:01 a.m. Friday, September 4, running through Labor Day at 11:59 p.m., per MS DMR — a two-fish limit with a 16-inch minimum, extending to weekends-only afterward if quota remains. That's the headline for Mississippi Sound right now, since snapper stay off-limits for a few more weeks and effort is shifting inshore. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so there's no hard water-temp number to report here — expect it to sit in the typical warm range for Mississippi Sound in mid-August. Redfish and speckled trout remain the steadier plays through the closure, working marsh edges, grass lines, and deeper channel structure as the heat holds. Check current MS DMR regulations before harvesting anything, and confirm size and bag limits close to your trip date.
Indiana's Lake Michigan shoreline settles into typical August patterns
No buoy or gauge readings came through for the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan this cycle, and none of this week's shop, charter, or state-agency feeds filed a dedicated report for the Michigan City/Portage/Burns Harbor stretch specifically. The one comparative data point available is lake-wide: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes 2024 was a standout year for Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead harvest across the lake, with strong alewife survival helping stocked fish numbers. That's basin-wide history, not a live bite report, but it sets a healthy baseline for what this fishery has been producing. Absent direct intel, this report leans on the calendar: mid-August on southern Lake Michigan usually means salmon and steelhead holding in cooler water well offshore, with yellow perch and smallmouth bass providing more accessible nearshore action. Treat the species status below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite until fresher local reports come in.