Fishing reports
18808 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Catfish own the night bite as Iowa rivers settle into August pattern
Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch opened the week asking whether old-school walleye tactics still hold up now that forward-facing sonar has changed how Midwest anglers find fish, and that debate frames conditions on the Iowa and Des Moines Rivers this month. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for either river this cycle, so we're leaning on typical August patterns: catfish are the most dependable target as water warms, working current breaks and holes after dark. Walleye have scattered off traditional bottom structure, and Frisch's Fishing the Midwest colleagues note anglers are finding suspended fish with FFS rather than working classic points and weedlines. Smallmouth bass should still be active around current seams and rock structure typical of Iowa's moving water this time of year. No direct on-the-water reports for these specific rivers came in this cycle, so treat status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite.
Champlain and CT River Settle Into Classic August Bass Pattern
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Connecticut River or Lake Champlain this cycle, so we're leaning on the seasonal pattern rather than a live number. Early August on these waters typically means largemouth and smallmouth bass sliding into a dawn/dusk rhythm, with the hottest window right around first light — per Wired 2 Fish, summer gamefish push baitfish to the surface in short, explosive windows at sunrise and sunset, a pattern that tracks well for Champlain bass right now. Walleye anglers are increasingly leaning on Forward-Facing Sonar to find suspended fish off traditional structure, a shift Fishing the Midwest has been documenting as more anglers move away from bottom-only presentations. Pike tend to sulk in the warmest part of the day this time of year. New moon phase this week can mean stronger low-light bites — worth planning around if you're picking a window to fish.
Red snapper limits keep Galveston boats loaded as summer bite settles
Offshore boats out of Galveston are boxing red snapper limits with regularity right now, per the Galveston Daily News — Reel Report, with bonus grouper, ling, barracuda and the occasional kingfish rounding out coolers. Inshore, Capt. Juan Cruz reported a steady bite all morning on Galveston Bay, and two additional captains out of Galveston Yacht Marina echoed good results from the jetties and the gulf. Action has thinned slightly as families wrap up summer vacations and school starts back, per the same Reel Report column, so trips may take a bit more hunting than a month ago. The CCA-Texas STAR Tournament remains in full swing through Sept. 7, per Texas Fish & Game Magazine's Aug. 2 leaderboard update, keeping plenty of anglers on the water chasing both inshore and offshore divisions. New moon tides this week should help concentrate bait and predators around structure.
Offshore billfish surge as Chesapeake stripers get a break
The headline for Chesapeake mouth anglers this week isn't in the Bay, it's offshore: On The Water reports nearly 1,000 billfish (white marlin, blue marlin, spearfish, and sailfish combined) came across the rail at the 2026 White Marlin Open out of Ocean City, a strong signal that the Mid-Atlantic canyon bite anglers reach from Virginia Beach is firing right now. Closer to shore, striped bass gets more complicated: On The Water notes Maryland has closed recreational striped bass fishing in August to protect young fish, part of a region-wide push to rebuild the stock, so anglers working the upper Bay waters should expect tighter rules and plan alternative targets. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat sky, wind, and water temp as forecast-dependent until the next check. Species diversity, not one hot pattern, is the story right now.
Northwoods walleye and musky settle into a steady mid-summer groove
Water temps across Wisconsin's Northwoods lakes are sitting in the mid-70s after a run of timely cold fronts and cooler nights eased the recent heat, per Rollie & Helen's Musky Shop's early-August report — and that stability has kept the bite consistent across species. Walleye anglers are blending old-school approaches (jigging live bait, pulling leech rigs) with a growing shift toward forward-facing sonar to find fish suspended off traditional structure, a trend Fishing the Midwest has been tracking this season. Musky remain a dependable target through the stable pattern, though Rollie & Helen's flags that thick summer algae blooms are starting to green up some lakes, cutting visibility and shifting oxygen levels enough to factor into where you launch. Passing thunderstorms are also rolling through lake country, and the shop notes the barometric swings around those fronts can trigger short, aggressive musky windows. Panfish stay a reliable summer fallback, and walleye remain a fixture at the classic Northwoods fish boil table.
Sarasota Bay speckled trout bite stays red-hot into peak summer
Speckled sea trout are the story on Sarasota Bay right now. Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters reports trout "aggressively biting" on the grass flats, along mangrove shorelines, and around local passes, with a 27-inch trout landed on a recent trip and clients boating quality fish all week. Naeve notes the peak summer trout bite favors sunrise and sunset feeding windows to beat the heat and pressure. Meanwhile Capt. Rick Grassett's monthly forecast for the region says tarpon are thinning out along the beaches as the season progresses, pushing into inside waters around bridges and deep grass flats, with DOA Shrimp and Baitbusters working in the shallows and juvenile tarpon showing in schools of feeding ladyfish. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat water temp as typical for coastal Southwest Florida in mid-August. With a new moon overhead, expect stronger-than-average tidal movement through the passes.
Bunker-fueled striper blitzes push into Gulf of Maine beaches
Striped bass are putting on a show along the southern Gulf of Maine coast this week, with pogie-fueled blitzes producing fish from 25 to 47 inches around Manomet and other Plymouth-area shorelines, per The Fisherman — South Shore Massachusetts to Maine. Paddletail shads have been a top producer as bass push big schools of bunker right onto the sand, and the same report frames it as an early sign of the fall transition even amid a late-summer heat spike. Offshore, Surfland Bait and Tackle notes mackerel and squid sightings creeping back into local waters, with roving pods of pogies pulling rec-sized bluefin tuna (averaging around 100 pounds) in tight to Plum Island beaches, occasionally crashing striper-focused casts. Beauport Fishing Adventures has mixed offshore bottom-fishing trips back on the calendar for the coming weeks. With a new moon overhead, expect stronger-than-usual tidal movement to concentrate bait and predators along structure and current edges.
Redfish and trout keep the Lowcountry's summer bite alive
Slip-cork rigs baited with live shrimp are still filling coolers with spotted seatrout along the northern South Carolina coast this week, per Fisherman's Post's Carolinas saltwater report out of the Little River area, with red drum holding in the same water. Charleston Harbor sits south of that report but shares the same August pattern typical for the Lowcountry: seatrout and redfish working marsh edges and grass flats while water stays in the warm-season range. Regionally, Coastal Angler Magazine notes NOAA Fisheries opened a public comment period this week on applications from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina seeking more state control over South Atlantic red snapper management, worth watching for anglers planning bottom-fishing trips. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat conditions as seasonal-typical for Charleston Harbor until fresher local data is available.
Tarpon push and permit bite carry into Naples' Gulf Coast summer
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters' most recent trip reports describe a strong push of migratory tarpon intercepted each morning before the crew pivots to sight-fishing large permit through the afternoon, calling the pairing one of the best combos on the Gulf Coast calendar. The same reports note steady kingfish action on plugs and flies, with cobia and amberjack showing up as bonus catches on the flats and nearshore structure. Those observations come from spring trip logs, the freshest angler intel available for this stretch of coast, so the mix is likely shifting as Naples settles into peak summer. No fresh buoy or gauge readings are on file today, so water temps and tide timing aren't confirmed; check local marine forecasts before running offshore. Inshore, snook and redfish remain the reliable summer fallback around mangrove edges and passes, typical for Gulf Coast Florida in August. This week's new moon should sharpen the bite around dawn and dusk feeding windows as tidal flow strengthens.
Fluke Limits and Early Bonito Fuel Narragansett Bay
Fluke are stealing the show in Narragansett Bay right now — Frances Fleet reports anglers limiting out or coming close on quality 6- to 8-pound fish, and Booked Off Charters logged up to 24 keeper fluke on recent trips alongside a strong black sea bass bite. Striped bass are still producing per The Saltwater Edge, which notes tube-and-worm working well by day and topwater paying off early and late, though Quonnie Bait and Tackle and Snug Harbor Marina both flag heavy brown shark pressure pushing boats off striper spots around Block Island, shifting the best bass action to night tides and live scup. Green bonito have moved into the south county beaches and Harbor of Refuge per The Saltwater Edge and Snug Harbor Marina, and The Fisherman's New England forecast confirms a strong bonito push along the entire Rhody shoreline into Buzzards Bay. With the new moon strengthening tidal flow, we're expecting the bite to stay active into the weekend.
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.