Fishing reports
18871 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Bonito push into Buzzards Bay as Vineyard Sound rips heat up
A strong push of bonito swung into the South County Rhode Island shoreline and moved east along the coast into Buzzards Bay this week, per The Fisherman (Northeast)'s New England Video Fishing Forecast — a solid sign the false-albacore season is arriving on schedule. In eastern Vineyard Sound, Falmouth Bait and Tackle (via The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands) reports blues and mixed bonito coming from the rips off the Falmouth Sound shoreline, along with larger scup and sea bass for anglers working the same structure. Striped bass remain in the mix but inconsistent: Sports Port notes school stripers and blues from Falmouth to Hyannis, with better schoolie and slot action on night tides toward Chatham, while shark pressure around Cape Cod is pushing some captains to work bass more cautiously. We're seeing a classic early-August transition setting up ahead of the fall run.
Puget Sound salmon season builds as August push takes hold
Washington's statewide creel and catch monitoring remains the benchmark for tracking Puget Sound and Pacific coast conditions, per WA WDFW Fishing Reports, and this week's scan of regional sources turned up no fresh WA-specific catch intel beyond that baseline — worth flagging so anglers lean on WDFW's site directly for area-by-area detail before heading out. That said, early-to-mid August is typically the heart of the Puget Sound and coastal Chinook season, with fish staging off popular grounds and pushing toward terminal areas as the month progresses, while coho start showing more consistently as August wears on. Dungeness crab pots remain a reliable summer add-on across the Sound. Halibut, by contrast, usually winds down by now as quota-managed seasons close out earlier in summer. With a waning crescent moon this week, expect typical tidal swings rather than anything extreme — check WDFW updates and local tide tables before planning a trip.
Trout bite holds steady in Pensacola-area bays as summer heat lingers
An angler on the Pensacola Fishing Forum reported a mixed trout bite in the Mobile Bay area this week, boating two keepers on four bites before rough conditions pushed the boat off the water by mid-morning, the kind of choppy, heat-driven pattern typical of a Gulf Panhandle August. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Destin-Pensacola corridor today, so treat sky and swell as unconfirmed until you check a local forecast. A separate forum post described a run to a nearshore FAD chasing wahoo, though building storms cut the trip short before bait showed up in numbers, again single-source chatter rather than a confirmed pattern. With no shop, charter, or state-agency reports specific to this stretch of coast in this run's feed, we're leaning on typical late-summer seasonality: speckled trout and redfish working grass flats and bay edges early and late, and Spanish and king mackerel schooling over nearshore structure as the afternoon heat pushes fish deeper.
Yellowtail and mutton snapper keep Keys anglers busy this summer
Yellowtail and mutton snapper have dominated recent reports out of the Florida Keys, with ALL IN Key West describing 'huge yellow tails' and 'mutton snappers chewing like crazy' during this year's full-moon spawn run. Bud n' Mary's Islamorada Fishing Marina's early-summer report backs that up, calling June and early July prime time for tarpon on the bridges, mahi offshore in the Gulf Stream, and yellowtail on the reef, with warm water, calm seas and abundant bait fueling the bite. Sailfish showed up early too, per ALL IN Key West, with strong Gulfstream currents pushing fish close to Key West. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida is tracking a court injunction against this year's South Atlantic red snapper pilot program, so anglers should check current federal/state rules before targeting snapper species offshore. Overall, the Keys flats-and-offshore complex remains in its productive summer stretch.
Porgy limits and improving fluke keep CT anglers busy as sharks scatter stripers
CT anglers are stacking porgy limits this week — Black Hawk reports "limits of porgies all around the boat" on nearly every bottom trip, with black sea bass, triggerfish, and the occasional fluke mixed in, per The Fisherman — Connecticut. Fluke fishing continues to build too, with J&B Tackle noting solid catches by Montauk and Cerberus Shoal and around Sarah's Ledge, Two Tree Channel, Black Point, and Hatchetts Reef. Striped bass action, strong for much of the summer, has "paused" according to Tartan II and grown "more difficult" per J&B Tackle, both pointing to a heavy presence of brown sharks pushing bass off their usual grounds — Black Hawk even hooked one boatside while porgy fishing. Bluefish, mostly harbor-sized, are filling the gap for anglers chasing bass. Fort Trumbull Pier remains a dependable shore option for bass, fluke, scup, and tog per AW Marina.
Spanish mackerel bite fires up along the Cape Lookout coast
Spanish mackerel are stacking up along Cape Lookout and the piers from Swansboro to Atlantic Beach this week, with the bigger fish holding closer to the Cape itself, per Fisherman's Post (NC). Anglers throwing casting jigs and Gotcha plugs off the Emerald Isle pier are connecting with spanish mackerel and bluefish, and a few king mackerel have shown up in the mix too. Further south at Carolina Beach, surf anglers are finding a typical summer spread of red drum, flounder, croakers, and assorted sharks. On the Northern Beaches, bottom fishing in the surf is producing sea mullet, bluefish, and plenty of croakers, with the inshore bite reportedly starting to come around after a slower stretch. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so pair this report with a local check on water temp and wind before heading out. The Waning Crescent moon favors low light bites early and late this week.
Hawaii's summer pelagic bite carries into waning crescent week
No buoy or gauge readings came through for Hawaiian waters this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feed carried no charter, tackle-shop, or captain reports on current Island conditions — HI Sea Grant's latest posts covered coastal research and fellowship news rather than what's biting. Leaning on general seasonal knowledge for mid-August, this is typically peak window for offshore pelagics around the Islands: ahi (yellowfin tuna), mahimahi, and ono are all commonly active in blue water this time of year, while giant trevally (ulua) stays a year-round shoreline and reef target, especially working dawn and dusk. The waning crescent moon this week means darker nights, which many Hawaii shore anglers treat as a mild edge for low-light bottom and rock fishing. Treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed local reports — check with a local shop or captain before planning a trip, particularly for any species-specific or area-specific intel we don't have this cycle.
Lake Michigan salmon season keeps rolling for Indiana anglers
No live buoy or gauge readings came back for the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan this cycle, so this report leans on lakewide context rather than a fresh bite report. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report flagged a standout 2024 season lakewide, with anglers landing a record 210,000-plus coho salmon and more than 160,000 Chinook salmon, the most since 2012, as strong alewife survival boosted the stocked salmon and steelhead classes. That kind of year-class strength typically carries forward into following seasons as those fish mature, and August is traditionally peak deep-water trolling time for Chinook, coho, and steelhead off the Indiana shoreline, with yellow perch starting to group up on nearshore structure as summer wears on. We don't have angler-specific intel for the Indiana shoreline this week, so treat the species outlook below as seasonal expectation, not a confirmed bite, and check with a local shop or captain before running out.
Erie walleye and smallmouth stay steady as flows hold flat
Direct, fresh intel specific to Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay is thin this week, so this update leans on regional trends and typical late-summer patterns for the broader Great Lakes basin. A nearby Erie-tributary USGS gauge (04213000) is holding a steady, unremarkable base flow near 48 cfs as of midday today, consistent with normal August low-water conditions and no recent rain pulse pushing water up. On the technique side, Fishing the Midwest has been tracking a broader Great Lakes shift toward locating suspended walleye with forward-facing sonar rather than working bottom structure alone, a pattern worth trying on Erie's open water. For smallmouth around Presque Isle Bay, where midday recreational boat traffic is heavy in August, Wired 2 Fish's advice to fish the early and late low-light windows applies directly. Yellow perch should remain a dependable, if unspectacular, summer option. Treat species activity below as seasonally typical rather than confirmed hot bites until more local, on-the-water reports come in.
Fall Chinook Anticipation Builds on Columbia Tributaries
Water at our monitored Columbia system gauge (USGS 14113000) read 59°F this morning with flow holding near 751 cfs, comfortable conditions for resident trout and the early edge of anadromous fish movement through Washington's rivers. WDFW's statewide creel and stocking reports track exactly this kind of activity, from access site angler interviews to lake and stream stocking updates, and provide the baseline picture for what's typically working across state freshwater fisheries this time of year. With water in the high 50s and flow neither blown out nor low and clear, conditions favor early mornings and low light windows before the day warms and pressure builds. Late summer on Columbia and Puget Sound tributaries typically means resident rainbows holding in deeper runs while the first push of fall run fish begins staging near river mouths, though specific on the water bite reports for these systems were not available in today's feeds. Check current WDFW regulations and stocking updates before heading out.
Ohio reservoir bass and walleye adjust as summer heat settles in
USGS gauge 03110000 logged a steady flow of 184 cfs this morning, an unremarkable early-August reading that points to stable, typical late-summer conditions across Mosquito and Pymatuning. Water temperature wasn't directly measured at either reservoir, but expect the warm, stratified profile typical for this point in the season. Bass fishing turns tricky once midday heat and recreational boat traffic pile on, and Tactical Bassin's recent summer coverage notes that bass have split into two distinct groups by August, some suspending off structure, others tucked into shade and current breaks, which rewards anglers who fish the extreme edges of the day. On the walleye side, Fishing the Midwest points out that forward-facing sonar has changed where anglers find fish once presumed to be bottom-huggers, with more walleye now located suspended rather than glued to bottom contours. No Mosquito- or Pymatuning-specific bite reports came through this week, so treat the species notes below as seasonal defaults rather than confirmed local bites.
Winnipesaukee bass settle into a steady summer deep-water pattern
USGS gauge 01081000 read a steady 432 cfs as of midday Monday, with no water-temperature data available from today's feed. Direct on-the-water reports from Winnipesaukee itself weren't part of today's intake, so this update leans on the broader New England freshwater picture rather than a confirmed local bite. Per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, largemouth are still eating shiners tight to shoreline docks and drop-edges on nearby Massachusetts waters, and smallmouth are holding on deep structure and answering spinnerbaits fished slow along river channels. Expect a similar mid-August pattern on Winnipesaukee's rocky points and deep drop-offs as surface water stays warm. Lake trout and landlocked salmon typically slide into deeper, cooler water and go quieter once the thermocline sets up this time of season, and nothing in today's intel contradicts that. Treat this as a seasonal-pattern read, not a confirmed on-lake report, until more direct intel comes in.
Cumberland tailwater trout bite favors low, clear flows
Flow at the Cumberland River tailwater gauge below Wolf Creek Dam (USGS 03413200) read just 6.45 cfs as of early afternoon on August 10, a level consistent with turbines off or running minimal generation. Low, non-generation flow on this stretch usually means clearer, more wadeable water, though it can also push trout into deeper runs and slower pools once the cold discharge mixing that normally chills the tailwater eases off. No water-temperature reading came through with this update, so check conditions on arrival, especially with August heat working on surface temps lake-wide. We don't have a direct shop, charter, or agency report on Lake Cumberland or the tailwater in today's feed, so this update leans on typical seasonal patterns for the fishery rather than fresh testimony: tailwater trout holding in current breaks, and lake bass and stripers settling into a classic summer thermocline pattern.
Elevated Mississippi flows push walleye and smallmouth to current breaks
The USGS gauge at station 05420500 read 82°F with flow running 35,100 cfs as of this morning, well above a typical calm late-summer stage for the Clinton-Dubuque pools. That kind of push loads current through wing dams and rock structure, concentrating baitfish and giving walleye and smallmouth bass defined current breaks to set up on rather than scattering fish across open flats. Per Fishing the Midwest, summer walleyes are increasingly holding off-bottom rather than glued to classic structure, a shift driven largely by forward-facing sonar changing how anglers locate fish, and a half-crawler harness worked slow through current seams (a tactic Jason Mitchell Outdoors is running this week) remains a solid starting point. High, stained water is typically a dependable window for channel catfish on cut bait. Smallmouth should be working wing-dam eddies and rock seams rather than skinny water in this heat. Check Iowa DNR regulations before harvesting.
Missouri River walleye settle into summer patterns as reports stay quiet
USGS gauge 06440200 logged a flow reading of 0 cfs as of 11:30 a.m. today, with no water temperature reported for this cycle. Direct fishing intel for South Dakota's Missouri River and Black Hills waters was thin in today's feeds, so we're leaning on general seasonal knowledge for what's biting. Regionally, Fishing the Midwest notes anglers using forward-facing sonar to locate walleye suspending over open water and off traditional bottom structure this time of year, a trend broadly applicable to reservoir stretches of the Missouri. That same source describes bass keying on moving baits worked over emerging weed edges, a pattern that typically carries into smallmouth activity on rocky Missouri River structure through August. Channel catfish generally stay active in warm water this month, while Black Hills trout streams tend to fish best in the cooler early-morning hours before midday heat sets in. Verify current flow and water clarity before launching, and check regs before keeping fish.
Colorado trout rivers stay tight as summer heat and drought squeeze flows
Our Colorado River gauge logged 72°F this morning, already above the 68°F mark Cutthroat Anglers flags as the point to stop fishing and protect stressed trout. It's the latest sign of a summer that Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing calls the worst drought on record for the state, with historically low snowpack pushing flows down early. Crystal Fly Shop's reports on the Roaring Fork and the Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and Rifle note CPW voluntary closures are in effect on parts of both, while the Crystal River stays open below Redstone and is fishing great in low, clear, cold water above the closure line. The Frying Pan remains a reliable cold-water refuge, running in the 40s below Ruedi Reservoir with afternoon PMD, BWO, and Green Drake activity. Anglers Covey notes August heat has rivers slowing and fish turning lazier, while Cutthroat Anglers' Matt Campanella says fish are grouped up and still catchable for anglers willing to hike further or downsize.
Saginaw Bay anglers lean on typical August walleye patterns
Real-time buoy and gauge data for the Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay area came back empty this cycle, so this window is anecdotal rather than measured. Regional and statewide feeds circulating this week didn't carry verifiable Saginaw Bay or Lake Huron intel, so we're leaning on typical August patterns for the fishery instead of citing conditions nobody actually reported. Early-to-mid August is usually a transition stretch on Saginaw Bay: walleye tend to hold in deeper basin water and respond to trolling crawler harnesses or spinner rigs as surface temps stay warm, yellow perch scatter over deeper structure and mud flats, and smallmouth bass work rock piles and reefs along the Lake Huron shoreline. Nearshore Chinook and steelhead activity is usually building toward the late-summer push. Treat this as seasonal expectation, not a confirmed bite report, until fresh gauge readings or a dated regional report come back through.
Summer Bass Bite Shifts Early and Deep Across Santee, Murray
USGS gauge 02160390 is holding a steady 182 cfs as of midday Wednesday, a moderate, stable flow that keeps current seams working through the Santee system even without a fresh water-temperature reading at this station. With water in the Lowcountry running full summer-warm by early August, largemouth bass are following the pattern Wired 2 Fish lays out for busy recreational lakes this time of year: go early, go late, and get away from pleasure-boat traffic for the best shot at topwater fish. Tactical Bassin's summer breakdown of where bass position once temperatures peak backs that up, and their recent piece on August's overlooked baits points to jigs and swimbaits still drawing bites as the morning flurry fades. Landlocked stripers typically slide deep and suspend near cooler current breaks in this heat, while blue catfish, the system's signature draw, stay reliably active on deep cut bait through August regardless of the thermometer.
Potomac smallmouth dig in as elevated summer flows persist
USGS gauge 01646500 on the Potomac was reading 2,400 cfs as of midday August 10 — noticeably up from a typical late-summer base flow, which usually settles lower and clearer this time of year. Water temperature wasn't captured in this reading, so we're working from seasonal norms rather than a hard number: expect mainstem surface temps solidly in the upper 70s to low 80s, with cooler pockets in shaded Shenandoah feeder creeks. No angler-specific reports came through our regional feeds this cycle for the Potomac or Shenandoah systems, so this update leans on typical August patterns rather than fresh word from the water. Elevated, slightly stained flow tends to push smallmouth bass into deeper runs and current breaks where the bite gets tougher, while largemouth tuck into shallow cover and slack-water edges, and catfish stay a dependable option when the river's up and moving. Check current Virginia freshwater regulations before harvesting anything you land.
Low, clear flows test UP trout streams as whitefish buzz builds
USGS gauge 04059500 logged flow at 44.2 cfs late this morning, a modest reading that points to low, clear water across the Upper Peninsula's trout streams heading into mid-August. Water temperature wasn't reported from the gauge, but flows this low typically mean gin-clear pools and spookier fish once the sun gets up. On the Lake Superior side, WI DNR Lake Superior Fishing continues to flag lake whitefish as a fishery that has emerged in popularity around the Chequamegon Bay region, a trend worth watching as interest extends along the lake's south shore. Specific bite reports for UP streams and open Lake Superior water were thin across this week's intel sweep, so we're leaning on typical late-summer patterns here: brook and brown trout sliding into low-light feeding windows, lake trout holding deeper as surface temps peak. Check current regulations before targeting trout or whitefish this week.
Bass bite holds strong across central Massachusetts as reservoirs settle into summer pattern
Direct reports from Quabbin and Wachusett themselves are thin this week, but regional Massachusetts freshwater intel gives a useful read on how the state's fish are behaving. Per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, Roger Aziz Jr. describes smallmouth action on the Merrimack River in Methuen as consistently good, with bronzebacks running 10 inches to 2 pounds falling for spinnerbaits from the Lawrence dam down to Haverhill. Elsewhere in the state, Jerry's Bait and Tackle in Milford reports largemouth to 5.5 pounds on shiners fished from shore, and Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay calls kayak bass fishing tremendous on topwater plugs and soft plastics worked along bottom structure. The one hard local number we have is USGS gauge 01174500 running a lean 19.7 cfs, consistent with typical low, clear late-summer flow for the region. With surface water still warm this time of year, expect trout and salmon at Quabbin and Wachusett to hold deep while bass stay the more reliably active target close to shore and structure.
Hill Country bass beat the August heat with early starts and deep jigs
The Colorado River gauge below the Highland Lakes (USGS 08158000) held a steady 192 cfs this morning, a modest late-summer release typical for Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan once the peak-heat pattern locks in. No direct water-temp reading came through on the gauge today, but with statewide air temps running hot, expect the reservoirs thermally stratified and largemouth bass pushed toward deeper structure and shade lines during the day. Per Wired 2 Fish, summer bass on busy recreational lakes respond best to an early-and-late approach, working the first and last light windows before boat traffic picks up; Tactical Bassin echoes that bass positioning shifts hard once the water heats, with jigs and swimbaits working slower for sluggish fish holding tight to cover. Nearby Canyon Lake, per My Canyon Lake Fishing, is running about 8 feet higher than this time last year and still rated ideal for boating and fishing, a reasonable proxy for regional lake health across the broader Hill Country chain this season.
High water tests Kenai-area anglers as coho arrivals loom
The interior gauge (USGS 15266300) read 50°F this morning with flow running an elevated 13,900 cfs, a combination that keeps water pushing hard and off-color through Kenai-area tributaries. No fresh charter, shop, or agency reports came through for Alaska this cycle, so today's read leans on typical early-August patterns rather than confirmed intel: late-run sockeye are usually tailing off by now, the first push of coho (silver) salmon typically starts showing in interior systems around this window, and resident rainbow trout and Dolly Varden key in on drifting salmon eggs behind spawning fish. High, cool flow like this generally favors weighted egg patterns and slower, deeper presentations over surface gear until the water starts to drop and clear. Treat today's species read as seasonal-pattern guidance, not a confirmed bite report, until local sources check in.
Smokies trout dial back as summer heat leans in
Our gauge reading this afternoon puts the water on the warm side of comfortable for wild trout, still shy of dangerous but trending the wrong direction for August. Trout Unlimited's summer field notes flag exactly this window: once mountain streams push into the high 60s, many anglers ethically ease off salmonids and pick up smallmouth bass with streamers instead of stressing fish that are already working hard to breathe. For Smokies rainbows, browns, and brookies, that argues for first-light and last-light windows only, quick fights, wet hands, and fast releases, skipping the heat of the day entirely. Fish should be holding tight to shade, pocket water, spring seeps, and higher-elevation feeder creeks where temps run noticeably cooler than the mainstem. No direct Western NC trout reports came through today's intel feed, so read this as seasonal guidance rather than a fresh bite report until more localized sourcing lands.