Fishing reports
18871 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Summer heat pushes bass and stripers deep at Smith Mountain, Buggs Island
USGS gauge 02075045 logged 986 cfs this morning, a steady flow keeping water moving through the Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island (Kerr Lake) system without the wild swings that follow a hard rain. Water temp wasn't reported at this gauge, but August afternoons on both reservoirs typically push surface temps well into the 80s. Per Wired 2 Fish's guide to summertime bass on busy recreational waterways, the smart play right now is working early and late to beat both the heat and the pleasure-boat traffic that picks up on Smith Mountain by midday. Tactical Bassin's August breakdown notes bass separate onto predictable main-lake structure once a thermocline sets up, holding tighter to points, ledges, and deeper brush as the sun climbs. Buggs Island's striper fishery, which the lake is well known for, should be following the same pattern this time of year, suspending over river-channel structure to stay in cooler, oxygenated water through the midday stretch.
Toledo Bend bass push deep as summer heat settles in
The Sabine system's USGS gauge near Toledo Bend read a low, stable flow just above 2 cfs early this morning, in line with the typical late-summer stage for this stretch, though today's pull came back without a fresh water-temperature reading. With surface temps almost certainly deep into summer range, largemouth bass are likely following the pattern Tactical Bassin lays out for August: fish splitting into distinct groups by depth and cover and sliding onto deeper structure through the heat of the day. Wired 2 Fish's go-early-go-late advice for busy recreational lakes applies directly here as pleasure-boat traffic builds through midday. Catfish typically stay a dependable target regardless of pressure. Direct, on-the-water reports specific to Toledo Bend and the Sabine border were thin in today's feeds, so treat this as seasonal-pattern guidance rather than a fresh bite report from the lake itself.
Olympic Peninsula salmon rivers hold steady on low summer flows
USGS gauge 12041200 logged 566 cfs early Sunday morning, with a second Olympic Peninsula station, gauge 12035000, running lower at 293 cfs — both readings sit in the typical base-flow range for deep summer, and neither station reported a water temperature this cycle. WA WDFW's Fishing and Stocking Reports page remains the state's central source for creel checks and stocking updates on Peninsula rivers, though this week's feed didn't surface specific catch counts or hot spots for the region, so we're leaning on seasonal patterns rather than fresh creel data. With flows steady and no rain event showing up in the numbers, fish are more likely holding in lower-river and tidewater stretches than pushing hard upstream. Early August typically has Chinook still working through the system while coho numbers stay light ahead of their bigger September push. Check current WDFW regulations before targeting either species on these waters.
Summer heat pushes Georgia bass to dawn-and-dusk bite windows
Georgia Outdoor News' Joshua Barber flagged the Savannah River watershed running steady this week, with the Clyo gauge holding at 4.6 feet, and our own reading on the region's monitored reach shows flow steady around 4,430 cfs with no water-temperature data currently available. That kind of steady, elevated summer flow tends to push largemouth bass onto deeper structure through the heat of the day, a pattern Tactical Bassin's midsummer breakdown ties to how bass separate by depth once the water warms. Wired 2 Fish adds that early-morning and late-evening windows are the play on busy recreational water this time of year, when both boat traffic and heat spike. Bream and catfish should stay dependable producers through August regardless of pressure or timing. The Georgia Wildlife Blog continues steering anglers toward the state's Public Fishing Areas for family-friendly options as the region eases into late summer. No striper activity has been reported on this reach recently, so treat that bite as slow until things cool.
Early risers win as hoot owl limits spread across MT rivers
Rising water temperatures have pushed Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to expand hoot owl restrictions to 23 waterbodies covering roughly 1,223 stream miles across southwest and western Montana, per MT FWP Fishing News, with new afternoon closures added to the lower Beaverhead River starting Aug. 5 and additional river reaches restricted in the surrounding region. The rules prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight daily, so the productive window on Yellowstone and Missouri River drainages is compressing hard into early mornings, an approach MT FWP's own "Early Risers" advisory recommends outright. USGS gauge 06043500 logged flow near 436 cfs early Sunday morning, a steady read with no sign of a spike or drop. MT FWP also flagged the start of additional native Yellowstone cutthroat trout conservation work in the upper Shields River watershed this week, and the new Siskin Island Fishing Access Site near Livingston, an 82-acre donated island complex that opens fresh water on the upper Yellowstone. Plan trips around the coolest hours; restricted stretches stay off-limits every afternoon regardless of how good the morning bite is.
Steady Piscataquis flows keep Kennebec-Penobscot smallmouth locked in
The Piscataquis River gauge (USGS 01046500) logged 1,560 cfs as of 8:15 AM this morning, a solid push of water for the Penobscot drainage heading into mid-August. No water-temperature reading came through with this cycle's gauge data, so anglers should check a thermometer or local report before deciding how deep to fish. Direct "what's biting" intel for the Kennebec and Penobscot river systems was thin in this cycle's sweep; our angler-intel feeds skewed toward national bass content rather than Maine-specific reports. That said, general August patterns should hold: smallmouth bass typically stay the most reliable target in Maine's moving water this time of year, working current seams and rocky structure. Elsewhere in New England, shops and captains covered by The Fisherman's freshwater desk are seeing largemouth respond to Ned rigs, wacky worms, and shallow topwater frogs in warm, weedy water, a pattern likely to carry over to Kennebec and Penobscot backwaters and coves as well.
Fluke Turns On Around Sandy Hook as Bluefish and Bonito Mix In
Capt. Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged back-to-back banner days this past week, boxing double limits of quality fluke in the 3-to-5-pound range, with Mustache Richie topping the pool at 4 pounds, 3 ounces — per the captain, the best flatfish action the boat has seen all season. Black sea bass are filling in steadily behind the fluke on most drifts. Farther up the coast, OTW's Northern New Jersey report has bluefin tuna working within roughly 30 miles, bonito mixed into schools of bluefish out front, and keeper fluke stacking up on wreck and reef sites, with party boats picking off 6-to-10-pound bluefish on diamond jigs. It's shaping up as a solid mid-August stretch for Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook: fluke are the clear headline, sea bass are filling coolers behind them, and bluefish and bonito are giving light-tackle anglers something to chase out front.
High water challenges Allegheny smallmouth as summer heat holds
The Allegheny system gauge (USGS 03036500) logged 11,600 cfs this morning, a notably high push for early August that's staining the water and strengthening current seams through the Pittsburgh-area tailwaters. No direct PA catch reports came through the regional feeds this cycle, so the species notes below lean on seasonal pattern and the flow data rather than a fresh bite report; we're flagging that honestly rather than guessing. High, stained flow typically pushes smallmouth bass and channel catfish onto current breaks and eddies to feed, the kind of positioning Tactical Bassin describes for summer bass generally, while Fishing the Midwest notes more anglers using forward-facing sonar to find walleye holding on structure instead of bottom alone. Muskellunge tend to go quiet in peak summer heat regardless of flow. Expect the bite to improve as water clears and settles over the next few days.
Moosehead Lake fish settle into steady summer pattern
Flow at USGS gauge 01030500 on the upper Penobscot held near 89.6 cfs as of Monday morning, a stable, moderate stage for early August with no spike or drop that would suggest fish are getting pushed off their usual holds. Water temperature wasn't reported at this gauge, but a steady flow this deep into summer typically means Moosehead Lake's togue and landlocked salmon have settled into cool, deep lies near the thermocline, while smallmouth bass keep working rocky coves and drop-offs on topwater during low-light hours. Brook trout fishing in the smaller feeder streams and spring holes around the upper Penobscot watershed tends to slow this time of year as water warms, pushing fish toward the coldest pockets available. No shop, charter, or state-agency reports specific to Moosehead Lake or the upper Penobscot came through this cycle, so treat the species outlook below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite reports, and check current regs before harvesting.
Pine Barrens pickerel turn on as Delaware River stays off-color
USGS gauge 01408000 is reading a modest 23.1 cfs as of early Wednesday morning, a sign of low, stable flow moving through the Delaware River and Pine Barrens system. That water is behaving differently depending on where you fish it. Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown reports the Delaware River ran dirty from recent storms and put the smallmouth bite on hold, while nearby Nockamixon is still giving up bass and hybrids when conditions cooperate, per the same shop's report carried in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater roundup. South Jersey's cedar waters are faring much better: Allen's Dock and Hands Too Bait and Tackle both note the pickerel bite has come on strong with improved water clarity, with live killies and topwater baits doing the damage. Allen's Dock also flags solid largemouth action in local campground lakes and ponds. Net read for the region: river fisheries are still shaking off runoff while the Pine Barrens' still-water spots are fishing well right now.
Ned Rigs and pad frogs keep Central MA bass biting through summer heat
Roger Aziz Jr. is finding smallmouth bass to 3 pounds on the Merrimack River this week on Aziz-rigged Senkos and Yamamoto Cut Tail Worms, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater. Largemouth action is mixed across the region: Jerry's Bait and Tackle reports a good bite at North Pond (Lake Maspenock), Lake Whitehall and Lake Winthrop on shiners, wacky worms and Ned Rigs, while Red Top Sporting Goods says Plymouth-area ponds, especially Queen Sewell Pond in Bourne, are giving up the biggest bass to a Booyah Pad Crasher Frog worked over lily pads. Not every water is cooperating: Sauder's Boat Livery says Congamond Lakes has turned tough again as water temperatures swing, though deep drop-edges, lily pads and deep-water docks are still holding fish, and a few rainbow and brown trout came off Ned Rigs on a deep hump. Both regional USGS gauges are running near typical summer base flow.
Eastern Washington rivers run high as late-summer bass patterns set in
USGS gauge 12484500 logged flow at 3,570 cfs in this morning's pre-dawn reading, a sign that area rivers still carry real volume heading into the back half of August. Water temperature wasn't captured on this pass, so plan around timing and flow rather than a specific number. No fresh regional catch reports came through today's feeds, so we're leaning on seasonal pattern-matching: smallmouth bass and walleye should be relating to structure and current breaks as summer wears on, while trout water stays coolest early and late. Wired 2 Fish's general advice on fishing summer bass around busy recreational water, get out early, get out late, before boat traffic pushes fish off obvious cover, applies well right now, and Tactical Bassin's notes on how bass group up once water temperatures peak are worth applying to area lakes. Check WDFW's current creel and stocking reports before heading out for the latest local specifics.
High water on the Mississippi pushes catfish to the seams
The Mississippi River is running high and warm at gauge 07374000, logging 246,000 cfs and 81°F this morning, conditions that typically push river fish out of the heaviest current and into eddies, seams, and backwater cuts feeding the Atchafalaya. High, warm flow like this usually favors catfish over bass, since blue and channel cats tolerate stained, fast water and stack up on current breaks and wing dams, while largemouth in adjacent sloughs and oxbows tend to slide deeper or tuck into shade during peak heat. Wired 2 Fish notes summer bass anglers do best fishing early and late to dodge boat traffic and midday heat, while Tactical Bassin (blog) points to slow-worked jigs and swimbaits around cover once the bite fades. On the statewide front, Louisiana Sportsman — Fishing reports LDWF has scheduled a Chicot Lake drawdown for habitat and vegetation control, a reminder that fall fisheries management season is getting underway.
Sea Bass Limits and Shark Action Heat Up the Jersey Shore
Sea bass are running hot along the Jersey Shore right now, with Blue Chip Sportfishing reporting boats limiting out on almost every trip. Fluke fishing has finally turned a corner too: Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands logged a banner day of double limits with quality fish in the 3 to 5 pound range, while Central Jersey shops like Jingles Bait and Tackle and Boulevard Bait & Tackle are mixing keeper flounder in with plenty of shorts. Shark fishing has busted wide open per Blue Chip, with multiple mako sharks hooked and released, and night surf anglers at Hands Too Bait and Tackle and Riptide Bait and Tackle describe the shark bite as insane along the beaches. Offshore, Hands Too says mahi are hot around the lobster pots off Cape May, and The Fisherman's NJ/DE Offshore reports have bluefin tuna and white marlin biting ahead of the 35th MidAtlantic tournament. Triggerfish continue showing up around jetties and reef structure up and down the shore.
Cobia, fluke show promise as August rolls into Chincoteague
Maryland's Chesapeake Bay striped bass fishery closed for all of August, per Coastal Angler Magazine, giving regional rockfish a break during the hottest stretch of summer — a good reminder for anglers working Virginia's Eastern Shore near Chincoteague to check current state regs before targeting stripers this month. Meanwhile the broader Mid-Atlantic bite is trending toward classic late-summer species: a Delaware Bay-region roundup from The Fisherman (Northeast) notes double-digit fluke catches out of the Shark River Inlet fleet, cobia showing up in the bay, and a recent sheepshead bite around structure. Those same warm-water patterns typically extend down the Delmarva coast toward Chincoteague's inlets and nearshore structure as August wears on. No live buoy or gauge readings were available for this report, so plan around typical late-summer conditions — warm, stable water and moving tide near the inlets — until fresh readings come in.
Summer heat pushes Lake Erie, Ohio River bite to dawn and dusk
No fresh USGS reading came through for gauge 03271601 this cycle, and this week's intel sweep turned up no reports specific to Lake Erie or the Ohio River, so we're leaning on regional season patterns rather than a fresh bite report. Tactical Bassin's August rundown on "Where Do Bass Go When Its HOT?!" notes that once temperatures peak, bass split into two predictable groups tied to structure and depth, a pattern that typically holds for Ohio's reservoirs and river backwaters too. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen continue pointing anglers toward Forward-Facing Sonar for locating suspended walleye and bass off traditional bottom structure, a technique worth trying on Erie's open water and the river's deeper holes. Wired 2 Fish's advice on beating summer boat traffic, fish early and fish late, applies directly to Erie's crowded weekend ramps. Expect a dawn-and-dusk pattern to hold until water temps ease.
Smokies tailwater trout bite shifts early as August heat sets in
Real-time flow and temperature data for the Caney Fork gauge (USGS 03565000) weren't reporting this cycle, so today's read leans on the seasonal signal coming out of trout-fishing media. Trout Unlimited's latest note on the "cat days of summer" describes anglers across warm-water trout streams peeling off onto smallmouth bass with streamers once salmonid water gets uncomfortably warm to fish ethically, a pattern that tracks for any dam-controlled tailwater once August heat sets in. Caddis Fly's dog-days nymph report adds that trout feeding turns sporadic and shifts toward cooler, shadier stretches during peak summer, while Reno Fly Shop's Truckee dispatch, covering a similarly hot-running trout fishery, recommends getting on the water early and working the coolest available flow before midday. For the Hiwassee and Caney Fork tailwaters, that points to a dawn-window bite on trout with smallmouth bass as a solid backup once the sun climbs.
MN walleye anglers turn to forward-facing sonar as summer patterns shift
Forward-Facing Sonar is reshaping how Iron Range walleye anglers work summer water, not just where they set up. In this week's 'Blending Old & New,' Mike Frisch of Fishing the Midwest asks whether traditional jigging and livebait-rig tactics still hold up now that FFS has become standard gear on regional lakes, and his read is that the old methods still catch fish, but FFS is changing where anglers look first. Smallmouth bass are settling into typical August behavior; Tactical Bassin notes that once water warms, bass split into predictable groups and key on shade, current breaks, and low-light feeding windows. Our lone flow reading, from USGS gauge 05129115, shows a stable 88 cfs this morning, with no runoff spike or drought stress evident. No water-temperature reading came through this cycle. Northern pike and panfish should be holding typical deep-water and weedline patterns for the season; check state regs before harvesting.
Missouri River bass anglers beat the heat as flows stay high
The USGS gauge at 06934500 is reading water near 83°F with flow running about 65,500 cfs as of this morning, a combination that pushes Missouri and Ozark river bass into classic summer survival mode. Tactical Bassin's "Where Do Bass Go When Its HOT?!" breaks down how fish split into shallow shad-chasers and deeper, structure-oriented groups once water hits the low 80s, and that's the pattern to expect on these readings. Wired 2 Fish's piece on summertime bass on busy recreational waterways backs the same playbook: fish early, fish late, and let the boat traffic have the middle of the day. Walleye anglers on connected Midwest water are leaning on forward-facing sonar to find suspended fish off traditional bottom structure, per Fishing the Midwest's recent coverage. Catfish typically feed well in warm, high water through August, a reliable backup bite when bass slide deep under the midday sun. With flow this elevated, current breaks and stained-water edges are worth extra attention.
North Shore Lake Trout Bite Holds Steady as Mississippi Runs High
Surface water on Lake Superior's North Shore ran 60-65°F near Duluth and 55-60°F near Knife River as of August 6, per the MN DNR Lake Superior Summer Fishing report, with anglers landing 18-30 inch Lake Trout, 16-21 inch Coho Salmon, and a few 20-24 inch Chinook Salmon from all access sites. Inland, the Mississippi is running high through the Twin Cities corridor, 10,500 cfs at the USGS gauge near St. Paul and 3,510 cfs upstream near Anoka, so river anglers should expect elevated, likely stained flows. Across North Woods lakes, Fishing the Midwest notes walleye anglers are leaning more on Forward-Facing Sonar than the old bottom-and-structure playbook, and moving baits worked over emerging weed tops recently produced a heavy largemouth. We're seeing a split bite this week: steady offshore trout and salmon action on Superior, more cautious going on the swollen rivers.
Warm Western Basin water pushes walleye deep as anglers lean on sonar tech
Water temperatures near 78°F and steady flow around 873 cfs mark typical late-summer conditions for Ohio's Western Basin heading into mid-August. This week's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up dedicated Western Basin walleye reports, so we're leaning on regional technique context rather than fresh bite confirmations. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes that forward-facing sonar has reshaped how walleye anglers locate fish this season, with more anglers finding suspended walleye off traditional bottom structure than the old jig-and-crawler-harness playbook assumed. With water this warm, expect walleye to hold deeper and around thermocline edges during peak daylight, with better bite windows at dawn and dusk. Yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and white bass round out the Western Basin's late-summer lineup and should stay active on similar structure-oriented presentations. Check state regs before harvesting, and watch for wind-driven turbidity that can shut down sight-feeding fish on short notice.
Green River trout settle into a summer rhythm below Flaming Gorge
The USGS gauge at site 09234500 on the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam read 60°F and 1,610 cfs as of early Monday morning, a steady tailwater signature for early August. No captain, shop, or agency report came through this cycle specifically for the Flaming Gorge or Green River tailwater fishery, so what follows leans on general seasonal knowledge for this water rather than fresh testimony. At these flows and temperatures, rainbow and brown trout typically stay active through the tailwater's cooler morning and evening windows, with midges and pale morning duns carrying the dry-fly game and terrestrial patterns picking up as afternoons warm. Mountain whitefish remain a steady, if less glamorous, bycatch on nymph rigs. Anglers should expect a classic summer tailwater pattern: early starts, careful wading in the clear flows, and a shift to streamers or hoppers once the sun climbs.
Ozark trout parks ride steady summer flows on the Current and Niangua
USGS gauge 07067000 on the Current River logged flow at 1340 cfs early this morning (Aug 10), a solidly elevated read for mid-August that should help hold water temperatures down through the trout parks stretch. No fresh temperature reading came through on this cycle, but higher flow is generally the trout angler's friend once summer heat sets in. Direct reports out of the Current and Niangua systems were thin in this week's sweep of shop and blog feeds, so treat the fishing outlook below as seasonal guidance rather than confirmed bite. Trout Unlimited's regular reminder about "the cat days of summer" is worth heeding on Ozark spring-fed water too: when air and water temps climb, easing off stressed trout in the warmest afternoon hours protects the fishery, even where spring flow keeps things colder than freestone streams elsewhere. Rainbow trout stocking programs typically keep fish active on nymphs and small streamers worked deep and slow through August; smallmouth in the Niangua's float-fishable reaches should still be chewing on summer patterns as water warms toward midday.
August heat pushes Potomac and Patapsco bass into shade-and-structure patterns
USGS gauge 01589000 read 64.5 cfs as of 7:15 a.m. this morning, a modest, stable flow that points to low, clear late-summer water on the Potomac and Patapsco systems. No water temp reading came through on this check, but flows in this range typically mean warm, settled conditions with fish pushed tight to cover. Regional bass reports specific to this stretch were thin this cycle, so we're leaning on August-pattern guidance from bass-fishing outlets: Tactical Bassin's advice on summer positioning stresses that bass separate into two distinct groups once water heats up, with jigs and swimbaits working when the bite goes subtle. Wired 2 Fish similarly recommends working the early and late windows on busy recreational water once boat traffic picks up midday. Expect largemouth and smallmouth to favor shaded wood, rock, and deeper breaks through the heat of the day, with the bite window opening up around sunrise and again toward dusk.