Fishing reports
18913 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Albacore run pushes toward NorCal as salmon zones narrow
Offshore action is heating up north of the Golden Gate: Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports an "albacore explosion" off the Mendocino coast this week, with captains Trent Slate (Bite Me Charters), Ryan Ash and Christian Cavanaugh (Outer Limits), and Kevin Browning (aboard the Viking out of Noyo Fishing Charters in Fort Bragg) all connecting on the season's first solid tuna trip. That run sits north of the core SF Bay/Bodega grounds, but it's an encouraging early signal for boats willing to run offshore from Bodega Bay. Closer to home, salmon access is shifting - the same source notes NMFS closed the Klamath Management Zone and that the Fort Bragg Management Area's August 1-9 opener wraps today, so confirm current zone boundaries before planning a salmon trip. No live buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat water temp and swell as unknowns until you check a local source. Rockfish, lingcod, halibut, and Bay stripers remain the reliable early-August options.
Striper bite stays mobile as bluefin push into Gulf of Maine waters
Giant bluefin tuna catches are climbing in the northern stretch of the Gulf of Maine corridor this week, according to The Fisherman's South Shore Massachusetts to Maine report, with correspondent Dave Anderson calling out stripers, bluefin, and even a near-record mahi in the same write-up. Striped bass remain the headline species but the bite keeps shifting: Belsan's Bait and Tackle points anglers toward Fourth Cliff for the hottest action, mostly from boats, while surf guys are picking up fish after dark on needle-style plugs, though with less consistency day to day. A surprise flounder flare-up is also in play, reported near the mouth of the Merrimack and around Sandy Point per that same South Shore report, strong enough that area party boats have taken notice. Offshore, Beauport Fishing Adventures reports dogfish have moved into typical groundfish zones like Stellwagen, muddying bottom-fishing trips, though the bite holds up once anglers work clear of them. No live buoy or gauge data came through for this update.
Redfish and Trout Patterns Build Along Charleston Waters
Per Fisherman's Post's Carolinas saltwater report, anglers working the beaches up near North Myrtle Beach and Little River are picking up summer trout on slip-cork rigs baited with live shrimp, with red drum mixed into that same water — a pattern that typically tracks south into Charleston Harbor's marsh creeks and grass flats as August wears on. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for Charleston Harbor today, so we don't have a hard water-temp number to report; expect it to sit in the mid-to-upper 80s, typical for this stretch of the SC coast in early August. That kind of water holds redfish tight to spartina edges on the falling tide, keeps spotted seatrout working current breaks and dock lights after dark, and puts Charleston squarely in peak tarpon season along the beachfront. Flounder should be starting their late-summer push onto nearshore structure. Check state regs before harvesting any of these species.
Naples tarpon and permit action holds into the August heat
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters' most recent reports describe a season built around intercepting the tarpon migration each morning before switching over to sight-fishing large permit in the afternoons, with kingfish also mixing in on plugs and flies. Those reports were filed in late spring, and the pattern typically carries into early summer along this stretch of the Gulf Coast before tarpon numbers thin out as August wears on. Winter and early-spring trips from the same operation also produced cobia, amberjack, and mangrove and mutton snapper offshore, though that bite tends to slow once summer water temps climb. Salt Strong publishes a weekly regional game plan specifically for the Florida Gulf Coast, a sign this stretch gets steady attention from the fishing-content community even in the dog days. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for this update, so treat water temp as unmeasured and lean on typical August heat and afternoon-storm timing for planning.
Green Bonito Return as Fluke Bite Heats Up in Narragansett Bay
Green bonito are pushing back into Rhode Island waters after a scattered early-July showing, with The Fisherman (Northeast) reporting a strong push swinging into the South County shoreline and moving east into Buzzards Bay. Snug Harbor Marina and Quonnie Bait and Tackle both note bonito showing along the beaches, though they're keying on very small bait and proving tricky to fool. Fluke fishing is trending the right direction: Frances Fleet and Booked Off Charters report solid keeper counts around Block Island, with some fluke over five pounds, alongside a strong black sea bass bite and plenty of scup on the bottom. Tautog reopened August 1, and Quonnie Bait and Tackle reports limit catches already. Striped bass remain trickier in the bay's warmer water, and Booked Off Charters notes brown sharks harassing striper anglers around Block Island, though a near-50-pound bass was released safely this week.
Croaker and bluefish keep OBX surf zone humming
Surf anglers up and down the Outer Banks are into a solid mixed bag right now: per Fisherman's Post (NC), Hugh of TW's Bait and Tackle reports sea mullet, bluefish, and "plenty of croakers" coming off bottom rigs in the surf zone this week, with inshore action finally starting to turn on after a slower stretch. That combination, whiting and croaker thick on bottom bait while bluefish crash the wash, is a classic early-August Outer Banks pattern as water stays warm and bait pushes into the surf line. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water temp as seasonal-typical (upper 70s to low 80s this time of year) rather than a hard number. With a waning crescent moon overhead, low-light dawn and dusk windows should keep producing the best bottom-bite action, and anglers report finding fish is more about working bait through the wash than chasing a specific spot.
St. Lucie Inlet snook bite stays torrid ahead of Sept. 1 reopener
Snook fishing around the St. Lucie Inlet has been excellent for weeks, per Snook Nook (FL)'s August report, with anglers putting up steady numbers of snook and plenty of quality fish in the 40-inch-plus range. The pattern holding: live croakers and threadfins fished around the inlet and along the beach, with a dead threadfin on bottom as a backup when the bite slows (expect some bycatch working that presentation). Remember Florida's snook season is closed for harvest through August and typically reopens September 1, so today's fish are catch-and-release only. Offshore, Treasure Coast crews are dialed in too, Snook Nook's own team recently placed first in the small-boat division of the 2026 One More Bite Sailfish Challenge. Meanwhile Atlantic red snapper season plans are in flux: CCA Florida reports a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper pilot programs just hours before the season was set to open, so check current status before targeting them.
Chesapeake mouth anglers lean on cobia and flounder as summer heat holds
No live buoy or gauge readings came back for the Chesapeake mouth today, and this week's angler-intel feeds skew heavily Northeast and Gulf, so this report leans on typical August patterns for the lower Bay rather than fresh local numbers. The clearest grounded signal: Coastal Angler Magazine reports Maryland has closed its stretch of the Chesapeake Bay to striped bass fishing for all of August, giving the fish a break through the hottest weeks before the fishery reopens September 1 — a strong hint that striper action bay-wide, Virginia's mouth included, is typically slow and heat-stressed right now. Cobia, Spanish mackerel, and summer flounder are the more reliable targets carrying the mouth and lower-Bay action through late summer, with cobia working structure and channel edges and flounder holding on sandy bottom near the inlet. Always check current Virginia regulations before targeting or harvesting, since seasons and closures vary by state and can shift mid-season.
Doormat flounder and tarpon fire up Georgia's coast
A doormat flounder landed by Daniel Smith near St. Simons headlines this week's action, with Joshua Barber's Southern Waters Fishing Report (GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News, Aug. 8) noting the flounder bite has been "firing off" along the Georgia Atlantic Coast. The same report flags a good tarpon bite working the coast's inlets and river mouths as late-summer migrations push through. Inland, the Okefenokee Swamp is running high with fish chewing well, and coastal river gauges cited in the report show the Altamaha at Doctortown up to 5.5 feet and rising, with the Savannah, Ocmulgee, and Alapaha systems holding steady to rising levels feeding into the sounds and marsh creeks anglers fish this time of year. No live buoy or gauge telemetry came back for this run, so treat water temp and current tide state as unconfirmed until the next data pull. Redfish and spotted seatrout remain the reliable late-summer marsh-creek backup while the bigger targets sort themselves out.
Cape Cod Bay Stripers Stay Hot as Bay Boats Find Good-Sized Bass
Boats working Cape Cod Bay are still finding good-sized striped bass, per Goose Hummock Shop, even as heavy rain left the water dirty and the state's commercial striper season winds toward its quota (Massachusetts commercial fishermen have already hauled in their full allotment, per On The Water). Black Rose Fishing Charters reports stripers from slot-size to well over the limit on favorite rips, plus solid bottom fishing and tuna when in range. On the fluke side, Falmouth Bait and Tackle notes a good bite along the Sound shore from the rips off Nobska up through Hyannis, mostly short fish but enough keepers to make the trip worthwhile, while Sports Port also logged a good fluke bite despite rain-dampened effort. Bluefish remain scattered and small, with a few 4-pound-class fish reported off Nobska and Cotuit, no schools yet. We're seeing bonito starting to show around Barnstable Harbor and off Mashpee too.
Great Lakes bite holds steady as MI anglers lean on sonar tech
Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch says decades of "walleye rules" — stick to bottom, hug points and weedlines — are being rewritten as forward-facing sonar keeps turning up suspended fish over open water, a shift worth testing on Great Lakes-connected structure this week. No live buoy or gauge reading came through for the Great Lakes and Grand River corridor this cycle, so treat water conditions as typical-for-August until you're on site. Smallmouth and largemouth bass remain catchable on moving baits worked over emerging weed edges, per the same source, and Tactical Bassin notes August largemouth respond best when anglers adapt bait choice to shifting post-frontal and windy conditions rather than fishing one pattern all day. Outdoor Hub's field notes also place anglers actively trolling for king salmon on open Lake Michigan water. Check the MI DNR's Weekly Fishing Report, last updated Aug 5, for basin-specific detail before you launch.
LA red snapper season closes today, focus shifts inshore
Louisiana's private recreational red snapper season slams shut today, Aug. 9, after LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth signed an emergency declaration ending the run, per Louisiana Sportsman — Fishing. That pushes Gulf Coast and Delta anglers back toward inshore water for the rest of the week. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so this report leans on seasonal patterns rather than hard numbers: speckled trout and redfish typically sit tight to marsh edges, points, and deeper cuts through the hottest stretch of August, with the better windows clustering around dawn, dusk, and moving tide rather than the midday sun. Flounder tends to go quiet in peak summer heat. Before targeting red snapper in any remaining open water, or keeping anything close to a limit on trout and reds, confirm current LDWF regulations, since bag limits and closures can shift on short notice this time of year.
Bonito push reaches Buzzards Bay as fluke bite holds at Sound rips
A fresh push of bonito has swung into Buzzards Bay after moving east along the Rhode Island shoreline, per this week's New England Video Fishing Forecast from The Fisherman (Northeast) — and per The Fisherman — Rhode Island, the Saltwater Edge shop reports green bonito numbers should keep building through the weeks ahead. Fluke fishing remains a bright spot around Vineyard Sound: Falmouth Bait and Tackle (via The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands) describes a good bite along the Sound shore from the rips off Nobska up through the jetties and harbors to Hyannis, though most fish are running short of keeper size. Striped bass action is holding strong overall per The Fisherman (Northeast), even as Massachusetts commercial fishermen closed out their entire 683,773-pound quota this week (On The Water). Bluefish have been spotty and small, with a few 4-pound-class fish reported near Cotuit. Shark presence is also up along area beaches this season.
Puget Sound salmon holds steady as summer bottomfishing peaks
Washington Sea Grant's headline this week is nearly $2 million in new funding for coastal research projects prioritizing Puget Sound and Washington's Pacific coastal communities, a sign of continued institutional attention on the region's marine ecosystems. On the water side, today's intel sweep turned up no fresh Puget Sound or outer-coast bite reports — WDFW's fishing and stocking reports page describes how the department tracks catch through angler creel interviews at access sites and ongoing stocking programs, but no specific current conditions came through in this cycle, and no buoy or gauge readings were available either. That leaves us leaning on typical seasonal patterns for early August: Chinook salmon fishing in Puget Sound's marine areas is generally in its productive stretch, coho numbers typically start building later in the month, and halibut and bottomfish (lingcod, rockfish) usually stay solid through summer. Check WDFW's current regulations and area-specific openers before heading out, since seasons and bag limits shift by marine area.
Panhandle anglers stick with summer pattern as scallop season fades
A Mobile Bay angler on the Pensacola Fishing Forum called this year's bite "hot" but landed only two keeper trout in four bites before rough conditions ended a recent trip early — a mixed signal that fits the transition period this deep into summer along the Florida Panhandle. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for Destin/Pensacola this cycle, so treat sky and sea-state calls as general guidance until you check a live forecast. Inshore, speckled trout looked stingy in spots per that same forum chatter, while redfish should still be workable on the grass flats and around bay structure through August, a typical pattern for this time of year. Offshore, snapper and kingfish remain the headline targets on the Panhandle in summer, with bottom structure and trolling spreads the standard approach. Scallop season chatter out of Port St Joe suggests turnout has been thinner than some years, worth checking before planning a trip.
Snapper Bite Stays Red-Hot Across the Florida Keys
Yellowtail and mutton snapper are still lighting up the reef in the Florida Keys, with ALL IN Key West reporting fish "actively feeding in large numbers" after a summer stretch the captain called some of the best fishing in 16 years on the water. Bud n' Mary's early-summer report backs that up, noting tarpon holding on the bridges, mahi showing offshore, and yellowtail thick on the reef as Gulf Stream conditions stayed favorable. Grouper, cobia, and kingfish are also mixing into catches on Gulf-side trips. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida flagged a court injunction blocking the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper pilot program just before the state season was set to open, so anglers targeting snapper offshore should confirm current rules before keeping fish. Waning crescent moon and no fresh buoy data this cycle, so lean on the shop and charter reports below for real-time conditions before heading out.
Bottom Bite Carries Long Island Sound While Stripers Turn Picky
Porgies are stacking up around Avery Point and the mouth of the Thames River, per AW Marina's report to The Fisherman — Connecticut, with snapper bluefish showing in the river for the first time this season. Scup and black sea bass are rounding out a strong bottom bite fleet-wide: Tartan II says sea bass are coming from deeper water while scup hold to the typical hard bottom, and Black Hawk reported loads of porgies plus a mix of sea bass and triggerfish despite a mid-week weather disruption. Striped bass fishing is more mixed — J&B Tackle calls the regional striper bite very good on early-morning and dusk tube-and-worm and glide-bait presentations, while Tartan II notes bass action has slowed after an earlier hot stretch. Just east, The Fisherman (Northeast) reports the fluke bite improving in eastern Long Island Sound. Bottom species look like the safer bet through the current stretch of summer heat.
Spanish Mackerel Bite Builds Around Cape Lookout
Nearshore anglers working the waters off Cape Lookout are into a strong spanish mackerel bite, with the biggest fish showing up around the point itself, per Dave of Chasin' Tails in Morehead City/Atlantic Beach; bottom fishing further offshore is also producing. Up the coast in Swansboro/Emerald Isle, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors reports pier anglers throwing casting jigs and Gotcha plugs are hooking spanish mackerel and bluefish, with a few king mackerel mixed in. Along the Outer Banks, Hugh of TW's Bait and Tackle notes the surf zone is holding sea mullet, bluefish, and plenty of croakers on bottom rigs, and inshore action has finally picked up after a slower stretch. Farther south at Carolina Beach, Lewis of Island Tackle and Hardware reports a typical summer mix of red drum, flounder, croakers, and assorted sharks in the surf. Overall a solid mid-summer pattern across the Pamlico Sound to Cape Lookout stretch.
Silver Salmon Push Builds Across Gulf of Alaska Waters
Early August sits squarely in the heart of Gulf of Alaska saltwater season, when coho (silver) salmon runs typically build toward their peak and halibut fishing holds strong on deeper banks. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for this region today, and this cycle's angler-intel sweep didn't surface a direct Alaska catch report, charter log, or shop update for the Gulf of Alaska fishery specifically — the Alaska Sea Grant posts pulled in were fellowship-program news and a Kodiak kelp event, not on-the-water conditions. That means today's update leans on typical seasonal expectations rather than fresh, source-attributed intel: coho and pink salmon working nearshore structure and current lines, halibut holding over deeper bottom structure, and lingcod feeding opportunistically around rocky habitat. Check current state regulations before harvesting, and expect a more source-grounded update once a direct Alaska catch report lands in the feed.
Hartwell and Russell bass slide deep as August heat holds
No buoy or gauge readings came through for Hartwell or Russell this week, and no captain, shop, or state report in this week's feed called out conditions specifically on the Savannah chain, so this update leans on typical early-August patterns for the reservoir. Surface water is presumably in the mid-to-upper 80s with a defined summer thermocline, pushing bass, spotted bass, and stripers off the banks and onto deeper structure and suspended bait schools. Tactical Bassin's early-August rundown notes bass become highly predictable once anglers key on shade, current, and depth, with deep structure baits, swimbaits, and jigs producing best fished on ledges, points, and drops. Crappie typically slide into deep brush piles and standing timber this time of year. Check current Georgia DNR regulations before harvesting, and watch for the afternoon thunderstorm activity common to Georgia summers. Treat the species status below as seasonal-pattern guidance rather than a confirmed live bite report until fresh local intel comes in for Hartwell or Russell specifically.
Illinois River walleye, Lake Michigan bass settle into August rhythms
With no fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings available for the Illinois River and Lake Michigan corridor this cycle, this report leans on regional technique intel rather than a live catch report. Fishing the Midwest, a Great Lakes-focused blog, notes that forward-facing sonar has reshaped how many Midwest anglers locate summer walleye, since suspended fish increasingly stray from the points, turns, and weedlines anglers were traditionally taught to target. Deep-summer heat typically pushes largemouth and smallmouth bass toward cover and shade during peak daylight, with more consistent action in low-light windows, a positioning pattern Tactical Bassin's national August bass coverage echoes. Channel catfish generally stay active through Illinois River current seams in this heat. We're treating today's picture as seasonal-pattern guidance rather than a confirmed local conditions snapshot until fresh telemetry and closer-to-home reports come in.
Summer bass patterns hold on Catawba and Roanoke waters
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for the Catawba and Roanoke systems this cycle, so today's read leans on seasonal pattern and general angler intel rather than a live snapshot. Early August has largemouth bass keying on classic summer positioning: Tactical Bassin's August coverage highlights bass pulling into deeper cover and structure and responding to swimbaits and jigs once the surface layer heats up, a pattern that typically tracks for Piedmont and northeastern NC reservoirs as well. Field & Stream's recent glide bait rundown is worth a look if bass have gone quiet on moving baits through the midday heat. Catfish should stay dependable on cut bait worked around river channel structure, and bream are typically catchable in shallow cover during the cooler morning and evening windows. The Roanoke's well known striped bass run is a spring event, so expect that fishery to stay quiet until it resumes next season. Check current NC regs before harvesting anything on either system.
King salmon patrol persists on Chicago's Lake Michigan waters
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Chicago stretch of Lake Michigan this cycle, so today's read leans on angler and agency reporting rather than a live temperature snapshot. Outdoor Hub's latest gear piece frames the current pattern plainly, noting anglers are still chasing king salmon out on Lake Michigan and packing coolers for long days on open water, a sign the offshore Chinook program remains the go-to August target. The Wisconsin DNR's Lake Michigan Fishing Report adds season-scale context: 2024 produced a stellar Chinook and coho harvest, with over 210,000 coho and more than 160,000 Chinook landed, the most since 2012, as strong alewife survival boosted stocked-fish numbers. Smallmouth bass stay part of the nearshore mix, with WI DNR continuing management attention on the species around Green Bay and northern Lake Michigan. No source this cycle reported a specific hot bite for the Chicago shoreline, so treat today's report as directional until fresh water-temp data lands.
Deep summer bass hold tight as Okeechobee and St. Johns heat soaks in
Wired 2 Fish's midsummer look at Florida's bass fisheries notes that lakes like Toho and the Harris Chain build their reputation in the cooler months, and Okeechobee and the St. Johns River typically follow the same seasonal arc once August heat locks in. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so we're leaning on typical seasonal patterning rather than a live number: bass pull off shallow beds and stack on deeper grass edges, timber, and channel drops as surface temps climb, feeding hardest in the low-light hours. Tactical Bassin's recent summer breakdown backs that pattern generally, favoring moving baits worked over emergent grass at dawn and dusk with a fallback to jigs and swimbaits once the sun gets high. Bluegill and shellcracker activity typically holds steady through August on both waters, and catfish tend to feed well after dark as the water stays warm. Check current Florida regs before harvesting anything you plan to keep.