Fishing reports
18925 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
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.
Grand River salmon run watch heats up as August rolls in
No live buoy or gauge readings came back for the Grand River mouth this cycle, so today's outlook leans on seasonal patterns rather than a fresh water-temperature snapshot. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report's recent recap of the 2024 season is the most concrete signal in this week's feed: over 210,000 coho salmon and more than 160,000 Chinook salmon were harvested lakewide, the best Chinook return since 2012, a sign the fishery's forage base has rebounded. Early August on Lake Michigan is typically the transition window when kings and steelhead begin staging closer to river mouths like the Grand ahead of the fall run, though none of today's angler-intel feeds carried a direct Michigan bite report to confirm current activity. Smallmouth bass remain a steady option in the interim. Check the MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report and local conditions before heading out, since firm current numbers weren't available today.
Delaware Bay croakers and flounder keep NJ anglers busy
Croakers are stacked up and down the bay side this week, with Higbee's Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — Southern NJ) reporting the beaches along Fortescue loaded on blood and lung worms alongside blues, weakfish, flounder, sheepshead, and even a few black drum. Big Dave's Tackle notes keeper flounder holding on the nearshore and offshore reefs, though the back bays are thick with short fluke making for mostly catch-and-release action there. Sheepshead have also turned on strong in the back bay per that same report. Across the state line, Smith's Bait Shop (The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake) has flounder eating minnows and Gulp-tipped jigs, black drum on clams, and weakfish working bucktails dressed with yellow worms. Hands Too Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf) adds bucktail flounder right at the inlet mouth and a hot night shark bite along the beachfront.
Deep-water bass pattern locks in on Lanier and Allatoona this August
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Lanier/Allatoona corridor this cycle, so this week's picture leans on statewide bass behavior rather than a lake-specific reading. Tactical Bassin's August roundup notes that summer bass split into two predictable groups once temperatures peak, and anglers working jigs and swimbaits around deep cover and staging areas are still loading the boat despite the heat. That same source flagged glide baits and other overlooked techniques producing well into August. On the regulatory side, Georgia Wildlife Blog's Fishing Report noted it is restructuring its statewide report to rotate spotlight regions week to week, which may explain thinner direct coverage of the north Georgia reservoirs some weeks. For Lanier and Allatoona specifically, expect classic late-summer deep structure fishing to dominate, with early morning and evening windows offering the best shot before the sun pushes fish deeper.
PA river smallmouth turn to low-light bite as dog days set in
Water on the Susquehanna and Allegheny is settling into a typical dog-days-of-August pattern this week, with no fresh biologist or buoy readings logged for the region as of today's check, worth another look at the PA Fish & Boat Commission's Biologist Reports page before you head out. Absent a hard number, the play is the seasonal one: smallmouth and walleye pull off exposed flats into deeper current breaks and shaded structure once the sun gets high, then push back onto the shallows at first and last light. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen have both been writing this summer about how forward-facing sonar has changed where anglers find walleye holding, often suspended off bottom rather than glued to it, a pattern that applies just as well on Pennsylvania's river systems. Tactical Bassin's recent breakdowns of summer bass positioning back up the same idea for smallmouth: locate first, then match bait to mood.
Deep summer patterns take hold at Smith Mountain and Buggs Island
Tactical Bassin's latest August roundup, "Top 5 Baits For August Bass Fishing," frames this stretch as classic deep-summer bass fishing, and that lines up with what we'd expect on Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island (Kerr Reservoir) right now. No Virginia-specific creel reports came through our feeds this week, so we're leaning on seasonal norms: largemouth pushed to offshore grass lines, brush, and deeper contours as surface temps sit near their yearly peak, with early and late light windows producing the best topwater and moving-bait action per Tactical Bassin's coverage. Striped bass on both reservoirs typically settle into cooler water near the thermocline, following baitfish schools along deep humps and channel bends. Crappie tend to go quiet and deep in the heat, while blue and channel catfish remain some of the most reliable summer bites on Buggs Island. The waning crescent moon isn't expected to be a major factor for freshwater bass or crappie behavior this week.
Toledo Bend bass slide deep as dog days grip the Sabine border
No live buoy or gauge readings came through for Toledo Bend or the Sabine border this cycle, and none of today's monitored angler-intel feeds carried a direct report from this specific fishery — coverage skewed toward Gulf coastal news (including Louisiana Sportsman's note that the private recreational red snapper season closes Aug. 9, which does not apply to this freshwater system) and out-of-state blogs. Absent fresh on-the-water accounts, what follows leans on typical seasonal patterns for this reservoir system: early August water on Toledo Bend and the Sabine River commonly pushes into the mid-80s, sliding largemouth bass off the banks and onto river ledges, standing timber, and main-lake humps in the 15-25 foot range. Catfish generally stay the most dependable bite through peak heat, especially after dark on cut bait near creek channels, while crappie bunch tight to deep brush and feed in short dawn windows. Treat this as a seasonal baseline, not a confirmed live bite report, until fresh regional intel comes in.
Olympic Peninsula rivers head into peak summer Chinook window
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Olympic Peninsula this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up river-specific catch reports for WA salmon water either — the feeds leaned heavily toward East Coast striper and bass content. What we can point anglers to is WDFW's statewide fishing and stocking reports page, which the department updates by interviewing anglers at access sites and tracking hatchery stocking activity across Washington's lakes and rivers, including Peninsula salmon systems. Early August typically sits inside the summer Chinook window on Olympic Peninsula rivers, with fall Chinook and early coho starting to stage in lower river and tidewater stretches as water begins to cool into late summer. Until a direct creel report surfaces, treat timing as seasonal-typical rather than confirmed hot. Check WDFW's current reports and any emergency regulation updates before you head out, since river-specific openers and gear restrictions shift through the season.
Steady Savannah flow keeps Georgia's summer bass pattern locked in
The Savannah River gauge at Clyo is holding steady around 4.6 feet this week, per the Southern Waters report from GA Sportsman/Georgia Outdoor News, signaling stable late-summer flow across the state's river systems. Georgia Wildlife Blog's weekly report is shifting to a region-by-region format starting next week, but this cycle's post carries no bite-specific detail for the Chattahoochee or Savannah. With no fresh temperature readings in hand, expect the classic August pattern: largemouth sliding to deeper cover and structure during the day, with Tactical Bassin's national August coverage pointing anglers toward slow-worked jigs and swimbaits around that deep cover. Bream and channel catfish typically stay steady on cut bait and worms near structure through the heat, and hybrid or striped bass tend to hold near cooler discharge water when rivers run warm. Verify current temp and flow on-site, and check Georgia DNR regs before harvesting.
Montana trout waters tighten as hoot-owl restrictions spread
Twenty-three Montana waterbodies, totaling 1,223 stream miles, are currently under hoot-owl restrictions that close fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight, per MT FWP Fishing News, which notes the 2026 season is tracking a lot like 2024. The lower Beaverhead River picked up additional restricted water starting Aug. 5 as temperatures climbed, and MT FWP flagged more closures and a few localized shutdowns across southwest and western Montana rivers and creeks beginning July 29. For Yellowstone and Missouri basin anglers, the takeaway is simple: fish early. Warm afternoon water stresses trout and raises release mortality, the same dynamic Trout Unlimited points to when describing anglers shifting to smallmouth bass and topwater poppers once trout water gets too warm to fish responsibly. On the access side, MT FWP this month accepted an 82-acre donation creating the new Siskin Island Fishing Access Site on the upper Yellowstone River near Livingston.
Smallmouth patience pays as Kennebec, Penobscot ponds sit in summer lull
No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Kennebec and Penobscot corridor this cycle, and there's no dedicated Maine freshwater shop or agency report in today's feed either, so this update leans on early-August seasonal patterns rather than a specific water reading. Water is typically fully turned over and warm by now, pushing smallmouth and largemouth bass toward deeper structure and shade during midday with a shallow morning/evening window. Elsewhere in New England, freshwater reports via The Fisherman — New England Freshwater describe bass responding well to Ned Rigs, wacky-rigged worms, and topwater frogs worked over lily pads and drop-shot structure, a pattern that typically holds true across similar Maine impoundments this time of year. Brook trout and landlocked salmon are the ones to treat carefully, since both push into deeper, cooler pockets once surface temps climb, and catch-and-release handling matters more in the heat. Check Maine IF&W regs before targeting either species this month.
Fluke feast holds at Sandy Hook as bluefish push rolls in
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands called this past Saturday a banner day, with anglers "on the meat" from start to finish and quality fluke running 3 to 5 pounds, including a pair of 5-pound fish that tied for the pool. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition backs up the trend, noting double-digit fluke catches out of the nearby Shark River Inlet fleet along with what it calls a recent Sandy Hook bluefish invasion. Bluefish are showing in mixed sizes elsewhere along the Northern Jersey coast too, per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, with 2- to 4-pound choppers mixed in with some bigger slammers. Sea bass are filling coolers on Capt Ron's bottom-fishing drops, and NJ Fish & Wildlife News notes striped bass, tautog, and summer flounder are all part of the typical mix at nearby inlet access points. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so check local conditions before you head out.
Allegheny smallmouth tuck to structure as August heat holds
No fresh gauge or buoy readings came back for the Allegheny and Pittsburgh-area tailwaters this cycle, and PA Fish & Boat's Biologist Reports page didn't surface a new regional write-up either, so this report leans on general late-summer bass and walleye behavior tracked nationally. Early August typically has smallmouth bass sliding onto deeper structure and current breaks as surface temps climb, a pattern Tactical Bassin has been documenting across summer bass fisheries this month. Walleye anglers are increasingly working off bottom rather than glued to classic structure, a shift Fishing the Midwest attributes to forward-facing sonar changing how anglers locate fish rather than any dramatic behavior change. Muskie tend to go quiet during the dog days of August, and channel cats typically feed best in low light through this stretch. We're calling this a seasonal outlook rather than a live nowcast this week.