Fishing reports
18957 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Chesapeake Slot Stripers Hang Tough While Croaker Bite Turns Excellent
Slot-sized striped bass are still holding around the Augustine Wall on peeler crab, shrimp, bloodworms, and bucktails tipped with squid strips, per Smith's Bait Shop, via The Fisherman's DE/MD/Chesapeake report — though the shop cautions that could shift as water temps climb through August. Croaker action is the standout right now: Smith's calls the bite at Woodland Beach Pier 'excellent' and expects it to hold through the month, with more croaker showing at Bowers Beach Jetty and the Old Grounds reef sites, per The Fisherman's DE/MD/Chesapeake report. Flounder remain a steady producer out of Port Mahon on minnows and jigs tipped with Gulp or squid, and black drum are coming on clam baits in the same area. Offshore, private boats working the Hambone limited out on bluefin tuna, per Hook 'em and Cook 'em, though rain and thunder in this week's forecast could complicate the White Marlin Open lineup out of Ocean City.
Merrimack flounder flurry meets mobile stripers on NH's coast
A flare-up of winter flounder action near Sandy Point and the mouth of the Merrimack River has been strong enough to draw New Hampshire party boats into the mix, per The Fisherman's South Shore Massachusetts to Maine report. Striped bass fishing along the same stretch is holding up but staying restless in the mid-summer heat, with anglers told to stay mobile and track the bait rather than lean on one spot. Boat crews are outfishing the surf for stripers right now, though after-dark plug fishing on needlefish plugs is still producing for shore anglers willing to put in the hours. Further north, Beauport Fishing Adventures reports giant bluefin tuna catches on the rise in northern waters, though NOAA has closed the Gulf of Maine trophy bluefin fishery through the end of 2026, so check current category rules before targeting them. Dogfish have also moved into several local groundfish zones, complicating bottom trips.
Striped bass on the move as Gulf of Maine bluefin fishery closes
Striped bass fishing across the Gulf of Maine corridor is unsettled by mid-summer heat, with Dave Anderson reporting the bite "moving around a lot" and advising anglers to stay mobile and stay on the bait (The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME). Surfland Bait and Tackle notes boat crews are outfishing the beach as stripers push toward Plum Island Sound and Crane's, while Belsan's Bait and Tackle points to a hot pocket around Fourth Cliff, with surf anglers cashing in mostly after dark. Bottom fishing is picking up once boats clear the dogfish now thick in zones like Tillie's, Stellwagen, and Jefferies, per Beauport Fishing Adventures, and giant bluefin catches are reportedly on the rise in northern waters even as NOAA has closed the Gulf of Maine trophy bluefin tuna fishery through the end of 2026 (On The Water). A flounder flare-up near the mouth of the Merrimack rounds out a scattered, bait-driven week.
Trout and redfish patterns hold steady on the SC coast
Slip-cork rigs loaded with live shrimp are producing summer trout up the South Carolina coast, per Fisherman's Post, with red drum showing up around the same docks and grass edges near North Myrtle Beach and Little River. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for Charleston Harbor this cycle, so treat water conditions as typical for early August: warm, humid, and driven more by tide stage than anything else. That same trout-and-redfish pattern working the northern SC coast tends to hold true in Charleston's marsh creeks and harbor flats this time of year, especially on moving water around dawn and dusk. Tarpon and flounder round out the local summer mix, though we don't have a direct report on either species this week, so treat their status as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite. Check current South Carolina saltwater regulations before harvesting anything, and build the trip around tide swings rather than the clock.
Summer patterns hold for Erie walleye, Ohio River bass
Forward-facing sonar is rewriting summer walleye habits across the Midwest, with Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch reporting that fish once assumed to hug bottom near points and weedlines are now regularly found suspended in open water — a shift worth accounting for on Lake Erie's reef and basin areas this week. On the bass side, Bob Jensen (also Fishing the Midwest) flags growing interest in oddball 'urchin'-style baits, a trend echoed by Wired 2 Fish, which cautions that treble and quad hooks on these lures drive fish to inhale bait deep and recommends switching to safer hook styles for quicker, healthier releases. Direct buoy and gauge readings for the Lake Erie/Ohio River corridor weren't available this cycle, and no regional shop or charter reports came through, so treat the species notes below as seasonally typical rather than confirmed on-the-water intel. Standard August warm-water structure fishing should still apply on both waters.
Permit and kingfish keep Naples anglers busy this summer
Sight-fishing large permit and steady kingfish action on plugs and flies have been the story out of Southwest Florida, per Naples Offshore Fishing Charters, who've been pairing the two species through the recent season alongside cobia, amberjack, and a rotating mix of offshore visitors. Tarpon push through the area on their annual migration, with mornings spent jumping and hooking quality fish before captains switch over to permit in the afternoons. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water temperature as seasonal-typical Gulf Coast August warmth rather than a measured number. Snook harvest stays closed through August under Florida rules, so catch-and-release is the play there. Inshore, the shift from shrimp to live pilchards that Naples captains flagged as water warms opens up more options as summer holds. Check state regs before harvesting anything today, and expect afternoon thunderstorm risk typical of a Gulf Coast August.
Sea Bass and Tautog Fire Up While Bay Stripers Turn Tricky
Rhode Island's bottom bite is carrying the week: The Fisherman — Rhode Island reports black sea bass "picking up" aboard Frances Fleet's full and half-day trips, with a mix of short and keeper fluke coming over the rails too. Tautog season opened August 1, and Quonnie Bait and Tackle is already hearing about limit catches on rock piles and reefs in about 30 feet of water off the south shore beaches. Fluke fishing is trending the right way per Snug Harbor Marina, with more keepers showing up locally and around Block Island, and Booked Off Charters logged dozen-keeper trips with several fluke over 5 pounds. Striped bass are the tougher story this week — warmer bay water has slowed the bite, and multiple South County shops describe brown sharks harassing hooked stripers from both boats and the beach. Green bonito are just starting to trickle in along the beaches.
Croaker and bluefish keep the OBX surf bite steady
Surf anglers up and down the Northern Beaches are staying busy on the bottom: sea mullet, bluefish, and croaker are all coming over the rail, according to Hugh at TW's Bait and Tackle, who also flags that the inshore bite is finally turning a corner. Down on Hatteras Island, Coastal Angler Magazine noted a nice catch this week, a nine-inch banded drum landed right off the beach in Avon, a reminder that drum are working the surf zone alongside the more typical mullet-and-croaker mix. We don't have fresh buoy or gauge readings for this stretch of coast today, so treat water temp and swell as unconfirmed until you check a local source before launching. With the moon in its Last Quarter phase, expect moderate tidal swings rather than the extremes of a full or new moon, which should keep the surf fishable through most tide stages. Croaker numbers sound strong enough for an easy, kid-friendly outing on bait and bottom rigs.
St. Lucie Inlet Snook Stay Red-Hot Amid Red Snapper Season Limbo
Snook fishing remains excellent around Stuart's St. Lucie Inlet, per Snook Nook's August report, with anglers putting up steady numbers of quality fish including many in the 40-inch-plus range. Live croakers and threadfins fished around the inlet and beach have been the ticket; when the bite slows, a dead threadfin bottom-fished can still produce, though expect some bycatch. Remember Florida's snook season is closed to harvest through August (per Snook Nook), so it's catch-and-release only until the September 1 reopener. Offshore, Team Snook Nook's first-place finish in the small boat division of the One More Bite Sailfish Challenge (7 of 9 bites) signals solid sailfish action along the Treasure Coast. Red snapper anglers should hold off: CCA Florida reports a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper exempted fishing permit pilot programs just before Florida's Atlantic season was set to open, so confirm current legal status before targeting or keeping fish.
Cobia and reds carry the Chesapeake mouth through late summer lull
No buoy or gauge readings came through for the Chesapeake mouth this cycle, so this update leans on typical early-August patterns for the region. Cobia and red drum remain the headline players over structure and channel edges, a pattern consistent with the mid-summer Chesapeake Bay mouth fishery. Striped bass are in their usual summer holding pattern in Virginia waters, with better action typically found working the edges of daylight rather than midday; live-lining spot, a technique The Fisherman (Northeast) detailed this week for Long Island Sound stripers, is a mid-Atlantic-wide staple worth trying on early tides here too. Coastwide, striped bass management stayed in the news as On The Water reported Massachusetts commercial boats closed out their full 683,773-pound quota, a reminder the species is under real harvest pressure this season. Spanish mackerel should be pushing into the lower Bay behind bait schools. Check state regs before harvesting any of the above.
Late-summer mahi and tailing reds keep Georgia's coast busy
Hard, specific bite reports out of the Georgia Atlantic Coast were thin this cycle, but the seasonal pattern lines up with a typical first week of August: redfish still tailing the grass flats early before the sun climbs, and speckled trout working mud bottoms and creek mouths on the falling tide. Offshore, Saltwater Sportsman's latest tactics piece is well timed for the Gulf Stream mahi bite that runs through August, working weed lines and pitching live baits to draw fish to the boat beats blind scouring open water. Tarpon should still be rolling through the sounds and river mouths, part of the summer push that typically holds into September. The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division's fishing blog is pointing anglers toward its Angler Resources page for forecasts rather than a hot bite this week, and GA Sea Grant's coverage of cannonball jellyfish research is a reminder that jelly blooms can crowd inshore waters this time of year.
Bay Stripers Stay Strong as MA Commercial Season Closes
Boats working Cape Cod Bay are still into good-sized striped bass this week, per Goose Hummock Shop, even as heavy rain muddied the water off the tip of the Cape. Black Rose Fishing Charters reports stripers running from slot-size to well over the limit on favorite rips, with solid bottom fishing for tuna within range. Fluke action is steady but modest: Sports Port and Falmouth Bait & Tackle both note enough keepers to satisfy anglers along the Sound-side rips from Nobska to Hyannis, though most fish are running short. Small bluefish in the 4-pound class have shown near Cotuit and off Nobska, and bonito are starting to show around Barnstable Harbor and off Mashpee. The bigger regional headline: Massachusetts' commercial striped bass fishery has hauled its full 683,773-pound quota and closes Wednesday, per On The Water, a sign of how active the striper run has been.
Michigan bass and walleye dial into deep summer patterns
August's post-spawn shuffle has largemouth and smallmouth bass pushed out to deeper cover and offshore structure across Michigan's Great Lakes tributaries and Grand River system waters, per Wired 2 Fish's August lure roundup, which notes water temps topping out for the year and most bass fully off the bed and holding deep. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen echo a structure-oriented shift for walleye, with more anglers leaning on Forward-Facing Sonar to find fish suspended off bottom rather than glued to points and weedlines. Chatter on Michigan Sportsman Forum points to early Chinook salmon activity showing up in a favorite tributary, though that report is thin, unconfirmed, and worth watching rather than banking on. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water temp and flow as unknowns until the next check-in. Bass and walleye remain the safer bets to plan a trip around this week.
Louisiana specks push into deeper Delta lakes as summer heat holds
Speckled trout are shifting into the bigger, deeper bays and lakes of the Louisiana coast as late-summer water temperatures climb, according to Eddie Berthelot Jr. of Spots & Specks Charters, cited by Louisiana Sportsman this week out of the Golden Meadow area. That's the clearest read we have on the Gulf Coast and Delta bite right now, and it lines up with the typical August pattern for this fishery: trout stack in deeper structure to escape the shallows' heat, while redfish and flounder stay tucked along marsh edges and drains where moving water keeps things a few degrees cooler. No buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so treat water temp and tide detail as unavailable rather than assumed. With the moon at last quarter, expect a modest tide swing that should still move enough water on the drains and points to keep fish feeding on the stronger exchanges. Check state regs before harvesting any species.
Vineyard Sound rips deliver quality stripers as fluke, bonito fill in
Rip lines around Woods Hole and Nobska are producing the best action in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound this week. Black Rose Fishing Charters, working the Cape Cod & Islands beat, reports stripers running from slot-sized up to fish well over the keeper limit on the rips (per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands). Fluke fishing is holding steady too — Falmouth Bait & Tackle says the Sound-shore rips off Nobska and the jetties up toward Hyannis are giving up enough keepers to make a trip worthwhile, though sizes are running on the short side. Sports Port adds that early-season bonito, four-pound class, have shown up around Barnstable Harbor and off Mashpee, while bluefish stay spotty, just a couple of four-pounders near Cotuit. Statewide, the commercial striped bass quota of 683,773 pounds closed Wednesday, per On The Water, a sign of how thick bass have been running this summer.
Peak summer salmon season continues across Puget Sound and Washington coast
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's ongoing creel survey and stocking-report program (WA WDFW Fishing Reports) remains the clearest window into Puget Sound and Pacific coast activity, though this week's feeds didn't surface a specific regional catch report. Early August sits squarely in the heart of Washington's summer salmon season, when Chinook and coho typically push through Puget Sound's marine areas and the outer coast, alongside active halibut, lingcod, and rockfish fisheries and a strong Dungeness crab season. Washington Sea Grant recently highlighted nearly $2 million in new research funding for Puget Sound and Pacific coastal projects, underscoring continued state attention on these fisheries and their habitat. With no buoy or gauge readings available this cycle and no fresh charter or shop reports in the feed, we're treating species status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite conditions, and anglers should check WDFW's current creel and stocking reports directly before heading out.
Panhandle bite holds steady as late-summer patterns set up
Salt Strong's Insider Weekend Game Plan for August 7-9 lists the Florida Panhandle & Big Bend as one of its live regional trend updates this week, a sign that guides and shops are still tracking steady late-summer activity along the Destin-Pensacola corridor. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch of Gulf coast this cycle, so treat water conditions as an estimate until updated instrumentation is back online. Typical for early August in the Panhandle, the pattern centers on nearshore and inshore structure: redfish and speckled trout working grass flats and pass mouths in the early and late light, while king and Spanish mackerel run bait schools along the beaches and nearshore reefs. Gulf red snapper season is a live consideration for private anglers right now, so confirm current state and federal season dates before targeting them. Expect the pattern to hold through the weekend with the usual afternoon thunderstorm risk that comes with peak Gulf summer.
Snapper bite stays red-hot on the Keys reef as summer rolls on
Yellowtail and mutton snapper are still chewing hard on the reef, with ALL IN Key West reporting "huge yellow tails, tons and tons of mutton snappers" and some of the best action the captain has seen in 16 years fishing out of Key West. Live bait has been the go-to producer on those trips, with king mackerel, tuna and sailfish mixed in as well. Up the chain in Islamorada, Bud n' Mary's describes the June-to-early-July stretch as prime time across the board — tarpon holding on the bridges, mahi showing offshore in the Gulf Stream, and yellowtail stacked up on the reef. One regulatory note for bottom anglers: CCA Florida reports a federal court injunction has blocked the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper pilot program right as Florida's Atlantic season was set to open, so confirm current rules before targeting snapper on the Atlantic side. Expect the flats-to-reef pattern that's carried the summer to hold into August with the usual seasonal caveats around moon phase and pressure.
Striped Bass Push Holds On Long Island Sound as Bottom Bite Carries CT
J&B Tackle in Connecticut reports striped bass fishing continues to be very good across the region this week, with light-tackle glide baits like the Nessie and Chop Block working dawn and dusk over structure, and Block Island Eels producing in deeper water. On Long Island Sound itself, The Fisherman highlights anglers live-lining spot for trophy stripers, working structure with light tackle for quality fish. Bottom fishing is carrying the Connecticut scene too: AW Marina says porgies are thick at Avery Point on sandworms, and Tartan II is finding scup on hard bottom alongside sea bass pulled from deeper water. Black Hawk mixed a good porgy-and-sea-bass bite with some short fluke this week, though weather cut a trip short mid-week. Striper action has slowed some for other CT boats after an earlier hot stretch, per Tartan II, so fish may be shifting rather than disappearing. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle.
Spanish mackerel push builds around Cape Lookout as pier bite heats up
Off Cape Lookout, the nearshore spanish mackerel run is filling in, with Dave of Chasin' Tails telling Fisherman's Post that the bigger fish are showing up around the point while bottom rigs work deeper structure further out. A few miles up the beach at Swansboro/Emerald Isle, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors reports pier anglers throwing casting jigs and Gotcha plugs are connecting with spanish mackerel and bluefish, with a few king mackerel mixed in. Up on the Outer Banks, Hugh of TW's Bait and Tackle notes the surf zone is holding sea mullet, bluefish, and croakers, and the inshore bite has finally started moving after a slow stretch. Further south at Carolina Beach, Lewis of Island Tackle and Hardware describes a classic August surf mix of red drum, flounder, croakers, and assorted sharks. Coastal Angler Magazine also flagged an oddball catch: a banded drum taken from the beach at Avon. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so lean on these shop reports for the read on conditions.
Gulf of Alaska anglers ride peak summer salmon action
No buoy or gauge readings came through for the Gulf of Alaska this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up any Alaska-specific charter, shop, or agency reports on what's actually biting. The Alaska Sea Grant items in this batch covered a state fellowship cohort, an oyster-growing initiative, and a Kodiak kelp gathering, none of which speak to on-the-water conditions. In the absence of grounded local reporting, we're falling back on what's typical for early August in the Gulf of Alaska: silver (coho) salmon runs are generally building toward their summer peak, pink salmon numbers usually stay strong through this stretch, halibut charters remain active in open season, and lingcod/rockfish give steady bottom-fishing options in protected water. Treat these as seasonal expectations rather than confirmed bites until we get real local intel. Check current Alaska fishing regulations and any local charter or shop reports before heading out, since run timing varies by drainage and can shift week to week.
Hartwell and Russell bass slide into deep summer patterns
Bass across Southeastern reservoirs are settling into classic post-spawn deep patterns this week, with anglers working offshore structure rather than the bank, per Wired2Fish's August lure roundup. That national trend tracks with what Tactical Bassin has been showing from summer trips this month: largemouth and spotted bass grouping on submerged cover and offshore structure as surface temps peak, with jigs and swimbaits picking up bites after any early topwater window fades. The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division's Fishing Report for July 31 flags the same seasonal reality for the state's waters broadly, encouraging anglers to get out early before the heat builds and before the school year starts back up. No buoy or gauge readings were available for Lake Hartwell or Russell this week, and no source filed a direct report from either lake, so treat the deep, offshore pattern below as the seasonal expectation for this stretch of the Savannah chain rather than a confirmed local bite.
Mosquito and Pymatuning bass slide deep as August heat sets in
Ohio's inland reservoirs are settling into the toughest stretch of the summer pattern, with bass pushing off the bank and into deeper cover as afternoon temperatures peak. Tactical Bassin's August roundup notes that largemouth and smallmouth key on a handful of predictable variables once the heat sets in, and recommends leaving the shoreline for submerged vegetation and offshore structure once the shallow bite fades — a pattern that tracks for Mosquito and Pymatuning as surface temps climb toward their yearly high. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen add that walleye are increasingly showing up away from the textbook bottom-hugging spots anglers were taught to fish, a shift they tie to forward-facing sonar changing how anglers locate suspended fish over structure. No direct reports came in from either lake this week, so treat these as regional technique notes rather than confirmed local bites. Water clarity and flow data weren't available for this update.
Tailwater trout lean on cold releases as August heat tightens up
Outdoor Hub reported this week that heat has pushed wildlife agencies to restrict fishing across more than 1,800 miles of Western trout rivers, a signal of how hard August heat is leaning on cold-water fisheries nationwide. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Hiwassee or Caney Fork today, and none of this week's angler-intel feeds filed a direct report from these tailwaters, so this update leans on seasonal knowledge rather than site-specific numbers. Trout Unlimited's ongoing coverage of drought pressure on coldwater rivers out West echoes the same concern. Southeast tailwaters like the Hiwassee and Caney Fork typically hold up better than freestone streams thanks to bottom-release dam flows, but fish still bunch up and feed hardest around generation pulses and the cooler low-light hours. Expect rainbows and browns to favor current breaks below generation, with smallmouth sliding deeper through midday heat.