Fishing reports
19013 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Surf bite holds strong on the Northern Beaches as August rolls in
Surf anglers on the Northern Beaches are filling stringers with sea mullet, bluefish, and "plenty of croakers" on bottom rigs, per Hugh at TW's Bait and Tackle (Fisherman's Post (NC)), who also notes the inshore bite has finally started to turn on after a slow stretch. Just south, Cape Lookout is producing a solid spanish mackerel push, with the bigger fish showing up around the point according to Dave at Chasin' Tails out of Morehead/Atlantic Beach (Fisherman's Post (NC)) — worth watching as that action can work its way up the Banks. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat surf and nearshore conditions as typical for early August until a new reading posts. With hurricane season underway, NC Sea Grant's latest storm-readiness reminder is a good nudge to double-check your gear and float plan before running offshore.
Snook bite stays hot on Treasure Coast as red snapper rules shift
Snook fishing has been excellent along the Treasure Coast this month, with anglers landing steady numbers including many fish in the 40 inch plus range, per Snook Nook's August report. The better bites are coming from around the St. Lucie Inlet and along the beach, with live croakers and threadfins producing best; a dead threadfin on bottom works when the bite slows. Atlantic side snook season stays closed to harvest through August, so this is catch and release action only until it reopens September 1, so check state regs before keeping any fish. The South Atlantic red snapper picture, meanwhile, is unsettled: CCA Florida reports a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit pilot programs just hours before Florida's season was set to open. Elsewhere on the Atlantic side, Sport Fishing Mag notes mutton snapper action around Biscayne Bay on live pilchards and tarpon still holding around Islamorada's bridges.
Cobia and reds carry the bite as Chesapeake mouth eases into an August lull
No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Chesapeake mouth this cycle, so this report leans on typical August patterns and the regional angler intel that did come in. Farther up the Mid-Atlantic, On The Water reports the white marlin bite is "on fire" ahead of the 35th MidAtlantic tournament, with canyon trollers finding strong offshore action -- a sign that warm blue water is holding a season-typical push into early August. Inshore at the bay mouth, this stretch is typically prime cobia and red drum water, and the live-lining approach The Fisherman detailed for striped bass this month (live spot over structure) is the same basic play that works for cobia and reds on channel edges and hard bottom here. Striped bass themselves usually slide into a summer lull as shallow water warms, pushing fish deeper and favoring dawn and dusk. Spanish mackerel should be working through bait schools in the lower bay. Check current VA regs before harvesting any species.
Tarpon and permit still working the Naples flats
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters' latest report has Gulf Coast anglers splitting mornings on migrating tarpon and afternoons sight-casting big permit, calling the pairing "as good as it gets for this time of year." Kingfish are holding steady on plugs and flies, with cobia, amberjack, and other offshore species mixing into the bite for variety. That's the freshest on-water intel available for this stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast right now, and it points to a fishery still riding its spring-into-summer transition rather than settling into peak-summer patterns. On the policy side, CCA Florida continues tracking Gulf red snapper management, including ongoing pushes against illegal harvest by foreign vessels, a reminder that Gulf regs stay in flux this season. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so plan around typical early-August Gulf Coast water temps and always check the forecast before running offshore. Moon's in its last quarter, favoring smaller tide swings.
Georgia coast marsh bite holds through the summer heat
The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division's July 31 update is on the money for early August: get the family out for one more trip before school starts, because the bite window on the Georgia coast is starting to compress with the heat. Our angler-intel sweep for this cycle didn't turn up a specific on-the-water bite report from a Georgia coastal shop or charter, so we're leaning on typical late-summer patterns here: marsh redfish and spotted seatrout stay active around grass edges and moving water, tarpon should still be working the beaches and river mouths on their typical July-through-September run, and flounder tend to slide into deeper, cooler water as shallow temps climb. Sport Fishing Mag's offshore-timing piece is worth noting too — moon phase, tide, and barometric pressure matter more than blue skies, and we're sitting on a last-quarter moon this week, which typically means moderate tidal swings rather than the biggest pushes of the month.
Stripers Hold in Cape Cod Bay as Fluke and Bonito Fill In
Boats working Cape Cod Bay are still connecting with good-sized striped bass this week, per Goose Hummock Shop, which also notes word that the Massachusetts commercial striper season is expected to hit its quota soon. Heavy rain muddied nearshore water and slowed the ocean-beach bite, even as boat anglers keep scoring. On the Sound side, Falmouth Bait and Tackle reports a solid fluke bite along rips off Nobska and up through the harbors and jetties toward Hyannis, with most fish running short but enough keepers mixed in. Sports Port in the same area describes a similar fluke pattern plus early bonito showing around Barnstable Harbor and off Mashpee in the 4-pound class, while bluefish have stayed scattered rather than schooled. Out on the rips, Black Rose Fishing Charters is putting anglers on stripers from slot-size up to well over the legal limit, plus tuna within range.
Michigan walleye and bass settle into a deep summer rhythm
Michigan's freshwater bite is following the classic early-August pattern: fish pushed to their deepest, coolest positions of the year. Per Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen, walleye anglers who once leaned on bottom-hugging jig-and-livebait presentations near points and weedlines are now finding fish suspended in open water, a shift driven largely by the spread of Forward-Facing Sonar letting anglers follow fish away from traditional structure. Wired 2 Fish's August roundup echoes the same seasonal read nationally — bass are full-blown post-spawn and sitting as deep as they'll get all year, with water temps at their annual peak. The Michigan DNR continues publishing its Weekly Fishing Report through the Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, and Northwest Lower Peninsula plus Upper Peninsula regions, though specific numbers weren't pulled into this cycle. Expect a technical, sonar-and-structure bite rather than an easy shallow pattern this week.
Louisiana trout slide deeper as August heat builds
Speckled trout are pushing into the larger, deeper bays and lakes around Golden Meadow as late-summer water temperatures climb, according to Eddie Berthelot Jr. of Spots & Specks Charters via Louisiana Sportsman this week. That's the clearest signal we have out of the Delta right now: as the shallows heat up through August, trout are sliding off the flats and stacking in deeper structure where water holds cooler and bait concentrates. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch of Gulf Coast and Delta water, so treat surface temps and current as approximate and check local reports before you run. Redfish should still be workable in the marsh on typical August patterns, and flounder stay slow until the fall push gets closer. With the moon in its last quarter, expect moderate tidal swings rather than the big pushes of a full or new moon, so plan around the stronger tide stages for the best current.
Fluke Bite Holds at Nobska as Cape Stripers Stay Hot on the Rips
Fluke are the steadiest producer along the Vineyard Sound shoreline this week, with Falmouth Bait & Tackle reporting a solid bite working the rips off Nobska and the jetties and harbors up toward Hyannis — sizes are mostly short but there are enough keepers to make the trip worthwhile. Bluefish are scattered rather than schooled: Falmouth noted a few 4-pound blues breaking off Nobska early Sunday, while Sports Port logged a similar 4-pound class fish near Cotuit but no real chopper schools yet. Bonito have started showing, with Sports Port hearing word of fish in the four-pound class around Barnstable Harbor and off Mashpee. Striped bass remain the headline for boat anglers working the rips, per Black Rose Fishing Charters, which is putting clients on stripers from slot-size to well over the limit. No live buoy or gauge data came through this cycle, so plan around the Last Quarter moon's moderate tide swings.
Puget Sound salmon and bottomfish action holds through peak summer
No fresh buoy readings or angler reports came in for Puget Sound and the Washington coast this cycle, so this update leans on typical early-August patterns for the region rather than live numbers. Early August sits in the heart of Washington's saltwater season, with summer Chinook and coho typically moving through Puget Sound, the Strait, and coastal ports while lingcod and rockfish stay in play in open bottomfish zones — area and season regs rotate throughout the month, so check current WDFW rules before you keep anything. WDFW's ongoing creel and catch-report program (WA WDFW Fishing Reports) tracks angler activity and stocking statewide and is the best next stop for water-specific numbers we don't have here. With no water-temperature or swell data available this cycle, plan around typical late-summer conditions: warm surface water, lighter morning winds, and tide-driven bait movement. We'll fold in buoy and angler-intel data as soon as it's flowing again.
Panhandle bite holds steady on snapper and pelagics
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up a direct fishing report out of Destin or Pensacola waters, so we're leaning on seasonal patterns rather than a confirmed catch report. Early August in the Panhandle typically keeps red snapper the headline species over nearshore wrecks and reefs, with king mackerel and mahi mahi showing up on trolled baits as Gulf waters hold their summer warmth. Inshore, redfish and speckled trout remain the standard grass-flat and marsh-edge targets this time of year. Sport Fishing Mag's guidance on picking offshore days flags moon phase and barometric pressure as key timing levers, worth weighing against today's Last Quarter moon. We'll flag it plainly: without a corroborated local report this cycle, treat the species status below as a seasonal baseline rather than a confirmed bite, and check current conditions before running offshore.
Yellowtail and mutton snapper keep the Keys reef bite red-hot
Yellowtail and mutton snapper are stacked up on the reef and around Key West structure, with ALL IN Key West calling this stretch some of the best snapper action the shop has seen in 16 years guiding out of Key West — big yellowtails and mutton snapper feeding aggressively in numbers. Bud n' Mary's in Islamorada reports the same early-summer pattern holding: warm water, abundant bait, tarpon working the bridges, and mahi mahi showing on the reef edge and offshore. Sport Fishing Mag notes live chumming with pilchards and block chum is the key producer for mutton snapper working Biscayne Bay's finger channels. ALL IN Key West also reports grouper, cobia, and kingfish mixed in on Gulf-side trips, plus an early sailfish push riding a strong Gulf Stream current. With the South Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit program tied up in litigation per CCA Florida, most anglers are staying focused on the reliable reef species instead.
Bottom bite steals the show as CT striper action turns choppy
At the mouth of the Thames River, AW Marina reports steady action on scup, school stripers, and the season's first snapper bluefish, with porgy fishing productive on sand worms over at Avery Point. Bottom fishing is the clear story across the region this week: Tartan II calls scup and sea bass "great action" with sea bass coming from deeper water and scup off typical hard bottom, while Black Hawk logged porgies, sea bass, and a mix of triggerfish before a mid-week weather system knocked out a Thursday fluke trip. Striper fishing is mixed, per Tartan II the earlier consistent bass bite has broken up, though J&B Tackle still calls inshore striper fishing "very good" on light tackle at dawn and dusk with slow-reeled glide baits and deep jig heads. The Fisherman (Northeast) also highlights live-lining spot as a producer for quality Sound bass right now.
Spanish mackerel push turns on around Cape Lookout piers
Spanish mackerel are stacking up around Cape Lookout, with Dave of Chasin' Tails in Morehead City/Atlantic Beach reporting a good nearshore bite and the bigger fish concentrated near the Cape itself, per Fisherman's Post (NC). Up the coast toward Swansboro/Emerald Isle, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors notes anglers throwing casting jigs and Gotcha plugs off the pier are connecting with spanish mackerel and bluefish, with a few king mackerel mixed in. Along the Pamlico Sound side, Hugh of TW's Bait and Tackle in the OBX/Northern Beaches area reports surf anglers pulling sea mullet, bluefish, and plenty of croaker on bottom rigs, with inshore action starting to turn on. Further south, Carolina Beach's Island Tackle and Hardware is seeing a typical summer mix of red drum, flounder, croaker, and assorted sharks in the surf. Overall, it's a classic early-August pattern for the sound-to-Cape corridor: nearshore mackerel action, steady surf bottom fishing, and red drum starting to show.
Coho salmon build toward peak as Gulf of Alaska enters prime August window
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Gulf of Alaska this cycle, and this week's AK Sea Grant feed leaned toward research and outreach news, an oyster aquaculture launch and a kelp-focused gathering in Kodiak, rather than open-water bite reports, so today's read draws on typical early-August patterns for the region. Coho (silver) salmon typically build steadily through August as fish stage for river returns, and trolling herring or spoons off nearshore points and current seams is the standard approach this time of year. Pacific halibut fishing usually stays productive into fall over deeper structure, and lingcod continues to hold tight to rocky nearshore bottom. The last-quarter moon points to a neap tide window, generally softer currents than around the full or new moon. Check current state regulations before targeting any of these species, since seasons and limits can shift through the summer.
Deep summer pattern grips Hartwell and Russell bass
Wired 2 Fish's August 2026 lure report frames this stretch as the toughest read of the year, with water temps at their annual peak and bass fully post-spawn, pushed as deep as they will go until fall turnover. That national pattern tracks with what anglers on Lake Hartwell and Lake Russell should expect on the Savannah chain right now: largemouth and spotted bass sliding off deep points, ledges, and standing timber, more willing to chase moving baits in low light than through the heat of the day. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings were available for this stretch this week, and neither the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division's blog nor any Georgia-specific shop or charter report surfaced Hartwell or Russell particulars, so treat this as a seasonal outlook rather than a confirmed bite report. Hartwell's blueback herring forage base should still be pulling striped bass and spotted bass toward deep, cooler water, a pattern typical for early August on Piedmont reservoirs.
Mosquito and Pymatuning bass slide deep as August heat sets in
No buoy or gauge data is available for Mosquito or Pymatuning reservoirs this cycle, so today's read leans on regional angler intel rather than instrument readings. Per Wired 2 Fish's August lure roundup, bass across the country are full-blown post-spawn and holding as deep as they'll get all year now that surface temps have peaked — a pattern typical for northeast Ohio reservoirs by early August. Fishing the Midwest notes forward-facing sonar has changed how anglers find walleye, which are increasingly located suspended off structure rather than glued to bottom points and weedlines the way they were fished a decade ago. The same outlet points to moving baits worked over emerging weed tops for bass, with a sharp treble hook making the difference between a missed swipe and a solid hookup. Expect a tougher daytime bite typical of peak summer heat, with better windows early and late. Check current state regs before harvesting.
Smokies tailwater trout lean on cold releases through August heat
No live NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Hiwassee or Caney Fork this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds carried no direct Tennessee reports, so this update draws on established seasonal patterns for Southern Appalachian tailwater fisheries in early August. Both rivers are dam-controlled by TVA, and the cold, oxygen-rich water released from depth typically keeps trout active even as regional air temps push into the 90s, unlike freestone streams that stress under summer heat. Generation schedule matters more than the calendar: high-flow release windows favor nymphing and streamer swings for rainbows and browns, while low-water or no-generation stretches open up sight-fishing and dry-fly presentations in clearer water. Smallmouth in the lower reaches typically slow down in peak-summer heat, holding deeper and feeding mainly at low light. Check the generation schedule before heading out, since it will do more to set your day than the forecast will.
Forward-facing sonar unlocks suspended walleye across the Iron Range
Walleye anglers across the Boundary Waters and Iron Range are adjusting to classic August patterns as fish push away from bottom structure into open water. Per Fishing the Midwest, Forward-Facing Sonar has changed how anglers locate suspended walleye that no longer sit tight to points, turns, or weedlines the way old-school logic assumed — many fish are now found well off bottom in open water. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are keying on emerging weed tops, with moving baits like crankbaits producing when retrieves stay tight and trebles are kept sharp, also per Fishing the Midwest. Wired 2 Fish notes August water temps have generally peaked for the season and most fish are in a full post-spawn pattern, holding as deep as they'll get all year — a useful baseline for Iron Range lakes right now. No buoy or gauge readings were available for this region today; plan around water clarity and structure instead.
Croakers and Drum Keep Delaware Bay's NJ Shore Busy
Higbee's Bait and Tackle in Fortescue is reporting a strong, varied Delaware Bay mix right now — blues, croakers, weakfish, flounder, sheepshead and the occasional black drum, with party-boat pool winners running from a 5-pound flounder up to a 15-pound drum, and croakers stacking up along Fortescue Beach on blood or lung worms. Big Dave's Tackle backs that up with plenty of Delaware Bay croaker action mixed with kingfish, spot and smaller weakfish, plus what they're calling an exceptionally strong back-bay sheepshead bite. Down toward the bay mouth in Cape May, Hands Too Bait and Tackle has weakfish toothing up bloodworms at the seawall and croakers thick on the bayside beaches, with sheepshead and triggerfish mixed into the tog bite and inlet flounder still producing on bucktails. Higbee's also notes very good white perch action in the creeks — a nice bonus target while the bay's bottom bite stays busy.
Western Basin walleye push deeper as August heat sets in
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Western Basin this cycle, so this update leans on seasonal pattern and technique intel rather than a same-day bite report. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes that forward-facing sonar has upended the old walleye rulebook — fish that used to sit tight to bottom along points, turns, and weedlines are increasingly showing up suspended over open water, and FFS is what's revealing it. That shift is worth knowing for boats working reef complexes and open-lake humps this time of year. Wired 2 Fish's August lure roundup adds the broader context: most freshwater gamefish are full-blown post-spawn and pushed into their deepest water of the year, which typically makes for a tougher, more technical bite than the June rush. Expect walleye, perch, and white bass to be scattered and structure-or-suspension dependent rather than schooled up shallow until water temps start easing toward fall.
Green River tailwater sight-fishing holds through August heat
Hatch Magazine's midsummer piece on leading a rising trout is timely reading for the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam, where cold, bottom-release flows typically keep rainbows and browns feeding through the hottest weeks of the year even as water temps peak elsewhere, per Wired 2 Fish's August lure roundup. No fresh buoy or streamflow readings came through for this stretch this cycle, and no shop, charter, or agency report was filed specifically on Flaming Gorge or the Green River tailwater this week, so treat the species notes below as seasonal-pattern guidance rather than a confirmed bite call. This time of year the tailwater's dry-fly game typically stays alive on small mayfly and midge patterns worked to visibly feeding fish, while Flaming Gorge Reservoir's kokanee begin staging deeper ahead of their fall run. Check current Utah regulations before harvesting, and confirm dam release schedules locally before wading in.
Ozark trout parks settle into early-morning-only mode as August heat builds
Early August has the Current and Niangua trout waters heading into the toughest stretch of the season, and no fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for this update, so plan around low-light windows rather than midday heat. Trout are cold-blooded and their activity tracks water temperature directly; Caddis Fly (OR) flagged that exact dynamic in a recent piece on when summer heat turns into a welfare issue for trout, a timely reminder for anglers working the spring-fed stretches of these rivers. Nationally, Wired 2 Fish's August lure roundup notes most gamefish are now fully post-spawn and pushing to the deepest, coolest water they can find for the year, a pattern that tracks for smallmouth bass holding in the deeper Ozark pools once the sun climbs. Expect rainbow and brown trout to feed hardest at first light, with smallmouth activity building as the morning warms and easing back off by midday.
Lake Michigan salmon strong as DNR reviews smallmouth, whitefish rules
Wisconsin anglers landed a record 210,000-plus coho salmon and more than 160,000 Chinook salmon out of Lake Michigan in 2024, the strongest Chinook harvest since 2012, per the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report, evidence that healthy alewife year classes are sustaining the salmon fishery off Door County and Sheboygan. No direct on-the-water bite reports came through today's feed for this stretch of shoreline, so the species notes below reflect typical early-August expectations rather than a confirmed hot bite. The DNR is currently gathering public feedback on smallmouth bass management in Green Bay and northern Lake Michigan, and on a proposed new lake whitefish total allowable catch, both signs regulators are watching pressure on these fisheries closely. Early August on Lake Michigan typically means salmon and trout holding deep as surface temps peak, with smallmouth working nearshore rock and gravel. Check current DNR notices before launching.