Fishing reports
19036 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Late-summer pattern settles onto Columbia system as steelhead build
Flow on the Klickitat system (USGS gauge 14113000) held steady near 736 cfs this morning with water temperature at 59°F, typical for early August and cool enough to keep fish active through the day rather than pushing them into pure low-light-only feeding windows. WDFW's statewide creel and stocking reports remain the go-to reference for water-specific counts on Columbia and Puget Sound tributaries right now, and anglers should check those before planning a trip. Nationally, Wired 2 Fish's August rundown notes that warmwater fish are firmly post-spawn and holding deeper as surface temps peak for the year, a pattern that applies to smallmouth in the Columbia system as much as anywhere else. Tactical Bassin's summer coverage echoes the same idea, with bass keying off cover, depth, and current breaks rather than shallow structure this time of year. Expect a mixed bag: steady steelhead activity building through the month and warmwater species pushed deep and current-relieved during the heat of the day.
Toledo Bend bass hold to deep summer patterns as August rolls in
Toledo Bend's bite is holding steady as August opens, with Louisiana Sportsman — Fishing reporting that summer tactics for bass and crappie aren't shifting much from last month's playbook. USGS gauge 08025500 is showing a notably low 1.4 cfs flow, consistent with the stable, low-water summer lull typical of the Sabine border this time of year. Per Wired 2 Fish, fish across the region are fully post-spawn and pushed to their deepest seasonal positions as surface temps peak, which lines up with Toledo Bend anglers working structure well off the bank rather than the shoreline. Tactical Bassin's recent August coverage backs that up, pointing toward offshore cover, jigs, and swimbaits once the heat sets in. Crappie are riding the same pattern as bass this month. Catfish should still be active on warm summer nights, though no direct reports came in on them this week.
Steady Flows Keep Olympic Peninsula Salmon Rivers Fishable Early August
USGS gauge 12041200 read 629 cfs early this morning, a moderate, workable stage rather than a blown-out or bony-low river -- generally good news for boat and bank anglers working Olympic Peninsula salmon water this week. A second regional gauge, USGS 12035000, wasn't reporting at data-pull time, so today's picture is partial. No charter, shop, or state-agency source in this cycle filed a specific catch report or confirmed hot bite for Olympic Peninsula salmon rivers -- WDFW's Fishing and Stocking Reports page remains the official channel for creel counts and stocking updates and is worth checking directly before a trip. Absent fresh local intel, expect the typical early-August pattern: summer Chinook still working through lower river reaches, with coho numbers building but not yet in full swing. Treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite until newer reports land.
Deep Trolling Still Rules Indiana's Lake Michigan Shoreline
Direct, current reports from Indiana's Lake Michigan shoreline were thin this cycle — no fresh buoy or gauge readings came back, and most of today's feeds pointed to other regions or species entirely. The one relevant data point is basin-wide: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report recapped 2024 as a standout year for the fishery, with a record 210,000-plus coho harvested and more than 160,000 Chinook landed, the biggest Chinook total since 2012, on the back of strong alewife survival keeping stocked fish healthy. That trend still shapes what Indiana anglers should reasonably expect this week: Chinook and coho holding in cooler water well offshore as surface temps peak, steelhead scattered and harder to pattern in summer heat, and yellow perch staying the steadier nearshore bet. Treat this as a seasonal-typical outlook rather than a confirmed bite report until fresher, region-specific intel comes in.
Chattahoochee trout hold steady as Georgia's summer bass bite turns tough
Georgia's rivers are running high this week, with our Savannah-basin gauge (02197000) reading roughly 5,130 cfs, well above typical early-August base flow. Joshua Barber's Southern Waters Fishing Report for GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News calls the bite "fairly tough due to the heat" across the state's river systems, including the Savannah corridor near Clyo. That tracks with the broader August pattern Tactical Bassin describes: post-spawn bass pushed deep and off the bank as surface temps peak. The Georgia Wildlife Blog is steering families toward the state's Public Fishing Areas for a reliable bream bite before school starts back up, still the easiest button to push in this heat. Chattahoochee tailwater trout below the dams remain the steadiest option when generation is running, since released water stays cooler than the rest of the system. Expect a grind-it-out week rather than a hot bite.
Chicago's Lake Michigan salmon push deep as August heat settles in
Lake Michigan's salmon fishery is riding real momentum into August: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes 2024 produced a record coho harvest (over 210,000 fish) and the best Chinook numbers since 2012, with strong alewife survival helping stocked year classes hold up. Direct Chicago-area intel is thin this week, so we're leaning on regional patterns from farther down the Midwest fishing press: Fishing the Midwest notes walleye are shifting off traditional bottom structure as more anglers use forward-facing sonar to find fish suspended in open water instead. For bass, both Wired 2 Fish and Tactical Bassin describe post-spawn fish pushing into their deepest water of the year as peak summer heat sets in, holding tight to offshore cover rather than the bank. Expect Chicago's nearshore salmon and smallmouth to follow that same late-summer script this week: deeper, more temperature-driven, and more sonar-dependent than the spring bite. Check Illinois regs before harvesting.
Mille Lacs walleye anglers lean on sonar as summer patterns shift
USGS gauge 05227530 logged flow at zero cubic feet per second in the pre-dawn hours of August 3, a sign that inflow to the Mille Lacs system is running lean this deep into summer. No water-temperature reading came through on this cycle, so surface temps should be checked locally before heading out. No shop, charter, or agency filed a Mille Lacs-specific bite report this week, but Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen flag a broader regional shift in walleye tactics worth testing here: forward-facing sonar is putting anglers on suspended fish away from the bottom-and-structure spots that used to be gospel. On Mille Lacs, that typically means walleye holding over mud flats and deep structure with baitfish suspended above them in August heat. Smallmouth bass and northern pike should stay active through the month as well. Treat today's outlook as seasonal-typical rather than confirmed hot action until a direct, lake-specific report comes in, and verify current conditions before launching.
Panfish keep biting through Hudson Valley heat as trout seek cool water
USGS gauges show water pushing 74°F at site 01357500 (4,610 cfs) while the downstream gauge at 01358000 is running high at 15,100 cfs, a sign of recent rain moving through Hudson Valley tributaries. Warm water is putting panfish out front: NY DEC's Fishing Line (July 31 issue) reports bluegill, pumpkinseed, and bass biting easily across the state as summer heat sets in, and black bass season is in full swing per the DEC's June bulletins, with bass tournament permitting already through its first year. Trout anglers should temper expectations — the DEC's July 17 issue flagged summer heat stress on trout and salmon statewide and urged fishing early or in cooler, well-oxygenated stretches rather than midday. With flows up and temps warm, we're leaning toward morning panfish and bass trips over trout right now, sticking to shaded, moving water when targeting cold-water species.
Hoot-owl hours expand as trout beat the heat on Yellowstone, Missouri
Flows held steady near 494 cfs at our monitoring gauge early Monday, a level consistent with typical early-August base flow, while Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks expanded hoot-owl restrictions (2 p.m.-midnight closures) across southwest and western Montana rivers on July 29 as water temperatures keep climbing, per MT FWP Fishing News — the fourth round of afternoon closures since mid-July. Trout are still producing: Hall of Fame anglers on the Missouri River's Holter Lake landed a string of 2-4 pound rainbows during a morning session before hooking a 48-inch, 35-pound-class northern pike, per Wired 2 Fish. That pike ties into a bigger concern — Flylords Mag reports northern pike and bass are now threatening trout fisheries throughout the Missouri and Yellowstone basins, with pike netted near Three Forks. On the access side, FWP just added the Siskin Island Fishing Access Site on the upper Yellowstone near Livingston.
Wind River and North Platte trout call for early starts as August heat builds
No fresh readings came through for USGS gauge 06259000 this cycle, and no Wind River or North Platte-specific angler reports landed in today's sweep, so treat today's report as regional context rather than a local nowcast. The broader signal out of the Rockies isn't encouraging for midday water: Trout Unlimited's coverage of the ongoing Colorado and Rio Grande drought describes record-low snowpack, drying reservoirs, and mandatory closures rippling across coldwater systems this summer, and chatter out of Colorado's Upper South Platte and Dream Stream on The Fly Fishing Forum corroborates it, with reported water temps pushing 74-76°F and voluntary closures in effect there. Wyoming's Wind River and North Platte drainages sit in the same weather pattern, so consider that a heads-up, not a diagnosis. Until a fresh gauge reading or a Wyoming-specific report comes in, plan around the cooler hours and check current flow before you head out.
Lake of the Woods walleye slide deep as summer heat holds
USGS gauge 05133500 logged water near 77°F and flow around 4,160 cfs early Sunday morning, a reading consistent with a typical early-August thermal profile for the Lake of the Woods and Rainy River system. With surface temps solidly in the upper 70s, walleye and sauger are the fish to plan around, and they should be holding tighter to deeper structure, drop-offs, and current breaks through the heat of the day before sliding shallower in low light. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen note that forward-facing sonar has reshaped how anglers locate suspended walleye that no longer sit strictly on bottom or classic structure like points and weedlines, a pattern worth leaning on here. Smallmouth bass should follow a similar summer script, favoring submerged vegetation and offshore cover over the bank once shallows warm up, per general bass-fishing guidance from Tactical Bassin. No direct on-the-water reports from Lake of the Woods or the Rainy River came through this cycle, so treat species status below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite.
Lake Superior whitefish trips build as Wisconsin River holds steady
The Wisconsin River is running a steady 491 cfs at USGS gauge 05391000 as of early Sunday morning, typical late-summer flow that keeps wading and drift presentations manageable this week. Direct on-the-water bite reports for this stretch weren't in today's intel, but WI DNR Wisconsin Fishing News' ongoing catchability study is a reminder that individual smallmouth vary widely in how readily they strike, so working multiple presentations through current seams still pays off. Over on Lake Superior, WI DNR Lake Superior Fishing continues tracking the fast-growing Chequamegon Bay lake whitefish fishery, now popular both through the ice and from a boat, a trend worth watching as boat-season whitefish trips build through summer. Walleye anglers statewide are increasingly finding suspended summer fish off traditional bottom structure with forward-facing sonar, per Fishing the Midwest. With no fresh weather data available, check local forecasts before heading out and plan around typical early-August patterns holding through the week.
St. Johns bass push into deep grass as August heat holds
Overnight flow at USGS gauge 02232000 held at 215 cfs as of 2:30 a.m. this morning, a steady late-summer read with no temperature sensor reporting alongside it. No captain, shop, or state report specific to Lake Okeechobee or the St. Johns River came through this cycle, so today's outlook leans on seasonal pattern rather than fresh, region-specific bite reports. Tactical Bassin's general August notes are useful context here: as summer heat peaks, largemouth typically abandon the bank for deeper submerged vegetation, grass edges, and offshore cover, a pattern that plays out across big Florida grass fisheries like Okeechobee just as it does elsewhere. Expect panfish and crappie to go quiet through the heat of midday, while catfish and bowfin activity typically ticks up after dark in St. Johns backwaters. With a waning gibbous moon overhead, the sharpest windows should be the first and last hour of daylight, before the water fully heats up.
Kennebec-Penobscot summer bass pattern holds as flows stay steady
The lone hard data point this cycle comes from a USGS gauge in the Kennebec-Penobscot corridor, holding flow near 1,580 cubic feet per second with no fresh water-temperature reading logged. No charter, shop, or state-agency report specific to Maine's freshwater rivers came through this week's intel sweep, so this update leans on the gauge plus general seasonal knowledge for early August in central Maine. Historically, that means smallmouth and largemouth bass settling into a classic summer pattern: deeper structure and current breaks through the heat of the day, with dawn and dusk windows producing the most consistent action in the shallows. Brook trout typically retreat toward cooler tributary mouths and spring seams as flows like this hold steady through summer. Chain pickerel remain a reliable bycatch around weed edges. Anglers should verify current conditions locally before planning a trip, since no fresh catch reports were available to confirm what's actually producing right now.
South Platte Trout Demand Early Starts as Drought Grips Tailwaters
Our South Platte gauge (USGS 06701900) logged 184 cfs early this morning, a modest read for early August, but the tailwater stretches upstream tell a tougher story. A post on The Fly Fishing Forum described the Upper South Platte and Dream Stream as running historically low, with water above Spinney near 8 cfs and temperatures hitting 74-76°F, warm enough that the poster urged anglers to fish elsewhere. That lines up with what South Platte-area shops are seeing: Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing calls 2026 one of the worst droughts on record for Colorado, and Cutthroat Anglers is telling clients to stop fishing once water hits 68°F to protect stressed trout. AvidMax's Fly Tying Tuesday crew keeps turning out small tailwater midge patterns built for exactly these low, clear, technical conditions. Expect early starts, light tippet, and careful catch-and-release handling to matter more than usual on the South Platte and Arkansas systems this week.
Warm-water catfish bite carries the Red and Missouri into August
USGS gauge 05054000 logged water at 82°F this morning with the river holding a steady 255 cfs, putting the Red and Missouri system solidly into peak summer-heat conditions for eastern North Dakota. At that temperature channel catfish typically feed hardest, especially after dark, while walleye and sauger tend to slide off current breaks and wing dams into deeper, cooler water and bite mainly in low-light windows. Smallmouth bass holding on rock and rip-rap structure usually stay catchable through the heat if anglers keep baits moving rather than soaking them. No charter, tackle-shop, or state-agency reports specific to the Red or Missouri River system came through in today's intel sweep, so this update leans on typical late-summer patterns for the region rather than fresh on-the-water testimony. Plan around early mornings, evenings, and after-dark catfish trips over midday walleye pushes until water temperatures ease back down.
Tennessee River bass push deep as August heat settles in
Flow at the regional USGS gauge (03578500) sat at a modest 12.2 cfs early Sunday, consistent with the stable, low-water pool conditions typical of the Chickamauga and Watts Bar chain by early August; water temperature wasn't reported by local sensors this cycle. No angler reports specific to this stretch of the Tennessee River system came through our regional feeds this week. For technique, we're leaning on Tactical Bassin's latest August breakdown: summer heat is pushing bass off the bank and onto offshore ledges, points, and grass edges, with jigs and swimbaits working best as the bite fades through midday. Elsewhere on the broader Tennessee River system, B.A.S.S. News highlighted Hayden Marbut's tournament pedigree built on Pickwick, Wheeler, and Guntersville, and MLF News covered the high school championship at Kentucky Lake - both signs the river chain is fishing well heading toward fall. Check current state regulations before harvesting.
Arkansas trout tailwaters hold steady through August heat
No Arkansas-specific buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feed carried no White River or state-agency reports for the region, so this update draws on established patterns for the fishery rather than fresh on-the-water intel. The White River system is a dam-controlled tailwater, and cold bottom-release flows typically keep water temperatures well below what August ambient heat would otherwise produce, which is why the stretch holds a year-round trout fishery even in mid-summer. Flow volume swings with hydroelectric generation schedules, so wading and boat safety depend heavily on release timing on a given day. Rainbow trout are the mainstay here, with brown trout also present in the system, and smallmouth bass populate the warmer stretches downstream. Anglers should verify current generation schedules and confirm regulations before keeping fish, since limits vary by zone and season.
Tennessee River bass show tournament form through summer heat
Bass fishing across Tennessee's river system is producing tournament-caliber weights right now. B.A.S.S. News reports Caige Bragg's 38-pound, 4-ounce three-day total won the Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship at Kentucky Lake, and the same outlet notes angler Hayden Marbut built his reputation on the broader Tennessee River system — including Pickwick, Wheeler, and Guntersville — heading into this year's Lake Champlain event. That's a solid signal for late-summer bass action on Tennessee River and Cumberland-system impoundments. Our Cumberland-basin gauge (03434500) read 562 cfs overnight, a stable, moderate flow that shouldn't push anglers off typical summer spots. No shop, charter, or state-agency 'what's biting' reports came through for this region this cycle, so treat the species notes below as seasonally typical rather than confirmed fresh intel. Water temperature wasn't available from this reading — check a local gauge before planning dawn or dusk sessions.
Ozarks anglers shift to deep cover as Osage flow runs high
The USGS gauge at site 06934500 logged water temperatures at 82°F with flow running heavy near 48,600 cfs in the early hours of August 3, conditions that push Lake of the Ozarks and Osage River fish toward deeper water and current breaks rather than the bank. No lake-specific angler reports came through our feeds this cycle, but this week's national bass coverage tracks with what August typically brings to Ozark waters: Tactical Bassin's latest videos have anglers finding largemouth suspended over submerged vegetation and offshore cover, switching from a fading jig bite to swimbaits as the day heats up, while Fishing the Midwest notes forward-facing sonar keeps reshaping how anglers locate summer bass and walleye away from traditional bottom structure. On the Osage side, that elevated flow argues for working seams and eddies rather than open water, and catfish typically get more active as current rises and water stains up.
Summer heat pushes Mosquito and Pymatuning fish deep
Flow on the USGS Mahoning River gauge near Mosquito Creek is running low and steady this week, a typical mid-summer signature for northeast Ohio's inland reservoirs. No fresh on-the-water reports came in specifically from Mosquito or Pymatuning this cycle, so this update leans on regional technique intel and general seasonal patterns rather than fresh local testimony. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes that forward-facing sonar has upended old assumptions about walleye holding tight to bottom structure, with fish increasingly found suspended off points and weedlines rather than glued to the bottom — worth trying if traditional bottom-bumping has gone quiet. Tactical Bassin's August breakdown pegs offshore submerged vegetation and deeper cover as the go-to for largemouth and smallmouth once the shallows get hot, a pattern that should carry over to Ohio's reservoirs. Expect crappie and catfish to settle into typical summer thermocline and low-light feeding windows until nights cool.
August heat settles Texoma and Eufaula bass onto deep structure
The USGS gauge on the Blue River system (site 07331600) logged flow at 441 cfs early this morning, a steady read with no water-temp sensor reporting alongside it. No shop, charter, or agency report came through this cycle naming Lake Texoma or Lake Eufaula specifically, so we're leaning on general seasonal patterns rather than fresh local intel. Per Tactical Bassin's recent August coverage, bass across southern reservoirs are pushing off the bank and stacking on offshore cover and deep structure as surface temps peak, with dropshot and swimbait presentations working through the thickest heat of the day. That same offshore push typically applies to Texoma's largemouth and smallmouth. Striped bass, the signature draw at Texoma, are typically holding deeper and more scattered in early August as they follow baitfish and cooler water; catfish action usually stays consistent through the heat, while crappie tend to go quiet until shad move shallower later in the month.
Elevated Tennessee River flows keep August bass playing deep
USGS gauge 02339500 was running an elevated 5,650 cfs as of early Wednesday morning, a sign of recent rain pushing extra water through the Tennessee River system, with no fresh water-temperature reading logged for this update. Anglers should check a handheld thermometer or local report before dialing in patterns. Direct on-the-water intel for the Tennessee and Coosa river stretches was thin this week, but B.A.S.S. News highlighted the broader fishery's pedigree, noting Hayden Marbut's recent success on the Tennessee River system built on Pickwick, Wheeler and Guntersville. Nationally, Tactical Bassin's August coverage is pushing anglers off the bank and onto offshore structure, dropshot rigs, jigs and swimbaits as summer heat settles bass into deeper positions, a pattern that typically holds in high-flow, stained conditions like the current gauge reading suggests. Expect largemouth and spotted bass to hold tight to cover and structure until flows moderate.
August heat pushes Erie walleye, bass anglers toward deeper water
Buoy and river-gauge feeds for the Ohio River corridor came back empty this cycle, so there's no fresh temperature or flow reading to report today, but technique trends from the region give us a read on where fish are sitting. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes that Forward-Facing Sonar is overturning old walleye "truths" — fish long assumed to hug bottom near points and weedlines are turning up suspended in open water instead, a shift worth trying if bottom-bouncing has gone quiet. Bob Jensen, also writing for Fishing the Midwest, points to odd-looking "urchin" style baits producing when bass sit tight to cover. Tactical Bassin's August content backs up the seasonal pattern: bass pushing off the bank toward submerged vegetation and offshore structure as the heat holds. For Lake Erie and the Ohio River, expect walleye and smallmouth to key on deeper breaks and channel cats to stay active through the warm stretch — standard for early August in this region.