Fishing reports
19070 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Uinta high lakes and the Green River settle into a summer heat pattern
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Green River and the Uinta Lakes this cycle, so flow and water-temp numbers are unknown for this update rather than assumed. Field & Stream's roundup of alpine fishing gear this week is a useful regional cue anyway: it notes that high-elevation trout water sees far less pressure than lowland lakes and rivers, and can turn on fast once you're rigged right, whether you're running conventional tackle or fly gear. That tracks with the typical late-July pattern for the Uintas and the Green River tailwater, where rainbows, browns and cutthroat push feeding into the cooler morning and evening windows as midday temperatures climb. Hatch Magazine's piece on leading a rising trout is worth a re-read for anyone working dry flies on slower Green River runs this week, since presentation matters more than fly choice once fish get selective. Expect a quieter midday bite and a livelier dusk shift under this week's Full Moon.
Midwest walleye patterns shift as sonar rewrites the rulebook
Walleye anglers across the Midwest are rethinking where they look this summer, per Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch, who notes forward-facing sonar has overturned the old assumption that walleye stay glued to bottom structure — plenty of fish are now suspended well off bottom and away from typical breaklines. That shift applies directly to Platte and Missouri River walleye water, where suspended fish over deeper channel bends are worth a look alongside traditional structure. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch today, so treat flow and temperature as typical for late July until you check a local gauge. Channel catfish and white bass are in their usual mid-summer pattern on these rivers, typical for the season rather than tied to any specific report. Full moon overhead tonight; low-light windows at dawn and dusk are worth prioritizing.
Pike Pressure Builds as Montana Trout Water Holds Summer Pattern
Montana's trout fisheries are drawing extra attention this week after Flylords Mag flagged northern pike and bass pushing into the Missouri and Yellowstone River basins as a genuine threat to the state's storied trout water, a reminder that Flathead Lake and Bitterroot anglers should expect similar invasive-species pressure on any given outing. Elsewhere in the state, Wired 2 Fish reported Hall of Fame anglers Steve Pennaz and Jim Kalkofen boating rainbows in the 2- to 4-pound range at Holter Lake on July 27 before hooking a 48-inch, 35-pound-class northern pike, a sign trout are still feeding well into late summer even as pike numbers climb. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for Flathead Lake or the Bitterroot this cycle, so treat flow and temp as typical for a full-moon late-July stretch: warm surface water, an early bite window, and fish sliding deeper by midday. Westslope cutthroat, rainbow, and lake trout remain the go-to targets; check current state regs before harvesting.
Snake & Salmon Rivers ease into typical late-summer rhythm
No buoy or gauge readings were available for the Snake and Salmon River drainage this cycle, and none of our tracked shop, captain, or state-agency feeds filed a specific what's-biting report for the region this week, so this update leans on general seasonal knowledge rather than fresh testimony. Idaho's fisheries did make headlines elsewhere this summer - Outdoor Hub reported a new state catch-and-release northern pike record from Lake Pend Oreille in the Panhandle - but that catch sits well outside the Snake and Salmon drainages and isn't a read on conditions here. For late July on these systems, expect typical late-summer patterns: warm, lower flows favoring smallmouth bass activity, cooling tributary pockets holding cutthroat trout, and many mainstem stretches approaching or under seasonal Chinook restrictions. Steelhead won't factor in again until the fall return. Check current Idaho Fish and Game regulations before targeting salmonids, since in-season closures are common this time of year.
Upper Mississippi walleye anglers adapt to sonar-era summer patterns
No live buoy or gauge readings came back for the Clinton-Dubuque pools this cycle, so this update leans on regional technique intel rather than fresh numbers. Writing for Fishing the Midwest, both Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen note this season that Forward-Facing Sonar has changed where anglers are finding walleye, with fish increasingly showing up suspended off traditional bottom structure rather than glued to the points and weedlines older wisdom pointed to. Jensen also flags that off-beat presentations, like multi-tentacled "urchin" style baits, have been producing when more conventional looks stall out. For Upper Mississippi pool walleye and smallmouth anglers working the Clinton-Dubuque stretch under this full moon, the takeaway is to check the whole water column instead of assuming bottom-only presentations. Channel catfish should stay a dependable late-summer option around current breaks. Check local forecast and pool flow stage before heading out, since no direct river-specific readings were available for this update.
Wisconsin River holds steady flow as late-summer patterns set in
The Wisconsin River gauge (USGS 05391000) logged 443 cfs at midday Wednesday, a steady, unspectacular reading that points to typical late-July base flow rather than any recent rain spike. Water temperature wasn't reported in today's pull, but flows this stable usually mean clear-to-slightly-stained water and predictable structure fishing rather than blown-out conditions. Today's angler-intel sweep leaned heavier on WI DNR Wisconsin Fishing News season and regulatory items than on fresh weekly bite reports, so we're grounding species notes in typical late-summer Wisconsin patterns rather than a confirmed hot bite this week. On Lake Superior, WI DNR Lake Superior Fishing continues flagging a growing lake whitefish fishery around Chequamegon Bay as a genuine bright spot. Inland, walleye anglers are leaning on deep-structure and forward-facing-sonar tactics this time of year per Fishing the Midwest, while smallmouth are sliding to offshore cover as water warms, a shift Tactical Bassin is already covering heading into August. Call today steady, not spectacular, with better intel likely once fresh weekly reports come in for these waters.
High water on the Des Moines River sets up a catfish push
The gauge near USGS site 05465500 logged 8,530 cfs late this morning, running well above typical late-July base flow for the Des Moines River system, with no water-temperature reading available this cycle. Water this high typically runs stained, and that combination tends to pull channel catfish into faster current seams and runs to feed, a pattern typical for Iowa's Des Moines and Iowa Rivers during summer high-water stretches. Walleye often slide off classic bottom structure into softer eddies when flow spikes this much, and regional coverage from Fishing the Midwest notes anglers increasingly leaning on forward-facing sonar to find those suspended fish rather than fishing points and weedlines out of habit. Smallmouth bass activity likely tightens into slack-water pockets behind wing dams and bridge pilings while the main current runs hard. With a full moon overhead tonight, low-light windows around dawn and dusk should be the most active stretches. Check Iowa DNR regs before harvesting anything, and use caution wading or launching in fast, off-color water.
Missouri River walleye stay active as Black Hills creeks run low
A South Dakota state-record sunfish made headlines this season when angler Jack Backman, fishing near Wall, South Dakota, spotted a suspended fish on forward-facing sonar while targeting walleye and boated the record catch instead, per Wired 2 Fish. That FFS-first approach tracks with what Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen describe as the modern Missouri River walleye game: locating suspended fish in open water rather than pinning them to bottom structure, a shift both veteran writers say has changed how they fish for walleye in recent years. Locally, our one Black Hills USGS gauge (06440200) is reading essentially no flow, 0 cfs, as of this morning, a sign that smaller Black Hills creeks and trout water are running thin heading into late July; water temperature wasn't available at that station. No fresh Missouri River reservoir reports came in this week, so plan around FFS-located walleye and low, warm tributary flows.
Low Flows Push VT Bass and Walleye Into Summer Patterns
USGS gauge 01135300 logged a scant 15.8 cfs this morning, confirming the low, clear-water conditions typical for Vermont's Connecticut River tributaries and Lake Champlain drainages by late July. No water-temperature reading came through with this cycle's data, but seasonal norms put both systems firmly into summer bass-and-pike mode. Regional New England freshwater shops tracked by The Fisherman — New England Freshwater report smallmouth relating to drop-offs in six to twenty feet and eating Senkos, while largemouth are working shallow cover and topwater around dawn and dusk — patterns that typically mirror what Champlain and Connecticut River anglers see this time of year. Fishing the Midwest's ongoing coverage of forward-facing sonar notes walleye are increasingly found suspended off bottom rather than glued to structure, a shift worth trying if traditional spots go quiet. Tonight's full moon should extend the low-light bite window for bass and walleye alike.
Lake Michigan salmon season rides a record-setting high into late July
Door County and Sheboygan anglers are working a Lake Michigan fishery coming off historic numbers: the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes anglers harvested over 210,000 coho salmon and more than 160,000 Chinook salmon in 2024, the best Chinook year since 2012, with steelhead also strong on the back of healthy alewife survival feeding those stocked classes. No fresh buoy readings or on-the-water bite reports came through this cycle, so treat today's species read as seasonal expectation rather than a live account. Late July under a full moon is typically prime time for open-water Chinook and coho trolling off Door County, with steady lake trout action along deeper break lines near Sheboygan. The DNR is also studying Green Bay and northern Lake Michigan smallmouth bass, where a decade-long agency study suggests individual fish vary in how vulnerable they are to angling, a detail worth knowing before writing off a slow stretch of water. Check current regulations before harvesting anything.
Pine Barrens bass turn to topwater as summer flows stay low
Freshwater anglers across the Delaware River corridor and Pine Barrens are finding a building topwater bite as July gives way to August. Largemouth bass are eating weedless plastics and surface baits worked through vegetation, with a shop source in The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater column reporting surface action for bass and snakeheads at Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, and Silver Lake building through July and expected to carry into August. Recent rain has refreshed water levels in South Jersey ponds and small lakes near Cape May, per the same report, setting up better conditions heading into the month. Another shop in that roundup described a slower July for bass, perch, and pickerel due to heat, storms, and holiday traffic, but expects improvement once those interruptions clear. USGS gauge 01408000 is running a modest 25.8 cfs, consistent with typical low summer base flow for the region. Perch and crappie fishing traditionally picks up in August as waters begin to cool.
Stripers stay hot in Cape Cod Bay as shark season heats up too
Striped bass fishing remains the headline story in Cape Cod Bay this week, with Black Rose Fishing Charters (per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands) describing bass trips as nonstop action producing plenty of slot fish and numerous fish well over that mark. The same report notes the Goose Hummock Shop is seeing bay boats do well on live bait, cut bait, and trolled tube-and-worm rigs, with the Monomoy rips a consistent producer. Bottom fishing is rounding out the trip too — Sports Port reports legal scup and a few legal fluke coming from sound-side waters on a short run. It's also shark season on the Cape: OTW Surfcasting flagged a tiger shark caught from a Cape Cod beach, and Black Rose reported a great white taking a seal on one of the rips they fish, so give apex predators room. Offshore, OTW Saltwater's Northeast report has bluefin tuna spread across roughly 280 miles of water, a sign the broader tuna push is building nearby.
Central MA Ponds Keep Producing as Bass Bite Holds Steady
At Jerry's Bait and Tackle in Milford, anglers are still finding solid action on Central MA's small ponds despite the late-July doldrums typical of freshwater fisheries this time of year. Rick's regulars have been picking largemouth bass on shiners at Pratt Pond, while pickerel and panfish keep young anglers busy at Choate Park and Hopedale Pond, per the shop's latest report. Smallmouth bass are also coming out of Wachusett Reservoir, with one angler landing several fish, and another reported good largemouth numbers fishing from a canoe across multiple area ponds. Local USGS gauges show area streams running low and steady (29.2 and 92.6 cfs), typical for summer base flow with no rain pulse in sight. With tonight's full moon boosting low-light feeding, early morning and dusk sessions should be the most productive windows for bass and panfish alike across the region's ponds.
Steady Wabash flow keeps summer walleye and catfish patterns intact
The Wabash River gauge at Lafayette (USGS 03335500) is running 1,820 cfs today, enough push to keep bait and current-oriented fish working the wing dams and current seams without blowing the river out of shape. No fresh water-temperature reading came through this cycle, so plan around typical late-July warmth rather than a hard number. Direct on-the-water reports for the Wabash and the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan were thin in today's feeds, so this update leans on regional Midwest patterns: Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen both note forward-facing sonar has pulled more walleye anglers off traditional bottom structure and into open water, where suspended fish are now holding, a technique worth trying if bottom bites go quiet. Tonight's full moon typically strengthens low-light and after-dark bites. Expect standard late-summer behavior otherwise: bass tucked to shade and current breaks through midday heat, catfish steady on cut bait after sundown, and Lake Michigan perch and walleye sliding deeper as surface temps climb.
Allatoona spots still fire early as Lanier settles into summer pattern
Lake Allatoona's spotted bass are still busting bait in low light, with this month's Lake Allatoona Fishing Report from GA Sportsman/Georgia Outdoor News noting fish holding on offshore humps, long points, and brushpiles in 25-35 feet, with a topwater window early before pressure pushes the schools deeper and more selective. Regional flow data from USGS gauge 02334430 shows a cold 51-degree reading at 613 cfs as of midday July 30, a signature of generation-driven, tailwater-style flow rather than typical late-July surface conditions on these reservoirs. We're not seeing a direct Lake Lanier report in today's intel, so expect its main-lake pattern to track the same offshore, structure-oriented summer bite Allatoona anglers are describing. Drop-shot rigs and soft plastics are the go-to for the deep spotted bass bite per that report, with a topwater bait or Fluke worth keeping rigged for stray surfacing fish.
Steady Grand River flow keeps walleye, smallmouth bite on track
Grand River flow is holding at 1,370 cfs this morning per USGS gauge 04119000, a steady read with no spike or drought signal showing up in the data heading into the final days of July. Water temperature wasn't available from local monitoring today. Fishing the Midwest's regional columns this week point out that forward-facing sonar has shifted where a lot of anglers are finding suspended walleye, moving them off the traditional bottom-and-structure pattern many of us grew up fishing — worth trying if your usual spots are quiet. Smallmouth bass, panfish, and channel catfish round out the typical summer lineup on Grand River tributaries and nearshore Great Lakes water this time of year. MI DNR published its July 29 weekly rundown covering the state's five regions plus the Great Lakes; check it directly for area-specific numbers before you head out. Stable flow plus this week's full moon favor early and late low-light windows for the most consistent action.
Susquehanna smallmouth stay steady as summer flows hold up
The Susquehanna is running warm and full for late July, with the USGS benchmark gauge showing 75°F water and 3,130 cfs as of midday Wednesday, conditions squarely in typical late-summer form for this stretch of Pennsylvania. A full moon this week should push feeding activity toward the overnight and early-morning hours, especially for smallmouth bass and channel catfish that lean into low-light and dark-phase bites once surface water sits in the mid-70s. No fresh PA-specific angler reports came through our sources this cycle; the state-agency and regional-blog feeds pulled today covered other states and general program news rather than on-the-water Susquehanna or Allegheny conditions, so this read leans on the gauge data and season-typical patterns rather than a fresh bite report. Anglers working deeper runs, current breaks below riffles, and shaded structure should find the most consistent action, with warmwater species considerably more cooperative than cold-water species at these temperatures.
Full moon tides set up cobia and drum push on VA's Eastern Shore
Offshore action is heating up along the Mid-Atlantic this week — OTW Saltwater's July 29 report has bluefin tuna schools spread across nearly 280 miles of Northeast and Mid-Atlantic water, some of the best runs of the season so far. Closer to Chincoteague, direct reports are thin this cycle, but late July on Virginia's Eastern Shore typically means cobia and red drum working bay-side structure and inlets, with Spanish mackerel and flounder rounding out the inshore mix. A notable regional data point: On The Water reported a Maryland angler landed a rare false albacore off Ocean City on July 3 while trolling for tuna, a sign baitfish and pelagics may be pushing unusually far north early. With this week's full moon driving bigger tidal swings, expect stronger current at the inlets — good news for drum and cobia staged on structure during the moving water.
Venice mangrove snapper bite holds as full moon tides move through Delta
A 25-inch mangrove snapper came aboard out of Venice this week, per a reader catch report in Coastal Angler Magazine — a decent sign snapper are still holding tight to structure as July winds down on the Delta. We don't have buoy or gauge readings for this stretch of the Gulf Coast today, so treat water temp and current strength as unconfirmed until you check a local source before running out. Redfish and speckled trout remain the default summer targets in the marsh and Delta passes this time of year, typically more active around a full moon's stronger tidal push, though no shop or captain report came through this cycle to confirm this week's exact bite pattern. One non-fishing item worth knowing before you launch: Louisiana Sportsman reports LDWF enforcement agents can no longer randomly board vessels without reasonable suspicion, a policy shift as of July 29.
Striper feast follows heavy squid run into Gulf of Maine
A heavy squid run pushing along the southern Gulf of Maine is driving what Surfland Bait and Tackle called "phenomenal" striper fishing this week, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME, with an awesome morning topwater bite at the mouth of the Merrimack and quality bass stacking on humps north of Cape Ann. Beauport Fishing Adventures notes bass still turning on tide changes locally, plus a haddock bite for boats willing to run well offshore. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge reading came back for Gulf of Maine waters this cycle, so treat water temp and swell as unconfirmed until fresh data lands. Farther offshore, OTW Saltwater's Northeast Offshore Report has bluefin tuna scattered across roughly 280 miles of open water, one of the stronger showings of the season region-wide. With tonight's full moon amplifying tidal swings, expect the squid-driven bite to hold as bait keeps stacking along the coast.
Scup and fluke fill in on the Sound side as stripers hold strong nearby
Sound-side anglers are finding good scup fishing and a scattering of keeper fluke this week, per Sports Port, whose Chris reports legal scup and a few legal fluke coming from not far off the beaches on the sound side. Just up the coast, Goose Hummock Shop's Ian gave in to the summer sharking craze, working eels on the Sound side after dark, while a small tiger shark turned up near Mashpee. Striper fishing is holding strong in the broader Cape Cod waters too: Black Rose Fishing Charters' Captain Rich Antonio called his bass trips nonstop, with plenty of slot fish and several overs, and Cape Cod Bay boats are still doing well trolling tube-and-worm rigs and soaking cut bait on the rips. Falmouth Bait and Tackle notes the offshore tuna crowd just wrapped a strong tournament out of Hyannis, a sign the deeper-water bite is heating up alongside the inshore action.
Illinois walleye break from the bottom as summer sonar tactics take over
The Illinois River is running near 11,300 cfs at USGS gauge 05586100 as of Wednesday morning, a solid push of moving water through the system's current breaks and wing dams. No water temperature reading came through with this cycle's gauge data, but late-July conditions on the Illinois River and Lake Michigan typically sit in the mid-to-upper 70s, keeping walleye, bass, and catfish metabolism active. Per Fishing the Midwest, forward-facing sonar has continued reshaping how anglers find walleye this season, with fish increasingly showing up suspended off bottom rather than glued to the points and weedlines older tactics assumed. The same source notes missed bass strikes often trace back to dull trebles worth a quick touch-up between fish. We didn't get direct on-the-water bite reports for this stretch this cycle, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed action, and check current conditions before heading out.
Catawba & Roanoke bass dig in as summer flows run thin
A USGS gauge on the Catawba system read flow at just over 1 cubic foot per second late this morning, about as thin as this basin runs — a classic late-July, low-water signature after weeks without meaningful rain. Water temperature wasn't reported alongside it, but low, clear summer flow on the Catawba and Roanoke typically pushes largemouth bass and catfish into classic heat-avoidance patterns: bass sliding to whatever deeper cover, current breaks, or shade a skinny river offers, feeding hardest in the first and last hour of daylight, while catfish stay the most reliably active fish after dark. Crappie and bream tend to hold tight to any remaining structure and brush in low, clear water rather than roaming open flats. Tonight's full moon adds a wrinkle worth planning around — expect an earlier-than-usual morning bite as fish feed heavily overnight under bright moonlight, then go quiet once the sun's up. Check current NC flow advisories before launching in skinny stretches.
Summer bass push deeper as full moon lights up Potomac, Patapsco
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Potomac and Patapsco system this cycle, but the calendar and the full moon overhead still tell most of the story for late-July freshwater fishing here. Largemouth bass are settling into a classic summer pattern, and Tactical Bassin's latest coverage this week leans hard on offshore vegetation and dropshot presentations as fish slide off the bank and away from direct sun once the heat sets in. That lines up with what these tidal-freshwater stretches typically produce through midsummer: bass holding tighter to deeper grass lines and channel edges, snakeheads working thick backwater mats early and late, and channel catfish staying steady on cut bait after dark. We're leaning on seasonal norms more than fresh on-the-water reports this cycle, so read species status below as a general expectation rather than a confirmed bite until more local intel comes in.