Fishing reports
19070 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Rio Grande trout squeezed by drought as San Juan tailwater holds steady
Trout Unlimited's midsummer dispatch on "Drought and native trout: Colorado and Rio Grande Rivers" frames the backdrop for New Mexico anglers right now: record-low snowpack runoff, drying reservoirs, and heat waves across the Southwest have pushed some coldwater fisheries into hoot-owl restrictions and mandatory closures this season. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Rio Grande or San Juan this cycle, so treat flow and temperature as unconfirmed until you check a local gauge before heading out. The dam-regulated San Juan tailwater below Navajo Dam typically holds up better than free-flowing stretches of the Rio Grande in a drought year like this, since releases keep water cooler and more consistent through summer. Expect typical late-July conditions otherwise: low, clear flows on the main-stem Rio Grande, warmer afternoons pushing trout activity toward dawn and dusk, and any warmwater smallmouth water further downstream staying active through the heat. Confirm any local hoot-owl or closure notices before fishing.
Kings and browns mix it up as Lake Ontario salmon bite heats up
Salmon fishing has been very good this past week, with browns and lake trout mixed in alongside kings, per Strike Zone Charters (Lake Ontario). Boats are working the 100 to 160 foot range, though the preferred depth is shifting day to day as wind pushes the thermal break around the lake. When the warm layer sits deep, Mag Dipsey Divers are getting the nod to punch presentations down to fish holding below the surface temp break. Green, white, and chartreuse e-chip spoons paired with squid-style attractors are the producing color combo right now. No direct buoy or gauge readings came through for the Salmon River or Oswego corridor this cycle, so treat depth and temp notes as lake-side intel rather than confirmed tributary numbers. With staging fish already showing well offshore, tributary anglers should keep an eye on river flow and temp as the season progresses toward the fall run.
Summer bass go deep as anglers adjust patterns on Ozark waters
No fresh buoy or gauge telemetry came through for Missouri and the Ozark rivers this cycle, so this update leans on seasonal patterns and current national bass-fishing trends rather than site-specific readings. Tactical Bassin's late-July roundup on summer bass patterns is instructive: bass become predictable once the heat sets in, and anglers who leave the bank for offshore cover and submerged vegetation are the ones cashing in, whether the water is clear highland reservoir or a grassy flat. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch adds that forward-facing sonar has upended the old assumption that summer bass sit tight to bottom structure like points and weedlines — fish are increasingly found suspended in open water. For Ozark rivers specifically, expect the usual mid-summer script: smallmouth and largemouth sliding to deeper, shaded structure, catfish holding in the deep holes, and tailwater trout fisheries staying comparatively stable thanks to cold-water releases.
Taneycomo trout perk up as generation windows calm down
Trout fishing on Lake Taneycomo has improved over the last couple of weeks, according to Lilleys Landing's July 4 report, even with afternoon and evening generation still running heavy in spots. That's a welcome shift after a rough June, when the shop described generation schedules as the least consistent variable on the lake, with mini-fronts bringing rain and wind several times a day and bite quality swinging from good to tough within 24 hours. The upside heading into late July: Lilleys Landing expects more stretches of no generation, particularly in mornings, now that the heavy rains from earlier in the season have subsided. That favors bank and dock anglers who struggled most during the high-flow stretch. Rainbow trout remain the headline species below the dam, with technique success still tracking closely to whatever the power company is doing on a given day, so checking the generation schedule before you load the truck is worth the five minutes it takes.
Full moon sets up summer patterns for Delta stripers and bass
No fresh buoy or gauge telemetry synced for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta this cycle, so this report leans on seasonal patterns rather than a same-week bite report. Late July under a full moon typically pushes striped bass into low-light feeding windows around structure and current breaks, while largemouth bass slide into deeper cover or shaded tule lines as afternoon heat builds, a pattern Tactical Bassin's summer coverage has been hammering all month, offshore vegetation and dropshot presentations over the usual bank grind. White sturgeon tend to hold steady through summer on scent-soaked bait in deeper channel bends, and channel catfish typically turn on after dark. NorCal Fish Reports maintains a standing Delta section for exactly this fishery, worth checking directly before you launch, since we don't have this week's specific counts in hand.
South Fork cutthroat bite holds through late-July heat
No buoy or gauge readings and no region-specific captain, shop, or agency reports came through for the Snake River and South Fork this cycle, so today's outlook leans on general late-July patterns for the fishery rather than fresh field intel. Under the current full moon, the sharpest activity typically shifts into the early-morning and late-evening low-light windows as afternoon water temperatures climb. This stretch is known for its Yellowstone cutthroat and rainbow trout, and by late July the summer hopper bite is usually building along grassy, undercut banks, with residual PMD and caddis activity possible on overcast mornings. Flows are typically dropping and warming through midsummer, which tends to push fish into faster, better-oxygenated runs and pocket water. Treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite reports, and check current South Fork flows plus any hoot-owl or thermal-closure restrictions before heading out.
Lake trout keep a steady bite going off Minnesota's North Shore
Lake trout continue to deliver a steady bite along Minnesota's North Shore, with the MN DNR Lake Superior Summer Fishing report from July 23 noting anglers pulling 18-30 inch lake trout on bright spoons, stickbaits, and flasher flies trolled 30-60 feet down over 100-150 feet of water near the thermocline. Windy conditions have stirred cold-water upwelling close to shore, with surface temps ranging from the low 40s near shore to around 60°F offshore, per the same report. Coho salmon in the 16-18 inch range are mixing in, and a few 20-25 inch chinook are showing at all stations. Inland, walleye anglers are leaning harder on forward-facing sonar this season, with Fishing the Midwest noting suspended fish are turning up away from the classic bottom-and-structure spots anglers were taught for decades. With the full moon overhead, expect active low-light feeding windows through the Twin Cities and North Woods lake systems this week.
Full moon tides set the stage for late-July Sound action
A youth angler out of Vancleave landed a state-record 8-pound, 11.2-ounce bonnethead shark this month, according to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources — solid confirmation that sharks are actively working the shallows right now. Beyond that record, hard specifics on the current bite are thin this cycle: no fresh buoy or gauge readings came through, and the available intel skewed toward national gear reviews and out-of-region reports rather than local Mississippi Sound conditions. What we can say with confidence is seasonal: late July under a full moon typically pushes speckled trout and redfish into low-light feeding windows around grass flats and marsh edges, with flounder holding tight to sandy bottom near passes and channels. Treat this report as a seasonal baseline rather than a live bite call, and check with a local shop before heading out. We'll sharpen this with on-the-water intel as fresh reports come in.
Savannah chain bass and stripers dig in as summer heat sets the pattern
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for Hartwell or Russell this cycle, and neither lake had a report filed directly this week, so this update leans on how the rest of Georgia's Piedmont reservoirs are fishing right now. Georgia Outdoor News' August roundup has Carters Lake spotted bass holding tight to brushpiles in 25 to 35 feet on drop-shot rigs, with striper relating deep to the thermocline and moving higher during low light, a pattern that typically tracks closely with the Hartwell/Russell/Thurmond system once summer heat locks in. The same report has Lake Allatoona bass still working offshore humps, long points and drop-offs, though fish are getting selective under pressure. Expect Hartwell and Russell largemouth and spotted bass relating to deep structure and standing timber, with striper suspended on the thermocline chasing bait. Early mornings and low-light windows around this week's full moon should be the highest-percentage times to be on the water before midday heat shuts the bite down.
Lake Erie walleye and Presque Isle smallmouth settle into summer rhythm
Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay are settling into a classic late-July rhythm, with walleye holding over deeper structure and smallmouth bass working rock and current edges as the water warms. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, and the angler-intel feeds carried no direct Erie or Presque Isle chatter, so this report leans on typical seasonal behavior for the fishery rather than fresh on-the-water reports. General walleye-fishing commentary from Fishing the Midwest notes anglers increasingly using forward-facing sonar to relocate structure-oriented and suspended fish rather than assuming they're glued to bottom — a shift worth trying if you're marking bait but not bites. Smallmouth anglers can lean on standard summer tactics like dropshotting deeper cover, per general guidance from Tactical Bassin. Perch and steelhead are likely to stay scattered and slow through the heat. Check PA Fish & Boat's Biologist Reports page for the latest lake-specific stocking and survey notes before you head out.
Speckled Trout Bite Peaks in Sarasota Bay as Tarpon Push Inshore
Sarasota Bay's speckled trout bite is running hot right now. Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters (Sarasota) reports anglers landing quality spotted seatrout — including a 27-inch fish this past week — with the peak summer bite in full swing on inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes at sunrise and sunset. Tarpon remain a solid target too: Capt. Rick Grassett's August forecast (also via CB's Saltwater Outfitters) has silver kings still working the coastal Gulf early in the month before thinning along the beaches and shifting to bridges and deep grass flats inside the bay, with juveniles showing as well. Snook season is typically closed in Gulf waters through summer for the spawn (check current state regs before harvesting), though the fish stay active around mangrove shorelines and passes this time of year. With a full moon overhead, expect stronger tidal movement pushing bait through the passes. No live buoy or gauge data is available for this report, so confirm water temps and marine forecasts locally before heading out.
Champlain smallmouth push to structure as summer heat builds
Summer heat has bass sliding off the bank and onto deeper cover across the Northeast, and that shift applies directly to Lake Champlain's smallmouth: per this week's Tactical Bassin breakdown of overlooked summer patterns, both largemouth and smallmouth are stacking on submerged vegetation and offshore structure rather than the shoreline, with dropshot rigs producing once the sun gets high (a technique the same source details in its summer dropshot roundup). No fresh NOAA or USGS readings came through for this stretch of the lake today, so treat water temp as an estimate: expect it solidly in the typical mid-to-upper-70s late-July range for the main lake, with landlocked salmon and lake trout pushed toward deeper, cooler water as a result. Full moon tonight should concentrate feeding windows around dawn and dusk. We're seeing no direct Champlain-specific reports in today's feed, so this is seasonal-pattern guidance rather than a fresh on-the-water account.
Blackmouth Chinook and halibut carry Puget Sound's summer bite
NOAA buoys and USGS gauges returned no live readings for this update, so there's no on-the-water gauge data to report today. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's ongoing creel and catch survey program (per WA WDFW Fishing Reports) remains the standing resource anglers lean on for area-by-area numbers across Puget Sound and the outer coast. Late July under a full moon typically keeps summer blackmouth Chinook the headline draw in the Sound's marine areas, with halibut and lingcod holding steady bottomfish action offshore while coho are still building toward their late-summer push. Farther south, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports California regulators tightening ocean salmon closures on the north coast this week, a sign that Pacific salmon seasons are being managed tightly up and down the coast this summer. Check current WDFW marine-area regulations and openings before heading out, since specifics shift by area and week.
Full moon pushes SML, Buggs Island bass and stripers into deep summer mode
No buoy or gauge readings came back for Smith Mountain Lake or Buggs Island this cycle, and no Virginia-specific "what's biting" report landed in today's angler intel either — the Virginia DWR blog posts this week are regulatory (stocked trout plan, public comment period) rather than conditions reports. In their absence, we're leaning on the calendar: late July under a full moon is peak-heat, peak-metabolism water for both reservoirs, which typically pulls striped bass and smallmouth toward deeper structure and pushes largemouth off the bank onto submerged grass and offshore cover. Per Tactical Bassin's August bass roundup, hot-water largemouth respond well to baits worked over grass and offshore color changes rather than shoreline structure this time of year. Crappie should be tucked to deep brush, most catchable around dawn and dusk. Treat all of this as seasonal expectation, not a confirmed bite, until a fresher regional report comes in.
Panhandle anglers lean on summer staples as fresh reports run thin
No new buoy or gauge readings came in for the Destin/Pensacola stretch this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep turned up mostly Gulf-wide boating gear talk on the Pensacola Fishing Forum rather than specific bite reports for local waters, so we're leaning on typical late-July Panhandle patterns rather than a fresh source. Late summer here typically means red snapper still drawing boats to nearshore and offshore structure, king and Spanish mackerel working bait pods along the beaches and passes, and redfish/speckled trout holding in the grass flats and bayous during the cooler morning hours before the heat pushes fish deeper. The full moon this week should sharpen tidal swings and can turn on a stronger dawn and dusk bite, especially for mackerel runs along the beach. Water temps are firmly in summer range for the Gulf; check your local forecast and tide chart before heading out since we don't have a fresh reading to confirm.
Cooling front puts Northwoods muskies back in play after heat lockout
A sharp swing defines this week across Oneida and Vilas county waters: after a mid-July heatwave pushed surface temperatures into the mid-to-high 80s, well past the widely used 80-degree safety threshold for targeting muskies, a cold front has since dropped overnight lows into the 40s and pulled mid-sized lake temperatures back into the 70s, per Rollie & Helen's Musky Shop's late-July Northwoods report. That stabilization is reopening the window for musky anglers who had backed off during the heat spike, and the shop's companion piece on summer storms notes that the wind shifts and pressure swings riding in with these fronts can trigger aggressive feeding activity right before and after a squall line passes. No fresh Northwoods walleye bite reports came in this cycle, but forward-facing sonar continues to reshape where anglers find suspended fish, per general technique coverage from Fishing the Midwest. Smallmouth and panfish activity should track typical late-July patterns as water stabilizes.
Columbia and Puget Sound rivers settle into peak summer salmon season
Late July has Columbia and Puget Sound river systems settling into a peak summer pattern: warming, clearing water that typically pushes salmon into deeper runs and shifts bass and trout activity toward morning and evening windows. No fresh buoy or gauge telemetry came through in this reporting cycle, and this pull didn't surface a Columbia- or Puget Sound-specific catch report from a shop or captain, so we're leaning on typical late-July timing rather than a confirmed current bite. Summer Chinook and sockeye runs are typically well underway on the Columbia by now, with steelhead numbers usually still building ahead of the fall push. Smallmouth bass in warmer stretches tend to key on structure once temperatures climb. Anglers should check WDFW's creel and catch reporting system for the latest counts before planning a trip, since conditions on these systems can shift fast this time of year.
Toledo Bend's deep-summer bass push draws a national spotlight
Major League Fishing announced this week that Toledo Bend Reservoir will host Bass Pro Tour Stage 4 in April 2027, per MLF News — a fresh reminder of why this reservoir sits among the country's premier largemouth destinations. On the water right now, no buoy or gauge telemetry is reporting for the Toledo Bend/Sabine system, so treat conditions as typical for a Louisiana reservoir in late July: warm, stratified, and pressured hardest in the shallows by midday. Tactical Bassin's current summer coverage points anglers away from the bank toward submerged vegetation and offshore cover once the sun gets high, with dropshot rigs working the heat of the day. B.A.S.S. News reports competitive anglers leaning on 'urchin'-style soft plastics for reaction bites in comparable summer conditions elsewhere. Expect catfish to stay active after dark under the full moon, with crappie and white bass likely holding deep through the hottest hours.
Olympic Peninsula salmon rivers quiet as anglers await fall push
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife's fishing and stocking reports remain the standing resource for Olympic Peninsula river conditions, but no fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for the region today, and no charter, shop, or agency source in this cycle's intel filed a specific bite report for these rivers. Late July typically falls in a quieter stretch here: summer Chinook and summer steelhead are only present in a handful of systems, and the bulk of fall Chinook, coho, and winter steelhead activity doesn't build until late summer into fall. WDFW's creel program, which interviews anglers at access sites statewide and tracks hatchery plants, is the most reliable read on real conditions until sharper reports come in. Anglers planning a trip this week should pull WDFW's fishing and stocking reports directly for the latest creel counts and recent stocking before heading out, and treat this window as prep time rather than peak time.
Salmon and trout action holds steady on Indiana's Lake Michigan shore
The Wisconsin DNR's Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes that anglers across the lake enjoyed a standout 2024 harvest, with over 210,000 coho salmon and more than 160,000 Chinook salmon landed lakewide, the best king count since 2012, a trend tied to strong recent alewife survival supporting stocked fish. No buoy or gauge readings and no Indiana-shoreline-specific catch reports came through this cycle, so today's conditions here haven't been directly verified. Late July is typically when Chinook, coho, and steelhead push toward deeper, cooler water as the nearshore warms, with lake trout holding along thermal breaks. We'd expect trollers working deeper contours with spoons and flasher-fly combos to keep finding fish through this full-moon stretch, though anglers should confirm local conditions before heading out given the gap in direct reporting this week.
Full Moon Mutton Spawn Keeps Florida Keys Snapper Bite Red Hot
Yellowtail and mutton snapper are chewing hard around Key West and Islamorada right now. ALL IN Key West reports huge yellowtails and tons of mutton snappers with fish actively feeding in large numbers, and today's full moon lines up with the mutton spawn window the captain has called an all-time high. Bud n' Mary's early-summer report backs that up, pointing to warm water, calm seas and abundant bait pushing gamefish from the shallow flats to the reef, with tarpon still working the bridges and mahi showing offshore in the Gulf Stream. Grouper, cobia and kingfish rounded out recent Gulf-side trips per ALL IN Key West. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida flags ongoing legal turbulence around South Atlantic red snapper access this season, so check current state rules before targeting that species. Bottom line: reef and flats action is strong, bait is thick, and the moon phase favors an active bite through the week.
Topwater bass hold strong on Lake Seminole's Chattahoochee Arm
On Lake Seminole's Chattahoochee Arm, GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News reports a slight stain and strong bass action this week, with topwater walking baits working over submerged hydrilla and an active frog bite expected to hold into August. Elsewhere in the state, the Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing notes that summer heat has anglers looking for shade, pointing toward Georgia's 11 Public Fishing Areas as a family-friendly backup with camping and other amenities. No fresh buoy or gauge telemetry came through for the Chattahoochee/Savannah corridor this cycle, so treat water levels and clarity as seasonal averages until a direct reading posts. Expect classic Deep South summer behavior: bass and other predators feeding hardest at first light and again near dusk, with the middle of the day slower and more structure-dependent as fish slide toward deeper cover.
Summer heat pushes Okeechobee bass to deeper cover
Full moon and mid-summer heat are the dominant forces on Okeechobee and the St. Johns this week, with no fresh buoy or gauge readings available for this report cycle to pin down exact water temps or flow. Per Tactical Bassin's latest August breakdown, largemouth bass are shifting away from the bank and settling on submerged vegetation edges and deeper offshore cover as surface water warms past comfortable levels — a pattern that tracks closely with what Okeechobee and St. Johns largemouth typically do once summer heat sets in. Bluegill and shellcracker should still be workable around shoreline structure and grass lines in early morning, while catfish activity typically picks up after dark as water cools slightly. Black crappie tend to go quiet through peak summer, holding deep and sluggish until temperatures ease. Treat species status here as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite report, since no Florida-specific source filed conditions this cycle.
Saginaw Bay walleye anglers lean on sonar as summer deepens
Forward-facing sonar continues to reshape how Midwest walleye anglers find fish this summer, per this week's Fishing the Midwest columns from Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen, who note that FFS has overturned old assumptions about walleye always sitting tight to bottom structure. On Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, that shift applies directly: late-July walleye typically move off traditional points and weedlines into suspended, open-water schools as surface temperatures peak, a pattern anglers running electronics are best positioned to exploit. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the bay this cycle, and this week's MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report didn't surface bay-specific detail beyond its standard format, so today's read leans on typical seasonal behavior rather than a fresh on-the-water account. Smallmouth bass should still be working rock reefs and drop-offs, yellow perch schooling over deeper basin structure, and channel cats prowling warm shallow flats after dark. Check the DNR's weekly post directly for the latest bay-specific word before heading out.