Fishing reports
19070 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Summer patterns lock in for Kennebec and Penobscot bass
No buoy or gauge telemetry is currently reporting for the Kennebec and Penobscot river systems, so this update leans on seasonal norms and regional technique trends rather than a fresh temperature or flow reading. Late July on Maine's warmwater river systems typically means smallmouth and largemouth bass pushed onto deeper structure and vegetation edges as surface temps peak, with chain pickerel holding tight to weedy backwaters. Fishing the Midwest's recent coverage of forward-facing sonar notes that anglers are finding summer bass and walleye suspended well off traditional bottom structure rather than glued to points and weedlines the way older conventional wisdom assumed. Tactical Bassin's August bass roundup backs the seasonal pattern, pointing anglers toward offshore vegetation and deeper water once the shallows get pressured by heat. Landlocked salmon and brook trout, both prized in these drainages, typically slide deeper and get harder to target this time of year as surface layers warm under a full moon.
Eastern Washington trout waters shift into summer heat pattern
Direct buoy and stream-gauge readings for the Yakima and Spokane region weren't available in today's monitoring feed, so this report leans on general late-July seasonal patterns and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's ongoing creel and stocking program, per WA WDFW Fishing Reports. This time of year, Eastern Washington trout typically slide into deeper, cooler water through the heat of the afternoon and feed hardest in the first and last hour of daylight, while smallmouth bass and kokanee tend to hold more consistent activity through the warm stretch. WDFW keeps up statewide stocking of lakes and rivers, and it's worth checking their reports directly for any Yakima- or Spokane-area waters that got a recent plant, since freshly stocked trout often bite hard in the days right after release. With no specific angler reports naming Eastern Washington waters in today's feeds, treat the species activity below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite, and check conditions locally before heading out.
Louisiana backwaters settle into a deep-summer pattern
Louisiana Sportsman reported this week that LDWF enforcement agents can no longer stop and board boats without reasonable suspicion, a policy shift worth knowing before you idle through backwaters and cutoffs on the Mississippi and Atchafalaya systems. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch today, and this week's roundup didn't carry any Louisiana-specific bite reports, so we're leaning on typical late-July patterns for these basins rather than claiming direct intel. With a Full Moon overhead, expect feeding activity to bunch up around dawn, dusk, and overnight rather than midday. Largemouth bass should be holding tight to deeper cover, current breaks, and shade as surface temps climb, a pattern echoed in this week's general summer bass coverage from Tactical Bassin, which favors offshore structure and slower, finesse-style presentations once the sun gets high. Catfish tend to stay dependable through Louisiana's peak summer heat, especially after dark, while bream and crappie typically slow down under the harshest sun hours.
Santee Cooper bass crushing the urchin-bait reaction bite
At Santee Cooper Lakes, B.A.S.S. News reports anglers are getting violent reaction strikes on urchin-style soft plastics, a bait style that crossed over from forward-facing-sonar bass fishing and is now producing on blind casts at Santee itself, per the outlet's own on-the-water account. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water conditions as typical for late July: warm and stable, with largemouth pushed onto offshore grass edges and channel drops during peak sun and sliding shallower in low light, a seasonal pattern Tactical Bassin flags as the go-to August adjustment (get off the bank, fish deeper cover). Lake Murray's striped bass, the fishery's signature species, likely follow the same summer thermocline pattern, holding over main-lake humps and creek channels during daylight. Blue catfish should stay active on cut bait in those same deep zones. Crappie typically go quiet this time of year. Tonight's full moon should sharpen low-light activity across the board.
Live eels and a hot porgy bite carry LI Sound through the summer lull
Long Island Sound's bottom bite is carrying Connecticut anglers through the mid-summer stretch. Porgies (scup) are thick along the shoreline, and J&B Tackle reports striped bass fishing "continues to be very good throughout our region," best worked at dawn and dusk with glide baits like the Nessie or Chop Block, plus Gravity GT Eels and Joe Baggs Block Island Eels on light jigheads. AW Marina says the porgy bite out of Avery Point and Fort Trumbull Pier has shore anglers reloading on sandworms, while fluke remain "a grind" for those willing to put in the time. Tartan II reports the striper bite has gone quiet and selective, with jumbo scup and black sea bass, slow to start but improving daily, now the more reliable targets. Black Hawk's bottom-fishing charters posted limits of porgies plus an unusually strong triggerfish showing. With this week's full moon, live-eel soaks after dark remain the highest-percentage play for a quality striper.
Red drum hold steady on NC sounds as summer surf mix fills in
Red drum are the story on North Carolina's inshore waters this week. On the Pamlico/Neuse River, anglers are working flats and shoreline structure and connecting with drum of all sizes, including some larger fish mixed in, per Fisherman's Post (NC). Up at Topsail/Sneads Ferry, the early-morning topwater bite on red drum has been the highlight before the action shifts to bottom baits later in the day. Along the surf, the mixed bag continues: Carolina Beach is seeing sharks, croakers, pompano, whiting and pinfish, while Southport/Oak Island is producing whiting, croakers and bluefish despite dirty water and heavy seaweed, and Swansboro/Emerald Isle surf anglers are picking up bluefish, spots, sea mullet and pompano, all per Fisherman's Post (NC). Tonight's full moon should juice tidal flow and could sharpen the bite window around the turns.
Charleston Harbor settles into steady summer patterns as Carolinas surf holds a mixed bag
No live buoy or gauge readings came through for Charleston Harbor this cycle, so this report leans on regional context and seasonal knowledge rather than a fresh number. Along the wider Carolinas coast, surf anglers are working a mixed bag of whiting, croaker, pompano, and bluefish, with live bait producing inshore, per Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater dispatches out of Carolina Beach and Southport/Oak Island this week; some stretches are dealing with dirty water and seaweed complicating presentations. Those same species groups typically hold in and around Charleston Harbor's surf and nearshore structure through late July. Marsh-and-structure patterns should be typical for the season: redfish working skinny water on the tides, seatrout over grass flats early and late, and sheepshead easing into a mid-summer lull around pilings. The full moon this week means stronger tidal swings, worth planning around for both marsh sight-fishing and structure bites.
Shenandoah trout plan draws comment as Potomac bass go deep for summer
Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog opened public comment this week on its Draft Stocked Trout Management Plan, a policy update worth tracking for anglers who lean on the coldwater refuges tucked into the Shenandoah headwaters. No live NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this cycle, so treat flow and temperature as unconfirmed and check a current gauge before you go. Seasonally, late-July on the Potomac and Shenandoah system typically means smallmouth bass sliding into deeper current breaks and ledges as surface water warms, with the best window early and late in the day. Blue catfish tend to hold steady through summer heat in the Potomac's deeper holes, a dependable option when bass go quiet midday. Stocked trout fisheries usually see action taper in freestone stretches once water warms, pushing fish toward coldwater refuge areas and tailwaters. Check current state regulations before harvesting anything this time of year.
Red drum hold steady across Pamlico Sound flats and Cape Lookout surf
Red drum of all sizes are working the flats and structure along Pamlico Sound's main river shorelines, per Custom Marine Fabrication's report to Fisherman's Post (NC). Closer to Cape Lookout, East Coast Sports in the Topsail/Sneads Ferry report notes inshore anglers picking up red drum as well, with an early-morning topwater bite standing out as the pattern before the action shifts to bottom baits later in the day. Surf conditions are mixed: The Reel Outdoors in Swansboro/Emerald Isle reports bluefish, spots, sea mullet, and some pompano along the beach, while Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle further south describes anglers working through dirty water and seaweed for a mixed bag of whiting, croakers, and bluefish. We're seeing a consistent red drum push across the sound system heading into this full moon, with surf species holding steady but weather-dependent. Check current state regulations before harvesting or keeping drum, as size and slot limits apply.
Chequamegon Bay whitefish buzz builds as UP streams settle into summer
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so today's read leans on the regional agency and outdoor-media feeds. The standout item is Wisconsin DNR's Lake Superior Fishing program flagging a lake whitefish fishery that has "emerged" and grown steadily in the Chequamegon Bay area, popular both through the ice and from a boat, enough to warrant its own management meeting and an ongoing angler questionnaire. That's a good proxy for how Lake Superior itself is fishing along the western UP shoreline right now. For the UP's trout streams, no specific bite reports came through today's shop, charter, or state feeds, so we're leaning on typical late-July patterns: resident brook trout and stream-run species sliding into low-light feeding windows as water warms through midday. Lake Superior's open water continues to favor deep presentations for lake trout. With a full moon tonight, expect stronger overnight and dawn activity on both the lake and its feeder streams.
Fluke bite builds on Delaware Bay's NJ-side reefs and back bays
Summer flounder are carrying the Delaware Bay (NJ side) report this week. Big Dave's Tackle in Cape May, via The Fisherman — Southern NJ, says flounder catches have been very good lately and are spread from the back bays out into Delaware Bay proper and onto the deeper reef sites, with most keepers running 20 to 22 inches on Gulp baits and some fish pushing to 7 pounds at the Cape May Reef Site and Old Grounds. Pier 47 Marina backs that up, with Reef Site #11 giving up consistent limits to 7 pounds on larger strip baits and bulkier Gulp. Along the beachfront, Hands Too Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf) reports sand fleas and strip baits working through triggerfish to reach keeper sheepshead near the Cape May Jetty, while croakers keep hitting clam and squid strips on the bay beaches. A solid, typical mid-summer bottom-fishing week under the full moon.
Wachusett smallmouth turn on as reservoirs settle into summer pattern
Frank at Jerry's Bait and Tackle in Milford reported picking up a few smallmouth bass at Wachusett Reservoir this past week, per The Fisherman's New England Freshwater roundup — a solid sign for reservoir anglers heading into a Full Moon stretch. No buoy or gauge telemetry came through for Quabbin or Wachusett this cycle, so conditions are read as typical late-July: warm, layered water pushing smallmouth toward deeper drop-offs and points. Regionally, the same report has largemouth bass locked into classic summer-pattern cover at nearby MA ponds, with anglers working shiners and Senkos from canoes around weedlines and drop-offs, and Roger Aziz Jr. noting solid bass action on buzzbaits and spinnerbaits along the Merrimack corridor to the north. Expect that same shallow-cover, low-light pattern to carry over at Quabbin and Wachusett — points and drop-offs early and late for smallmouth, canoe-accessible pockets and vegetation edges for largemouth, with pickerel and panfish mixed in on the flats.
Gulf of Alaska shifts from kings to building silver run
Late July sits right at the seasonal handoff in Gulf of Alaska saltwater fishing: king salmon runs typically taper through this window while silver (coho) salmon begin stacking up for their August push. No fresh buoy readings or on-the-water angler reports came through for this region this cycle — the available angler-intel feed leaned toward research and community programs (AK Sea Grant's summer fellowship and mariculture-safety coverage) rather than bite reports, so we're working from typical seasonal timing rather than confirmed catches. Halibut fishing is generally steady through summer in Gulf of Alaska waters, and lingcod and rockfish typically hold well around structure this time of year. A full moon this week can shift tide-driven bite windows for salmon and halibut alike. Check state regulations before harvesting, and confirm current conditions locally before heading out — direct reports were thin this round.
Chicago's Lake Michigan salmon bite settles into late-summer rhythm
The most concrete signal in this week's intel pull isn't from the Chicago nearshore itself but from the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report, which flagged 2024 as a standout year on the lake: anglers landed a record 210,000-plus coho salmon and over 160,000 Chinook, the most since 2012, with strong alewife survival credited for boosting stocked fish. No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Chicago area this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried a fresh, on-the-water Chicago Lake Michigan bite report, so we're leaning on typical late-July patterns rather than a specific report: Chinook and coho salmon usually push deeper toward the thermocline as surface water warms, smallmouth bass activity holds up around nearshore rock and structure, and yellow perch scatter into open water. Check local conditions and a current shop report before planning a specific outing this week.
Kenai sockeye run keeps interior anglers busy through the full moon
No buoy or gauge readings came through for the Kenai and interior systems this cycle, and today's national wire pull didn't surface Alaska-specific on-the-water reports, so this update leans on typical late-July patterns rather than fresh testimony. Late July sits in the heart of the Kenai's sockeye salmon run, with reds historically pushing upriver in strong numbers this time of year, aided by the extra tidal push the full moon brings at the river mouth. Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden typically stack up behind spawning sockeye to feed on drifting eggs, a pattern anglers commonly work with egg and flesh imitations. Interior clearwater stretches should still be holding active Arctic grayling in the warm midsummer stretch. King salmon fishing is generally past its peak on most Kenai stretches by now. We'd rather flag the gap than guess at numbers that weren't reported — check current state regulations and recent local reports before heading out.
Lake Michigan anglers lean on late-July patterns as fresh reports thin
Wisconsin DNR's Lake Michigan Fishing Report flagged 2024 as a banner year for the fishery, with anglers landing a record 210,000-plus coho salmon and the most Chinook salmon since 2012, over 160,000 fish, thanks to strong alewife survival feeding stocked salmon and steelhead. That backdrop carries into this stretch of Michigan's Lake Michigan shoreline and the Grand River mouth, where late-July conditions typically hold salmon and steelhead offshore in deeper, cooler water while smallmouth bass and walleye stay the more approachable inshore targets. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this specific stretch this cycle, and neither the Michigan DNR's weekly report nor local shops surfaced a current bite update, so treat the species status below as seasonal expectation rather than an on-the-water report. Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes forward-facing sonar has been reshaping how anglers find suspended walleye away from traditional bottom structure this season.
Chesapeake anglers lean on summer staples as offshore action heats up nearby
On The Water reports that Cooper Clark, a 19-year-old Salisbury University student, broke Maryland's albie record for the third time in 12 months on July 3, hooking the fish while trolling for bluefin roughly 20 miles off Ocean City — a sign that pelagic action has been unusually strong along the Maryland coast this season. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Chesapeake Bay itself this cycle, so today's picture leans on typical late-July patterns rather than confirmed water-temp or flow numbers. Expect the Bay's summer staples to carry the bite: spot and croaker steady on bottom rigs, bluefish passing through the mid-Bay on schedule, and flounder holding along channel edges and drop-offs. Striped bass action typically slows through the hottest stretch of July as fish push toward cooler, deeper, better-oxygenated water — anglers should stick to early mornings or dusk and handle any released rockfish quickly, consistent with typical summer catch-and-release guidance.
Bluefin push offshore as Gulf of Maine stripers hold the surf line
Bluefin tuna are lighting up a wide stretch of Northeast offshore water right now, with OTW Saltwater's July 29 offshore report describing bites spread across nearly 280 miles of open ocean — grounds that extend into the Gulf of Maine within range of NH boats. No NH-specific buoy readings or local shop reports came back this cycle, so this update leans on regional signal rather than local numbers, and readers should treat it that way. Inshore, OTW Surfcasting's recent posts on sand fleas and live-eel rigs point to striped bass still working the surf line up and down New England, a pattern that typically holds along NH's rocky coast into August. Saltwater Edge Blog's July notes call this stretch of summer the 'doldrums' — hot, slow-moving air with bite windows tightening around tide changes and low light. Tonight's full moon means bigger tides than usual, which should sharpen the dawn and dusk windows for both species over the next few days.
Smokies trout favor first light as summer heat settles in
Late July has Western North Carolina's trout water in classic high-summer mode. Trout are cold-blooded, and as Trout Unlimited notes in its coldwater fishery advisories, that means metabolism and feeding windows track water temperature directly — when freestone streams warm through the afternoon, activity concentrates into the cool early-morning hours and again at dusk. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this Smokies reporting cycle, so treat flow and temp as unconfirmed and check the current DWR/park gauge before you go. Terrestrial season is in full swing regionally — Caddis Fly (OR) has been running cricket and hopper-pattern tutorials that fit exactly this stretch of summer, when ants, beetles, and crickets along brushy banks become a bigger part of a trout's diet than emerging aquatic insects. Expect small, technical presentations to outperform big attractor patterns right now.
Galveston offshore bite holds as mid-coast trout stay patient
Mid-coast trout fishing has cooled slightly under a stretch of southwest wind and 90-degree afternoons, but the bite hasn't shut off. Capt. Bink Grimes reports a fair trout bite drifting over shell and mud in about 5 feet of water in east Matagorda Bay, per the Galveston Daily News' Reel Report. Closer to Galveston, conditions remain steadier: Capt. Shannon LaBauve out of Galveston Yacht Marina says offshore fishing has been good on the days boats can get out, and the Reel Report notes area fishing overall remains steady. Two local tournaments hit the water Saturday, the Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo Reel Fishing Tournament in Baytown and the Cowboys on the Coast event out of Bastrop Marina. The Reel Report also welcomes new contributor Capt. Abby Webster of Texas Legend Charters in Freeport. Expect a hot, sticky week ahead.
Oregon Coast summer bite holds steady as albacore builds to the south
West Coast salmon managers made news this week: Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the National Marine Fisheries Service closed the Klamath Management Zone recreational salmon season along the California-Oregon line as of July 28, while the neighboring Fort Bragg zone reopens August 1. No Oregon-specific buoy or bite data came through this cycle, so treat today's outlook as seasonal rather than confirmed. Late July is typically prime time on the Oregon Coast for ocean Chinook, bottomfish, and Dungeness crab in the bays. IFish.net forum chatter shows anglers still working familiar water — salmon gear out of Newport, rods out on the Wilson River — though no hard bite counts surfaced. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater also flagged an albacore push building off Mendocino, California; that warm-water bite has a track record of working north along the coast as summer progresses, worth watching over the next couple weeks.
Full-moon walleye bite and a WI bass study frame Mississippi pool play
A decade-long Wisconsin DNR study, highlighted this week by Wired 2 Fish, found that individual bass differ in how vulnerable they are to angling — some fish are simply easier to fool than others, a finding directly relevant to the smallmouth and largemouth crowd working the Upper Mississippi pools between Prescott and La Crosse. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch today, so treat flow and water temp as unconfirmed until you check a local gauge before launching. Regionally, Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch notes that forward-facing sonar has upended old walleye "truths" about fish staying tight to bottom and classic structure — worth trying suspended presentations away from points and weedlines if bottom-bouncing goes quiet. Fellow Fishing the Midwest writer Bob Jensen adds that oddball "urchin"-style baits have been producing well this summer for anglers willing to experiment. With a full moon overhead, look for the strongest low-light bites right at dawn and dusk on these pools.
Full Moon Tides Set the Stage for Mobile Bay's Late-Summer Bite
This week's full moon brings the biggest tidal swings of the month to Mobile Bay and the surrounding Gulf, a setup that typically pushes bait, and the predators chasing it, through the passes and around structure on the strongest stages of the tide. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this region in today's pull, and none of this cycle's angler-intel feeds (largely national boating and tackle-industry blogs, plus a Pensacola-area forum trading deep-cycle battery tips) carried direct, corroborated reports from Mobile Bay or the adjacent Gulf. That means this report leans on typical late-July patterns rather than fresh on-the-water accounts: speckled trout and redfish working grass edges and marsh drains on moving water, with king mackerel and other pelagics holding around nearshore structure and rigs as Gulf temperatures stay firmly in summer mode.
Albacore push north puts Central Coast trollers on alert
The season's first real albacore push showed up to the north this week, with Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters and Captains Ryan Ash and Christian Cavanaugh of the Outer Limits scoring an epic tuna trip out of Fort Bragg, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater. That's Mendocino coast water, not Central Coast proper, but it's the kind of early-summer signal Central Coast trollers watch closely as warm-water tuna typically work south along the coast through August. Regulators are moving too: NMFS closed the Klamath Management Zone to salmon and set the Fort Bragg Management Area to reopen August 1 through August 9, a reminder that salmon seasons up and down the state are shifting week to week right now. No local buoy or gauge readings came back for this report, so treat sea state and water temp as unconfirmed until you check a local source before running offshore. Bottom fishing for rockfish and lingcod remains the steady go-to in the meantime.