Fishing reports
19070 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Mutton and yellowtail snappers keep Keys anglers busy
Captains out of Key West are calling this stretch one of the best snapper bites in years — ALL IN Key West reports "huge yellow tails tons and tons of mutton snappers" with fish "actively feeding and in large numbers" through June and into July, tied to a strong mutton spawn around recent full moons. Bud n' Mary's Marina in Islamorada backs it up, calling early summer "prime time" in the Keys, with warm water, calm seas and abundant bait pulling tarpon onto the bridges, mahi offshore, and yellowtail snapper onto the reef. Gulf-side runs are also turning up grouper, cobia and kingfish alongside snapper, per ALL IN Key West. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida and Anglers Journal both note ongoing state-management moves around Florida's red snapper season, worth checking before specifically targeting that species. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for this update, so plan around a First Quarter moon and check the local marine forecast before running offshore.
Stripers turn on in Nantucket Sound as offshore tuna bite fires up
Anglers working the jetties of Bass River and Cotuit are connecting with striped bass ranging from schoolies to slots on topwater poppers, per this week's Sports Port report out of Cape Cod. Fluke fishing continues in the same waters, with mostly shorts but enough legal-size flatties in the mix to make the effort worthwhile, alongside a run of 20-inch bluefish. Captain Rich Antonio of Black Rose Fishing Charters reports solid results working the rips of Nantucket Sound for stripers of varying sizes. Offshore, Falmouth Bait and Tackle relayed word from the Hyannis Harbor weigh station that the Offshore Bluewater tournament produced plenty of yellowfin and a couple of bigeye tuna, one topping 211 pounds, plus a scattering of wahoo and white marlin. Conditions data for Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound wasn't available from live buoys this cycle, so lean on these on-the-water reports to plan your trip.
Georgia river bass hold up as Savannah pushes higher
The Savannah River at Clyo was running about 4.2 feet and rising this week, per Joshua Barber's Southern Waters Fishing Report from GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News, which also noted rivers across the region producing "some good fish" and a bass bite that has stayed good even as the calendar tips deeper into summer. The same report's core read for river systems like the Chattahoochee and Savannah this time of year is simple: slow down and fish deeper as surface water warms. Separately, Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing continues steering anglers toward the state's Public Fishing Areas for accessible freshwater options, several of which — Rocky Mountain, Evans, and McDuffie PFAs — recently added renovated camping for weekend trips. No live buoy or gauge telemetry came through for this specific region today, so treat river stage as a directional signal from angler reporting rather than a hard reading. Panfish and catfish should hold to a typical steady warm-water pattern for late July in Georgia.
Georgia bass slide deep as summer patterns take hold
Georgia's statewide summer bass pattern is fully in effect. Per GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News's July 18 Southern Waters Fishing Report, anglers are slowing down and fishing deeper, and the bass bite has been good on Georgia rivers this week. That same thermocline-driven shift typically pushes largemouth and spotted bass on Hartwell and Russell onto standing timber, deep ledges, and river-channel structure this time of year, with feeder-creek mouths worth checking as afternoon current builds. Striped bass, a hallmark of the Savannah chain, are typically found suspended over deep humps chasing shad through the dog days of summer, with the best windows early and late in the day. Crappie tend to go quiet in the heat, holding tight to brush and standing timber in deeper water. No direct buoy or gauge readings were available for Hartwell or Russell this cycle, so treat depth and temperature notes as seasonal expectation rather than today's exact numbers. Check local forecast and Corps generation schedules before heading out.
Summer heat pattern takes hold on Okeechobee and St. Johns bass
Tactical Bassin's latest breakdown, "How To Catch Bass When Its HOT," lays out the pattern anglers on Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns River should lean on through the rest of July: shallow bass sliding into shade and cover at first light, then grouping up on deeper structure once the sun climbs. No live buoy or gauge telemetry came back for this region today, so treat water level and temp as unconfirmed and check a local source before running far. Dropshot rigs are worth carrying beyond finesse water — Tactical Bassin's summer dropshot piece notes the technique adapts to hot-weather power fishing too, and Wired 2 Fish's rundown of standoff rigs (Tokyo/Jika-style) and hollow-body baits gives another look for working matted vegetation and hydrilla edges typical of Okeechobee. Panfish and catfish should stay steady on live bait through the heat, while crappie likely holds deeper and slower until temperatures ease. Work the first and last light windows hardest.
Summer heat nudges Rangeley-area anglers toward smallmouth on streamers
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Rangeley Lakes and Androscoggin headwaters this cycle, so this update leans on regional seasonal patterns rather than a local instrument snapshot. Across the broader Northeast, Trout Unlimited flagged historically low water and high air temperatures stressing trout fisheries this summer, prompting many anglers to shift attention to smallmouth bass on streamers while cold-water species get a break. That pattern typically holds for Maine's headwater country too: as surface layers warm through late July, brook trout and landlocked salmon push toward deeper, cooler water and slow down during peak daylight hours, while smallmouth bass in the same drainages stay active and aggressive on moving baits. Field & Stream's trout-temperature guide reinforces the same seasonal logic, noting trout feeding backs off once water pushes into stress territory. Expect early morning and dusk to be the productive windows for coldwater species through this stretch.
Saginaw Bay walleye settle into summer deep-structure patterns
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle for Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, so today's report leans on typical late-July patterns rather than a specific temperature or flow number. Regionally, Great Lakes Now flagged wildfire smoke from Minnesota and Canadian fires blanketing northern Michigan skies this week, with Detroit posting hazardous air quality on July 16 — worth factoring into how long you spend exposed on open water. On the fishing side, Fishing the Midwest's Mike Frisch and Bob Jensen note that walleye anglers are increasingly finding fish off traditional bottom structure this time of year, using forward-facing sonar to locate suspended fish rather than sticking strictly to points and weedlines. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are following the same seasonal shift toward deeper, shaded cover as summer heat sets in, per general technique coverage from Wired 2 Fish and Tactical Bassin. Check the MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report directly for water-specific detail we don't have grounded data for today.</p>
Moosehead salmon and togue slide deep as summer heat settles in
No buoy or gauge telemetry and no regional angler reports came back for Moosehead Lake and the upper Penobscot this cycle, so this update draws on typical late-July patterns for Maine's big northern lake fishery rather than fresh on-the-water intel. By late July, Moosehead's surface water typically warms into the mid-to-upper 60s, pushing landlocked salmon and lake trout (togue) off the top and down toward the thermocline through the heat of the day, with salmon still catchable early and late on smelt-pattern streamers or trolled spoons. Togue fishing typically shifts to deep jigging or downrigger trolling as fish stack near cooler water. Upper Penobscot brook trout and smallmouth bass activity tends to stay more consistent through summer, with bass especially active around rocky structure and downed timber. As always, check current Maine fishing regulations before harvesting, since size and bag limits vary by water body.
Central Maine bass settle into summer structure patterns
No buoy or gauge readings came in for the Kennebec and Penobscot corridor this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried a direct Maine freshwater report, so this update leans on classic mid-summer patterns rather than a fresh bite log. Late July on these central Maine waters typically means smallmouth and largemouth bass pushing shallow at dawn and dusk before sliding to shaded structure and deeper water once the sun climbs, a heat-adapted approach Tactical Bassin's recent summer-bass coverage backs up for bass fisheries generally. Brook trout and landlocked salmon, by contrast, tend to pull back toward cool, spring-fed stretches and deeper thermoclines once surface temperatures climb past the mid-60s, per Field & Stream's water-temperature guide for trout. Expect a technique-driven bite this week rather than a hot-water blitz — work the edges of the day and the cool pockets.
Eastern Washington anglers should target early mornings as heat sets in
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for Eastern Washington this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep surfaced no captain, shop, or creel-survey report specific to Yakima or Spokane waters — a quiet data cycle, not necessarily a quiet bite. WDFW's statewide creel-survey and stocking program (per WA WDFW Fishing Reports) remains the best on-the-ground gauge for these lakes and rivers, but this cycle's feed only carried a general description of that program, not a dated report. In the absence of a fresh regional signal, we're leaning on typical late-July patterns for the region's rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass, and walleye fisheries: warming surface water usually pushes trout and kokanee deeper and compresses the best bite toward dawn and dusk, while smallmouth bass and walleye tend to stay active through the heat around shaded structure and current breaks. Check current WDFW reports before heading out, since water-specific detail wasn't available this cycle.
Heat-pattern bass and slow-rolling cats define LA river fishing now
With no fresh buoy or gauge readings available this cycle, this update leans on seasonal patterns and technique intel rather than hard numbers. Mid-summer heat has largemouth bass sliding into classic shade-and-current-break patterns, per Tactical Bassin's recent rundown on catching bass when it's hot, which points anglers toward shallow shade lines early and deeper current breaks once the sun climbs. Backwater cover in the Atchafalaya Basin's cypress flats and sloughs continues to reward hollow-body frog work, a technique Wired 2 Fish highlighted this week as a top producer around matted vegetation. Catfish stay a dependable summer target in the Mississippi River's deeper holes and current seams. Louisiana Sea Grant's continued extension presence in the state's southeast parishes underscores an active season for coastal and river-adjacent stewardship work, though no specific bite reports came through this cycle. Check state regs before harvesting, and expect typical July heat-driven behavior across the system.
Deep-water tactics take over as summer heat blankets Santee and Murray
No buoy or gauge readings and no direct on-the-water reports came back for Santee Cooper or Lake Murray this cycle, so this update runs on general seasonal knowledge for South Carolina's marquee reservoir system in late July. Surface water is typically running well into the 80s by now, and that heat is the story: striped bass, the signature draw on Santee, pull off the flats and stack up over deep river-channel drops and cooler spring-fed pockets to cope with summer stress, while largemouth bass shift to a dawn-and-dusk pattern up shallow before sliding to shade and current breaks once the sun climbs. Per Tactical Bassin's current hot-weather bass rundown, working current breaks and deeper cover with slower presentations is producing fish under comparable summer conditions elsewhere, a tactic that translates directly to Santee and Murray. Blue catfish, Santee-Cooper's other marquee species, tend to feed heaviest after dark once surface temps peak like this.
Stripers stay steady, scup limits stack up in the Sound
Connecticut's Long Island Sound fishery is settling into a steady midsummer rhythm, with striped bass leading the way. Captain Mike aboard the Tartan II reports stripers have been consistently good since the season started, with trolling proving the steadier bet as bass grow more selective about which tides they'll eat a jig on. AW Marina notes good striper action from boat and shore around the mouth of the river and up past the bridge. Bottom fishing is the other bright spot: Black Hawk had a great week of summer bottom fishing with limits of jumbo porgies alongside sea bass, triggerfish, and the occasional fluke, and their Thursday fluke trip showed real improvement over the prior week. J&B Tackle adds that fluke and black sea bass are showing minor gains, though keepers are concentrated in a short window tied to a specific part of the tide cycle.
Red Drum Fire Up in NC Sounds as Summer Tarpon Run Builds
Red drum are turning on across North Carolina's inshore waters this week. Along the Pamlico/Neuse, Custom Marine Fabrication reports anglers catching drum of all sizes off the flats and river structure, with some big fish mixed in, per Fisherman's Post (NC). Further south at Topsail/Sneads Ferry, East Coast Sports says the early-morning topwater bite on red drum has been the standout. In the surf, Carolina Beach and Southport/Oak Island shops report a mixed bag of whiting, croaker, pompano, sharks and bluefish, per Fisherman's Post (NC) and Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater, though anglers are fighting occasional dirty water and seaweed. Offshore and along the beachfront, Sport Fishing Mag notes a summer tarpon run building from Southport toward Kitty Hawk, part of a migration the piece says has been growing larger in recent years. No live buoy or gauge readings are available for the Outer Banks this cycle, so check local marine forecasts before heading out.
Charleston anglers eye summer redfish push as Carolina surf bite holds
Surf anglers working the beaches at Carolina Beach and Southport/Oak Island are pulling a mixed bag of croakers, pompano, whiting, and the occasional shark this week, per shop reports from Island Tackle and Hardware and Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle carried by Fisherman's Post — a solid regional signal for the broader Carolinas coast heading into late July. No buoy or gauge readings and no Charleston Harbor-specific shop report came through this cycle, so conditions here are being read off typical seasonal patterns: redfish working docks, oyster rakes, and grass edges on the moving tide, and seatrout favoring the early topwater window before the sun gets high. With a First Quarter moon this week, tidal swings are moderate rather than extreme, which tends to spread the bite out across more of the tide cycle instead of concentrating it around a short peak-flow window.
Puget Sound salmon season builds as summer patterns set in
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for Puget Sound and the Pacific coast this cycle, so today's picture leans on regional reporting rather than live numbers. Washington Sea Grant's Crab Team confirmed the season's first invasive European green crab detection on Orcas Island back in May, a sign the Salish Sea is active and shifting into full summer mode. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's Fishing and Stocking Reports program continues its statewide creel surveys, though no region-specific catch counts came through in this cycle's feed. With July underway, Puget Sound salmon runs and Pacific-side bottomfish like lingcod and rockfish are the seasonal staples anglers should be watching, and Dungeness crab remains a summer draw for shoreline and boat anglers alike. Check WDFW's current regulations and area reports before heading out, since no direct on-the-water catch confirmations were available from our sources this week.
Sarasota Bay seatrout bite turns aggressive as summer peaks
Spotted seatrout are aggressively biting across Sarasota Bay right now, according to Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters, who reports the peak summer trout bite is on across inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes. The same shop's Capt. Chuck Cress landed a redfish off an oyster bar in upper Sarasota Bay this past week, with plenty of surface action from jumping mullet and bait schools. Tarpon remain a solid July target per Capt. Rick Grassett's monthly forecast — spin anglers are doing best drifting live baits under floats in travel lanes, with fish staying aggressive through the month before starting to thin out later in summer. Shark activity (bull, blacktip, and lemon sharks) continues to build in Sarasota Bay and the nearshore Gulf, a pattern the shop notes typically runs from late spring through fall. No live buoy or gauge data came through for this update, so double-check local conditions before you head out. Overall, a strong, on-schedule mid-summer bite across the board.
Summer bass patterns hold as VA DWR opens trout plan comment period
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for the Potomac and Shenandoah corridor this cycle, so this week's biggest named-source item is regulatory rather than reactive: the Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog has opened public comment on its Draft Stocked Trout Management Plan, worth watching for anyone who fishes Shenandoah tributaries. On the water, the safest bet is the same pattern playing out across the region this time of year. Tactical Bassin's summer bass rundown points anglers toward shade lines, grass edges, and current-relief structure once afternoon heat sets in, while Field & Stream's trout-temperature guide is a useful reminder that Shenandoah trout get stressed once water pushes past the mid-60s, so early and late are the windows that matter. Catfish typically stay steady through the heat regardless. Treat this as a seasonal baseline report until a fresh local gauge or shop update comes through; we're leaning on general late-July patterns more than site-specific intel this time.
Red drum steady across Pamlico Sound as summer tarpon push builds
Red drum are showing well across the Pamlico Sound backwaters this week, with Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication reporting fish of all sizes, including some big drum, working flats and structure along the main river shorelines on the Pamlico/Neuse. That strength carries down the coast: Nathan of East Coast Sports says Topsail/Sneads Ferry inshore anglers are finding red drum too, with the early morning topwater bite the standout, while Rich of The Reel Outdoors notes steady red drum fishing back in the sounds around Swansboro/Emerald Isle. Surf anglers are working a mixed bag rather than one hot target: Lewis of Island Tackle and Hardware has Carolina Beach surf anglers picking up sharks, croakers, pompano, whiting, and pinfish, and Angie of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle reports Southport/Oak Island surf anglers battling dirty water and seaweed for whiting, croakers, and bluefish. Sport Fishing Mag also flags a growing summer tarpon run from Southport to Kitty Hawk, feeding the Cape Fear River and Pamlico Sound.
Lake Erie anglers shift deep as summer walleye patterns set in
Regional wildfire smoke has hazed skies across the Great Lakes basin this week, per Great Lakes Now's coverage of the air-quality alerts blanketing Michigan and the broader basin, a reminder to check conditions before running out of Presque Isle. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for this stretch of Lake Erie today, so we're leaning on typical late-July patterns rather than a fresh bite report. That's normal for this point in the season: walleye are typically pushed off the immediate shoreline structure and into deeper water as summer heat sets in, a shift Fishing the Midwest has been tracking basin-wide as more anglers lean on forward-facing sonar to find suspended fish away from traditional weedlines and points. Presque Isle Bay's perch and smallmouth fisheries remain a solid bet through late summer. Check PA Fish & Boat's Biologist Reports for the latest lake-specific stocking and survey notes before you head out.
Illinois anglers work weedlines, FFS for summer walleye and bass
Fishing the Midwest's Bob Jensen reports the 2026 open-water season is in full swing, with versatile anglers who add new techniques and target multiple species landing more fish through the heat of summer. On the Illinois River and around Lake Michigan, that versatility is paying off: Mike Frisch (Fishing the Midwest) notes walleye are increasingly found suspended away from classic bottom structure, best located with forward-facing sonar rather than the old points-and-weedline playbook, while largemouth are still answering moving baits worked over the tops of emerging weed growth. Tactical Bassin's recent trip targeting trophy smallmouth bass in clear water with an underused spy bait presentation reinforces that clear-water, finesse approaches are producing right now. No buoy or gauge readings came back for this region this cycle, and no Illinois-specific fishing reports were available, so treat the species status below as seasonal expectation grounded in regional Midwest intel rather than a same-day bite report.
Lake Superior whitefish fishery keeps growing as UP skies stay hazy
Northern Michigan is fishing under hazy skies this week — Great Lakes Now reports wildfire smoke drifting down from Minnesota and Canada has blanketed the region, pushing air quality into hazardous territory as far south as Detroit and prompting alerts across the northern Midwest. It's worth checking conditions before a long day on open water. On the fishery side, WI DNR's Lake Superior program continues to flag a fast-growing lake whitefish fishery around the Chequamegon Bay area on the lake's western basin, popular enough this season that the state is running an angler questionnaire and public meetings to get a handle on it. No specific stream-trout bite reports came through our sources this week for the UP's cold-water creeks, so we're leaning on the calendar: mid-summer typically means tight early- and late-day windows for brook and brown trout before water warms through midday, with lake trout and salmon still playing a deeper, structure-oriented game offshore.
Delaware Bay flounder bite turns red-hot on the NJ side
Flounder action is running 'off the charts' this week according to Higbee's Bait and Tackle, reporting to The Fisherman — Southern NJ, with fish showing up in back bays, around the inlets, off the oceanfront beaches, and out at the reef sites across the Cape May stretch of Delaware Bay's NJ side. Big Dave's Tackle says boaters are limiting out on fish to 20 inches using live minnows and spearing, while Pier 47 Marina reports back bays from Cape May to Stone Harbor 'loaded,' with a dozen to three dozen flounder per trip on the incoming tide, though keepers stay scarce inshore. Hands Too Bait and Tackle points anglers toward the Old Grounds reef site for better keeper odds, with fish already topping 7 pounds there alongside sea bass and ling. Weakfish remain a scattered by-catch on flounder rigs, croaker keep filling out the bay bite, and a flurry of black drum turned up on one party-boat trip, per Big Dave's Tackle.
Georgia coast settles into a deep-water summer pattern as rivers run high
Coastal Georgia's rivers are running high and rising this week — Joshua Barber's Southern Waters Fishing Report in Georgia Outdoor News (July 18) logged the Altamaha at Doctortown up to 3.7 feet and rising, the Savannah at Clyo up to 4.2 feet and rising, and the Ocmulgee at Lumber City up to 2.2 feet and rising, with the bass bite holding strong in those systems as anglers slow down and fish deeper. No live buoy or tide-gauge feed came through for the Atlantic side this cycle, so treat the immediate coast as an extension of that same mid-summer pattern: warm surface water pushing marsh and inshore species toward deeper holes, current breaks, and shade during peak daylight hours. Expect the usual July suspects — redfish working the marsh edges, spotted seatrout holding on structure, and summer flounder tucking into deeper cuts — with early morning and dusk still the highest-percentage windows before the heat settles in.