Fishing reports
19070 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Deep-summer pattern holds on Lanier and Allatoona
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Lanier or Allatoona today, and this week's Georgia Wildlife Blog posts (Georgia Fishing Report, July 10) focused on Public Fishing Area camping upgrades rather than a lake-specific bite report, so this update leans on typical mid-July patterns for these two Piedmont reservoirs. Stratification is well established by mid-July, pushing largemouth and spotted bass toward deeper structure through the heat of the day, with the better shallow window at first light. Per Tactical Bassin's recent hot-weather bass piece, summer fish group tight to shade and cover early, then slide to defined deep structure as the sun climbs, with jigs and finesse rigs like a Neko rig producing for anglers working that transition. Striped and hybrid bass on Lanier typically follow baitfish into deep, cooler water this time of year. Crappie tend to go quiet through the hottest stretch. Check current state regs before harvesting.
South Fork Snake River cutthroats hold through midsummer lull
Trout Unlimited's recent look at the South Fork of the Snake River sets the bar for what counts as a true trophy on this water: shocking-survey data cited in their piece show a 30-inch wild brown trout is a one-in-a-million occurrence here, underscoring that this fishery runs on quality over easy numbers rather than volume. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Snake River corridor this cycle, so confirm streamflow and water temp against a local gauge before you launch. Midsummer on Western tailwaters like this typically means a slower, heat-driven bite, with fish holding in deeper runs and shaded banks through the middle of the day and sliding into the margins on morning and evening light. Field & Stream's spin-fishing primer for trout backs a size-matched approach for water like this — ultralight gear and light fluorocarbon on the tighter feeder streams, stepping up to medium-action rods for the bigger water of the South Fork itself. Patience over pace is the theme right now.
Lake trout dominate North Shore trolling as coho ride along
Lake trout continue to dominate North Shore action, with anglers pulling 18-31 inch fish from 100-150 feet of water while trolling bright spoons, stick baits, and flasher flies through the thermocline at 30-60 feet down, per the MN DNR Lake Superior Summer Fishing report from July 9. Coho salmon are running steady in the 16-18 inch range on the same spreads, while chinook remain a bonus catch, with just a few 20-25 inchers mixed in. Surface temps varied widely along the shore, from 44°F near Two Harbors to 60°F near Duluth, so trolling depth matters more than exact location right now. Inland, Fishing the Midwest notes the open-water season is in full swing and versatility pays off, with working weedlines and forward-facing sonar helping locate walleye that have shifted off classic summer haunts. Stream steelhead season on the lower shore wrapped up back in May.
Taneycomo trout bite rebounds as generation eases into July
Trout fishing on Lake Taneycomo has improved over the last couple of weeks, according to Lilleys Landing, after a rough June when heavy hydro-generation driven by well-needed rain made things tough for bank and dock anglers. With those rains subsided, July is shaping up to bring more stretches of no generation, especially in mornings, which should open up better bank and dock opportunities than anglers saw last month. Afternoons and evenings are still seeing heavier flows at times, so timing a trip around the morning low-water window looks like the play right now. Table Rock itself isn't directly covered in today's reports, but the lake's trout fishery typically tracks Taneycomo's generation-driven conditions closely this time of year, so we're treating the same low-generation-morning pattern as a reasonable general guide there too. No hard water-temp or flow readings came through today's data pull, so lean on the shop's on-the-ground read until fresh gauge numbers post.
Smallmouth Hold Steady as Early King Salmon Chatter Stirs in Michigan
An angler jigging for smallmouth bass in the St. Clair River near Marine City hooked a salmon carrying eggs this week, one of several early-season king salmon mentions surfacing on the Michigan Sportsman Forum as anglers scout favorite tributaries ahead of the fall run — though hookup rates stayed rough, with one angler going 0-2 on spinners at an early king tributary. Smallmouth are the more dependable summer play right now, holding in current seams and connecting-channel structure. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for this update, so treat water levels and temps as unconfirmed until the next check. The MI DNR's Weekly Fishing Report continues publishing its regional Lower Peninsula, Upper Peninsula, Great Lakes, and daily streamflow breakdowns, worth a direct look for water-specific detail. Walleye anglers, meanwhile, are increasingly finding fish suspended off traditional bottom structure rather than glued to it.
Smallmouth bite holds steady as PA rivers settle into summer patterns
No dedicated Susquehanna or Allegheny catch reports moved through our feeds this cycle, so this update leans on typical mid-July patterns for Pennsylvania's warmwater river fisheries plus one timely seasonal note: Pennsylvania Sea Grant partnered with the state's Department of Environmental Protection on a harmful algal bloom webinar this summer, a reminder that PA waterways can develop HABs quickly in warm, stagnant stretches, worth a visual check before wading in. On the water, smallmouth bass remain the region's bread-and-butter summer target, typically holding tight to shade lines and current breaks this time of year; Tactical Bassin's recent summer coverage points to jig and topwater presentations working around cover during the hottest stretches of the day. Channel catfish typically feed heaviest after dark in mid-July heat, while muskellunge and walleye tend to slide into low-light and nocturnal windows once surface temps climb. We'd treat all of the above as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed local intel until fresh reports come in.
Panhandle summer snapper season holds as new moon swings the tides
Florida's ongoing push for state-level red snapper management, covered this month by Field & Stream, keeps a spotlight on one of the Panhandle's signature summer fisheries, though that particular reporting centers on Atlantic-coast season dates rather than Gulf-side rules affecting Destin and Pensacola directly. No buoy or gauge readings came back for this stretch of the Panhandle today, so we're leaning on typical mid-July patterns: red snapper stay the top offshore target over nearshore and reef structure during open season windows, spotted seatrout and redfish hold on grass flats and around passes on moving tide, and king mackerel show up trolling live bait or spoons along nearshore reefs. Check current state and federal regs before harvesting snapper, since season dates shift year to year. No captain or shop reports came through specifically for Destin or Pensacola today, so treat the species status below as seasonal-typical rather than confirmed local bite reports.
Cobia season peaks at the Chesapeake mouth as stripers slip offshore
Saltwater Edge's 'Fishing Forecast - July New Moon' piece pegs this stretch of summer as the doldrums up in Rhode Island, and while no buoy or gauge readings came through for the Chesapeake mouth this cycle and no Virginia-specific bite report turned up in today's angler-intel pull, the same new moon driving that call is in effect here too, meaning bigger tidal swings this week. Locally, mid-July typically means cobia season is in full swing at the Bay mouth, with Spanish mackerel and other summer pelagics working the same warm nearshore water. Striped bass activity generally eases back in the Bay proper once water temperatures climb through summer, with anglers commonly shifting effort to deeper channel edges or cooler ocean-front water, a pattern echoed broadly in this week's Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coverage from On The Water. Check state regulations before harvesting any species, especially stripers, during peak summer heat stress.
New moon eases Narragansett Bay into its midsummer striper-and-squid stretch
Saltwater Edge's July New Moon forecast calls this stretch of mid-July the classic Narragansett Bay summer doldrums — hot, windy, and the kind of stretch where sleep deprivation from three months of fishing starts to show, but the shop is clear there's still plenty biting if you put in the time. Their June reports had striped bass pushing out to deeper, cooler oceanfront water for summer and squid fishing running fantastic with no signs of slowing, while fluke, scup, and black sea bass settle into their usual summer haunts around the bay. On the technique side, OTW Saltwater's guide to going large for summer stripers points anglers toward live bunker, eels, glidebaits, and bigger soft plastics as fish key on larger forage, and Saltwater Edge's Pete Utschig surf-bag breakdown reinforces covering the whole water column — something for the bottom, middle, and top. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so lean on local knowledge for water temp and tide timing.
Cobia and flounder headline midsummer Chincoteague action
NOAA buoy and USGS gauge feeds are both empty for this cycle, so today's read leans on the typical mid-July pattern for Virginia's Eastern Shore. Chincoteague's summer fishery centers on cobia working the pilings and channel edges of the seaside bays, alongside a strong run of red drum and puppy drum through the marshes and inlets. Flounder stays a reliable bread-and-butter option along channel edges and inlet drop-offs as water warms into the mid-70s to low-80s. Striped bass typically thin out this time of year as fish slide into cooler, deeper water offshore, a pattern mirrored elsewhere on the coast, where On The Water's summer coverage notes surfcasters upsizing to live bait and glidebaits to reach bigger stripers holding in cooler water. With tonight's new moon pushing stronger current through the inlets, cobia and drum bites should sharpen around the peak tidal swings this week.
Red drum fire up NC rivers as summer tarpon push builds
Red drum are the headline story on the Pamlico and Neuse rivers this week, with Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication (via Fisherman's Post) reporting anglers catching drum of all sizes off main-river flats and structure, with some bigger fish mixed in. Up the coast at Topsail/Sneads Ferry, Nathan of East Coast Sports notes red drum holding on the flats too, with an early-morning topwater bite the standout before the action shifts to bottom structure later in the day. Surf anglers from Carolina Beach to Swansboro/Emerald Isle are working through a classic summer mixed bag, per Fisherman's Post shop reports, whiting, croaker, pompano, bluefish, sea mullet, and the occasional shark. Sport Fishing Mag also flags a building summertime tarpon push from Southport to Kitty Hawk, with the Cape Fear River and Pamlico Sound fishery growing each year. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so check local conditions before heading out.
Gulf of Alaska salmon season churns on as local reports stay quiet
Alaska Sea Grant's coverage this week skipped the boat ramp for the lecture hall: the 34th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium on Kodiak Island drew scientists and stakeholders to discuss marine heatwaves in the Gulf of Alaska's high-latitude waters, per AK Sea Grant. No buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, and none of today's angler-intel feeds carried direct Gulf of Alaska catch reports, so we're leaning on typical mid-July patterns for this fishery rather than fresh testimony. This time of year is peak season across the Gulf for king and coho salmon runs plus halibut, with lingcod and rockfish holding tight to nearshore structure -- AK Sea Grant separately noted that Alaskan cod and rockfish rarely stray from state waters, underscoring how resident these bottomfish stocks stay. Southeast Alaska is also watching an advancing invasive European green crab population, per AK Sea Grant, worth flagging for anyone working the tidal flats. Check current state regs before harvesting, and expect a fuller on-the-water picture once local shop and charter reports resume.
Tarpon-Permit Doubleheader Keeps Florida's Gulf Coast Busy
Naples-area captains are running a tarpon-and-permit doubleheader as the spring migration carries into summer, per Naples Offshore Fishing Charters — mornings spent jumping quality tarpon on the push, afternoons switched over to sight-fishing large permit. Up the coast in Homosassa, Salt Strong reports anglers dialing in redfish, snook, and trout with a stealthy approach, since calm, hot summer water lets fish feel an angler's presence well before a lure lands nearby. Salt Strong's seatrout playbook this week leans on long bay drifts with proven lures rather than live bait or electronics, productive even when tidal push is modest. With a new moon overhead, expect a stronger tidal swing than recent weeks, which should sharpen those drifts. Florida Sea Grant's scalloping resources are still active, a reminder that Gulf Coast bay-scallop season is in full swing alongside the fishing action. Water temps aren't in today's buoy feed, so plan around typical mid-July Gulf Coast warmth and check local conditions before running offshore.
Peak summer trolling season holds strong across Hawaiian waters
No buoy or gauge readings came through for the islands this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds didn't carry a direct Hawaii catch report, so this update leans on the typical mid-July pattern rather than a fresh log. Mid-July sits in the heart of Hawaii's summer offshore season, when yellowfin tuna (ahi), mahimahi, and wahoo (ono) run through blue water and Kona-side boats traditionally work trolling spreads for marlin. Hawaii Fishing News, the state's official record-keeper, publishes the moon and tide calendar anglers use to plan around swings like this week's new moon, which typically sharpens current flow on both reef edges and offshore drop-offs. Shore anglers chasing ulua at night should lean on structure and fresh cut bait as usual for the season. Treat the species read below as a seasonal expectation, not a confirmed bite, until direct reports land in a future update.
Treasure Coast snook rebound as red snapper season stalls in court
Snook fishing picked up sharply on Florida's Treasure Coast this month once a dredging project in the St. Lucie Inlet paused, per Snook Nook's July report out of Stuart — anglers with side-scan are marking large schools around the detached jetty and Hole in the Wall, with live croakers and pilchards drawing the most bites. Snook remain in a closed summer season on the Atlantic side (typically closed June through August), so treat any hookups as catch-and-release and confirm current regs before targeting them directly. Elsewhere on the Atlantic coast, Sport Fishing Mag notes mutton snapper still showing around Biscayne Bay on live chum, and a Coastal Angler Magazine reader logged a personal-best 21-inch flounder in the Vilano Intracoastal on candy mullet. Meanwhile red snapper season plans for Florida's Atlantic coast are in flux after a federal court blocked the state's pilot program, per CCA Florida.
Kayak anglers eye the Grand Isle corridor as Delta marshes heat up
With no fresh buoy or gauge readings in hand for the Louisiana Gulf Coast and Delta this cycle, the clearest signal comes from Louisiana Sportsman, which on July 14 flagged "unlimited kayak fishing possibilities" down the Highway 1 corridor toward Grand Isle, calling out the stretch as a strong summertime option for paddlers working the marsh edges and channels. That lines up with the typical mid-July pattern for the Delta, when redfish and black drum push onto skinny marsh flats and around structure that kayaks can reach but bigger boats can't easily work. Tonight's new moon should stack up stronger-than-average spring tides, which historically pulls more water (and bait) through those marsh cuts and channels. Specked trout and flounder are on the water too, though we don't have a direct catch report to confirm activity level, so treat their status as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite. Check state regs before harvesting anything you keep.
Summer heat pushes CT bass into shade-and-structure mode
No CT buoy or stream-gauge readings came back in today's environmental pull, so this outlook leans on seasonal pattern and technique intel from the national fishing press rather than a fresh local temp or flow reading. Mid-July has inland Connecticut waters squarely in peak-summer mode: largemouth are shifting into shade, cover and depth as surface water warms, a pattern Tactical Bassin (blog) calls the defining hot-weather move right now, with shallow fish tucking into shadows and deeper fish grouping tight around structure. Smallmouth respond to the same logic along rocky points and weedlines, and Fishing the Midwest's reminder to work the weedline rather than fish one depth all day applies directly. Stocked trout water is entering its toughest summer stretch, favoring early mornings and spring-fed stretches. Field & Stream's advice to slow the pace and stay patient through summer's quieter stretches fits the current warmwater bite well.
Walleye anglers lean on weedlines and forward-facing sonar for the summer bite
No buoy or gauge readings came through for Lake of the Woods or the Rainy River this cycle, so this update leans on regional walleye intel rather than hard numbers. Writing for Fishing the Midwest, Bob Jensen says working the weedline is the move as the 2026 open-water season hits full swing, adding that versatile anglers willing to add techniques and chase different species are the ones getting bit most. Fellow contributor Mike Frisch reports that forward-facing sonar has upended the old assumption that walleyes sit tight to bottom structure like points, turns, and weedlines, with fish increasingly showing up in spots anglers used to skip. Frisch also notes small in-boat adjustments, like touching up hook points after a missed strike, have turned slow stretches into trophy catches for his crew. For Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River in mid-July, that points toward main-lake structure and weed-edge walleye and smallmouth patterns. Check a local shop for a current bite report before you launch.
Green River and Uinta Lakes trout settle into a patient summer rhythm
With no fresh buoy or gauge readings in this update, this week's outlook leans on seasonal pattern and technique guidance rather than a hot bite report. Field & Stream's midsummer piece on pacing fishing trips notes that mid-July heat pushes fish into a slower, more deliberate feeding rhythm — advice that tracks with how Green River and Uinta Lakes trout typically behave once surface temperatures climb. The same outlet's trout-focused guide recommends matching gear to water size: light 5.5-6.5 foot ultralight setups with small inline spinners or jigs on tighter Uinta feeder streams, stepping up to 7-7.5 foot medium-action rods on the bigger water of the Green River itself. No region-specific catch reports came through the feeds this cycle, so treat species status below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bite activity. Early and late light windows remain the best bet as afternoon heat sets in across the basin.
East Texas bass settle into deep-summer patterns as heat holds
Elsewhere in East Texas, Lake Fork Trophy Bass is calling July "HOT" for big-bass action this month, with lake levels running just under 2 feet low and water clarity holding up despite the heat — a useful regional signal, though we don't have direct buoy or gauge readings for Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn this cycle. Deep-summer largemouth patterns are typically in full swing on East Texas reservoirs by mid-July: fish work shade and shallow cover early and late in the day, then slide to deeper structure and schooling areas once the sun climbs, a pattern that lines up with Tactical Bassin's summer playbook of shallow-shade mornings, deep grouping through midday, and finesse jigs, Neko rigs, and paddletails to close the deal. Crappie and catfish should still be workable on deeper structure and channel edges through the heat, though we have no direct East Texas reports on either species right now. Tonight's new moon favors low-light and after-dark bites for anglers willing to fish the fringes of the day.
South Platte trico falls turn on tailwater trout despite drought lows
Morning trico spinner falls are back on the South Platte's tailwater stretches, the same hatch Gink and Gasoline once described watching so densely that a single scoop of the hand came up with dozens of bugs. That pattern is holding again this July, and it's arriving during one of the driest years on record. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing's Drought Update ranks 2026 alongside 2002, 2012, 2018, and 2020 as a historically lean water year for Colorado, and Cutthroat Anglers' low-water tips echo the same story across the state's tailwaters: flows are thin, but the fish that remain are grouped up, active, and catchable for anglers willing to hike a little farther or downsize their tippet. AvidMax's clear-water midge patterns are built for exactly these conditions. Expect technical, low-and-clear fishing on the South Platte and Arkansas tailwaters this week, with the best window right at first light.
Hoot-owl closures spread across southwest Montana trout water
MT FWP Fishing News reports that warming river water is triggering a fresh round of hoot-owl restrictions and one full closure across southwest Montana this week, effective July 15 on the Big Hole, Gallatin, East Gallatin, Jefferson, Madison, and Ruby Rivers, on top of restrictions that already took effect July 11 on the Sun River, the Lower Madison, and the Madison above Hebgen Reservoir. The Madison River from Ennis Dam to the NorthWestern Energy powerhouse is closed to fishing at all hours. For anglers working the Yellowstone and Missouri headwaters drainages, that means afternoon and evening water is off-limits on the listed stretches and the bite window is shifting hard to early morning. Separately, Flylab (Substack) points to Hebgen Lake, just outside this window, as still producing daily surface-feeding rainbows and browns averaging into the high teens from ice-out through October. Plan around the closures before you plan around the fish this week.</br>
Sacramento-Delta Anglers Lean on Classic Summer Patterns
NorCal Fish Reports keeps a standing Sacramento-Delta report desk, but this cycle's pull only returned its site index rather than a fresh 'what's biting' rundown, and no NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through either. That leaves us working from typical mid-July Delta patterns rather than today's confirmed bite. Water temperatures in the system are normally well up into the 70s by now, which usually pushes striped bass toward deeper holes and tidal current breaks during the heat of the day while largemouth bass stay catchable working shallow cover, dock shade, and frog patterns early and late. Channel catfish typically turn on at night as the water stays warm. New Moon tides this week should produce stronger-than-average exchanges, which tends to concentrate bait and predators around current seams. Treat this as seasonal baseline, not a confirmed bite, until fresher local reports come through.
Summer heat resets the bite on Roosevelt Lake and the Salt River
No buoy or gauge readings came back for the Salt River chain this week, so this report draws on seasonal patterns and technique intel rather than a location-specific bite report. Mid-July puts Roosevelt Lake and the Salt River chain squarely in peak Arizona summer heat, and that reshuffles where bass hold. Per Tactical Bassin's current summer coverage, largemouth bass push into shade and shallow cover during the low-light hours of dawn and dusk, then group up on deeper structure once the sun climbs, with jig fishing and Neko-rigged worms flagged as reliable producers through the heat. No source in this week's feed reported specifically from Roosevelt Lake or the Salt River, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed on-the-water bite. Fish early, fish deep by midday, and check current state fishing regulations before you head out.