Fishing reports
19070 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Low water pushes Pine Barrens bite into dawn and dusk
The USGS gauge (01408000) logged just 23.1 cfs Tuesday evening, a low-water summer stage typical of Pine Barrens cedar streams by mid-July. No direct reports came in this cycle from Delaware River or Pine Barrens freshwater sources, so we're leaning on seasonal patterns and general technique guidance rather than fresh bite confirmations. Chain pickerel remain the Pine Barrens' signature species and should still be workable in tea-stained slow water even as flows drop. Tactical Bassin's summer-heat breakdown notes bass tucking into shade in the shallows while deeper fish group up tighter this time of year, a pattern that tracks for smallmouth and largemouth in low, warm water. Field & Stream's summer creek guidance leans toward patience and ultralight presentations for stream trout, which matters more than usual with flows this thin. Panfish stay the reliable option for a quick, warm-water outing.
High water pushes Chattahoochee and Savannah bass into the shade
USGS gauge 02197000 on the Chattahoochee was running an elevated 5,450 cfs as of Sunday evening, and to the east the Savannah River gauge at Clyo sat at 3.1 feet and falling as of July 10, per GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News's Southern Waters Fishing Report. Falling water on the Savannah side is a good early signal for river fish settling back into normal feeding lanes after a bump, while the high flow on the Chattahoochee points to recent rain pushing extra water through the system. Summer heat has largemouth bass sliding into shade and cover during the day, with anglers working jigs and shallow shade lines through the worst of the afternoon sun, per Tactical Bassin's current summer-pattern coverage. Bream and catfish stay dependable targets on both rivers through mid-summer regardless of water-level swings. Georgia Wildlife Blog continues pointing anglers toward PFA lakes and camping-adjacent fishing access this month. Water clarity is the wildcard worth checking before you launch.
Steady summer flows hold pattern on Hartwell and Russell
The USGS gauge covering the Hartwell/Russell system (site 02192000) was reading 1,340 cfs as of Monday evening, a steady mid-July flow with no fresh water-temp reading available from the gauge network this cycle. Direct on-the-water intel specific to Hartwell and Russell was thin in this week's feeds. The closest regional signal, Joshua Barber's Southern Waters Fishing Report via GA Sportsman/Georgia Outdoor News, tracked several other Georgia river gauges — including the Savannah River at Clyo — mostly falling as of July 10, in line with typical mid-summer drawdown across the state's river systems. For the Savannah chain itself, expect the standard deep-summer pattern to hold: largemouth and spotted bass sliding to deeper structure as surface temps climb, with striped and hybrid bass action concentrated in the low-light hours. The Georgia Wildlife Blog's fishing-report series continues pointing anglers to its general angler-resources page rather than lake-specific detail this week, so treat today's picture as flow-driven rather than bite-confirmed until more direct reports surface.
Summer bass bite favors early shadows on Lake Winnipesaukee
Per Tactical Bassin's summer bass coverage this week, hot mid-July conditions are pushing bass shallow into shadow cover during the early morning and back to deeper structure once the sun climbs, a pattern that tracks well for Lake Winnipesaukee's smallmouth and largemouth fishery right now. Locally, the USGS gauge (01081000) read a moderate 440 cfs as of Tuesday evening, though water temperature wasn't reported for that observation. No New Hampshire-specific reports came through this week's feeds, so we're leaning on regional summer patterns rather than fresh local intel. With a new moon overhead, low-light windows at dawn and dusk should fish best for shallow bass. Lake trout and landlocked salmon typically slide deep and go quiet through peak summer heat as the thermocline sets up, and nothing in this week's feeds suggests otherwise. Jigs and finesse presentations worked slow along cover remain the go-to approach for bass through the hottest stretch of summer.
Summer Heat Pattern Settles Over Lake Okeechobee and St. Johns Bass
USGS gauge 02232000 on the St. Johns is showing a flow reversal to -160 cfs today, the kind of sluggish, tide-nudged current typical of this stretch once mid-July heat sets in and the river slows to a crawl. No water-temp reading came through with today's data pull, but expect Okeechobee and the upper St. Johns to be running deep into the 80s by midday, pushing largemouth bass off the main lake and into shade lines, mats, and deeper cover during the heat of the day. Tactical Bassin's summer playbook — working shallow shade with jigs early and pulling back to deeper cover as the sun climbs — is the standard approach for this kind of pattern, and Field & Stream's advice to slow the retrieve down applies just as much on Okeechobee grass flats as anywhere else. Bream should stay steady around the new moon, and catfish will feed best after dark.
Northwoods muskies go deep as summer heat settles over Vilas County lakes
Stable summer weather has settled over the Minocqua, Oneida, and Vilas County lake chains this week, with surface temps pushing into the mid-70s on clearer water and nearing 80 degrees on darker, shallower lakes, according to this week's report from Rollie & Helen's Musky Shop (WI). That warmth is pushing the Northwoods' signature species into its toughest stretch of the season, the shop's companion piece on summer "ghost muskies" notes that as the water heats up, muskies get harder to locate, track, and pattern, and leaning on forward-facing sonar alone isn't enough without matching it to real understanding of the water. Walleye anglers should take the versatility approach Fishing the Midwest has been preaching all season: work weedlines and classic structure, but stay open to suspended fish away from bottom, since forward-facing sonar has rewritten where 'eyes hold in summer. Panfish and smallmouth typically stay steady producers on these same lakes through mid-July.
Rangeley trout and salmon settle into summer low-water patterns
The Androscoggin headwater gauge near Rangeley (USGS 01054200) is reading a modest 30.7 cfs, the kind of thin midsummer flow that pushes both brook trout and landlocked salmon out of open runs and into deeper pools, spring seeps, and thermocline water for the rest of July. Water temperature wasn't captured in this reading, but the low, gin-clear flow lines up with what Mainely Fly Fishing (ME) has been describing all season, groundwater and stream levels running below normal since the dry stretch that carried over from last fall. Expect a tighter bite window: mornings and evenings stay the most productive stretch for wild brookies and salmon working the current seams, while smallmouth bass in the lake basins should still chase topwater in low light. Lake trout, by contrast, are pushed deep and slow right now. No fresh Rangeley-specific catch reports came through in this pull, so treat the above as seasonal pattern, not a confirmed bite.
Summer Structure Bite Holds as Illinois River Runs High
The Illinois River gauge at Kingston Mines (USGS 05586100) was reading a swollen 47,200 cfs as of Monday evening — well above typical mid-July flow and a sign recent rain is still working through the system. High, off-color river water like this usually pushes fish out of the main channel and into eddies, wing-dam pockets, and backwater mouths, so walleye and channel catfish anglers on the Illinois River will likely do better slowing down on current breaks than running current-swept flats this week. Direct on-the-water reports for Illinois River and Lake Michigan waters were thin in today's feeds — no shop or charter accounts came through for this region — so species status below leans on typical mid-summer patterns. Fishing the Midwest's Bob Jensen notes anglers who add weedline presentations to their rotation tend to out-fish those running one pattern once open-water season settles in, a reasonable baseline for smallmouth and largemouth working Lake Michigan harbors and connected waters right now.
Skinny summer flows push Catawba, Roanoke bass tight to shade
Flow on the region's USGS gauge (site 02142900) is running thin at just 13.1 cfs as of Tuesday evening, the kind of low, sluggish water mid-July heat typically brings to Piedmont and Roanoke-basin rivers. No water-temp reading came through with today's data, but flow this low almost always means warm, low-oxygen water that concentrates fish around shade and deeper cover. Today's angler-intel feed didn't carry any reports specific to the Catawba or Roanoke systems, so the bite notes below lean on general seasonal knowledge rather than local testimony. Tactical Bassin's summer-heat rundown is a useful general guide here: hot-weather largemouth group tight to shade lines and deeper structure through midday, with the better windows at dawn and dusk. Roanoke's well-known striper run is a spring event and should be long past peak by now, with fish scattered to cooler, deeper holding water. Catfish tend to be the most dependable producer in low, warm summer river flows, feeding through the low-light hours.
UP Trout Streams Hold Steady Flow as Midsummer Bite Settles In
The only hard read we have this cycle is USGS gauge 04059500, logging flow at 134 cfs as of Tuesday evening with no paired water-temperature reading. That's a moderate, wadeable number for mid-July in the Upper Peninsula, the kind of stage that keeps brook and brown trout tucked into typical summer lies rather than pushed into thermal refuge by a low-water crunch. We don't have fresh UP-specific angler reports in this cycle's intel, so treat species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than confirmed bites. Lake Superior itself remains a wildcard without a buoy read to work from; anglers should lean on typical midsummer patterns, working deep structure for lake trout and fishing the morning and evening shoulders on tributary streams before the sun pushes water temps up and shuts the bite down through the heat of the day.
Saginaw Bay Walleye Hold Summer Pattern as Salmon Season Builds
Environmental sensors serving the Saginaw Bay area returned no fresh buoy or gauge readings this week (USGS gauge 04157000 shows no current flow or temperature data), and this week's angler-intel sweep came back thin on confirmed Lake Huron-specific reports. What did surface was mostly chatter: on the Michigan Sportsman Forum, one angler opened this year's king salmon thread describing tough going on a favorite early tributary, going 0-for-2 on spinners over a recent outing, while another angler asked for pointers heading to Drummond Island on the Huron side later this month. Neither report is corroborated by a shop, charter, or agency source, so treat them as early-season color rather than a verdict on the bite. Absent harder numbers, expect the mid-July pattern typical of this fishery: walleye holding over structure and deeper basin water in Saginaw Bay, smallmouth working summer cover, and perch scattered on classic bottom structure. Confirm local conditions and check state regs before harvesting.
Moosehead togue and salmon push deep as high summer sets in
Flow on the upper Penobscot watershed's benchmark gauge is holding steady at 375 cfs as of Monday evening, a stable read pointing to normal, wadeable conditions heading into the heart of summer. Water temperature wasn't reported at the gauge itself, but mid-July norms for Moosehead Lake typically push surface temps into the upper 60s to low 70s, which usually sends landlocked salmon and lake trout down toward the thermocline while smallmouth bass hold shallower and stay aggressive. This cycle's angler-intel sweep didn't turn up any Moosehead-specific captain, shop, or state reports — the available feeds skewed toward Sea Grant program newsletters and national bass/trout content with no direct bearing on this fishery — so we're leaning on typical seasonal behavior rather than fresh call-ins. Expect togue and salmon anglers to be running leadcore or downriggers deep, while bass and brook trout get worked early and late around structure and cooler water.
Kenai sockeye push holds strong as interior rivers stay steady
The Kenai-region flow gauge (USGS 15266300) logged 12,000 cfs and 51°F water on the afternoon of July 14, readings consistent with peak summer glacial melt feeding the region's interior rivers. That flow and temperature band sits squarely in the range that typically carries the Kenai River's sockeye salmon into their strongest mid-July push, historically the headline freshwater fishery here this time of year. Chinook (king) runs are usually tapering by mid-July, while rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, and Arctic grayling stay reliably catchable in slower side channels and tributary mouths regardless of the main-stem salmon push. No Kenai or interior-Alaska specific bite reports came through this cycle's shop, charter, or blog intel feeds, so the species read below leans on typical seasonal patterning rather than fresh on-the-water testimony. Confirm current regulations and any emergency openers before heading out, since sockeye harvest rules on the Kenai can shift with little notice.
Summer patterns settle in across Maine's Kennebec-Penobscot waters
USGS gauge 01046500 logged flow holding near 5,180 cfs as of Tuesday evening, a steady read heading into the heart of Maine's July freshwater season, though water temperature wasn't reported this cycle. Local, on-the-water intel specific to the Kennebec and Penobscot systems is thin right now — none of this week's Maine-focused feeds touched current bite conditions — so this report leans on general summer-pattern guidance instead of confirmed local reports. Tactical Bassin's midsummer coverage and Fishing the Midwest's weedline advice both point to the pattern anglers would expect for this stretch: bass sliding into shade and heavy cover once the sun's up, feeding hardest in the low-light windows around dawn and dusk. Field & Stream's midsummer reminder to slow down and be patient is fitting advice for this stretch of the season. Coldwater species like landlocked salmon and brook trout typically retreat to deeper, cooler water or feeder streams under summer heat, a seasonal pattern rather than a confirmed local report this week.
Colorado trout dial in as summer flows drop and warm
Afternoon USGS readings on the monitored gauge (09095500) show water pushing to 79°F with flows holding near 1,780 cfs, a classic mid-July low-water pattern across Colorado's trout water. Crystal Fly Shop reports the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs is on the back end of runoff, with green drakes, golden stones, PMDs and caddis all showing, and nymphing rubberleg stones and drake imitations producing well. Cutthroat Anglers is framing the historic low snowpack as opportunity rather than crisis, noting fish are active and grouped up for anglers willing to hike farther and downsize tippet. Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing flags 2026 as among the driest years on record for the state. AvidMax's current tying lineup, including a jigged CDC PT Tungsten and a Callibaetis nymph, matches the technical, low-clear-water game trout are keying on right now. Expect a slower midday and a stronger dawn-and-dusk bite as afternoon temps climb.
Grand River mouth settles into steady summer rhythm ahead of fall salmon run
USGS gauge 04119000 on the Grand River is reading roughly 1,940 cfs today, a steady mid-summer flow that keeps the river mouth fishable from both bank and boat. Lake Michigan itself has no fresh buoy data this week, so we're leaning on seasonal patterns and broader fishery context. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report notes 2024 delivered a strong harvest across the basin, with over 210,000 coho and 160,000 Chinook salmon landed, the best Chinook numbers since 2012, a good sign for anglers looking ahead to fall staging. Great Lakes Now's recent coverage of invasive mussels stripping nutrients from whitefish habitat is a longer-term concern worth tracking, though it isn't moving this week's bite. With no fresh MI-specific catch reports in hand this pull, expect typical July patterns: walleye and smallmouth holding on structure and suspended water, salmon still mostly offshore.
Summer bass and stripers settle into typical July patterns
USGS gauge 02075045 logged flow at 849 cfs as of Tuesday afternoon, a moderate mid-July baseflow reading typical for the river systems feeding this stretch of southern Virginia. No water-temperature reading came through today, but surface temps on Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island (Kerr Lake) typically sit in the mid-80s by this point in July, pushing gamefish into their expected summer positioning. Today's regional feeds carried nothing specific to either lake as far as fresh bite reports, so we're leaning on seasonal baseline behavior rather than direct testimony: largemouth bass working shade and deeper structure through peak sun, striped bass suspending over cooler water below the thermocline, and blue catfish holding to deeper channels, a strength of the Buggs Island fishery. The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog's current posts focus on trout management planning and season-setting rather than lake conditions, so treat this as a seasonal read until fresher shop or captain reports surface for these waters.
Eastern WA rivers hold steady summer trout rhythm
The region's benchmark USGS gauge (station 12484500) is reading 3,750 cfs as of this afternoon, July 14, a level consistent with typical mid-summer, irrigation-season flow for Eastern Washington's dam-regulated rivers; no water temperature reading was available from the network today. That steady discharge keeps wading manageable across much of the Yakima and Spokane-area river systems and is the kind of number redband and rainbow trout anglers watch closely, since summer release schedules dictate where fish stack up along seams, riffles, and shaded banks. WDFW's statewide fishing and stocking reports remain the standing resource for on-the-ground detail in this region, but this week's angler-intel feeds did not surface specific Yakima or Spokane catch reports, so we're leaning on typical July patterns rather than fresh word from the water. Expect trout to stay most active during cooler morning and evening windows, with area lake bass and kokanee following the usual summer heat pattern until fresher regional reports come in.
Delaware Bay flounder bite accelerates as summer patterns lock in
Fluke fishing in Delaware Bay has picked up sharply this month. Big Dave's Tackle, reporting via The Fisherman — Southern New Jersey, says the bay bite "has really accelerated over the last few weeks," with keeper flounder running 20 to 22 inches and ocean wrecks holding fish to 6 pounds. Higbee's Bait and Tackle adds a decent flounder bite to 22 inches on live minnows, alongside croaker, spot and snapper blues working bloodworm and Fishbites hi-lo rigs off Fortescue Beach. On the Delaware side, Smith's Bait Shop (via The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake) notes slot stripers on peeler crab and bloodworms at Augustine Wall, plus croaker and blues around bay reef sites and oyster beds. Eric Burnley's midsummer notes call it "a typical summer fishing week," with catches spanning canyon yellowfin down to pier spot and croaker. No live buoy or gauge readings are available this cycle, so treat conditions as intel-only until a fresh reading comes in.
Fluke bite stays hot in Sandy Hook Bay after a stellar weekend run
Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands called Friday the 'best bite of the season,' with angler Don Owen boxing four keepers headlined by a 5-pound, 8-ounce fluke, and the hot stretch carried through a calm, all-day Saturday bite (pool fish 4 pounds, 1 ounce) and a strong Sunday when several anglers limited out on keeper fluke mixed with sea bass. Monday's fishing held up despite quickening current, but Tuesday cooled off considerably with short life on most drops and just a handful of keepers, per the shop's own report. Farther north, OTW Northern New Jersey's July 9 report notes fluking trending upward from the surf to the reefs, small bluefish and stripers working the beaches, and bluefin tuna still holding on the midshore grounds. The Fisherman's Northern NJ desk is backing that up with steady ling and one-fish sea bass limits mixed into the fluke catch. New moon tides are pushing extra current through Raritan Bay this week. Plan drifts around the slack.
High water pushes Atchafalaya anglers toward deep summer patterns
The USGS gauge at Baton Rouge (07374000) logged Mississippi River flow near 583,000 cfs and a water temperature of 85°F this afternoon, well above typical summer base stage for the basin. That combination of high, warm water usually pushes catfish onto current seams, wing dams, and eddy lines where drifting bait stacks up, while largemouth bass and crappie tend to slide deeper or tuck into shaded backwaters, sloughs, and oxbow lakes off the main river to escape both the heat and the push of water. Bream and sunfish typically stay shallow and active through mid-summer regardless of mainstem flow, which makes them a dependable backup pattern when the Mississippi and Atchafalaya corridors are running blown-out and off-color. We didn't turn up a direct catch report from the basin this cycle, so treat the species notes below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite, and check current LDWF water and access advisories before launching into high flow.
Low water pushes Eufaula bass tight to shade and structure
USGS gauge 07247500 on the Red River system is reading just 2.62 cfs this afternoon, a low summer-flow stage that's squeezing fish onto shade and deeper structure. No water-temperature reading came through with this cycle, but mid-July surface temps on Lake Eufaula and the Red River typically run deep into the 80s, and that heat is the dominant factor right now. Direct on-the-water reports out of the Eufaula/Red River corridor weren't in this week's feed, so we're leaning on general summer bass patterns: Tactical Bassin's current hot-weather series stresses working shallow shade and grouping deep structure, while Field & Stream's recent big-bass piece is a reminder that committing to heavier cover and staying patient through slow midday stretches pays off once the sun gets high. Largemouth should be the most consistently catchable species through the heat; hybrid stripers, blue catfish, and crappie are likely following typical seasonal deep-water patterns.
Lake Champlain smallmouth stay active as salmon slide deep
USGS gauge 04294500 logged a water temperature of 76°F this afternoon, with flow data not reporting this cycle. That reading puts Lake Champlain squarely into its mid-summer thermal pattern for smallmouth bass and landlocked salmon. At 76°F, smallmouth typically stay aggressive but slide off skinny water onto rock humps, ledges, and deeper drop-offs through peak daylight hours, a hot-weather adjustment Tactical Bassin describes broadly for the species this time of season. Landlocked salmon are the more temperature-sensitive of the two; once surface water climbs into the mid-70s they generally pull down toward the thermocline, putting them out of reach of surface presentations and firmly into deep-troll territory. No Champlain-specific angler reports came through our regional feeds this cycle, so treat the species read below as seasonally-informed rather than confirmed on-the-water intel. Early mornings, evenings, and low-light windows remain the highest-percentage times to find both species shallower and more catchable before afternoon heat pushes them back down.
Smallmouth bite holds steady as New River and Ohio flows settle into summer stage
The USGS gauge serving the New River & Ohio region (site 03051000) logged flow at 229 cubic feet per second this evening, a moderate, wadeable stage that's typical for mid-July in these West Virginia watersheds. Water temperature wasn't reported at the station, but with no obvious rain-driven flow spike, expect clear water and stable conditions into the weekend. Summer heat has anglers adjusting tactics: per Tactical Bassin's latest hot-weather bass coverage, shallow smallmouth are holding tight to shade while deeper fish group around structure, a pattern that translates well onto New River ledges and Ohio River wing dams. Walleye and sauger fishing continues to lean on forward-facing sonar to pick suspended fish off bottom structure, per Fishing the Midwest's recent coverage. Catfish should stay a dependable producer through the heat, as is typical. No direct WV catch reports came through in today's intel sweep, so treat species status below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed local bite.