Fishing reports
19070 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Summer tarpon push reaches Kitty Hawk as red drum keep biting to the south
Sport Fishing Mag reports the North Carolina summer tarpon run stretching from Southport to Kitty Hawk keeps growing, part of a pattern anglers on that stretch have tracked for more than 50 years — putting silver kings on the Outer Banks radar heading into peak season. Direct Outer Banks report coverage is thin this cycle, so we're reading the broader NC coastal trend instead: per Fisherman's Post (NC), red drum fishing has been 'steady' in the sounds around Swansboro/Emerald Isle, inshore anglers at Topsail/Sneads Ferry are finding red drum with an early topwater bite as the highlight, and the Pamlico/Neuse is producing red drum of all sizes off flats and structure. Down the beach, Carolina Beach and Southport/Oak Island surf anglers are working a mixed bag of bluefish, croakers, whiting, and pompano, though Southport also notes dirty water and heavy seaweed complicating things. Separately, Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater flags that the NC Division of Marine Fisheries has withdrawn its Red Snapper EFP application, so the previously planned July 1 season isn't happening — check current regs before targeting snapper.
Falling coastal rivers set up cleaner water for Georgia marsh reds and trout
Joshua Barber's Southern Waters Fishing Report (GA Sportsman/Georgia Outdoor News) for July 11 has every major coastal river gauge from the Altamaha to the Satilla reading low and falling, a signal that estuary water on the Georgia Atlantic Coast is running clearer and saltier than earlier this summer. That's good news for marsh fishing: with less freshwater pushing into the sounds, spotted seatrout and redfish typically tighten up on structure and grass edges as clarity improves. The new moon on tap brings stronger spring tides, which should get bait moving through creek mouths and rip lines. Georgia Wildlife Blog's Angler Resources page continues pointing anglers toward its seasonal forecasts and stocking updates for trip planning. Farther up the coast, Sport Fishing Mag reports the annual summer tarpon push into Carolina waters has been building bigger each year, a regional trend worth watching as fish work their way along the Southeast coastline through midsummer.
Salmon season peaks in Puget Sound as Dungeness crabs harden up
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Puget Sound and the Washington coast this cycle, and this week's angler-intel sweep turned up mostly Sea Grant research and policy news rather than direct 'what's biting' dispatches — so treat this as a seasonal outlook, not a live bite report. Mid-July typically sits inside the heart of Puget Sound's summer Chinook and coho season, with lingcod and rockfish holding steady on nearshore structure; check both against current WDFW regulations, whose creel-check program is the backbone of the state's catch monitoring per WA WDFW Fishing Reports. On the crabbing side, WA Sea Grant's Third Annual Salish Sea-wide Molt Blitz (held June 26) tracked Dungeness crabs cycling through their molt this time of year — expect shells to be firming back up now, which usually means better meat yields than right at the molt peak. We'd rather flag a data gap than guess.
Charleston Harbor surf settles into summer pattern as tarpon push north
Fisherman's Post reports surf anglers at Carolina Beach and Southport/Oak Island mixing whiting, croaker, pompano, bluefish and the occasional shark this week — a species lineup that typically holds for Charleston Harbor's beaches too as July surf fishing settles into its summer groove. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Charleston Harbor this cycle, so treat water temp and current as check-before-you-go items rather than numbers we can confirm. Further up the coast, Sport Fishing Mag notes the summertime tarpon migration from Southport to Kitty Hawk is running stronger than usual this year, a signal worth watching as those fish work their way along the Carolina coastline. Inshore around the harbor, redfish and spotted seatrout remain the go-to summer targets on marsh edges and grass flats, while flounder typically slide toward deeper channel edges as surface temps climb. With a new moon this week, expect bigger tidal swings — plan around the stronger moving water.
Sarasota Bay trout bite stays red hot into peak summer
The peak summer seatrout bite is locked in across Sarasota Bay, with Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters reporting aggressive Spotted Seatrout action on inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes in warm bay water. The same shop's July forecast from Capt. Rick Grassett keeps Tarpon in play, with spin anglers working travel lanes and drifting live baits under floats while fly anglers stake out or anchor on bar edges for more aggressive summer fish. Shark activity, Bull, Blacktip, and Lemon sharks, continues to build in Sarasota Bay and nearshore Gulf waters as the season progresses. Capt. Chuck Cress also put clients on Redfish working an oyster bar in upper Sarasota Bay, with plenty of mullet and bait activity in the same zone. No live buoy or gauge data is available for this update, so plan around the New Moon tide swing and check a local forecast before running offshore.
Central MA freshwater bite settles into summer weedline pattern
Fishing the Midwest's midsummer advice to "work the weedline" is the clearest signal available this cycle for Central Massachusetts pond and lake anglers, and it lines up with the calendar: mid-July puts largemouth bass tight to healthy weed edges, docks, and shade during the day and pushing shallow at dawn and dusk. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data came back for this region this cycle, and no MA-specific "what's biting" report crossed our feeds, so treat the species outlook below as seasonal-pattern guidance rather than a confirmed local bite. Tactical Bassin's current coverage of finesse paddletails and summer jig tactics for bass is broadly applicable on rocky points or main-lake structure. Panfish should stay reliable around any weed edge or dock shade, and chain pickerel typically hold in the same cover but slow down as water warms. Check current state stocking updates and regs before heading out.
Wabash smallmouth and walleye settle onto summer weedlines
Bob Jensen's July dispatch for Fishing the Midwest captures the moment well: the 2026 open-water season is in full swing, and anglers working weedlines are getting bit while those who don't add the technique are missing out. On the Wabash River, that pattern is showing up in smallmouth and largemouth keying on vegetation edges, and a companion piece from Mike Frisch at the same outlet notes that a well-placed moving bait over emerging weeds - paired with a freshly sharpened treble hook - is turning near-misses into keepers this month. No fresh NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for the Wabash or southern Lake Michigan today, so treat flow and water temperature as seasonal norms rather than a live reading until the next data pull. Walleye should be shadowing those same weed edges as the water holds summer warmth, while Lake Michigan perch typically scatter into deeper, cooler water through mid-July heat - a seasonal pattern, not a local report, since no source flagged perch activity this week.
Summer bass and trout patterns settle in at Quabbin and Wachusett
No buoy or gauge readings came through for Quabbin or Wachusett this cycle, so today's outlook leans on early-summer freshwater technique intel rather than a fresh temperature or flow reading. Smallmouth are typically pushed onto deeper weedlines and rocky structure by mid-July, and Fishing the Midwest's Bob Jensen flags working the weedline as a reliable summer move once the shallow bite slows. Tactical Bassin's summer coverage backs a jig-and-trailer or neko rig for largemouth holding tight to cover early and late in the day, with finesse presentations picking up once the sun gets high. Lake trout and holdover stocked trout tend to slide deeper and go quiet as surface water warms through July; Field & Stream's spin-fishing primer notes lighter line and smaller lures produce better once water clears and warms. Treat this as a seasonal-pattern outlook until fresh MA-specific reports come in for these reservoirs.
Trico spinner falls and terrestrial season take over PA limestone creeks
Gink and Gasoline's midsummer breakdown of the trico hatch and spinner fall is the read of the week for limestone anglers, and the timing fits exactly what Spring Creek and Penns Creek are known for in mid-July: dense early-morning trico spinner falls that pull wild browns onto the surface before the sun climbs. Trout Unlimited's latest TROUT Tip flags terrestrials as the other half of the summer program, noting fish key hard on hoppers, ants, and beetles dropping off grassy banks once the sun warms things up. Field & Stream's spin-fishing guide is a useful refresher on matching light line and tight-quartered lures to smaller technical water if you're not on the fly. Check PA Fish & Boat's Biologist Reports for current stocking notices and access conditions on both creeks before you head out. No fresh buoy or gauge telemetry came through for this stretch, so treat flow and temp as unconfirmed until you're streamside.
Arkansas smallmouth bite heats up as summer tournaments roll through
A Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on the Arkansas River, weighed in July 11 near Sallisaw, Oklahoma (per MLF News), is the freshest sign of how active the Arkansas River system has been through mid-July. Closer to home, Arkansas native and MLF pro Spencer Shuffield used his latest MLF News column to call this stretch of summer the best time of year for smallmouth, describing a lifelong pull toward the state's river smallmouth fishing, a good signal the bronzeback bite is a top target right now. Water-level and temperature readings for the White River gauge (USGS 07263620) were not available at press time, so plan around typical mid-summer patterns rather than a specific flow number. Largemouth anglers working ledges, weedlines, and brushpiles in the summer heat can lean on the same deep, current-dependent patterns reservoir and river fisheries elsewhere are reporting this week. Trout and catfish reports were absent from this week's feed, so those are shown at typical seasonal activity levels. Check state regs before harvesting.
Missouri River cats stack up in high, off-color summer flow
The Missouri River is running high and warm heading into mid-July, with the Hermann gauge (USGS 06934500) reading 83°F and flow pushing near 88,600 cfs — textbook big-river summer conditions that push catfish into slack-water structure. Wired 2 Fish reported a Hazelwood angler and lifelong Missouri River catfisherman anchored his 18-foot boat near shore just before dusk and dropped baits into a 25-foot-deep back-eddy hole, boating two catfish totaling 178 pounds. That's a strong signal that big cats are holding tight to deep eddies out of the main current while the river runs high. Ozark-system bass are settling into standard mid-summer behavior; Fishing the Midwest's advice to work weedlines and adjust depth as current and vegetation shift applies well to connected reservoirs and slower tributary stretches feeding the Ozark rivers. With water this warm, expect the best action low-light to after-dark, and expect deep structure — not the banks — to be doing the work through the heat.
High flows reshape Delta patterns as summer bite settles in
The USGS gauge near Freeport (site 11455420) is reading roughly 97,700 cfs, a notably elevated stage for mid-July on the Sacramento River system that feeds the Delta — that kind of push usually means stained water, stronger current seams, and fish tucking tighter to structure and eddies than they would in a typical low-summer-flow year. We don't have a Delta-specific angler report in hand for this cycle, so today's read leans on general seasonal patterns for the Sacramento-San Joaquin system rather than fresh dock talk. Striped bass tend to stack on current breaks and drop-offs when flow spikes like this; largemouth bass typically slide into tules and slack backwaters to get out of the push; sturgeon and catfish generally stay catchable on bottom-fished bait regardless of flow. The waning crescent moon favors low-light and early-morning windows. Check a current Delta-specific report board before you head out, and expect murkier water than usual for the date.
Montauk Bass Bite Cools as Fluke and Bluefin Heat Up
The big striped bass bite off Montauk is beginning to slow down, according to the July 9 Long Island and NYC Fishing Report from On The Water, but keeper fluke are showing up in stronger numbers from the South Shore reefs and bays into Long Island Sound. Just a week earlier, On The Water noted the Montauk bass bite was still keeping inshore anglers busy while midshore bluefin tuna fishing was "on fire," and OTW Saltwater's July 8 offshore report confirms tuna action remains hot from Maryland into New England. Surfcasters chasing bass are leaning on live eels and glidebaits after dark, per recent OTW Surfcasting gear rundowns, while fluke anglers are working bucktail and Gulp combos over the reefs. NY DEC's saltwater newsletters confirm summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass seasons are open, with striped bass regulations in effect, so check current limits before keeping fish. Expect the pattern to keep shifting as we move deeper into the summer doldrums.
Chesapeake stripers face summer heat as croaker, spot bite steady
No fresh buoy or gauge readings and no Chesapeake-specific field reports came through this cycle, so this update leans on typical mid-July Bay patterns plus what's trending in nearby Mid-Atlantic waters. By now, Chesapeake striped bass fishing usually slows as surface temps push into the 80s, and warm-water release mortality becomes a real concern, pushing captains toward deeper structure, early mornings, and evening tides rather than midday soak sessions. Spot and croaker are typically the Bay's July workhorses, providing steady bottom action on bloodworm and squid rigs over hard bottom and channel edges, and nothing in the available intel suggests that changing this week. Flounder should be picking up too: per The Fisherman — Southern NJ, back-bay flatties just to the north have turned aggressive on minnows and Gulp baits as water temps stabilized, a pattern that tends to arrive in Chesapeake waters on a similar timeline. Check state regs before harvesting.
Croaker, spot and flounder flood Delaware Bay as summer bite peaks
Eric Burnley's Delaware Bay report for The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake called June the best mixed-bag stretch of 2026 so far, with more croaker, spot, sheepshead, bluefin tuna and flounder crossing the rail than any other month this year, and he sees no reason that pace should slow heading into July. Smith's Bait Shop backs that up, pointing anglers to the Bowers Beach jetty for croaker, spot and flounder plus the occasional bluefish, while striped bass are still coming off that same jetty on bloodworms and cut mullet. At Cape Henlopen, Breakwater Tackle reports spot and croaker as the steady producers with sheepshead working on sand fleas and green crab. Offshore in the canyons, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Offshore, bluefin tuna to 60 pounds are working the Cigar and inshore lumps stacked with sand eels, alongside a strong blueline and golden tilefish bite. Delaware's new 20-24 inch striped bass summer slot, per Delaware Surf Fishing, took effect with the July 1 season start.
Striper push shifts north toward NH as mackerel swarm inshore
Maine striper guys reported a strong push of larger fish this week, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME — a good sign for New Hampshire's Gulf of Maine coast, sandwiched between that push and the strengthening Massachusetts North Shore bite. No NH buoy or gauge data came back this cycle, so this report leans on conditions bracketing the coastline. The best bass action has shifted north of Cape Cod into Cohasset, Boston Harbor, and Nantasket, while the Merrimack River bite just south of the NH line is winding down, though Joppa Flats is still holding fish for tube-and-worm trollers. Mackerel remain thick on most trips, a reliable forage signal, and Gloucester and Rockport are seeing steady flounder action nearby. Offshore, haddock fishing is inconsistent as the spawn wraps up. With bait pushing north and stripers following, NH's rocky shoreline and river mouths should keep producing through the week.
Chicago's Lake Michigan settles into a mid-summer salmon rhythm
No fresh buoy or gauge readings and no specific Chicago-lakefront bite reports came through this cycle, so this update leans on the bigger picture plus typical mid-July patterns for the region. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report noted that 2024 delivered a standout year across the lake, with anglers landing a record 210,000-plus coho salmon and over 160,000 Chinook salmon, the best Chinook numbers since 2012, as stronger alewife year classes boosted survival of stocked fish. Mid-July on the Chicago lakefront is typically prime time for salmon and trout trolling over deeper, cooler water, with yellow perch holding tighter to nearshore structure. Separately, Outdoor Hub reported an ongoing silver carp die-off on the Illinois River between Henry and Peoria, which state biologists attribute to natural spawning stress rather than a water-quality problem, a useful data point for anglers who split time between the river system and the lake.
Deep summer pattern sets up for Lanier and Allatoona bass, stripers
This morning's local USGS gauge reading (02334430) logged 49°F and 636 cfs — a notably cool, dam-influenced number for mid-July that points to bottom-release flow rather than open-lake surface temps on Lanier and Allatoona, where surface water typically runs well into the 80s this time of year. Direct bite reports for these two reservoirs were thin in today's feed, but the pattern lines up with what B.A.S.S. News describes on comparable Southern reservoirs: summer heat has pushed bass and mixed striper schools deep onto points, ledges, and brushpiles as current slackens. GA Sportsman's Joshua Barber noted Georgia's river gauges trending down and falling statewide as of July 10, typical of the mid-summer dry pattern. For finesse presentations in that deep, current-starved water, Tactical Bassin's summer playbook (jig fishing, Neko rig) remains the go-to. Expect largemouth, spotted bass, and stripers holding tight to structure through the heat.
Snake River trout key on summer stonefly hatches as flows run high
High water dominates the South Fork Snake River this week, with USGS gauge 13037500 near Irwin reading 14,100 cfs as of Tuesday morning, a flow consistent with mid-summer irrigation releases out of Palisades Dam. Water temperature wasn't available at the gauge, but flows this heavy typically run cooler through the canyon stretches, which trout appreciate as air temperatures climb. Regionally, Caddis Fly (OR) reports Golden Stoneflies and Yellow Sally nymphs are in full swing right now, patterns that translate well to South Fork water given the shared Western entomology, and jigged Green Drake nymphs are producing wherever drakes are hatching. For anglers working smaller feeder streams and side channels away from the heavy main flow, Field & Stream recommends matching rod length to water size, ultralight rods with small inline spinners on tight water. Expect cutthroat and rainbow trout keyed on subsurface stonefly and mayfly patterns until flows ease.
Weed-line walleyes and muskies turn on as summer settles in
The Mississippi River is running elevated through the Twin Cities this week, reading roughly 14,500 cfs at St. Paul and 8,100 cfs near Anoka as of Sunday morning, high water that's kept moving current baits productive for channel cats on the Red River system, per AnglingBuzz's recent rig-and-bait breakdown. Up in the North Woods, Bob Jensen at Fishing the Midwest notes the 2026 open-water season is in full swing and reminds anglers to work the weedline as vegetation fills in, and AnglingBuzz reports muskie anglers finding fish tucked into weed growth on Leech Lake. Walleye are following the same weed-pocket pattern per Jason Mitchell Outdoors, while smallmouth are responding to finesse paddletail presentations worked slow around summer cover, per Tactical Bassin. On Lake Superior's North Shore, the MN DNR's July 9 report puts surface temps at 44-60°F, with trollers finding good numbers of 18-31 inch lake trout plus coho and a few chinook salmon 30-60 feet down.
Taneycomo trout bite trending up as summer generation eases
Trout fishing on Lake Taneycomo has improved over the last couple of weeks even with heavy afternoon and evening generation, according to Lilleys Landing's July 4 report. June brought inconsistent, rain-driven flows that made fishing tough, especially from the bank or dock, but with rains subsiding, July looks poised for more stretches of no generation, particularly in the mornings — a window worth building a trip around. USGS gauge 07054410 isn't currently reporting a flow or temperature reading, so anglers should lean on the dam's published generation schedule rather than real-time numbers. Expect variable water clarity and current strength through the day: calmer mornings for wading and light tackle, pushier water once generation ramps up in the afternoon. Typical summer trout tactics apply — small jigs, scuds, and light line worked slow through seams and eddies tend to produce best when flows cooperate.
Grand River holds steady summer flow as Great Lakes bite settles in
The Grand River gauge (USGS 04119000) was reading a moderate 2,310 cfs Saturday morning, a flow that keeps the river fishable rather than blown out for wading and drift anglers. Water temperature wasn't reported at the gauge this cycle, and Great Lakes buoy data was unavailable for this update, so exact surface temps remain unconfirmed. The Michigan DNR's Weekly Fishing Report, published July 8, continues its usual rundown of Great Lakes and regional Lower and Upper Peninsula conditions plus daily streamflow, though this week's feed didn't carry specific bite details. On the ground, Michigan Sportsman Forum anglers are still chasing pike, with one West Michigan angler working toward a 40 inch fish, and another tying custom J-Plugs out of Hastings for upcoming trolling season. Treat those as forum chatter rather than confirmed reports for now. Expect a typical mid-July mix: walleye and smallmouth working weed edges, pike scattered, salmon still weeks from the tributary push.
Susquehanna warmwater bite holds as river settles into summer heat
Water temperature at USGS gauge 01540500 on the Susquehanna hit 80°F this morning with flow holding near 5,440 cfs, conditions that put the river squarely in typical midsummer form for the Susquehanna and Allegheny systems. Direct on-the-water reports specific to this stretch were thin in today's sweep, so we're leaning on seasonal patterns: smallmouth bass and channel catfish tend to stay most active during the cooler low-light hours once water climbs into the upper 70s and 80s, while walleye and muskellunge typically slide deeper and go quieter through the heat of the day. Pennsylvania Sea Grant's ongoing harmful algal bloom webinar series is a useful seasonal flag right now — warm, slow-moving stretches like this are exactly where blooms can develop quickly in July. Anglers chasing trout on tributaries should handle fish gently and consider sitting out the hottest afternoons.
Snook and trout bite heats up along Panhandle beaches
Gulf water temps are pushing 89°F at NOAA buoy 42012 off the Panhandle shelf, and the shallow-water bite is running hot right along with it. Coastal Angler Magazine's latest "Hot Summer Snook and Trout" report has linesiders and speckled trout stacking up in the passes and tight to the beaches this month, workable on both live bait and artificials. Cobia are still cruising behind bait pods and under working sharks per Coastal Angler Magazine's cobia feature, though the spring push has faded into more scattered summer activity typical for July. Winds are light at both offshore buoys, around 9-11 mph, with air temps near 86°F and no wave-height or tide data reported this cycle. Redfish stay a dependable year-round target in Panhandle backwaters through the summer months. Scallop season continues drawing boat traffic toward Port St. Joe, per Pensacola Fishing Forum chatter, consistent with Florida Sea Grant's active scallop-sorting guidance for the season.