Fishing reports
15382 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Warm Gulf Water Persists as Statewide Redfish Bite Builds
Water temperature at NOAA CO-OPS station 8729840 read 84.4°F this morning, with station 8729108 at 84.7°F and station 8728690 at 84.9°F, all still full summer warmth as September closes out. Coastal Angler Magazine reports redfish action this week for Florida anglers, an early marker of the fall shift building along the Gulf coast, though that report is out of other Florida waters rather than the immediate Destin-Pensacola stretch. Closer to home, anglers on the Pensacola Fishing Forum describe an active bait-gathering trip near Ft. Morgan, working diving birds and structure between rain squalls, a sign baitfish are stacking up as the season turns.
Key West cool-down signals bite kicking back into gear
Water temperatures across the Keys remain warm, with NOAA CO-OPS stations at Key West and Vaca Key reading 84.9°F and 83.1°F this evening. That warmth held through the peak of summer, when ALL IN Key West described the season's action as some of the best in 16 years of running trips, with bait and fish stacked up throughout the backcountry and reef. The captain has now returned from a September break for boat upgrades and reports the first real crack in the heat, cooler air finally breaking up the summer swelter as fall approaches. Bud n' Mary's in Islamorada echoed the same pattern through early summer, citing warm water, calm seas and heavy bait as the hallmarks of the season's strongest stretch across the flats, reef and Gulf Stream.
Fall transition begins on Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns
Late September marks the start of Florida's fall transition on Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns River, as shorter days and cooling overnight air begin loosening summer's grip on both fisheries. The shift is gradual this time of year rather than abrupt, with water levels typically starting to ease as the region moves out of the wet season.
Fall Turnover Settles Over the Delaware River and Pine Barrens
The seasonal shift that matters this week is the fall turnover moving through the Delaware River and the Pine Barrens river systems, as cooling nights push surface temperatures down and start mixing the water column top to bottom. That transition typically kicks smallmouth bass into a heavier feeding pattern as they key on baitfish schools staging in deeper runs and along current breaks, while walleye begin shifting toward low-light and after-dark activity as the fishery moves out of summer's slow, stable pattern.
Sea Bass Carries Jersey Shore Boats While Fluke Season Winds Down
Water temperatures are holding at 66.7°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8534720 and 66.2°F at station 8536110 as of this morning, still comfortably in range for an early-fall bite. Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has been grinding through patchy weather this week — nine straight lost days at the dock, then back on the meat with steady keeper sea bass in 55 feet of water — and called one outing "Friday's Awesome Fishing," a full-day fluke bite from start to finish that may be one of the last big ones of the year; Fishermans HQ LBI is already flagging the "Final Days Of Fluke" as the season winds down. Offshore and mid-shore, Blue Chip Sportfishing says sea bass charters are "doing very good," with most trips filling the cooler for everyone aboard. On the bait and blitz side, Grumpys Tackle confirms blues are in and timed a bucktail sale to the fall run, while Fishermans HQ LBI reports bluefish blitzes moving with mullet along the surf.
Fall Bite Turns On for Walleye and Bass Across Michigan Waters
Fall's water-cooling reset is flipping on the bite anglers wait for all year. Per Fishing the Midwest, walleye are sliding onto the same bottom-bouncer-and-nightcrawler 'plain rig' spreads that work through the cooler shoulder seasons, a rig producing consistently as fish shift off deep summer structure. The same source notes a bladed swim jig pulling double duty right now, drawing bass, pike, and walleye as all three key on baitfish moving with the weed die-off. Tactical Bassin reports the October bass bite kicking into full gear nationally, with fish chasing baitfish hard on topwater, crankbaits and swimbaits, a pattern that tracks with what's unfolding on Great Lakes and inland Michigan water as vegetation thins and bait consolidates. Michigan DNR's weekly fishing report published today, the state's regular check-in covering the Great Lakes basins and inland fisheries.
Big Hole reopens as Montana's fall closures take hold
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks lifted the angling closure on Big Hole River Section 5 this week, covering the water from the Tony Schoonen Fishing Access Site downstream to the Beaverhead River confluence, after weekend rain pushed flows back up, according to MT FWP Fishing News. Section 1, from Saginaw Bridge on Skinner Meadows Road to the same confluence, stays closed. The reopening lands right before Montana's shift into fall regulations: spawning closures on select rivers begin October 1, per the same release, so anglers working tributaries that feed the Missouri headwaters should check current closure maps before launching this week. Aquatic invasive species inspection stations remain active too, with six of seventeen still staffed through October in high-risk corridors, and any boater trailering into Missouri or Yellowstone drainage waters is required to stop.
Fall shift arrives in the Chesapeake as water begins to ease down
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8570283 read 67.6°F as of late Tuesday night, still on the warm side for early fall but trending toward the range that pushes Chesapeake striper activity into gear. Farther north, Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) reports tautog already picking up and striped bass staying lackluster there too, with both expected to improve now that nights are turning colder — the same seasonal push that typically rolls into the Bay a few weeks behind the Northeast.
Redfish hold steady in Mississippi Sound as oyster season nears
Mississippi Sound is holding onto summer heat as September closes out, with NOAA CO-OPS stations reading 87.3°F at one station and 84.2°F at the other this morning, warm enough to keep the Sound in a late-summer pattern rather than a fall one. Coastal Angler Magazine flagged a win for Fish Face Charters on redfish, landed between passing showers and afternoon heat, a sign reds are still working structure in the Sound despite the high water temps. The bigger local marker this week is a calendar one: Mississippi DMR has ordered the 2026-2027 oyster season open at legal sunrise Thursday, October 1, with morning-only harvest hours and Sunday closures, meaning more boat traffic converging on Sound reefs starting this week.
Fall Feeding Shift Puts Largemouth Bass on the Move
Cooling water across the Catawba and Roanoke river systems is pushing largemouth bass into the fall feeding pattern, with baitfish schools drawing fish shallow. Per Tactical Bassin's October coverage, bass are willing to chase moving baits now, from topwater walks early and late to crankbaits and jerkbaits as the day warms, a classic power-fishing window opening as water cools.
Eastern Shore edges toward fall turn as tautog fire up the coast
Water temperatures on Virginia's Eastern Shore are still holding in prime early-fall range: NOAA's Wachapreague station reads 68.4°F and Kiptopeke sits at 69.8°F this afternoon, comfortable numbers that keep fish feeding before the real cool-down sets in. Saltwater Edge Blog reports the fall run has "kicked off in a big way" farther up the coast, with tautog biting better on structure as water cools and striped bass staying lackluster until the first stretch of chilly nights and northerly wind arrives, a pattern Anglers Journal's coverage of the season's striper blitz frames as the coastwide migration beginning to build.
Redfish sight-casting turns on along Rodanthe surf
Water temperatures along the Outer Banks are still running in the high 70s as September closes out: 77.9°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8658163 and 76.8°F at station 8656483 this afternoon. That warmth is keeping the fall transition on the late side. Eric, of Hatteras Jack, reports anglers working the Rodanthe-area beaches into solid bottom fishing, with good opportunities to sight-cast along the surf, a classic early-fall window as redfish move into skinny water on the OBX beachfront.
Fall Transition Pushes Bass Shallow at Lanier and Allatoona
Georgia Wildlife Blog's September 25 fishing report flags tomorrow, October 1, as National Hunting and Fishing Day and a statewide free fishing day, noting that cooler mornings and turning leaves mean the fall shift is underway. That matters for Lanier and Allatoona anglers because as water starts to cool, largemouth bass move off deep summer structure and begin keying on baitfish pushing shallow. Tactical Bassin's fall lineup this week leans on moving baits — chatterbaits and squarebills to cover water fast around grass and wood, then a swimbait once the smaller fish get sorted out — with topwater and jerkbaits taking over as the cooldown progresses. None of that is Lanier-specific testimony, but the pattern lines up with what these reservoirs typically do this time of year, and it's a solid week to work main-lake points and creek mouths with reaction baits early and late.
Cooling Mornings Signal Fall Bass Bite on Hartwell-Russell
Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division opened its September 25 report by pointing to cooler mornings and changing leaves moving across the state as fall settles in, and that shift is exactly what matters for anglers working Hartwell and the Russell chain right now. As surface water cools, largemouth bass push out of deeper summer holding areas and start keying on baitfish along flats, points, and shoreline cover — the same transition Tactical Bassin has built its current fall coverage around. Per Tactical Bassin, moving baits are doing the work in this window: topwater early and late in the day, jerkbaits and bladed swim jigs as the bite spreads through midday, with subtle differences in cadence, retrieve speed, and bait size separating a strong outing from a slow one. Their guidance for locating fish on unfamiliar water leans on watching for baitfish activity and reading electronics rather than running a fixed milk run, useful advice as fish continue to reposition through early October.
Fall Turnover Arrives on Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island
Late September marks the start of fall turnover on Virginia's piedmont reservoirs, as surface layers begin cooling and mixing with deeper water. On lakes the size of Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island (Kerr Reservoir), that shift typically pushes baitfish schools out of deep summer haunts and into the backs of coves and along secondary points, pulling predator activity with them. Under a Waning Gibbous moon, expect more consistent low-light feeding windows through early morning and dusk this week.
Fall transition arrives across the Potomac and Shenandoah
Late September marks the start of fall turnover across Virginia's Potomac and Shenandoah systems, as shortening days and cooling nights begin reshuffling how the water column mixes and where baitfish concentrate. Under this week's waning gibbous moon, the low-light windows at dawn and dusk typically hold the most consistent activity as fish adjust to shifting light and temperature. Check local forecast before heading out, since wind and cloud cover this time of year can shift feeding windows day to day. Anglers working the Potomac's tidal reaches and the Shenandoah's cooler tributary water should expect the transition to deepen through early October.
Warm Chesapeake water keeps early-fall pattern in place
NOAA's Sewells Point and Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel stations are both still reading summer-range water at the Bay mouth this morning, 70°F and 71.1°F respectively, as September closes out. That lag matches the broader Mid-Atlantic and Northeast picture: The Fisherman (Northeast) describes this fall's striper run as stagnant region-wide, with water temps down only slightly and little feeding urgency yet from migrating fish. Tide is falling toward evening at the Bay mouth, with low water due between 6:49 and 7:02 PM tonight at the two stations.
Cooling Mornings Signal Fall's Redfish Push on the Georgia Coast
Georgia's nearshore water held at 79°F Wednesday afternoon, per the NOAA tide station near Savannah, still summer-warm as the calendar turns toward October. The Georgia Wildlife Blog's Sept. 25 fishing report called out cooling mornings and turning leaves as the real marker of the season's shift, with National Hunting and Fishing Day and the state's free fishing day timed to the week just past. For redfish anglers working the marsh, that's the cue: as inshore temperatures ease off their summer peak, reds typically push more aggressively onto the flats and around structure to feed ahead of the colder months.
Chattahoochee and Savannah Ease Into Fall's Cooling Mornings
Cooler mornings are setting the tone across north Georgia this week. The Georgia Wildlife Blog's fishing report flagged the shift heading into fall, noting the state marked National Hunting and Fishing Day on September 26 as anglers eased into more comfortable conditions on the water. For the Chattahoochee and Savannah systems, that cooling trend is the real headline right now: mornings carrying a bite of chill, afternoons still holding onto summer warmth, and rivers settling into the in-between stretch that defines early fall on Georgia's freshwater.
Oregon Coast eyes afternoon high tide window as fall transition continues
The Oregon Coast is showing a real temperature split this morning: NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 reads 56.3°F while station 9439040 to the north sits notably warmer at 63.7°F. Both stations are tracking the same tide cycle, a mid-morning low building to an afternoon high in the 3 to 4pm window (PDT). That timing is the clearest signal available right now and is worth planning an outing around. The Waning Gibbous moon is past full, and tidal ranges should keep easing through the week as it moves toward new moon.
Fall Snook Season Heats Up in Sarasota Bay
Gulf water is sitting at 82°F this week, per NOAA CO-OPS stations 8726520 and 8726724, and that warmth is exactly what's turning on the fall snook bite. Capt. Brandon Naeve at CB's Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota says fall snook season is officially open, with the warm water keeping fish aggressive along the Gulf Coast. Capt. Kelly Kurtz, fishing out of Siesta Key with the same shop, reports an active inshore bite in Sarasota Bay for snook and redfish this week, with one angler landing a nice redfish before release. Tarpon are in transition: Capt. Rick Grassett's shop forecast notes migratory tarpon thinning out in the coastal Gulf as September closes, pulling into inside waters around bridges and deep grass flats to feed before moving on.
Fall salmon push moves inshore on Chicago's Lake Michigan
Late September on Chicago's stretch of Lake Michigan marks the turn into fall salmon season, as cooling surface water pushes baitfish tight to structure and draws Chinook Salmon and Steelhead toward shoreline structure and harbor mouths ahead of the fall run. That shift benefits shore-based anglers working piers and harbor break walls as much as boat traffic, since staging fish move within casting range as they follow baitfish inshore. Per the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report, 2024 was one of the strongest years on record for the lake's Chinook Salmon and Steelhead harvest, with anglers landing the most Chinook Salmon since 2012.
Fall Chinook push nears on Indiana's Lake Michigan shore
Late September brings the seasonal turn on Lake Michigan's Indiana shoreline, as Chinook salmon begin staging toward tributary mouths ahead of the fall spawning run and steelhead start working into cooling nearshore water. The Wisconsin DNR's Lake Michigan fishing report notes 2024 produced the lake's biggest Chinook salmon harvest since 2012, with steelhead also contributing to strong lakewide numbers that year — a fishery entering this fall on solid footing.
Warm Gulf Waters Persist as Red Snapper Season Drama Continues
Gulf Coast water temperatures held in the low 80s Wednesday morning, with NOAA CO-OPS readings of 83.1°F off Fort Myers and 82°F at Cedar Key, keeping the region locked into late-summer conditions as the calendar turns toward October. The bigger story on the water this week is regulatory, not biological. CCA Florida reports that a federal court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit pilot programs for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, a ruling Saltwater Sportsman notes landed with a planned season opener just days away. CCA Florida is also flagging a separate concern specific to Gulf anglers: NOAA Fisheries has dropped durable-goods spending, boats, trailers, electronics, tackle, from its state-level recreational fishing economic estimates, understating the Gulf fishery's footprint just as a new red snapper stock assessment gets underway. On the water, Naples Offshore Fishing Charters describes steady, consistent action through the transition weeks, with sight-fishing conditions holding up well into the season.