Fishing reports
14688 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Tautog bite builds on Delaware Bay jetties as bass feed the tides
Delaware Bay water sat at 66.6°F this morning per NOAA CO-OPS station 8537121, mild enough to keep the fall bite stacking up along the jetties. Big Dave's Tackle, reporting through The Fisherman — Southern NJ, says the bay saw a little action this week, with sheepshead and tautog coming off the Cape May Jetties on green crabs and sand fleas, while the open bay stayed quieter with only scattered weakfish, spot, and croakers away from structure. Structure is clearly outproducing open water right now. South along the surf, One Stop Bait and Tackle, via The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, says the tautog chew on the AC Jetty rocks picked back up as soon as last weekend's storm passed, with keepers to 4 pounds on sand fleas, and striped bass are hitting mainly at night in the same stretch. Jingles Bait and Tackle reports tautog to 3 pounds off the rockpiles near Beach Haven, also on sand fleas. In Cape May, Hands Too Bait and Tackle says the bite bounced back well post-storm: weakfish of quality size in Wildwood on pink Zooms and bucktails, smaller bluefish mixed through at 1 to 3 pounds, and stripers feeding heavily on the back bay sod banks.
Keys anglers find redfish and snook as summer heat eases
Water in the Florida Keys is holding near 86°F this week, per NOAA CO-OPS station 8724580, with a second CO-OPS station nearby (8723970) reading a touch warmer at 87.6°F; the Gulf Stream is still running summer-warm even as the air starts to break. ALL IN Key West reports the summer heat is finally letting up a little, with the captain back on the water full time after a September break and already fielding fall and winter trip requests. Inshore anglers working soft plastics are finding results: Salt Strong documented a quick slam that included redfish and snook after switching off plugs onto soft plastic jerk lures when the bite on an otherwise loaded flat went quiet.
Yellowtail bite turns on across the SoCal Bight
Water held at 76.5°F off Los Angeles overnight while La Jolla ran noticeably cooler at 72.5°F, a gap worth knowing before picking a launch point in the Bight. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the half-day boat Daily Double, out of Point Loma Sportfishing, found anglers crushing the yellowtail bite on a crew trip this past week, with the warmer pocket closer to Los Angeles keeping fish active. The same outlet also flagged unusually strong offshore activity pushing into the Channel Islands this week, consistent with the warm pocket the Los Angeles station is showing. That kind of temperature split along the coast is typical heading into mid-October, when a warm-water push can still linger around the islands even as nights start to cool.
Tautog bite heats up as fall striper push builds along the Jersey Shore
Water temperatures are holding in the mid-60s at both NOAA CO-OPS stations covering the Jersey Shore — 65.1°F at station 8534720 and 66°F at station 8536110 — and tautog are carrying the week's action. The Fisherman — Southern NJ reports tog chewing again on the AC Jetty rocks on green crabs and sand fleas now that last weekend's nor'easter has passed, with keepers running to 4 pounds. The Fisherman — Central NJ says the tog bite continues to produce around Barnegat Light on the same baits. Striped bass are mixing in well behind the storm: The Fisherman — Southern NJ has schoolies to 22 inches on soft plastic jerk baits off the bridges and stripers working deep into the back bays on spook-style lures and paddle tails, while The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf has bass from schoolie size to 33 inches hitting hard and soft plastics at night off the Atlantic City jetty rocks. The Fisherman — Northern NJ reports bluefish slammers turning on once the post-storm bite settled, and Fishermans HQ LBI (NJ) is still finding bonita, false albacore, and fluke on live peanut bunker.
Fall-run stripers light up the Sandy Hook jetties
Water held at 63°F off Sandy Hook this morning, and the inlet action is finally catching up with the calendar. Fisherman's Den, in this week's The Fisherman — Northern NJ report, says striped bass are moving in and out of the inlet with the tides, with quality fish coming off the jetties on live eels and surfcasters picking up mixed-size bass on eels and plugs. OTW Northern New Jersey's October 8 report backs that up, noting better news on the striper front as the fall run starts to percolate. Bottom fishing has stayed productive through the stretch: Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ put a full boat on sea bass dinners this week, with keeper fluke to 4 pounds mixed into a recent charter. The Fisherman — Northern NJ's Golden Eagle report adds bluefish once anglers found the slammers, and Fisherman's Den says green crabs are drawing blackfish around the jetties.
Delaware River smallmouth, crappie bite build as Pine Barrens cools
Smallmouth bass and catfishing remain good on the Delaware River from Lambertville north, per Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown, as fish settle onto structure with the water's fall cool-down. Panfish action is rounding into shape too: Smith's Bait Shop in Leipsic reports decent numbers of crappie and panfish out of Garrisons Lake, Massey Mills, Silver Lake and Lums Pond, coming out of dam spillways on small jigs tipped with plastics, Gulp, or minnows. Dave's Sport Shop adds a decent evening crappie bite at Lake Nockamixon as fish suspend in 10 to 20 feet of water. Recent rains have put local ponds and lakes in better shape overall. Toward the Pine Barrens' tidal fringe, Allen's Dock reports perch and a few striped bass showing above the tide line in the Mullica River, with pickerel working on minnows in the nearby cedar waters.
Snook bite heats up as Sarasota flats fish turn on
Water temperatures are holding at 81.5°F across Tampa Bay, and that warmth is keeping the fall snook bite fired up. Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters says the warm water has snook "most active," with the Gulf Coast run from Sarasota south producing some of the best fishing around right now. In Sarasota Bay, Capt. Kelly Kurtz reports an active inshore bite for snook and redfish, with a recent trip landing a solid redfish before release. Capt. Rick Grassett's October forecast adds that snook are shifting off the passes and beaches now, moving toward docks, bridges and shallow flats in the ICW as they stage for winter.
Fall transition takes hold on Georgia's Savannah River chain
Georgia Wildlife Blog's October 2 fishing report ties this week's cooler mornings and turning leaves directly to improving conditions on the state's reservoirs, placing the Savannah River chain squarely in that window. The same report also highlights the DNR's Angler Award program, which continues recognizing standout catches on Georgia waters this fall. The seasonal signal from the state agency is clear: fall is settling in, and the chain's gamefish are shifting with it. Field & Stream's current fall feature reinforces the timing, noting that outside of spring there is no better stretch for targeting shallow-running predators as summer heat fades and baitfish move onto flats, a pattern that applies broadly across Southeastern reservoirs like the Hartwell-Russell system this time of year.
Fall transition takes hold on Georgia's Chattahoochee and Savannah systems
Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division marks this week as the real turn into fall, noting cooler mornings and changing leaves settling over the state's river systems, per the Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing. That shift matters most for the Chattahoochee and Savannah systems, where river fish respond to shortening days and dropping overnight temperatures by compressing their most active feeding windows into the cooler parts of the day. The same report keeps the state's Angler Award Program in the spotlight, the agency's ongoing effort to document exceptional catches on Georgia waters and track genetics, age, and growth data from them. For anglers working either river this week, the agency's own framing points to a simple plan: treat early morning and late afternoon as the productive windows, with the pattern expected to sharpen as fall deepens.
Fall settles over Wisconsin River as Lake Superior trout meeting nears
Wisconsin's hook-and-line sturgeon season closed Sept. 30, and WI DNR Lake Superior Fishing is turning its attention to the lake's open-water fishery. An informational meeting set for Oct. 15 in Ashland will cover the recommended lake trout quota for the WI-2 management zone, the backbone of the Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay fishery. The agency also rolled out its updated 2026-2028 Choose Wisely fish consumption booklet in late August, timely as fall harvest ramps up on inland waters. The general inland season remains open on the Wisconsin River, and the calendar is firmly in the fall transition that defines this part of the state through October: cooling water, shortening days, and a shift toward the structure-and-depth patterns anglers lean on once summer's surface activity fades.
Eagle Mountain Lake bite loosens as fall signs arrive
North Texas Catfish Guide Service reports a classic late-summer grind on Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth: hot, nearly windless water, heavy holiday and weekend boat traffic, and a "ghost bite" where fish barely touch the bait, forcing anglers to dial in their hook-sets on subtle takes. The same report notes a lot of small fish mixed in, with anglers sorting through them to find the better keepers. Those are the first cracks in the summer pattern as Texas lakes begin easing toward fall, with the bigger shift still ahead.
Fall turnover sets the pattern on PA's Susquehanna and Allegheny
Pennsylvania's Susquehanna and Allegheny systems are moving into fall turnover this week, the stretch where cooling water pushes baitfish into the shallows and predators follow. Field & Stream's fall bass coverage this week describes exactly that shift: as water temperatures recede, shad and other baitfish push into shallow flats and bass activity builds around them. That's the pattern worth planning around here through the rest of October: the bite reorganizes around transition structure rather than the deep summer haunts that produced all season.
Okeechobee and St. Johns ease into Florida's fall transition
Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns River are moving into Florida's early fall transition, the seasonal window when shortening days and the first real cool-downs start breaking summer's grip on both fisheries. Conditions in both systems should be trending toward more comfortable, oxygen-richer water as mornings cool, favoring steadier feeding windows than the dog days just behind us.
Fall bass bite builds as Michigan anglers shift toward cooling-water walleyes
Michigan's fall bass bite is heating up as water temperatures slide and baitfish push into the shallows, per Field & Stream's latest fall bass breakdown, while Fishing the Midwest is dialing back in a longtime favorite rig for cooling-water walleyes. The DNR's Weekly Fishing Report, published October 7, continues tracking conditions across every region of the Lower and Upper Peninsulas plus the Great Lakes, a sign the state's open-water season is still rolling as fall settles in. Multiple Midwest-focused outlets are pointing anglers toward the same seasonal shift this week: baitfish movement, structure-oriented bass, and multi-species action on search baits.
South Padre redfish, snook bite turns on technique switch
Water temperatures remain firmly in late-summer territory for early October, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8775237 reading 83.3°F and station 8779770 reading 84°F overnight, both still warm enough to keep redfish and snook feeding through the day rather than retreating to deep holes. Per Salt Strong, anglers working soft plastic jerk lures after plugs went quiet have been finding solid redfish and snook action on recent trips, a pattern worth trying on calm mornings here. Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes TPWD is weighing new flounder and redfish tag rules this cycle, though the existing November flounder closure is expected to stay in place.
Illinois River and Lake Michigan ease into fall turnover
Illinois River backwaters and the Lake Michigan nearshore are moving through the heart of the fall transition this week, the stretch of the calendar when cooling water starts pushing baitfish and predators toward current breaks and the last green weed growth. Fishing the Midwest's rundown of fall patterns highlights exactly that shift: as summer weed beds die back, baitfish and the gamefish that follow them relocate to whatever vegetation is still holding oxygen, with walleye and northern pike among the species that key on the move.
Fall transition takes hold on the Wabash and Lake Michigan
Indiana's Wabash River and Lake Michigan fisheries are settling into their mid-fall rhythm this week. The Waning Crescent moon keeps early mornings darker, favoring the low-light feeding windows that typically intensify as water cools through October. On the Wabash, that cooling pushes baitfish into shallow flats and current breaks; along the Lake Michigan shoreline, predators tighten up on nearshore structure chasing the same forage shift.
Fall cooldown turns smallmouth and walleye on around Pittsburgh
Water across Allegheny and Pittsburgh tailwaters is sliding into the fall pattern anglers watch for each October. Cooling flows push baitfish into the shallows and bass follow, a shift Field & Stream's fall breakdown ties to dropping water temperatures and dying weed growth as summer flats lose their structure. The same transition typically draws walleye onto hard structure and dropoffs, where Fishing the Midwest describes blending traditional livebait rigs with forward-facing sonar to track fish holding tight to bottom contours this time of year.
Spring Creek and Penns Creek settle into fall's technical rhythm
Pennsylvania's limestone water is living up to its reputation this week. A recent angler note on Spring Creek, shared by Flylords Mag, calls it a fishery that tests patience and technical skill as much as tackle — position, movement, and presentation separate consistent hookups from a blank day on this stretch. Spring Creek and Penns Creek are running their typical October pattern: steady, spring-fed water that rewards careful wading and precise drifts over covering ground, the same technical game these limestone creeks play every fall.
Fall Transition Takes Hold at Presque Isle and Lake Erie
Early October marks the seasonal pivot across Presque Isle and the Pennsylvania waters of Lake Erie, as cooling water pushes baitfish and predators out of summer holding patterns and into the staging behavior that defines fall fishing here. This is the window when smallmouth bass begin sliding toward deeper rock and gravel structure ahead of winter, walleye activity typically builds as nights cool and shad schools tighten up, and the first push of lake-run steelhead starts staging near tributary mouths ahead of fall rains. The waning crescent moon this week favors low-light feeding windows at dawn and dusk over a bright midday bite.
Grand River Mouth Turns Toward Fall Steelhead Season
Lake Michigan's Grand River mouth is moving into its fall transition this week, the stretch of the calendar when warm-season patterns give way to the river-mouth game West Michigan anglers wait for all year. Nearshore water is cooling, baitfish activity is pushing toward structure near the river channel, and lakewide attention starts shifting from open-water trolling to the current seams right at the mouth. Typical for early October in this region, this reads as the setup period rather than peak run timing.
Taneycomo browns join trophy rainbows as fall run begins
Rainbow trout numbers have picked up across the upper end of Lake Taneycomo compared to the summer months, Lilleys Landing reports in its October update, with trophy-class rainbows still turning up regularly. The shop also notes brown trout are starting to show in the upper lake as the fall spawning run gets underway, a seasonal shift anglers can target alongside the standing rainbow population. Lilleys Landing didn't offer an explanation for the rainbow improvement, just confirmation that the trend is holding and the weather has been cooperating.
Smallmouth, yellow perch active as Central MA ponds see fall stocking
Smallmouth bass are answering shiners at Wallum Lake, and yellow perch are coming off the bottom on minnows at Milford Pond, according to this week's report from Jerry's Bait and Tackle (The Fisherman — New England Freshwater). Fall trout stocking is underway across Massachusetts ponds per the same coverage, with fresh rainbow and brown trout going in as water temperatures settle into their autumn range. Panfish activity typically tightens up near structure through early October, and this week's reports track that pattern.
Redfish and Snook Reward a Lure Switch in Mississippi Sound
Water temperatures are holding warm across Mississippi Sound, reading 78.1°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8747437 and 80.2°F at station 8741533, keeping the inshore bite active as the calendar moves into mid-October. Per Salt Strong, anglers who switched off hardbait plugs to soft plastic jerk lures this week turned a stalled spot into what they called 'a quick inshore slam, including some NICE redfish and snook,' a strong sign fish are still feeding hard in the shallows despite the warm, settled water. Separately, MS DMR reports its Biloxi licensing office closed Friday, October 9, due to Hurricane Isaias, reopening Monday, October 12, worth noting before your next trip if you need to square away paperwork.