Fishing reports
19276 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Memorial Day Swell Limits Offshore Access on the Oregon Coast
Buoy 46029 recorded 55°F water temps and 7.5-foot swells on the morning of May 25, while offshore buoy 46002 showed seas running to 10.8 feet, a rough Memorial Day weekend setup for boats hoping to reach Oregon's offshore salmon grounds. Winds at 11 m/s out of the northwest at both stations align with an active upwelling pattern, the same coastal dynamic Western Outdoor News — Saltwater credited this week with improving baitfish concentrations along California's Central Coast as water temps dropped sharply following a northwest wind push. On the Oregon Coast, that setup typically foreshadows improving chinook salmon action once swell moderates. In the near term, nearshore options are more accessible: jetty anglers can work structure for black rockfish, and inshore bottomfish zones remain reachable for lingcod when bar conditions allow. No charter or shop reports specific to Oregon were available this cycle; check local resources before launching.
Red Drum Charging Hatteras Beaches in a Strong Late-May Push
Water temperatures locked at 76°F across NOAA buoys 41025 and 41013 are fueling one of the stronger late-May surf windows the Outer Banks has seen this season. Ryan of Hatteras Jack reports the surf has fully come alive, with red drum making a strong push onto Hatteras Island beaches and anglers putting up good numbers all along the stretch, per Fisherman's Post. That drum movement extends south toward Cape Lookout, where Steve of Chasin' Tails confirms schools of bull red drum working the shoals alongside plenty of good-sized bluefish. The surf scene near Swansboro and Emerald Isle has picked up as well, with Morgan of The Reel Outdoors reporting sea mullet, black drum, and early-season pompano coming through. On the sound side, Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication reports slot-sized red drum covering the Neuse River system. With bait building and mid-70s temps holding steady, this window looks productive through the holiday weekend.
Catawba bass hitting post-spawn stride as Roanoke striper run winds down
The USGS gauge 02142900 logged 27.8 cfs on the morning of May 25, reflecting lean late-spring flows across the drainage and conditions favorable to clear water and finesse presentations. No Catawba or Roanoke-specific angler reports surfaced in this reporting cycle, so conditions below draw on seasonal patterns and adjacent regional intelligence. MLF News, previewing a tournament at South Carolina's Lake Murray, notes that Piedmont reservoir bass at comparable latitudes are entering a strong post-spawn or early summer bite phase, a signal that translates well to reservoirs across the Catawba drainage. Largemouth are likely transitioning off shallow beds and staging on nearby points and first-break structure. On the Roanoke River, the celebrated spring striped bass run peaks in March and April; by late May, fish are pushing back toward deeper, cooler holds as water warms. Channel catfish and flathead remain reliably active through the warming weeks ahead.
Hudson Valley stripers and Finger Lakes walleye hit late-May prime
Water at USGS gauge 01357500 is logging 62°F this morning, a temperature that puts the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes squarely in late spring's most productive window. NY DEC's May 22nd Fishing Line confirms musky season is nearly upon us, while the April issue noted the statewide coolwater sportfish season opened May 1, unlocking walleye, northern pike, and pickerel across Finger Lakes outlets and tributaries. The Hudson striped bass season has been open since April 1 per NY DEC, and with main-stem flows at 13,700 cfs (gauge 01358000) and 4,320 cfs on an upper tributary (gauge 01357500), current conditions keep bait moving and migratory fish active. Smallmouth bass are in classic late-May form: Brookdog Fishing Co., reporting from western New York waters this week, notes that river bass are "getting spawny and sliding shallow" at these temperatures, a pattern mirrored across Hudson Valley flats. Spring trout stocking is complete per NY DEC's April Fishing Line, with brook, brown, and rainbow trout distributed across tributary streams throughout both regions.
Nebraska bass chasing bluegill as post-spawn pits and ponds fire up
Nebraska Game & Parks reports that largemouth bass in Nebraska pits and ponds are actively targeting bluegills right now, calling it "a great time to take advantage" of the predator-prey dynamic. That timing lines up directly with the gravel-pit lakes and backwater cuts along the Platte and Missouri corridors. USGS gauge 06796000 logged the Platte at 3,550 cfs at 5:15 a.m. on May 25, a moderate late-spring flow that limits wading but keeps channel-edge boat fishing accessible. No water temperature was captured in this morning's reading; late-May norms for this drainage typically put river temps in the low-to-mid 60s range. Catfish are also stirring. Nebraska Game & Parks' recent item about a large catfish found inside a vehicle pulled from a Lincoln-area reservoir is a timely reminder that channel and flathead cats are active in deeper structure and holes as summer approaches. Bluegill-pattern swimbaits and shallow crankbaits are the go-to presentation for bass right now.
Black Drum Active and Stripers Moving as Chesapeake Bay Temps Climb
Water temperatures in the Chesapeake Bay region are registering 57°F per NOAA buoy 44009, inching toward the 60°F threshold that tends to unlock consistent action across multiple species. The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake's Eric Burnley described a week dominated by wind and small craft advisories on open water, but anglers who found fishable windows did connect. Black drum are the clear near-term headline: Smith's Bait Shop, per The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake, reports steady fish at the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach and at Broadkill Beach, with clams, sand fleas, and female blue crabs at dusk producing reliably. Flounder are present too: Lewes Harbour Marina hosted a 596-angler tournament that yielded fish to 5.13 pounds, though cold, windblown water has kept the flatfish bite inconsistent. Striped bass are pushing through the Delaware Bay corridor, with The Fisherman — Southern NJ noting oversize fish to 46 inches on bloodworms and clam baits from bayfront beaches. A Memorial Day warming trend should accelerate all three bites.
Colorado tailwater trout in form as flows hold steady into Memorial Day weekend
USGS gauge 09380000 logged 59°F and 6,470 cfs on the Colorado River in the early hours of May 25, placing Lees Ferry's tailwater fishery in a favorable thermal window heading into the holiday weekend. Rainbow trout thrive in the 50-65°F band, and at 59°F the bite should be deliberate and sustained. No specific Colorado or Salt River angler reports appeared in our intel feeds this cycle, so this update draws on gauge data and late-May regional patterns. Down on the lower Salt River, conditions this time of year typically see largemouth and smallmouth bass either wrapping the spawn or shifting into aggressive post-spawn feeding mode. Field & Stream's recent bass coverage describes this transition as one of the season's most productive windows for reaching a personal best. Channel catfish also become reliably active as water pushes toward the 60°F mark. First Quarter moon this week offers improving low-light windows at dawn and dusk, worth building a plan around for both topwater bass sessions and early-morning nymph runs at Lees Ferry.
Quabbin & Wachusett Bass Hit Spawn Mode as Spring Trout Window Holds
The Swift River below Quabbin Reservoir is running at a steady 53.3 cfs (USGS gauge 01174500) heading into Memorial Day weekend, with no gauge temperature reading available. Late-May conditions in central Massachusetts typically push surface temps into the upper 50s to low 60s°F, a sweet spot for both salmonids and bass. The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reported brook and rainbow trout hitting Bobby Garland Baby Shad and inline spinners at a Westfield-area pond on May 13, a signal that trout remain catchable across area stillwaters including the Wachusett system. Largemouth bass have moved into full spawn mode, per Fishin' Factory 3 via The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, making them trickier targets than in the prespawn weeks. Smallmouth are responding steadily to warming water with shiners and paddle-tail swimbaits leading the way, per Fisherman's World in the same publication. First Quarter moon timing favors low-light feeding windows at dusk and dawn through the weekend.
Big Stripers Running Buzzards Bay as the Spring Push Peaks
Water at our Vineyard Sound buoys sits between 54 and 58 degrees, and striped bass fishing has responded in kind. Per The Fisherman (Cape Cod and Islands), Capt. Carl of Westport River Outfitters put clients on stripers from schoolies up to fish in the high 30-inch class this past week, with bass being taken on top from Fairhaven all the way to the west end of the Cape Cod Canal. Red Top Sporting Goods confirmed that bass schools were working bait across nearly all of Buzzards Bay, with bluefish also appearing off Mattapoisett and Wareham. The Fisherman (Northeast) called the current spring push of 20- to 30-pound stripers unlike anything seen in many years. Tautog remain productive on green crab, and jumbo scup have pushed into the Bay in force. Bluefish are present but described as spotty, suggesting they have not yet made a full commitment to the region.
Crappie spawn peaks as bass dig beds across northeast Ohio reservoirs
The USGS Mahoning River gauge (site 03110000) is logging 2,160 cfs as of early May 25, reflecting active spring drainage throughout the watershed and suggesting slightly off-color conditions are possible at Mosquito Lake. Water temperature data is unavailable from current gauge readings, but late May typically puts northeast Ohio reservoirs in the low-to-mid 60s — right in the crappie spawn sweet spot. Fishing the Midwest spotlights this period as prime time for a shallow, simple approach, noting that crappie, bass, and walleye all cooperate on spring flats. Wired 2 Fish highlights early morning and late evening as the key low-light windows for topwater reaction bites around grass, reeds, and dock cover — a pattern that maps directly to both Mosquito and Pymatuning as bass cycle through the spawn. Walleye in this region typically finish spawning by late April and are transitioning back to active feeding, making jigging and live-bait rigs along main-lake structure worth exploring.
Post-Spawn Walleye Active Across Lake Erie's Western Basin
NOAA buoy 45005 recorded 55°F surface temps in the western basin early Monday, placing post-spawn walleye squarely in their transitional feeding window. The Maumee River (USGS gauge 04193500) is running at 11,000 cfs with a water temperature of 67°F, pumping warm inflow into the basin and sustaining the temperature gradient zone near river mouths that concentrates bait schools and walleye alike. Direct charter or tackle-shop reports for this zone are absent from this week's feed, but Fishing the Midwest notes that late spring is a proven window for slow trolling and jig presentations, with jigs and slip-sinker live-bait rigs as dependable post-spawn producers. Wave heights of just 0.3 ft signal calm, comfortable boat conditions across the open basin. The First Quarter moon offers low nighttime light, a favorable condition for evening walleye runs near the reef complexes. Anglers should target the transition zone where Maumee outflow meets the cooler main-basin water.
Post-Spawn Smallmouth Stir on the New River as Late-May Flows Moderate
The USGS gauge registered 2,520 cfs before dawn Monday — a workable mid-range flow that keeps New River wading stretches accessible and boat runs manageable. No region-specific tackle-shop or charter intel came through this cycle, so the read below leans on gauge data, seasonal timing, and technique coverage from national sources. Late May puts the New River squarely in the post-spawn transition for smallmouth: fish that spent the last few weeks guarding beds are now scattering toward deeper current seams and feeding opportunistically. Tactical Bassin spotlights swimbaits and finesse rigs as top producers for post-spawn smallmouth in clear-water systems, noting that the fish school and concentrate this time of year — worth keeping in mind on ledge water. Topwater is also waking up; Wired 2 Fish covers early-morning topwater as a prime low-light tactic when fish are still holding shallow over cover. On the Ohio, late-May conditions typically bring channel and flathead catfish into actively feeding territory.
Spring striper push peaks at the Chesapeake mouth
Water temperatures at 58°F (NOAA buoy 44009, May 25) are sustaining solid late-spring action at the Chesapeake mouth. The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog's fishing report spotlights spring striped bass across Virginia's tidal rivers and coastal waters, with rockfish schooling along channel edges, sandy flats, grass beds, and rocky shoreline structure — targeting ambush points near hard structure is the consistent takeaway from biologists in the field this spring. That signal lines up with a standout Northeast striper run: The Fisherman is calling this a push of 20- to 30-pound fish "the likes of which we haven't seen in many years." On The Water's Striper Migration Map from May 22 notes the spring run cycles around moon phases, and with the First Quarter moon now in play, tidal exchange is building toward stronger flow over the coming week. Winds out near buoy 44009 were near-calm at roughly 1 m/s early this morning, pointing to clean on-water conditions through at least the near term.
Spring Stripers Rolling on Virginia Tidal Rivers as Potomac Runs Big
The Virginia DWR Wildlife Blog is highlighting active spring striped bass fishing across Virginia's tidal rivers, with rockfish schooling along channel edges, sandy flats, and grass beds close to rocky shorelines. The agency's biologists say the spring push is producing fish for both boat and shore anglers. On the gauge side, USGS station 01646500 at Little Falls shows the Potomac running at 39,500 cfs as of early Monday morning, well above typical late-May levels and a clear signal that the upper river system, including Shenandoah tributaries, is carrying high, off-color water. That flow makes upper-river smallmouth fishing challenging; fish are likely pushed into slower pockets behind big structure and near bank seams. On The Water's May 22 striper migration update confirms the mid-Atlantic spring push remains active, lending regional weight to what Virginia DWR is seeing locally. First Quarter moon supports solid feeding windows at dawn and dusk for anglers who can navigate current conditions.
Columbia smallmouth prime time arrives as spring Chinook season winds down
USGS gauge 14211720 registered 66°F at 1,540 cfs on May 24, marking a clear late-May inflection point in the Columbia drainage. For spring Chinook, those temperatures push fish into deeper, cooler holding water and tighten an already-shrinking bite window as the run enters its final phase. For smallmouth bass, 66°F sits squarely in the prime feeding range. Tactical Bassin's coverage of top baits for western clear-water smallmouth fisheries points to paddle-tail swimbaits and finesse rigs as the most consistent producers in conditions like those across mid-Columbia structure. Wired 2 Fish's topwater feature notes that early-morning, low-light sessions around shallow cover — reeds, docks, rocky points — are the prime window for triggering reaction bites on warming-water bass. On the Rogue, spring Chinook are typically slowing at these temperatures; summer steelhead entries are still weeks away. Specific guide or shop reports from the corridor are absent from this week's feeds. Verify current ODFW Chinook retention rules before heading out.
Redfish Active on Oyster Bars as Calm Seas Open the Memorial Weekend Window
NOAA buoy 42001 logged 83°F Gulf water temps early this morning, confirming the inshore bite is fully into summer mode along Louisiana's coast and delta. Seas are cooperative: buoy 42067 reports 1.6-foot wave action with winds running light at 3 to 5 meters per second, opening a comfortable window for marsh edge runs and nearshore structure work ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Salt Strong's current coverage centers on exactly the pattern unfolding here: redfish are working oyster bar edges, with current flow and light penetration dictating where fish hold along the structure, while black drum are stacking around bridge pilings and piers. Louisiana Sportsman reported LDWF and NOAA Fisheries joint enforcement patrols in the Gulf as recently as May 23, signaling that fishing pressure is high and regulations are in active enforcement. With a First Quarter moon on the calendar, tidal transitions at dawn and dusk are setting up as the most productive feeding windows of the day.
Kansas River catfish prime up as late-May temps and flows converge
Water at USGS gauge 06892350 registered 72°F on a flow of 8,930 cfs early this Memorial Day weekend, placing the Kansas River squarely in the prime channel catfish feeding window. Channel and blue catfish feed most aggressively in the mid-60s to mid-70s Fahrenheit range, and with current running at a moderate, fishable level, cut bait worked tight to current breaks, wing dams, and deep channel edges is the play. Fishing the Midwest recently highlighted rivers as dependable summer fisheries, noting that larger Midwest rivers hold structure fish reliably through the warming months. Bass are in post-spawn mode: Wired 2 Fish's coverage of Justin Lucas's shallow topwater approach underscores that low-light presentations around grass, reeds, and dock edges can still pull quality fish as they regroup from the spawn. White bass, which run hard up Kansas rivers through April, are likely slowing at this temperature, typical for late May. First-quarter moon creates active feeding windows just before and after dark.
St. Johns & Okeechobee Bass in Post-Spawn Mode as Late May Heats Up
The St. Johns River near DeLand is measuring just 25.1 cfs (USGS gauge 02232000) as of early this morning, signaling continued dry-season low flow across the region. Water temperature data is unavailable from this gauge cycle. Direct on-the-water reports from Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns corridor are limited this week. Florida intel from Tidal Fish Florida centers on Fort Lauderdale's offshore sailfish and wahoo bite, and Florida Sea Grant coverage this week focused on invasive species programs rather than freshwater conditions. Bass are deep into the post-spawn transition, with fish pushing off spawning flats toward deeper grass edges and shaded structure as late-May surface temps rise. Wired 2 Fish this week featured pro angler Justin Lucas on shallow topwater presentations at dawn over grass, reeds, and docks, a tactic directly applicable to both Okeechobee and the St. Johns chain. Detailed freshwater reports specific to this corridor were not available from our sources this cycle.
Snook surge and blackfin tuna run on Florida's Atlantic Coast
Snook Nook's May report from Stuart declares late spring 'one of the best times of the year for snook fishing' on the Treasure Coast, with fish actively feeding in the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers as they stage for their seasonal run. Offshore, Sport Fishing Mag reports blackfin tuna flooding South Florida's Atlantic waters from the Keys to Palm Beach through July, a multi-method bite available to anglers trolling, drifting, kite-fishing, or working wrecks with live bait. Grouper season reopened May 1, per Coastal Angler Magazine, putting black, red, and gag grouper back in play on nearshore reefs and wrecks. The highly anticipated South Atlantic red snapper season hit a snag: a federal court injunction blocked the state-run pilot program one day before launch, per CCA Florida and Coastal Angler Magazine. Anglers should verify current state regulations before targeting snapper offshore. No offshore water temperature data was available from buoys today.
Oversize Stripers and Black Drum Rolling Through Delaware Bay
Buoy 44009 logged 58°F at the surface early this morning, and Delaware Bay is producing. Big Dave's Tackle reports the bite is firing on all cylinders, with both sides of the bay turning up oversize stripers running 36 to 46 inches off the bayfront beaches on bloodworms, bloodworm balls, and clam rigs. Higbee's Bait and Tackle echoes the same story from the Fortescue beaches, where bloodworms remain the standout bait this week. Black drum are carving out a second productive fishery: Smith's Bait Shop, via The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake, puts fish at the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach and at Broadkill Beach, with sand fleas and clams working best at dusk. Flounder remain the outlier. The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal Flounder Tournament drew 596 anglers with the winning fish at 5.13 pounds per Lewes Harbour Marina, but a widespread fluke bite is still waiting on further bay warming.
Chinook Salmon Season Comes Alive Along the Central Coast
Water temp at NOAA buoy 46042 registered 58°F early May 25, and that cool reading is the good news Central Coast salmon anglers have been waiting for. Northwest winds have been driving upwelling, knocking sea surface temps down four to five degrees over the past week, per Western Outdoor News saltwater reporting out of Monterey, and Chinook are responding. The report describes the Chinook situation as "actually looking pretty good," a significant statement after years of suppressed seasons. Down at Half Moon Bay, Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady, per Western Outdoor News, confirms water temps fell to 54°F below Pigeon Point, with bonito having moved off in response, leaving the field clear for salmon. Offshore swell is running near 6 feet at buoy 46042 and 4.3 feet at buoy 46028, so plan offshore runs accordingly. The First Quarter moon is building tidal exchange through the week ahead, a positive sign for bite windows.
Delta largemouth and striped bass prime for Memorial Day weekend
Water temp at USGS gauge 11447650 on the Sacramento River registered 70°F on May 24, placing the Delta system squarely in late-spring feeding territory. Flow held at 7,290 cfs — moderate and fishable, with enough tidal exchange through the lower sloughs to concentrate baitfish near channel junctions. Our current intel pull from NorCal Fish Reports did not surface a specific Delta weekly breakdown this cycle, so species observations here draw on seasonal patterns rather than direct on-water testimony. That said, Wired 2 Fish notes topwater presentations thrive in early-morning low-light windows around shallow grass and dock cover — a setup that translates directly to Delta tule banks at these temps. Per Tactical Bassin, hollow-body frog presentations over thick vegetation are a productive post-spawn largemouth approach as daytime temperatures climb. Striped bass linger in the Delta through late spring, and moderate flows favor current-seam presentations near channel breaks.
Gulf of Alaska Halibut and Early Kings on Tap as Late-May Season Builds
NOAA buoy 46001 recorded Gulf of Alaska surface water at 44°F on May 25, with buoy 46080 logging 45°F and winds building to 8 m/s — the briskest reading across the three active monitoring stations. This week's angler intel feeds carried no on-water fishing reports specific to the Gulf of Alaska; AK Sea Grant's coverage focused on community programs and the ComFish harbor skills competition in Kodiak, confirming the commercial fleet remains active through the region. Without current charter or tackle-shop dispatch, species assessments this week rest on seasonal timing and buoy-confirmed water temperatures. At 43–45°F, the Gulf is running cool but firmly within the range where halibut become increasingly active on structure, and early chinook salmon typically begin staging along nearshore corridors through late May. Lingcod and rockfish round out the fishable menu on rocky bottom. Check local charter operators and state regulations before heading out.
Red snapper season opens along the Alabama Gulf Coast amid building winds
Water temps at 77°F per NOAA buoy 42012 signal prime late-May conditions for Mobile Bay and Gulf anglers. Offshore, red snapper is the headline: multiple Pensacola Fishing Forum reports from opening weekend describe anglers sorting shorts in 50-foot depths near Perdido Pass before pushing to 150 feet for quality fish. Rough seas complicated the effort, with forum reports calling the Gulf choppy under elevated winds and NOAA buoy 42040 logging winds near 18 mph, but those who pushed out connected on bottom structure. Inshore, Mobile Bay's 77°F water puts redfish and speckled trout squarely in their active late-spring feeding window around grass flats and oyster beds, though no direct charter or shop intel from the bay itself surfaced this cycle. Cobia remain a prime target along the Gulf edge at this time of year. The First Quarter moon this week should produce moderate tidal swings worth timing your runs around.