Fishing reports
19291 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Snake River Cutthroat Look Up as Mother's Day Caddis Hatch Arrives
USGS gauge 13037500 (Snake River at Heise) clocked 12,900 cfs on May 11 — high spring runoff levels pushing the main stem fast and off-color. Water temperature data was unavailable this reading cycle. Despite swollen flows, timing matters: Flylords Mag notes the Mother's Day Caddis hatch marks "the unofficial kickoff of the best of pre-runoff fishing" across western trout rivers, and on the South Fork Snake that window is open right now. Caddis Fly (OR) also reports salmonfly nymphs emerging from Pacific Northwest rivers in earnest this month, and the Snake River system follows a similar seasonal curve. Expect Snake River Fine-Spotted Cutthroat and browns to be tucked into slower bank seams, eddies, and softer inside bends — away from the brunt of the main push. Sub-surface nymph presentations tight to structure are the move when flows run this high. No direct on-the-water reports from Snake River guides or local tackle shops were available in this reporting cycle.
Bitterroot Runoff Peaks — Flathead Lake Offers the Prime Spring Window
USGS gauge 12372000 clocked the Flathead drainage at 29,500 cfs and 54°F on the afternoon of May 11 — peak spring runoff is in full swing. As Flylords Mag captured it this week, the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch marks 'the unofficial kickoff of the best of pre-runoff fishing, when every day might be your last on the creek for as long as a month, depending on how the snow melts.' That moment has arrived across this drainage. River anglers will find blown-out, dangerous wading conditions on the Bitterroot and most Flathead tributaries; the smart play shifts to Flathead Lake itself, where surface temps hovering around 54°F are pushing Mackinaw through their post-spawn transition to deeper structure, and yellow perch are beginning to show near shoreline drop-offs. Bull trout movement is muted by turbid tributary flows. A Waning Crescent moon this week keeps nighttime light pressure low — midday and late-afternoon lake sessions are your best bet.
Indiana's Lake Michigan shoreline in the coho-to-Chinook window for May
Direct buoy and gauge readings for the Indiana shoreline are unavailable today, but the broader Lake Michigan picture is encouraging heading into mid-May. The WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report documented a record coho salmon harvest of more than 210,000 fish in 2024, along with 160,000-plus Chinook — the highest Chinook count since 2012. Both figures reflect robust alewife forage classes that drove exceptional stocked-fish survival across the entire lake. IL/IN Sea Grant notes spring is buoy deployment season for its three nearshore Lake Michigan monitoring stations, which will sharpen water-temperature tracking as conditions evolve. For Indiana shoreline anglers, May is the classic coho-to-Chinook handoff: silver salmon runs typically taper through the second half of the month as king salmon begin building offshore before their midsummer nearshore push. Yellow perch action in harbors and nearshore structure generally picks up as surface temps climb. Steelhead stragglers may still be accessible in tributary streams for another week or two.
Coho and Chinook lead Chicago Lake Michigan spring run in mid-May
Per the WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report, the 2024 season delivered a record 210,000-plus coho and 160,000 Chinook — the strongest Chinook harvest since 2012 — with strong alewife year classes credited for improving stocked-fish survival. Those same alewife classes carry into 2026, sustaining expectations for a productive Chicago-area spring run. No real-time NOAA buoy readings were available for today's report; Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant operates three nearshore monitoring buoys on southern Lake Michigan (per IL/IN Sea Grant) that can supply current temp and wave data. Michigan Sportsman Forum posts from May 11 flag gusty winds stronger than forecast building wave action across Great Lakes waters today, pushing anglers to hunt morning calm windows. With a waning crescent moon and mid-May timing, Chinook and coho are the prime targets — expect fish holding in the upper water column as alewife schools push near the surface.
Walleye and post-spawn bass on the feed in Upper Mississippi pools
USGS gauge 05420500 logged 62°F and 81,800 cfs on May 11, placing the Upper Mississippi between Clinton and Dubuque in prime late-spring feeding territory. Walleye are in full post-spawn feed mode — Fishing the Midwest points to jigs and slip-sinker rigs as core producers for river systems, while Jason Mitchell Outdoors highlights float presentations and forward-facing sonar for locating shallow fish. Bass are in the post-spawn transition: Tactical Bassin reports early May as exceptional once fish begin to school, with frogs, topwaters, and swimbaits producing across heavy cover and transition zones. AnglingBuzz has flagged shallow-water walleye tactics as active across the upper Midwest. High flows over 80,000 cfs push fish off the main channel; focus on wing dams, backwater sloughs, and current seams. Crappie and catfish are expected active at this temperature based on seasonal norms, though no direct reports from this specific stretch are available this cycle. The waning crescent moon compresses the bite toward dawn and dusk.
Post-Spawn Bass Heating Up at Texoma and Eufaula as Bluegill Spawn Peaks
USGS gauge 07331600 is logging 43.7 cfs — low, stable inflow that suggests clear reservoir conditions across Oklahoma's big lakes heading into mid-May. The strongest on-the-water signal this week comes from tournament results: MLF News reported Kollin Crawford of Broken Bow won the BFL Okie Division event at Broken Bow Lake with 17 lbs, 3 oz of largemouth on a patient offshore approach, a clear indicator that Oklahoma bass have exited the spawn and are beginning their early-summer staging transition. Tactical Bassin confirms the bluegill spawn is in full swing region-wide, pulling big largemouth into shallow heavy cover — frogs and topwaters in 2–5 feet are drawing aggressive strikes. At Lake Texoma, May is historically prime for striped bass chasing shad schools along main-lake points and channel drops; no local guide report is in hand this week, but the seasonal window is squarely open. The waning crescent moon phase favors dawn and dusk feeding windows over midday.
Ozark Trout Parks Hit Their Prime Window as Spring Flows Settle on the Current
The USGS gauge on the Current River (site 07067000) clocked 1,400 cfs on May 11 — moderate, wadeable spring flow through Missouri's Ozark trout park sections on the Current and Niangua. Water temperature was not recorded at the gauge, but spring-fed park stretches characteristically hold in the upper-50s to low-60s°F through May, the coolest and most reliable stretch of the year for stocked rainbow trout before summer heat presses in. Field & Stream's recent essay on stocked-trout culture captures the draw precisely: accessible, dependable action on fish that respond to pressure-tested techniques. Trout Unlimited highlighted nymph presentation refinements this week — a timely reminder that at moderate flows, mid-column dead-drifts in the main current seam out-produce flashy attractor setups on heavily fished park water. The waning crescent means low overnight light, which typically extends the dawn feeding window. Early arrival pays off before holiday-weekend traffic builds.
Taneycomo rainbows in strong supply as drought keeps flows calm
A sustained drought — now approaching 10 months across the Ozarks — has reshaped the season on Lake Taneycomo, and Lilleys Landing reports the tradeoff tilts toward anglers. With no meaningful spring rains, power operators are generating only at strategic times based on demand, meaning no flood-control releases and no shad runs to complicate presentations. The shop's May 1 update notes that fishing will be 'easier for most anglers, for the most part' as calmer, more predictable water gives waders and drift boats cleaner windows. That calm coincides with a rainbow population Lilleys Landing described in March as 'very good' — bolstered by extra fall stocking and a relatively light winter fishing season. No data was returned from USGS gauge 07054410 at publication time, so current flow and temperature readings are unavailable. Generation patterns through spring have been consistent: no output at night or during morning hours, offering reliable low-current windows for anyone willing to be on the water early.
White River trout push to cold holds as May generation slows
USGS gauge 07060710 logged 71°F and 5.97 cfs on the White River system on May 11 — nearly zero-generation conditions that push the Norfork and Bull Shoals tailwaters into low, gin-clear territory where trout become highly selective. At 71°F, rainbow trout are approaching thermal-stress range; fish will concentrate in the coldest available corridors closest to the dam faces and near shaded spring seeps. None of this cycle's angler-intel feeds returned White River-specific bite reports, so this update leans on the gauge data and seasonal knowledge of Ozark tailwaters. MidCurrent's recent fly-tying coverage identifies midge-style patterns as the proven approach for "clear, pressured tailrace" conditions — a description that fits the river right now. Small midges, zebra midges, and pheasant tail nymphs on 5X or 6X tippet are the logical starting point. Plan around the first two hours after sunrise before solar loading tightens the bite further.
Lake Cumberland bass dial in post-spawn patterns as bluegill spawn peaks
USGS gauge 03413200 on the Cumberland drainage recorded just 6.45 cfs as of May 11 — a slim reading that points to drier-than-average conditions in the upper watershed. No local charter or tackle-shop intel has reached our feeds this cycle specifically for Lake Cumberland, but regional signals from Tactical Bassin align with what mid-May typically delivers on this fishery: post-spawn largemouth and smallmouth are abandoning beds and splitting between shallow cover and open-water staging areas. Tactical Bassin's early-May reporting flags the bluegill spawn as fully underway, drawing big bass to shoreline timber and cove edges — frogs, topwater poppers, and swimbaits worked around heavy cover are all producing bites in comparable highland lake systems right now. On the tailwater below Wolf Creek Dam, rainbow and brown trout remain a year-round draw; check the Army Corps daily generation schedule before launching, as releases can shift dramatically between fishing days.
Post-spawn bass on the prowl as bluegill beds fire on Kentucky Lake & Barkley
No USGS gauge readings are available for this cycle, so conditions at Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are being read through the calendar: mid-May, waning crescent moon, and the bluegill spawn firing across the shallows. Tactical Bassin reports that bass are actively targeting bluegill beds right now, with topwater frogs and poppers producing over heavy shoreline cover — a pattern that maps cleanly onto KY Lake's vast timber fields and shallow flats. The post-spawn transition is also underway, with Tactical Bassin noting that bass are splitting between shallow ambush positions and early offshore ledge staging. No local shop or captain reports are in this data cycle; expect crappie to be pushing off spawn structure and suspending over brush piles and channel breaks in 10–18 feet of water — typical for this point in May on these lakes. Catfish remain reliable on cut bait along channel ledges. Check conditions locally before launching.
Caney Fork and Hiwassee tailwaters enter prime mid-May trout window
MidCurrent's recent fly-tying coverage calls out sparse midge-style patterns as standouts for "clear, pressured water of tailraces" — a description that fits the Caney Fork and Hiwassee perfectly during their off-generation windows. No live instrument data is available from USGS gauge 03565000 at press time, so confirm TVA generation schedules before launching; flows on both rivers can swing hundreds of cfs within hours. That caveat aside, mid-May is historically one of the strongest stretches of the year for tailwater trout in Tennessee. Flylords Mag marks the Mother's Day Caddis as the unofficial kickoff to peak pre-runoff fishing nationally — Tennessee's dam-controlled tailwaters sidestep runoff variability entirely, making this window even more bankable here than on freestone streams. Expect rainbow trout to be the primary target on both rivers, with brown trout active in the Caney Fork's deeper pools and slower glides.
Post-spawn bass chasing bluegill spawn on Chickamauga and Watts Bar
Flow readings at USGS gauge 03578500 logged just 48.7 cfs on May 11, pointing to light, stable tributary input and likely clear-to-clearing water across the Chickamauga and Watts Bar pools. That's a favorable backdrop for the post-spawn bass transition now underway. Tactical Bassin notes the bluegill spawn is in full swing across mid-South waters — a prime trigger that pulls big largemouth into heavy shallow cover — and lists frog fishing over grass edges and topwater poppers along laydowns as top confidence baits at this stage of the season. MLF News documented a strong Pro Circuit performance at nearby Douglas Lake in Jefferson County, Tennessee, where twins Carter and Dylan Nutt went 1-2, offering regional confirmation that East Tennessee TVA fisheries are holding quality bass right now. Crappie are most likely completing their post-spawn pullout toward deeper brush piles, and catfish activity should tick upward as water temps climb through the rest of May.
Guntersville & Wheeler: post-spawn bass peak as bluegill spawn fires
USGS gauge 03575100 is logging 390 cfs as of May 11, signaling stable late-spring flow across Wheeler's watershed. No water temperature reading is available at the gauge, but mid-May conditions in North Alabama typically put both Lake Guntersville and Wheeler squarely in the post-spawn bass transition. Tactical Bassin reports the bluegill spawn is now in full swing — a development that concentrates big largemouth in heavy cover and lights up topwater opportunities. Their crews describe success on frogs over matted grass, swimbaits skipped around laydowns, and a Karashi finesse bite as a reliable backup when surface action stalls. Wired 2 Fish underscores that barometric swings and seasonal shifts are now driving fish positioning more than any single bait choice. Anglers targeting Guntersville's legendary largemouth should probe shallow grass edges at first light, then check offshore transition structure as the day progresses — post-spawn fish are beginning to split between depth zones.
Lanier & Allatoona bass turn post-spawn as crappie wrap up the shallows
The Georgia Wildlife Blog — Fishing reported a strong spring largemouth bite across the state, highlighted by a Morgan County angler landing an 8-pound, 11-ounce bass on a spinner bait in post-rain conditions in late April. At Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona, that momentum has carried into May: GA Sportsman / Georgia Outdoor News confirmed in their May 9 report that "the bass bite has also been good this week." Crappie are finishing their shallow spawn, with the Georgia Wildlife Blog noting fish concentrated in 3–8 feet around brush piles, docks, and fallen timber, responding well to live minnows and small jigs. USGS gauge 02334430 logged 636 cfs flow and 48°F on the Chattahoochee — cold hypolimnetic dam releases that diverge sharply from warmer lake surface conditions and primarily affect the tailwater fishery below Buford Dam rather than open-lake angling. A waning crescent moon puts the edge on pre-dawn and evening windows through the end of the week.
Smokies trout dial in for prime early-May window
Water temperature reached 62°F on USGS gauge 03512000 in the Little Tennessee watershed as of the evening of May 11, placing Smokies rainbows and browns squarely in their prime feeding range. Flow at 238 cfs reads moderate and wadeable across most freestone and tailwater reaches. Direct on-the-water reports specific to the Smokies were absent from today's intel feeds; however, regional fly-fishing sources confirm mid-May as prime hatch season across southern Appalachian trout streams. Flylords Mag describes the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch as "the unofficial kickoff of the best of pre-runoff fishing" in mountain trout country — that window is now open. MidCurrent's current fly-tying roundup highlights surface-film patterns and caddis pupa imitations as the presentations most likely to move fish at this time of year. Hatch Magazine's deep-dive on caddis emergences reinforces that Hydropsychidae activity peaks in the low 60s. Expect afternoon caddis and sulphur activity with dry-fly windows opening late afternoon through dusk. Always verify NCWRC special-regulation waters before wading in.
Red drum flood Pamlico Sound and Cape Lookout shoals in May
Schools of bull red drum are lighting up the Cape Lookout shoals this week. Steve of Chasin' Tails in Morehead/Atlantic Beach — per Fisherman's Post — reports solid action on bull drum just off the beach at the Cape Lookout shoals, with good-sized bluefish running alongside. In the Pamlico/Neuse River system, Donald of Custom Marine Fabrication tells Fisherman's Post that slot-sized red drum have spread across nearly the entire Neuse, making for a wide-open early-May bite. Further up the Outer Banks, Ryan of Hatteras Jack reports the surf has come alive, with red drum pushing strongly onto Hatteras and Ocracoke beaches. At Swansboro and Emerald Isle, Morgan of The Reel Outdoors notes surf fishing has picked up with sea mullet, black drum, and early pompano showing in the wash. NOAA buoy 41037 logged winds near 21 knots and air temps around 72°F on the evening of May 11; no water temperature reading was available from this station.
Giant Black Drum and Post-Spawn Stripers Flood Eastern Shore Waters
Water temps at 68°F per NOAA buoy 44014 have Chincoteague-area anglers in prime position for one of spring's most productive windows. Sport Fishing Mag reports that giant black drum are making their annual push from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay along Virginia's barrier islands, targeting crabs, clams, and mussels near structure — and the Eastern Shore's inlets and nearshore shoals fall directly in that migration corridor. Simultaneously, On The Water's May 8 striper migration map confirms post-spawn bass are pouring out of the Chesapeake in force, spreading northeast with big fish and fast action reported coast-wide. OTW Surfcasting notes that surf-side striper action has been building across the region. With a waning crescent moon moderating tidal swings this week, concentrate on current seams inside inlets and nearshore structure where both species are likely stacking.
Virginia bass tracking bluegill spawn as catfish stack deep ledges
The bluegill spawn is in full swing, and big largemouth are locked tight to heavy cover — Tactical Bassin's blog reports topwater frogs and poppers drawing explosive strikes as bass hunt spawning bream. On the catfish front, a Wired 2 Fish report from nearby Lake Gaston documents blues stacked on channel ledges: guide Zakk Royce of Blues Brothers Guide Service drifted Santee Rigs with cut bait in 10–20 feet of water and landed nearly 300 pounds of blue catfish in under two hours — a pattern that translates directly to Buggs Island's main-lake structure. USGS gauge 02075045 posts 573 cfs on the Roanoke system as of this evening, signaling stable, fishable inflow. No water temperature reading is available, but mid-May typically places both Smith Mountain Lake and Buggs Island in the upper 60s to low 70s — right in the pre-summer feeding window. The waning crescent moon favors dawn and dusk feeding pushes over both reservoirs.
Stripers and Black Drum Rolling Through Delaware Bay as Flounder Season Opens
Water off the Delaware Bay's NJ shore is sitting at 54°F per NOAA buoy 44009, and conditions are clicking for two of the season's marquee species. The Fisherman — Southern NJ reports a "solid" striper bite along the oceanfront this week, including a 51-inch fish pulled from the surf on salted clam, with black drum to 38 inches also responding to clam presentations in the wash and back bays. A broader drum push arrived this week, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf, surprising anglers who were out primarily clamming for bass. Flounder season opened May 4, but chilly water in the low 50s is keeping keeper counts inconsistent — some anglers are scoring fish on live minnows and strip baits in the back bays and jetties, while others find keepers hard to come by (The Fisherman — Southern NJ). Boaters launching from Cape May County should note the Spicers Creek Boat Ramp is closed May 11–14 for dock renovations, per NJ Fish & Wildlife News.
Bass and crappie breaking out as Quabbin and Wachusett hit mid-May stride
Jeff Sullivan reported giant crappie at Cook Pond in Massachusetts last week — fish running 18 to 19 inches — fishing from shore during the day on NLBN shads and a Strike King spinnerbait, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater. That crappie surge aligns with the mid-May bluegill-spawn window that Tactical Bassin (blog) identifies as one of the most predictable big-bass periods of the year, with largemouth moving into shallow heavy cover to pursue bedding bream. The USGS gauge on the Swift River (site 01174500) recorded an outflow of 70 cfs Monday afternoon — a stable, moderate release indicating Quabbin levels are holding well after spring snowmelt. Spring trout stocking continues statewide in Massachusetts, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, while The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands noted this past weekend that freshwater fishing has "not missed a beat," with big trout and largemouth providing strong action at regional waters.
Upper Buzzards Bay topwater striper bite fires with big fish in the mix
Water at 51°F off the south coast (NOAA buoy 44085) hasn't slowed a scorching topwater striper bite across upper Buzzards Bay. Per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands, Charley Soares reports schools of bass — very few below 37 inches — breaking on bait from Fairhaven west to the Canal opening. AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods confirmed the action firsthand, fishing mid to upper Buzzards with friends and finding stripers from slots to jumbos breaking on bait throughout the weekend. Capt. Carl of Westport River Outfitters is boating bass in very good numbers, his main challenge being too many oversized fish rather than too few. Tautog are also on the move: Red Top calls the tog bite 'very good and getting better' around canal openings, the West Falmouth shoreline, and Cleveland Light. A big scup bite is just getting started on rock piles from West Island to Wareham, and the Canal has been producing some notable class fish per The Fisherman (Northeast). Black sea bass season opens May 16.
Deschutes & Klamath enter prime caddis and dry-fly window in mid-May
Hatch Magazine's recent primer on fishing caddis emergences arrives right on cue for the Deschutes, which is historically entering its most productive dry-fly window of the year in mid-May. The piece delivers directly applicable advice: matching the ascending pupa in the surface film typically outperforms the adult caddis dry during peak evening hatch activity. MidCurrent's current tying content echoes the timing, featuring patterns designed for 'as hatches begin to fire' — including a midge-style tie recommended for 'clear, pressured water of stillwaters and tailraces' that maps cleanly onto Deschutes tailwater. USGS gauge 14070500 returned no flow or temperature data at report time; verify conditions locally before making the drive. Redsides are seasonally expected to be active on soft-hackle wets and elk-hair caddis. On the Upper Klamath side, warming spring temps should be pushing resident trout and bass into shallower structure. No direct on-the-water reports from this drainage arrived in this cycle — conditions below reflect seasonal expectations for the date.
Eastern WA trout fishing tests patience as spring flows run high
USGS gauge 12484500 logged 2,200 cfs on the afternoon of May 11 — elevated snowmelt flows that push trout toward softer water: inside seams, tailouts, and slow pockets along undercut banks. No dedicated Eastern WA angler reports surfaced from WA WDFW Fishing Reports this pull, so conditions here draw on seasonal patterns and broader freshwater context. Mid-May on the Yakima corridor is typically caddis time, with evening hatches capable of pulling trout to the surface when currents moderate. Hatch Magazine's coverage of caddis emergences reinforces the value of soft-hackles and emerging-pupa patterns fished just below the film on high, off-color days. Smallmouth bass in the Columbia system and Spokane-area lakes are likely in post-spawn transition — a period Tactical Bassin calls one of the most predictable windows of the year. Waning crescent conditions mean darker pre-dawn hours; plan outings for mid-morning onward.