Fishing reports
15593 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwaters ease into fall trout rhythm
Norfork Lake hosted the season's Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier this week, with Kaden Buchmann closing out a wire-to-wire win on a three-day total of 42 pounds, 7 ounces, per B.A.S.S. News — proof the broader White River system is fishing well as it turns toward fall. On the trout tailwaters below Bull Shoals and Norfork dams, conditions this time of year are shaped less by ambient heat and more by dam generation schedules, and the seasonal shift toward cooler days typically settles trout into steadier feeding windows.
Striped bass push holds along the Northern California coast
Water temperatures at our two Northern California reference stations read 54.9°F and 55.8°F this week, a typical mid-50s mark for late September as the coast eases from summer into fall. Along the coast to the south, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater's Allen Bushnell reports a strong shoreline striped bass bite out of the Santa Cruz-Monterey Bay stretch, with fish showing tight to the beach as they track bait.
Oregon Coast Enters Fall Transition Under This Week's Full Moon
Water off the central Oregon coast held at 58.8°F at South Beach this afternoon, while the Columbia River entrance at Astoria ran noticeably warmer at 61.7°F, a gap worth watching as the estuary continues shedding summer heat into the ocean. Both readings came in within the past hour, giving anglers a current snapshot heading into the weekend. Tonight's full moon is pulling stronger spring tides through the bays and river mouths along the coast, meaning bigger swings between high and low water and faster current through the pinch points where structure concentrates bait.
MS Sound holds summer warmth as oyster season nears
Water in Mississippi Sound is still running summer-warm heading into the last days of September, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8747437 reading 84°F and station 8741533 at 85.8°F Saturday evening. The bigger story locally is regulatory rather than a bite report: MS DMR confirmed the 2026-27 oyster season opens at legal sunrise October 1, running until check-out at noon with Sundays closed, covering the approved and conditionally approved reefs including St. Joe, Waveland and St. Stanislaus. That opener typically pulls more boat traffic into the same nearshore flats and passes anglers work, so expect company on the water in early October. Tonight's full moon adds extra tidal push through the Sound's passes and marsh drains, which is worth building a trip around even without a specific bite report to point to yet this week.
Chesapeake mouth waits on the fall push as water stays warm
Water at the Chesapeake Bay mouth is still running on the warm side for late September: NOAA's Sewells Point station (8638610) logged 70.3°F Saturday evening, with the nearby Money Point station (8637689) reading 72°F. That's still summer-like compared to what anglers up the coast are already seeing. Saltwater Edge Blog in Rhode Island reports striped bass have been "pretty lackluster" through September there but expected to improve with cooling nights, while tautog action is just starting to pick up. Anglers Journal's fall dispatch describes the broader Northeast striper migration gathering strength as days shorten. None of that has reached the Bay mouth yet — the water here needs several more degrees of cooling before either fishery really turns on.
Full moon swells set the pace for Charleston Harbor's fall turn
Water in the Charleston Harbor area is still holding warm for late September, with NOAA CO-OPS readings of 77.9°F at station 8665530 and 77.4°F at nearby Springmaid Pier (station 8661070) as of Saturday evening. That's solidly summer-range water for the SC coast, a sign the seasonal turnover is running a bit behind the calendar. With a Full Moon overhead this week, expect stronger tidal exchange and more current pushing through the harbor's creeks and inlet mouths, the kind of moving water anglers lean on around structure this time of year.
Tautog Bite Builds in Cape Cod Bay as Stripers Wait on Cooler Winds
Cape Cod Bay water sits at 59.9°F this morning per NOAA CO-OPS station 8449130, a sign the fall cool-down is underway under this week's full moon. Regional tackle-shop reports match the trend: per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), tautog fishing is picking up while striped bass action has been lackluster through the summer crowds but should improve with the chilly nights and northerly winds moving in. On The Water reports severe weather forced organizers to cancel Falmouth's StriperFest 2026, originally set for this Saturday on the Cape Cod waterfront — a sign the same system pushing temperatures down is bringing rough conditions to the bay this weekend.
Cooling Gulf of Maine waters set up the fall striper push
Water temperatures along the Maine coast are settling into a clear fall gradient: 59.7°F at Portland (NOAA CO-OPS station 8418150), 57.7°F at Bar Harbor (8413320), and 55°F at Eastport (8410140), cooling steadily as you move Downeast. Farther south, Saltwater Edge reports the striped bass bite has been lackluster through Southern New England but should turn on with the colder nights and northerly winds moving through this week, the same pattern now working its way up the coast. Tonight's full moon adds extra tidal push to whatever develops.
Mobile Bay holds late-summer warmth into the fall transition
NOAA CO-OPS stations in the Mobile Bay system are still reading solidly warm: 84.4°F at station 8735180 and 84.2°F at station 8736897, both taken this morning. That's summer-grade water for the tail end of September, and it's holding the bay and nearshore Gulf in a late-season pattern. Tonight's full moon is the bigger story for planning a trip this week, since it pulls stronger spring tides through the bay mouth, the passes, and any current-swept structure.
Snook Season Heats Up Around Sarasota Bay
Water temperatures across the CO-OPS network are holding in the low-to-mid 80s heading into the weekend, with 84.6°F recorded at station 8726520 and 82.6°F at station 8726724 as of Saturday evening. That warmth is keeping the fall snook bite rolling now that Gulf Coast season reopened September 1. Capt. Brandon Naeve at CB's Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota reports snook are "jumping" this time of year, with the overall warm water keeping them most active. Capt. Kelly Kurtz, fishing out of the same shop on Siesta Key, found an active inshore bite in Sarasota Bay for snook and redfish this past week. Florida Sea Grant, meanwhile, flagged a rare rust tide alga detected in nearby Charlotte Harbor, an uncommon bloom worth watching as it develops.
Tautog Bite Firms Up as Buzzards Bay Stripers Stay Patchy
Water held in the low-to-mid 60s this week, 63.3°F at Woods Hole and 64.2°F to the north, as the fall transition settles in under this week's full moon. Just south along the Rhode Island coast, Saltwater Edge Blog reports the tautog bite picking up while striped bass have been lackluster for most anglers, a split that tracks with what we'd expect here in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound as the same cooling trend moves through.
Upper Coast snook active as Gulf waters stay summer-warm
NOAA CO-OPS readings this morning show Gulf water still running summer-warm across the Galveston-Corpus stretch: 89.4°F at station 8771450 near Galveston, 87.1°F at the Galveston Bay entrance (station 8771341), and 87.6°F at Corpus Christi (station 8772471). That kind of heat keeps snook active along the upper coast — Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes the species isn't confined to the traditional Lower Laguna Madre stronghold and shows up much farther north than most anglers expect. Sport Fishing Mag reports Gulf snook are feeding up ahead of the fall transition, with aggressive fish responding well to swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ as they stage toward winter holding areas. Tonight's full moon adds extra tidal push, worth factoring into trip planning this week.
Full moon lands on Lower Laguna Madre still locked in summer heat
NOAA CO-OPS readings this morning show Gulf water still running summer-warm across the Lower Laguna Madre corridor: 87.6°F at station 8775237 and 90.5°F at the South Padre station (8779770), taken within minutes of each other. That's a wide spread for two nearby gauges and points to a shallow, sun-loaded flat sitting hotter than the main channel. Today's full moon adds a strong tide push on top of it. Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes snook aren't confined to the Lower Laguna Madre the way most Texas anglers assume, a reminder that the region's namesake gamefish ranges wider up the coast than its reputation suggests.
Full moon tides set up an afternoon push for Panhandle bottom fishing
Panhandle Gulf waters are still running warm for late September, with NOAA CO-OPS stations reporting 84.7°F at station 8729840, 84.2°F at station 8729108, and 82.6°F at station 8728690 this morning. That's summer-pattern water this deep into the calendar, and it's keeping the action offshore rather than triggering an early fall push inshore. On the Pensacola Fishing Forum, a local captain running a 26-foot catamaran out of Pensacola posted this week looking for crew for fall bottom fishing and deep-dropping trips, working only when seas stay under a foot, a sign the reef bite remains the region's main event. Tonight's full moon adds extra tidal push to the mix: station 8728690 is calling for a high around 3:40 p.m. CDT while station 8729108 predicts a low near 4:29 p.m., bracketing an active afternoon tide swing worth building a trip around.
Shoreline stripers keep working the surf near Santa Cruz
Striped bass are still showing along the surf near Santa Cruz, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, with anglers working the beaches behind moving birds and bait pods rather than blind-casting open water. Water temperatures across the Central Coast are holding in the low-to-mid 60s, 61.9°F at one station and 64.8°F at the other, both normal for late September. Tonight's full moon is stacking up bigger-than-average tidal swings, with a high tide near 10:48am and a low around 4:34pm working through the region today. The window right around those tide changes is where the shoreline bite has reportedly been strongest.
Shoreline stripers keep biting as full moon swings Bay Area tides
San Francisco Bay-area water is running close to 58°F this week, while the reading near Bodega comes in cooler at 54.1°F, a spread consistent with active upwelling pushing along the outer coast. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports shoreline striped bass activity down the coast around Santa Cruz, with anglers working the beach behind diving birds and moving bait, a pattern that typically tracks north with the bait migration this time of year. It's the clearest species signal available this week, and it points to stripers holding tight to structure and bait pods rather than roaming open water.
Cooling water sets up Chincoteague for the fall push
Water on Virginia's Eastern Shore is settling into the low-to-mid 60s. NOAA CO-OPS station 8631044 at Wachapreague reads 62.8°F, while station 8632200 at Kiptopeke sits warmer at 66.4°F, both marking the seasonal cooldown that eventually pulls the fall run south. That same trigger is already moving fish up the coast: Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) has the tautog bite picking up and false albacore working the oceanfront, while striped bass there have stayed lackluster so far. Anglers Journal and On The Water both describe the Northeast's fall striper blitz building hard around the equinox.
Full-moon tides set the pace on the Oregon Coast this week
Oregon Coast water temperatures are showing a real split this morning: NOAA's South Beach station (9435380) reads 57.4°F while the Astoria station (9439040), up at the Columbia mouth, sits notably warmer at 62.6°F. Tonight's full moon is stacking the tidal exchange on top of that gap, pushing bigger swings through both stations than a typical late-September cycle.
Bluefish and sea bass surge as Jersey Shore fluke season winds down
Bluefish have arrived in force along the Jersey Shore, with Grumpys Tackle in Brick reporting blues are in and The Fisherman's Central New Jersey report noting anglers at Surf City Bait and Tackle connecting with multiple bluefish on metal near the jetties, a sign the fall bite is building. Black sea bass are matching that pace: Blue Chip Sportfishing calls the bite very good on half- and full-day trips, and Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has been boating beautiful sea bass on recent drifts even on tougher tide days. Fluke season is closing out on schedule, with Mary M IV and Miss Barnegat Light wrapping their fluke trips per The Fisherman's Central New Jersey coverage ahead of the season closing Friday, September 25, and Fishermans HQ LBI describing the surf mix as fluke, bluefish blitzes and moving mullet in its latest report. The fall run's first striper has also shown up: The Fisherman's Central New Jersey report notes an 8.15-pound, 29.5-inch bass taken on a plug and weighed at Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven. Water temps this morning sit at 62.8°F off Atlantic City and 61.2°F off Cape May, still mild for late September.
Albie Fever Takes Hold on Long Island Sound as Fall Run Builds
Water temps are holding in the mid-60s across Long Island Sound: 64°F at New London, 65.1°F at New Haven, and 66.4°F at Bridgeport, per NOAA CO-OPS readings taken this morning, with the Full Moon pushing extra water through the system. False albacore are the story this week: J&B Tackle in Niantic reports albies "everywhere from Black Point to Fishers Island," with Avery Point, Sarah's Ledge, Ocean Beach, Harkness, Seaside, Niantic Bay and Black Point all producing. AW Marina says "albie fever has really taken hold," with anglers burning through epoxy jigs and tins. Striped bass are feeding on heavy bait but haven't started blitzing, per J&B Tackle, bluefish are active from snappers to gators, and the Tartan II reports fantastic bottom fishing with numerous, large black sea bass.
Redfish and trout stir as Mississippi Sound eases into fall
Mississippi Sound is holding onto summer warmth this week, with our two coastal CO-OPS stations reading 82°F and 85.6°F even as the calendar pushes into the fall transition. That gap between the water and the calendar is the story: Sport Fishing Mag's fall-transition coverage notes Gulf snook feeling the shorter days and beginning to work toward their winter holding areas, with swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ drawing strikes from aggressive fish on the move. Salt Strong is making the same seasonal call from the lure box, sizing up to bigger paddletails for redfish, trout, and snook as water cools and bait becomes more visible. Locally, Mississippi DMR has the 2026-2027 oyster season opening October 1 at legal sunrise, which means more boat traffic working the reefs starting next week, worth planning around if you're running the same water. With the Sound still this warm, the fall bite described in those regional reports is arriving right at the edge of turning on, not fully switched on yet.
Full moon lines up strong tides for Outer Banks anglers
Water temperatures along the Outer Banks are holding in the mid-70s this week, with our northern station reading 76.6°F and the southern station at 73.2°F as of midday. That keeps the fall transition gradual rather than abrupt. Hatteras Jack reports steady bottom-fishing action off the Rodanthe-area beaches, with anglers also getting chances to sight-cast to working birds and bait pushing through the surf zone. Today's full moon is pulling stronger-than-usual tidal swings, and with low water near 1:51 to 2:17 PM and the next high around 7:47 PM, current-driven feeding windows should be more pronounced than a typical week.
Full moon tides push at the Chesapeake mouth as fall run builds up north
Water at the Chesapeake mouth sat in the low-to-mid 70s Saturday morning, 70.7°F and 73°F across the two NOAA tide stations, while today's full moon stacks extra push behind the 9:23 a.m. high and the 3:43 p.m. low. Farther north, the fall push is building: Saltwater Edge in Rhode Island reports tautog biting well and striped bass still slow ahead of the season's first real cold nights, and The Fisherman's Long Island forecast has bluefish, fluke and weakfish keeping rods bent as a nor'easter moves into the mid-Atlantic this week.
Charleston Harbor rides a strong full-moon tide into fall transition
Charleston Harbor is holding onto summer warmth: NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530 read 77.5°F at midday, and the Springmaid Pier gauge (station 8661070) checked in at 77.2°F to the north, both readings that keep the harbor in late-summer territory. Tonight's full moon is pushing tidal exchange harder than a typical week, with stronger movement through the inlet on both the ebb and the flood. That combination, warm water plus a big moon tide, is the setup worth fishing around this week.