Fishing reports
15637 reports across all 50 states — current conditions and what's biting.
Charleston Harbor tide swings wide under the full moon push
Charleston Harbor water sits at 79°F this afternoon, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530 clocking low tide at 1:35 PM and the next high due around 7:48 PM. Up the coast, station 8661070 near Myrtle Beach is reading a touch cooler at 78°F, with its own high tide arriving close behind at 7:17 PM. Tonight's full moon means spring tides: bigger swings between high and low, and more water moving through the harbor mouth on each stage of the cycle.
Striped bass push into the SoCal Bight under a full moon
San Pedro is reading 75.4°F and La Jolla 71.4°F this afternoon (NOAA CO-OPS), a comfortable late-September spread for the LA Bight and Channel Islands. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports striped bass swarming the SoCal Bight over the past several weeks, with sightings pushing out to the Northern Channel Islands, alongside other big predators working the same water. Today's full moon is stacking a strong low tide behind it, due near 3 p.m. at both stations.
Free Fishing Day Arrives as Georgia's Fall Cool-Down Sets In
Georgia's fall transition is arriving on schedule. The Georgia Wildlife Blog's September dispatches have tracked cooler mornings and shortening days building toward the seasonal turn, and Saturday, September 26 lands as National Hunting and Fishing Day, a statewide free fishing day, per the agency's September 25 post. That's a real window for the Chattahoochee and Savannah systems: no license required, and the early-fall stretch typically brings lighter boat traffic than late summer as families settle back into school routines. It's a good weekend to introduce someone new to the water while mornings are comfortable and access points are thinner than they were in July and August. No validated instrument data came back for either river system this cycle, so lean on the qualitative signal the agency itself has been repeating for weeks: cooler air, shorter days, easier conditions on the water.
Cooling Mornings Signal Fall Turn at Lanier and Allatoona
Cooler mornings are settling over north Georgia, and the Georgia Wildlife Blog's latest fishing report calls it plainly: fall is arriving, with September 26 marking National Hunting and Fishing Day, a statewide free fishing day. That's worth building a Lanier or Allatoona trip around this weekend, especially for anyone introducing a new angler, since no license is required for the occasion. As summer's surface heat eases, the transitional window anglers wait for all year is opening. Wired 2 Fish's guide to seasonal bass timing notes that low-light hours become the most productive window once water starts cooling, since predators key their feeding on shifting light and temperature rather than the clock, a pattern that applies directly to the reservoir bite building right now.
Fall turnover could work in anglers' favor on Hartwell
Lake Hartwell anglers have a real reason to watch the calendar this week. MLF News reports that fall turnover, usually dreaded by bass anglers, could actually help the bite heading into the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Hartwell Oct. 3-4, with Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit pro Brian Latimer telling MLF that cooling fall temperatures should improve fishing on the lake. That's a notable local data point for the Hartwell & Russell chain specifically, rather than a generic seasonal note. Meanwhile the Georgia Wildlife Blog flags tomorrow, September 26, as National Hunting and Fishing Day, also a free fishing day statewide and a good excuse to get someone new on the water this weekend. We're fishing under a full moon this week, which typically sharpens early-morning and after-dark bites as baitfish and predators both key off stronger nighttime light.
Musky bite heats up as Northwoods walleyes follow the dying weeds
Rollie & Helen's Musky Shop, based in Oneida and Vilas Counties, reports the late-September musky bite is heating up as boat traffic thins and the air turns crisp across the Northwoods. That cooldown follows the shop's early-September report, which described lingering summer heat and warm water, so this transition has arrived right on schedule. Anglers are still getting good results on topwater before the seasonal switch toward bucktails and glide baits worked along deep edges, drop-offs, and rocky points, the classic fall pattern on area flowages and reservoirs. Walleye anglers are seeing a related shift. Fishing the Midwest notes that as surface waters cool and shallow weeds begin dying back, baitfish and gamefish are pulling out of spent beds toward the healthiest remaining green weed lines, making that the smart starting search this week. Jason Mitchell Outdoors and AnglingBuzz both point toward fall crankbait presentations and mapping out fresh structure as walleyes reposition. With a full moon overhead, expect an active low-light bite on both species.
Fall transition takes hold on Chincoteague's Eastern Shore waters
NOAA CO-OPS station 8631044 read 64.2°F this morning, cooler than station 8632200 to the south at 69.4°F, a gradient that tracks the seasonal cool-down working down Virginia's Eastern Shore. It's a full moon week, with the next high tide at station 8631044 around 8:00 AM local and the low following at 2:10 PM. Anglers Journal's coverage of the building fall striper blitz farther north marks the leading edge of the coastal migration that works its way toward Virginia waters as the season progresses.
Blues and albies keep Falmouth anglers busy ahead of nor'easter
Water temps sit at 65.5–65.8°F across the two regional CO-OPS tide stations, still comfortable for the fall migration. Falmouth Bait and Tackle reports decent bluefish along the Falmouth shore this week, along with a few false albacore running in the 10-pound class. Striped bass are working the harbors and rivers, and one angler fishing around the Elizabeth Islands is finding schoolies pushing small bait to the surface. Sports Port adds false albacore along the sound shore from Falmouth through Hyannis and Chatham, with black sea bass holding steady on the bottom.
Delaware Bay stripers turn on as fluke season closes
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8537121 near Cape May is holding at 69.8°F, still warm for late September, with the next high tide at 9:35 AM and next low at 3:58 PM local time. New Jersey's fluke season closes today, per The Fisherman (Northeast)'s NJ/DE Bay Region Fishing Forecast, which also flags a nor'easter moving through the area this week, though the local outlook turns mostly dry Friday and Saturday. On the bay itself, Higbee's Bait and Tackle (via The Fisherman — Southern NJ) reports a mixed bag for anglers drifting smaller baits, with bluefish and weakfish both in the mix, while Big Dave's Tackle notes weakfish building into a targeted bite for anglers throwing soft plastics near the lighthouses. Down the coast in the back bays, Pier 47 Marina reports stripers to 31 inches feeding hard at night around lighted docks and sod banks on paddletails, rubber shads, naked bucktails and Mag Darters, with the higher tides producing noticeably better numbers than low water.
Fall Bluefish and Striper Bite Build as NJ Fluke Season Closes
New Jersey's fluke season closes Friday, and Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ made the most of the run-up, calling a recent trip "game on right from the start to finish" with a strong mix of shorts and keepers. That closing bell is landing right as the fall run finally shows up. Grumpys Tackle (NJ) reports blues are in, and The Fisherman — Central NJ notes an angler working metal at Surf City has been connecting with multiple bluefish, "a sure sign that the fall bite is heating up." Fishermans HQ LBI (NJ) describes bluefish blitzes mixing with the tail end of the fluke bite along a surf still running warm. At night, The Fisherman — Southern NJ reports striped bass feeding heavily on staging peanut bunker and mullet around lighted docks in the Wildwoods, with fish to 31 inches coming on paddletails, rubber shads, and Mag Darters, the bite strongest on higher water. Further up the coast, The Fisherman — Central NJ also logged the LBI Surf Fishing Classic's first striper weigh-in of the season, an 8.15-pound fish. NOAA CO-OPS readings this morning show 67°F and 63°F along the coast, still warm enough to hold false albacore in the mix per Fishermans HQ LBI (NJ) and The Fisherman — Northern NJ.
Fluke closes out hot at Sandy Hook as blues take over the bite
Water temps at Sandy Hook sit at 65.7°F per NOAA CO-OPS station 8531680, still warm enough to hold summer patterns as the calendar turns toward October. The bigger story locally is timing: fluke season closes today, and Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands says the fishing went out with a bang, with "shorts, keepers and beautiful sea bass" filling the box after a short run to deeper water. Bluefish have turned on hard too — Grumpys Tackle reports "blues are in," and up the coast the Golden Eagle, per The Fisherman — Northern NJ, says the bite switched from artificials to bait, with good numbers of slammers plus bonito and albies mixed into the chum slick. Striped bass remain the quieter piece of the puzzle; The Fisherman — New Jersey edition calls the fall run stagnant so far, with water temps only easing slightly and little of the usual feeding urgency showing up yet.
Crappie Turn On as NJ/DE Freshwater Shifts Into Fall Mode
Fall's transition is underway across the region's freshwater fisheries, and crappie are leading it. Smith's Bait Shop in Leipsic reports the bite "really started shifting into fall mode" as of September 20, with anglers stringing nice crappie out of the Nanticoke River on twister jigs fished under floats. Upriver on the Delaware, Dave's Sport Shop in Doylestown says the Riegelsville stretch is fishing well as the river settles into better shape heading into October, a positive early signal for the corridor. At Lake Wallenpaupack, Capt. Pete Wagner of Hyper Striper Sportfishing is already looking past the current bite: he expects walleye to begin mixing in alongside largemouth, smallmouth, hybrids, and crappie once October arrives.
Albie fever grips Connecticut Sound as fall run kicks in
Long Island Sound water temps are holding in the mid-60s, from 65.1°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8461490 to 68°F at station 8467150, and Connecticut shops say the fall run has arrived in earnest. J&B Tackle reports albies are everywhere from Black Point to Fishers Island, striped bass feeding heavily on bait without blitzing yet, and bluefish ranging from snappers to gators staying very active. AW Marina says albie fever has taken hold, with customers flying through epoxy jigs and tins while also readying tackle for the coming tautog season opener. Aboard the Tartan II, bottom fishing stays fantastic for black sea bass, both numerous and large, while fluke wrapped up soft this week per Black Hawk's final trip of the season.
Albies and blues keep Cape Cod Bay charged as stripers hold
Water temperature sits at 60.4°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8449130 this morning, still holding summer-adjacent numbers even as the calendar turns toward the fall run. Per Goose Hummock Shop, the Cape Cod Bay side is loaded with pogies and stripers, while bonito and albies rounded out a strong week on the Sound side. Falmouth Bait and Tackle reports blues along the Falmouth shore plus bonito and albies in the 10-pound class, and Sports Port notes stripers over 30 inches in the surf around Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck along with steady sea bass on the bottom.
Full moon tides keep Mississippi Sound in late-summer mode
NOAA CO-OPS gauges across Mississippi Sound are reading 83.3°F and 86.4°F this morning (stations 8747437 and 8741533), holding firmly in late-summer territory even as the calendar turns toward October. Tonight's full moon is pushing a bigger tidal swing through the Sound: predicted highs land near 11:11 a.m. and 12:37 p.m. local time, with a low around 6:01 p.m. at the eastern station, per NOAA CO-OPS. On the regulatory side, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources certified several new state saltwater fishing records this month and has a Notice of Intent to update sections of Title 22 filed with the Secretary of State, both signs of steady angler activity and active fishery management along the coast this fall.
Full moon tides fuel Outer Banks sight-casting opportunities
Water temps are running warm across the Outer Banks this morning, 76.8°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8658163 and 73.2°F at station 8656483, both still solidly in late-summer range. Per Hatteras Jack, anglers bottom fishing the Rodanthe-area beaches have been putting together solid results this week, and there have been a number of sight-casting opportunities along the surf as well. Tonight's full moon is stacking the tides toward the top of the cycle, so current through the inlets and along the beachfront should run noticeably stronger than a neap tide.
Albies headline as striped bass start to show on Long Island
NOAA CO-OPS station 8510560 off Montauk holds at 66.6°F this morning, with Kings Point (8516945) at 65.3°F and The Battery (8518750) at 69.1°F, barely off late-summer levels for this date. False albacore are the headline species on the East End: White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays calls them the top producer around Shinnecock Inlet, and Tight Lines Tackle in Southampton reports albies "plentiful" around Montauk and Shinnecock. Striped bass are the story to watch: White Water Outfitters says bass are "now beginning to show" inside Shinnecock Bay, and Tight Lines hears of more stripers north in Rhode Island and Connecticut, an early migration signal. Bluefish stay steady, with Captain Dave III out of Sheepshead Bay reporting almost full boat limits. Fluke remains the bread-and-butter bite, with Double D Charters in Montauk landing a double-digit fish and Bob's Bait and Tackle calling fluking "better this week" on peanut bunker and Gulp.
Full moon spring tides build as fall migration nears Chesapeake mouth
Water at the Chesapeake Bay mouth is running warm for late September, holding at 75.4°F this morning at NOAA CO-OPS station 8638610 near the Bay Bridge-Tunnel, with a matching 74.3°F read a few miles up the bay at station 8637689. Today's full moon is driving spring tides through the mouth, with high water around 8:45 a.m. and the next low near 3:00 p.m. Anglers Journal describes the fall striper blitz building along the coast this week, with baitfish and gamefish staging for their seasonal push south, the leading edge of a migration that works its way down through Virginia waters in the weeks ahead.
Oregon Coast tides swing hard under this week's Full Moon
NOAA tide station 9435380 logged 56.3°F water early this morning, while station 9439040 read a warmer 62.2°F, a real gradient along the coast as the fall transition gets underway. Tonight's Full Moon is driving stronger tidal exchange at both gauges: station 9435380 shows a low near 6:00 AM Pacific ahead of a 12:24 PM high, and station 9439040 runs a low near 7:12 AM into a 1:26 PM high. Spring tides like these move more water in a shorter window, which typically sharpens feeding activity right around the turn.
Redfish and Snook Shift as Texas Coast Awaits First Fall Front
Water held in the upper 80s this morning, 90.3°F at the Galveston Bay entrance, 87.1 and 87.8°F at the two stations farther down the coast, still carrying summer's signature into the back half of September. The Galveston Daily News' Reel Report says South Texas anglers, like most along the coast, are waiting on a front, and its equinox column notes fall-like temperatures are coming but probably won't be felt until this weekend. The same Reel Report flagged real day-to-day inconsistency, describing a 'tale of two days' where Saturday and Sunday fishing swung despite similar conditions, while also passing along solid catches from Galveston Bait and Tackle's Capt. Billy Howell. A redfish tournament wrapped as part of that equinox coverage, keeping reds active in the mix heading into fall. Farther south, Texas Fish & Game Magazine's piece on Upper Coast Snook and Sport Fishing Mag's fall-transition report both describe snook shifting toward wintering water as days shorten, a seasonal move that typically sharpens the bite before it eases off for winter.
Full Moon Sets Up a Bigger Tide Swing on the Chesapeake
Chesapeake Bay water temperature held at 67.1°F this morning per NOAA CO-OPS station 8570283, still comfortably in the range that keeps fall feeding windows active. Tonight's full moon is stacking a wide swing into the tide table: low tide lands near 1:26 p.m., building to a high around 7:49 p.m., with the extra pull of the spring tide moving more water than a typical week.
Full moon tides swing wide as Delaware Bay pier access shrinks
Delaware Bay held at 63.3°F this morning at the NOAA CO-OPS station in Lewes, comfortably in range for the fall transition, with the Full Moon widening today's tide swing. The bigger news for shore anglers is access, not water: Delaware Surf Fishing reports another 30 feet of the Cape Henlopen fishing pier closed off overnight, pushing the closed section past 200 feet from the tip — real ground lost for surfcasters working that structure as the season turns.
Fall walleye and lake trout bite holds strong across NY's Great Lakes waters
Brookdog Fishing Co., running charters out of Buffalo, Niagara and Lake Ontario, reports the walleye bite has stayed strong across multiple reports this September, with lake trout action running especially hot out of Barcelona on deep-water jigging presentations. Smallmouth bass are cooperating too, giving clients a reliable third option as conditions shift into fall. These reports come from New York's western Great Lakes fishery rather than the Hudson Valley or Finger Lakes directly, but the pattern they describe, walleye and lake trout locking into a stable fall bite while smallmouth stay active, is the same seasonal shift freshwater anglers statewide should watch for as water begins its cool-down.
Chicago's Lake Michigan settles into an early fall pattern
Late September marks the seasonal turn on Lake Michigan off Chicago, with water temperatures typically starting their steady fall cool-down. That shift begins organizing baitfish and predators alike as the lake enters its early-fall transition, the stretch of calendar anglers use to plan around structure and current breaks rather than open, warm water.