What's biting right now?
Fish do not read calendars, but they do follow the seasons. This is a season-by-season look at which species are most active and worth targeting, drawn from each fish's own seasonal notes. Find what is biting now, then check the solunar calendar for the best hours of the day and the spawning temperature chart for when each fish beds.
Timing follows a temperate Northern Hemisphere pattern and shifts with your latitude, water type and local weather. In the Southern Hemisphere, flip the seasons by six months. Treat it as a starting point, not a rule.
🌱 Spring March - May
124 species activeWarming water wakes fish up. Many species move shallow to spawn and feed hard, and stocked trout waters open. Often the most forgiving stretch of the year to be on the water.
🎣 Freshwater 74
- Alligator Gar - Late spring through early fall is the prime window, with the hottest months - June through September - generally the most productive as gar...
- American Eel - The best season is the warm part of the year - late spring through early fall - when the water is warm and eels are active and feeding hard...
- American Paddlefish - Where seasons exist, they most often open in spring, timed to the period when paddlefish concentrate and move upriver toward spawning...
- American Shad - For American shad, the season is everything, and that season is spring.
- Arctic Grayling - In Alaska, the prime window runs from late spring through early fall - roughly June through September - when rivers are open, insects are...
- Atlantic Salmon - For landlocked salmon, spring is the marquee time - right after ice-out, salmon feed hard on smelt near the surface in the cold upper...
- Bighead Carp - Late spring through summer, when water warms and plankton blooms, brings fish into shallower, more visible water where bowfishers can find...
- Bigmouth Buffalo - Warm-water conditions from spring through summer generally offer the best, though still limited, opportunities to catch a bigmouth buffalo...
- Blue Catfish - Spring is excellent as fish move and gorge in advance of spawning.
- Blue Tilapia - In the warm southern climates where they live, this can stretch across much of the spring, summer, and into fall whenever the water is warm.
- Bluegill - Late spring and early summer are the peak - the spawn concentrates fish in shallow, visible beds and makes them aggressive and easy to...
- Bowfin - Late spring through early fall is prime time.
- Brook Trout - Late spring and summer are prime for small-stream brook trout, once flows settle from snowmelt and insects are active - and the cool...
- Brown Bullhead - Late spring through summer and into early fall is the prime season, when warm water has them feeding actively.
- Brown Trout - Spring offers strong fishing with abundant insect hatches and active fish.
- Bullhead Catfish - Bullheads can be caught throughout the open-water season, but the prime time is late spring through summer, when warm water has them...
- Burbot
- Chain Pickerel - Late fall, winter, and early spring are prime, when pickerel are among the most active fish in the lake.
- Channel Catfish - Spring, after water warms past the upper 50s, brings strong fishing as cats feed up and prepare to spawn in early summer.
- Chinook Salmon - On Pacific rivers, Chinook return in distinct runs - spring, summer, and fall runs occur depending on the river and population - with the...
- Clown Knifefish
- Coho Salmon - In the Great Lakes, coho are trolled in open water from spring through summer - early spring near-shore action is a notable feature, when...
- Common Carp - Carp fishing is best from late spring through early fall, when warm water has them feeding aggressively.
- Crappie - Spring is the legendary crappie season.
- Cutthroat Trout - In mountain streams the prime window is summer through early fall, after spring runoff drops and clears - the high country fishes best from...
- Dolly Varden - Spring can also be productive as fish feed after the long winter.
- Flathead Catfish - The flathead is a warm-water fish, and the prime season runs from late spring through early fall.
- Freshwater Drum - Late spring through early fall, when water temperatures are in the 60s to 80s, drum feed aggressively and are caught in good numbers.
- Goldeye - Late spring through summer and into early fall is the prime period, when warm water brings goldeye into active surface and mid-water...
- Grass Carp - Late spring through summer and into early fall, when water temperatures are high and the fish are feeding actively on lush vegetation...
- Green Sunfish - Late spring and early summer are especially productive, coinciding with the spawn, when fish crowd into the shallows and feed aggressively.
- Guadalupe Bass - Spring and fall are generally the most comfortable and productive times to fish for them, with pleasant water temperatures and active fish.
- Kokanee Salmon - Spring and early summer are excellent, with fish often higher in the water column and feeding actively as the lake warms.
- Lake Sturgeon - Biologically, spring is a period of intense activity as adults move toward spawning areas, and many fisheries see strong action in late...
- Lake Trout - Spring, soon after ice-out, and fall are the easiest times, when cold water lets lakers roam shallow within reach of casting and shallow...
- Lake Whitefish - In open water, spring and early summer can produce fish before the water warms and pushes them deep, and midsummer fishing means going...
- Largemouth Bass - Spring is the marquee season.
- Longear Sunfish - Late spring and summer are by far the best times, when warm water has longears feeding actively and spawning in the shallows.
- Longnose Gar - From late spring through early fall, when water temperatures climb into the 70s and 80s, longnose gar are active, surface-oriented, and...
- Mayan Cichlid - Spring and summer bring spawning, when territorial fish become especially aggressive and easy to provoke into striking - an outstanding...
- Mountain Whitefish - Spring and summer fishing is also good, though whitefish often take a back seat to trout then.
- Muskellunge - Musky season generally opens in late spring or early summer in the northern states.
- Northern Pike - Spring is outstanding - pike spawn early, soon after ice-out, and feed aggressively in shallow, warming bays through the pre- and...
- Northern Snakehead - The prime season runs from late spring through early fall, when warm temperatures have the fish shallow, active, and feeding hard.
- Peacock Bass - In South Florida, fishing is good from roughly spring through fall, with the warm months delivering the most aggressive feeding.
- Pumpkinseed Sunfish - Pumpkinseeds can be caught all open-water season and through the ice, but late spring and early summer are the easiest and most productive...
- Quillback - Spring through fall is the productive window, with the warm months from late spring into summer offering the most consistent bottom feeding...
- Rainbow Trout - Spring and fall offer the best combination of cool water and active fish.
- Redbreast Sunfish - Late spring and summer are prime for redbreast sunfish.
- Redear Sunfish - Spring is the marquee season.
- Redhorse Sucker - Spring is the standout season.
- Rock Bass - Rock bass bite well from spring through fall.
- Sauger - The pre-spawn run, from late winter into early spring, stacks sauger below dams in large numbers and produces outstanding fishing.
- Shoal Bass - Shoal bass can be caught throughout the warmer months, with the fishing generally strongest from spring through fall when the fish are...
- Silver Carp - Late spring through summer brings the fish shallow and into fertile backwaters where they are visible and reactive.
- Smallmouth Bass - Spring and fall are the standout seasons.
- Smallmouth Buffalo - The prime time for smallmouth buffalo is the warm half of the year, from spring through fall, with spring often the standout.
- Sockeye Salmon - For the landlocked kokanee, lake fishing runs spring through fall.
- Splake - Early spring, just after ice-out, is another strong window when fish are shallow and active in cold water.
- Spotted Bass - Spring brings the spawn, and pre-spawn spotted bass stage on points and channel-related structure, feeding hard.
- Spotted Gar - The spotted gar is a warm-water fish, so the prime season is the warm months from late spring through summer and into early fall, when...
- Spotted Sunfish - The warm months, from spring through early fall, are prime, with the fish most active and cooperative when water is warm.
- Steelhead - Winter steelhead enter coastal rivers from late fall through early spring and are the classic target.
- Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) - Freshwater & Hybrid - Spring is prime time.
- Tiger Muskie - Late spring and early summer, as fish feed actively in and around shallow weed growth in cooling-to-moderate water, offer good action.
- Tiger Trout - Spring and fall are prime, with comfortable water temperatures pushing fish into the shallows and onto the prowl, often within range of...
- Walleye - Spring is a premier walleye season, as fish stage and run toward shallow rocky and current areas to spawn after ice-out, feeding heavily...
- Warmouth - Late spring and summer are the peak seasons, when warm water has the fish feeding actively and moving shallow to spawn and guard nests.
- White Bass - Spring is the marquee season.
- White Catfish - Late spring through early fall is the prime stretch, when warm water has the fish feeding hard.
- White Perch - Spring is prime: as white perch gather and run to spawn in tributaries and the upper reaches of estuaries and lakes, they concentrate in...
- White Sturgeon - Bites also peak around runs of food - shad in late spring and early summer, smelt and eulachon in the lower Columbia, and salmon eggs and...
- White Sucker - Spring is the marquee season.
- Yellow Perch - Winter through early spring offers excellent action as perch school densely in deeper basins.
🌊 Saltwater 50
- Atlantic Cod - Where seasons are open, the best angling is typically in the colder months - late fall, winter, and early spring - when cod move onto...
- Atlantic Croaker - Croaker fishing peaks from late spring through fall, when the fish are stacked in the bays and along the beaches in warm water.
- Atlantic Mackerel - Spring is the classic Atlantic mackerel season in the Northeast, when the great migrating shoals push inshore and northward - timing varies...
- Black Drum - Black drum can be caught throughout the year across most of their range, but the marquee event is the spring spawning run.
- Black Grouper
- Black Sea Bass - Generally, the warm months from late spring through fall offer the most consistent inshore action in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, while...
- Blackfin Tuna - Blackfin can be caught much of the year in the warmer parts of their range, but action peaks when water temperatures and bait are right -...
- Bluefish - Spring brings fish moving north and inshore, with strong action as blues arrive - often April through June in the Mid-Atlantic and...
- Bonefish - South Florida and the Keys offer bonefishing much of the year, but the prime windows are the warmer months of spring through fall, when...
- Bonnethead Shark - As the water heats up in late spring, summer, and into early fall, the sharks push onto the flats and into the bays where anglers can reach...
- California Halibut - California halibut can be caught year-round across much of their range, but the fishing typically peaks from spring through fall.
- California Yellowtail - Yellowtail are a warm-water fishery, and the prime windows run from roughly spring through fall, when water temperatures climb and bait...
- Cobia - Along the Atlantic coast, the spring migration brings fish past the Carolinas and into Virginia waters from roughly April into June, the...
- Crevalle Jack - Crevalle jacks can be caught year-round across the warmer parts of their range, particularly Florida and the Gulf, but they are most active...
- Florida Pompano - Along much of the coast the peak runs occur in spring and fall as the fish migrate, with spring being especially celebrated by surf anglers.
- Flounder - Spring sees fish moving back inshore and spreading onto the flats.
- Goliath Grouper
- Gray Triggerfish - Spring through fall is prime for most of the range, with triggerfish readily mixing into reef and bottom-fishing trips alongside snapper...
- Great Barracuda - In winter and early spring, big barracuda move onto the shallow flats to sun themselves and ambush bait, providing the famous sight-fishing...
- Greater Amberjack - They are often most concentrated and aggressive in the warmer months from spring through fall, with spring (around the pre-spawn period)...
- Hogfish
- King Mackerel - In the Gulf and South Atlantic, the prime seasons are spring and fall as kings migrate along the coast - roughly April through June and...
- Lingcod - Lingcod fishing is closely tied to season and to the regulations that govern it, and the prime windows vary by region but generally favor...
- Mahi-Mahi - Off South Florida and the Atlantic Southeast, late spring through summer - roughly April or May through September - is prime, with the...
- Mangrove Snapper
- Mutton Snapper - Muttons can be caught year-round in South Florida and the Keys, but the fishing peaks in the warmer months, from late spring through...
- Pacific Halibut - Pacific halibut fishing is driven heavily by the regulated season, which is set annually by managers and typically opens in spring and runs...
- Permit - Permit can be found in South Florida and the Keys throughout much of the year, with the warmer months of spring through fall offering the...
- Pinfish
- Pollock - Like cod, pollock are a cold-water fishery, and the best angling generally comes in the colder months - late fall, winter, and spring -...
- Red Grouper
- Redfish - Spring is excellent for tailing fish on warming flats.
- Sailfish - Off southeast Florida the peak runs from late fall through winter and into early spring, when cold fronts and north winds stack migrating...
- Scup / Porgy - For most of the Northeast, scup fishing peaks from late spring through fall.
- Sheepshead - Winter and early spring are prime time.
- Snook - Late spring through summer is prime, when snook stack in passes, inlets, and along beaches to spawn - June through August is the height of...
- Southern Kingfish / "Whiting" - Whiting can be caught through much of the year across the warm Southeast, but many beaches see the best runs in the cooler months and the...
- Spanish Mackerel - In the Gulf and South Atlantic, the season runs as water warms - roughly spring through fall, with prime fishing often from April or May...
- Spotted Seatrout - Spring is outstanding as fish move shallow to feed and pre-spawn.
- Striped Bass - Spring brings fish moving north and inshore, with strong action as stripers feed after spawning - often April through June depending on...
- Summer Flounder - From late spring through early fall - roughly May into October depending on latitude and regulations - fluke are inshore in the bays...
- Tarpon
- Tautog - Tautog are a classic cool-weather fishery, and the two prime windows are spring and fall.
- Tripletail - Along the Gulf and southeastern coasts, the best action comes in the warmer months, spring through fall, when tripletail move into coastal...
- Wahoo - In many Atlantic and Gulf areas the cooler months - fall through spring - produce concentrated, predictable wahoo fishing, and dedicated...
- Weakfish - Weakfish are a warm-season inshore fish, showing up in the bays and surf in spring and providing action through fall before moving off as...
- White Seabass - White seabass are most strongly tied to the spring and early summer squid spawns, and that is the marquee season - roughly March through...
- Winter Flounder - In much of the range the prime windows are late fall and especially early spring, when the fish are concentrated in the shallow inshore...
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Yellowtail Snapper
☀️ Summer June - August
124 species activeFish are active but heat pushes them deep or into shade by midday. Early mornings, late evenings and cooler, moving water produce best, and warm-water species are at their peak.
🎣 Freshwater 74
- Alligator Gar
- American Eel - Warm summer nights are prime time.
- American Shad
- Arctic Grayling - The fishing can be excellent all summer.
- Atlantic Salmon - For sea-run fish where seasons are open, summer and early fall coincide with the upstream runs, with the bite improving after rain raises...
- Bighead Carp - Late spring through summer, when water warms and plankton blooms, brings fish into shallower, more visible water where bowfishers can find...
- Bigmouth Buffalo - Warm-water conditions from spring through summer generally offer the best, though still limited, opportunities to catch a bigmouth buffalo...
- Blue Catfish - Summer offers fast action with numbers of fish, especially at night and in tailraces.
- Blue Tilapia - In the warm southern climates where they live, this can stretch across much of the spring, summer, and into fall whenever the water is warm.
- Bluegill - Late spring and early summer are the peak - the spawn concentrates fish in shallow, visible beds and makes them aggressive and easy to...
- Bowfin
- Brook Trout - Late spring and summer are prime for small-stream brook trout, once flows settle from snowmelt and insects are active - and the cool...
- Brown Bullhead - Late spring through summer and into early fall is the prime season, when warm water has them feeding actively.
- Brown Trout - Summer fishing is good in cold tailwaters and high-elevation streams, especially in low light, and warm summer nights are prime for hunting...
- Bull Trout - Where fishing is legal, summer is often productive in cold high-elevation streams and northern lakes, and fall can be excellent as fish...
- Chain Pickerel - In summer they remain catchable but retreat to cooler, deeper weed edges and bite best early and late in the day.
- Channel Catfish - Summer is the prime channel catfish season - warm water has them feeding aggressively, and the night bite is outstanding.
- Chinook Salmon - On Pacific rivers, Chinook return in distinct runs - spring, summer, and fall runs occur depending on the river and population - with the...
- Cisco - In summer, cisco retreat to deep, cold water and require finding the right depth.
- Clown Knifefish
- Coho Salmon - On Pacific rivers, coho are primarily a fall-run salmon, entering coastal streams and rivers from late summer through fall, with the run...
- Common Carp - Summer is prime, with carp feeding actively, especially in the early morning and evening and overnight.
- Crappie - Summer crappie suspend over deeper structure and bite well early, late, and at night.
- Cutthroat Trout - In mountain streams the prime window is summer through early fall, after spring runoff drops and clears - the high country fishes best from...
- Dolly Varden - The prime season is tied directly to the salmon runs, generally mid-summer through fall, when Dollies stack up below spawning salmon and...
- Flathead Catfish - Summer is peak time, when warm water has flatheads feeding aggressively and predictably.
- Freshwater Drum - Early summer, around the spawn, often produces concentrations of fish and is a peak period.
- Golden Trout - The lakes and streams that hold them sit at such high elevation that they are frozen, snowbound, or inaccessible for much of the year, so...
- Goldeye - Late spring through summer and into early fall is the prime period, when warm water brings goldeye into active surface and mid-water...
- Grass Carp - Late spring through summer and into early fall, when water temperatures are high and the fish are feeding actively on lush vegetation...
- Guadalupe Bass - Summer fishing can be excellent as well, especially early and late in the day when the light is low and the heat is off, and wading a cool...
- Kokanee Salmon - Spring and early summer are excellent, with fish often higher in the water column and feeding actively as the lake warms.
- Lake Sturgeon - Biologically, spring is a period of intense activity as adults move toward spawning areas, and many fisheries see strong action in late...
- Lake Trout - Summer is the technical season: the fish are deep, and success requires downriggers, lead-core line, or heavy jigs to reach them below the...
- Lake Whitefish - In open water, spring and early summer can produce fish before the water warms and pushes them deep, and midsummer fishing means going...
- Largemouth Bass - Summer fishing is strong early and late in the day, with fish holding deep or in heavy shade during the heat.
- Longear Sunfish - Late spring and summer are by far the best times, when warm water has longears feeding actively and spawning in the shallows.
- Longnose Gar - Summer is gar season.
- Mayan Cichlid - Spring and summer bring spawning, when territorial fish become especially aggressive and easy to provoke into striking - an outstanding...
- Mountain Whitefish - Spring and summer fishing is also good, though whitefish often take a back seat to trout then.
- Muskellunge - Musky season generally opens in late spring or early summer in the northern states.
- Northern Pike - Early summer continues strong before the heat pushes big fish deeper.
- Northern Snakehead - Late spring and summer, the spawning and fry-guarding period, can be exceptional - snakeheads are shallow, territorial, and savagely...
- Peacock Bass - Spring and early summer, the spawning period, can be outstanding - peacock bass move shallow, become intensely territorial, and attack...
- Pink Salmon - The pink salmon run is a distinct, concentrated event, generally arriving from mid to late summer into early fall as the fish push in from...
- Pumpkinseed Sunfish - Pumpkinseeds can be caught all open-water season and through the ice, but late spring and early summer are the easiest and most productive...
- Quillback - Spring through fall is the productive window, with the warm months from late spring into summer offering the most consistent bottom feeding...
- Rainbow Trout - Summer can be excellent in high-elevation streams and cold tailwaters but tough in waters that warm into the 70s.
- Redbreast Sunfish - Late spring and summer are prime for redbreast sunfish.
- Redear Sunfish - Fishing stays good into early summer.
- Redhorse Sucker - Fishing stays good through summer and into fall wherever there is clean, flowing water, with early morning and evening often most...
- Rock Bass - Late spring and early summer, around the spawn, are especially productive as fish move shallow and feed hard.
- Sauger - Sauger can be caught in summer too, holding deeper in the river channel.
- Shoal Bass - Spring, around and after the spawn, can be excellent as fish feed aggressively in and around the rocky shallows; late spring through summer...
- Silver Carp - Late spring through summer brings the fish shallow and into fertile backwaters where they are visible and reactive.
- Smallmouth Bass - Summer fishing is excellent in rivers and on deep lake structure, especially early and late.
- Smallmouth Buffalo - Through summer they continue to feed well, often moving onto flats and channel edges in low light around dawn and dusk and feeding through...
- Sockeye Salmon - Sockeye are a classic summer fishery.
- Splake - Summer fishing is possible but requires going deep to find the cold water the fish need.
- Spotted Bass - Summer pushes them deep, where they school on offshore structure and humps and provide consistent action for anglers willing to fish...
- Spotted Gar - The spotted gar is a warm-water fish, so the prime season is the warm months from late spring through summer and into early fall, when...
- Spotted Sunfish - The spawning period in late spring and early summer is especially productive, as males hold on shallow beds near cover and aggressively...
- Steelhead - Runs are split into summer-run and winter-run strains.
- Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) - Freshwater & Hybrid - Summer fishing is good but technical, requiring anglers to find the thermocline and target suspended fish in deep, cool water.
- Tiger Muskie - Late spring and early summer, as fish feed actively in and around shallow weed growth in cooling-to-moderate water, offer good action.
- Tiger Trout - In summer the fish in lakes and reservoirs follow the cool, oxygen-rich water down, holding deeper near the thermocline during the warm...
- Walleye - Early summer offers excellent fishing as walleye settle onto structure.
- Warmouth - Late spring and summer are the peak seasons, when warm water has the fish feeding actively and moving shallow to spawn and guard nests.
- White Bass - Summer and fall offer outstanding open-water fishing as schools chase shad and erupt in surface frenzies, with dawn and dusk the prime...
- White Catfish - Summer is the classic white catfish season, with the best action in the evening and into the night.
- White Perch - Summer and fall both produce well as schools roam and feed.
- White Sturgeon - Bites also peak around runs of food - shad in late spring and early summer, smelt and eulachon in the lower Columbia, and salmon eggs and...
- White Sucker - Summer fishing is steady in cooler rivers and deeper lake areas, best during the low light of early morning and evening.
- Yellow Perch - Summer fishing is reliable but fish push deeper and may scatter.
🌊 Saltwater 50
- Atlantic Bonito
- Atlantic Cod - As water warms in summer, cod retreat deeper and farther offshore.
- Atlantic Croaker - Summer is prime, with croaker available all day but biting best on a moving tide and during the cooler morning and evening hours.
- Black Drum - Summer fishing is good early and late in the day and after dark, when the water cools and the fish move shallow to feed.
- Black Grouper - Cooler months often push fish a little shallower and can concentrate them, while summer sees them holding deep.
- Black Sea Bass
- Blackfin Tuna
- Bluefish - Summer offers steady, reliable fishing throughout their range, with snapper blues filling bays and inlets.
- Bonefish
- Bonnethead Shark - As the water heats up in late spring, summer, and into early fall, the sharks push onto the flats and into the bays where anglers can reach...
- California Halibut - A classic pattern is the spring and early-summer move of fish into the bays and shallows to spawn and feed, which concentrates halibut in...
- Cobia
- Crevalle Jack - Big adult jacks often roam the beaches and passes in spring and early summer, frequently as huge schools chasing menhaden and mullet, and...
- False Albacore - As water cools from late summer into fall, huge concentrations of bait migrate along the coast and albies follow and gorge, producing the...
- Flounder - Summer offers steady inshore action on flats, channels, and around structure.
- Goliath Grouper - Goliath groupers are catchable year-round in southern Florida, but summer is the classic season.
- Great Barracuda
- Greater Amberjack
- Grouper
- Hogfish
- King Mackerel - Summer offers steady fishing, often a bit farther offshore as kings seek cooler, bait-rich water.
- Ladyfish
- Lane Snapper
- Lingcod - Where it is open, late spring and summer typically offer the best combination of active fish, accessible depths, and calm enough seas to...
- Mahi-Mahi - Off South Florida and the Atlantic Southeast, late spring through summer - roughly April or May through September - is prime, with the...
- Mangrove Snapper - Mangrove snapper can be caught year-round in the warm waters of Florida and the Gulf, but summer is often the peak inshore and nearshore...
- Mutton Snapper - Muttons can be caught year-round in South Florida and the Keys, but the fishing peaks in the warmer months, from late spring through...
- Pacific Halibut - Within the open season, the prime fishing is generally late spring through summer and into early fall, when halibut move onto the feeding...
- Permit
- Pinfish - In summer they are almost impossible to avoid around bait spots, which is exactly why they are so easy to gather.
- Red Grouper - In the heat of summer, fish may pull to slightly deeper, cooler structure.
- Red Snapper - The recreational season in the Gulf has often centered on summer months, while South Atlantic openings are short and announced annually.
- Redfish - Summer fishing is strong early and late in the day - beat the heat by fishing the first and last two hours of light.
- Sailfish - Elsewhere in the Gulf and along the Atlantic, summer and early fall bring warmer water and scattered sails.
- Scup / Porgy - They move inshore as water warms in May and June, provide steady action through the summer, and often bite best in the fall when larger...
- Sea Robin - In many areas they are almost unavoidable in summer while fishing sand for other species.
- Sheepshead - Summer fishing is still productive around docks and bridges, though fish are more scattered and often smaller in the heat.
- Snook - Late spring through summer is prime, when snook stack in passes, inlets, and along beaches to spawn - June through August is the height of...
- Spanish Mackerel - Summer is reliable, with fish in the surf and around inlets.
- Spotted Seatrout - Summer brings consistent action, best at dawn, dusk, and even after dark when gator trout prowl the shallows; midday means fishing deeper...
- Striped Bass - Summer offers steady fishing, best in cooler water, at night, and around current and structure; in the warmest areas summer can slow as...
- Summer Flounder - As the name implies, summer is prime.
- Tarpon - Late summer and early fall offer continued action as fish feed and scatter.
- Tautog - As winter deepens and inshore water turns frigid, the fishery shifts to deeper offshore wrecks where larger tog hold, and dedicated anglers...
- Tripletail
- Vermilion Rockfish - Where the season is open, fishing is productive across the warmer months and into fall, with summer and early autumn being the classic...
- Weakfish - Late spring and early summer often bring a strong run as fish enter the estuaries, and fall can offer excellent fishing as weakfish feed...
- White Seabass - White seabass are most strongly tied to the spring and early summer squid spawns, and that is the marquee season - roughly March through...
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Yellowtail Snapper
🍂 Fall September - November
115 species activeCooling water triggers heavy feeding as fish fatten up for winter. One of the most reliable stretches of the year, and often the best chance at a big one.
🎣 Freshwater 67
- American Paddlefish - Some states also offer limited fall opportunities.
- Arctic Grayling - In Alaska, the prime window runs from late spring through early fall - roughly June through September - when rivers are open, insects are...
- Atlantic Salmon - For sea-run fish where seasons are open, summer and early fall coincide with the upstream runs, with the bite improving after rain raises...
- Blue Catfish - Fall sees blues feeding hard as water cools.
- Blue Tilapia - In the warm southern climates where they live, this can stretch across much of the spring, summer, and into fall whenever the water is warm.
- Bluegill - Fall offers steady action as bluegill feed up for winter.
- Bowfin - Late spring through early fall is prime time.
- Brook Trout - Fall brings intense feeding and the spawn, when brook trout color up brilliantly.
- Brown Bullhead - Late spring through summer and into early fall is the prime season, when warm water has them feeding actively.
- Brown Trout - Fall is the marquee season for big browns: brown trout are fall spawners, and as they stage and move toward spawning gravel they become...
- Bull Trout - Where fishing is legal, summer is often productive in cold high-elevation streams and northern lakes, and fall can be excellent as fish...
- Chain Pickerel - Late fall, winter, and early spring are prime, when pickerel are among the most active fish in the lake.
- Channel Catfish - Fall offers steady action as fish feed before winter.
- Chinook Salmon - On Pacific rivers, Chinook return in distinct runs - spring, summer, and fall runs occur depending on the river and population - with the...
- Chum Salmon - Chum are a late-season run, typically arriving from fall into early winter, later than most other Pacific salmon.
- Cisco - Fall and the ice-fishing season are prime for cisco.
- Clown Knifefish
- Coho Salmon - On Pacific rivers, coho are primarily a fall-run salmon, entering coastal streams and rivers from late summer through fall, with the run...
- Crappie - Fall is the second-best window, with cooling water pulling fish back toward feeding zones.
- Cutthroat Trout - In mountain streams the prime window is summer through early fall, after spring runoff drops and clears - the high country fishes best from...
- Dolly Varden - The prime season is tied directly to the salmon runs, generally mid-summer through fall, when Dollies stack up below spawning salmon and...
- Golden Trout - The lakes and streams that hold them sit at such high elevation that they are frozen, snowbound, or inaccessible for much of the year, so...
- Goldeye - Late spring through summer and into early fall is the prime period, when warm water brings goldeye into active surface and mid-water...
- Grass Carp - Late spring through summer and into early fall, when water temperatures are high and the fish are feeding actively on lush vegetation...
- Guadalupe Bass - Spring and fall are generally the most comfortable and productive times to fish for them, with pleasant water temperatures and active fish.
- Kokanee Salmon - Kokanee can be caught from ice-out through fall.
- Lake Sturgeon - Summer and early fall can produce well in deeper river holes and lake basins where sturgeon feed steadily on the bottom.
- Lake Trout - Spring, soon after ice-out, and fall are the easiest times, when cold water lets lakers roam shallow within reach of casting and shallow...
- Lake Whitefish - Late fall is also excellent as fish move toward spawning shoals and feed heavily, and this pre-spawn and spawning period concentrates them...
- Largemouth Bass - Fall brings another excellent stretch as cooling water triggers heavy feeding on shad.
- Longear Sunfish - Early fall remains productive as the fish continue feeding in the warm water.
- Longnose Gar - From late spring through early fall, when water temperatures climb into the 70s and 80s, longnose gar are active, surface-oriented, and...
- Mayan Cichlid
- Mountain Whitefish - Fall and winter are the standout seasons for the mountain whitefish.
- Muskellunge - But fall is the legendary trophy season - as water cools, big female muskies feed heavily to build energy reserves, and the largest fish of...
- Northern Pike - Fall is the trophy season; as water cools, large pike feed heavily and aggressively to fatten for winter, producing many of the year's...
- Northern Snakehead - The prime season runs from late spring through early fall, when warm temperatures have the fish shallow, active, and feeding hard.
- Peacock Bass - In South Florida, fishing is good from roughly spring through fall, with the warm months delivering the most aggressive feeding.
- Pink Salmon - The pink salmon run is a distinct, concentrated event, generally arriving from mid to late summer into early fall as the fish push in from...
- Pumpkinseed Sunfish - Fall offers steady action as fish feed up.
- Quillback - Spring through fall is the productive window, with the warm months from late spring into summer offering the most consistent bottom feeding...
- Rainbow Trout - Spring and fall offer the best combination of cool water and active fish.
- Redbreast Sunfish - Fall offers continued action as fish feed ahead of cooler weather.
- Redear Sunfish - Fall provides a secondary feeding push.
- Redhorse Sucker - Fishing stays good through summer and into fall wherever there is clean, flowing water, with early morning and evening often most...
- Rock Bass - Rock bass bite well from spring through fall.
- Sauger - Fall and winter are the marquee seasons for sauger.
- Shoal Bass - Shoal bass can be caught throughout the warmer months, with the fishing generally strongest from spring through fall when the fish are...
- Smallmouth Bass - Spring and fall are the standout seasons.
- Smallmouth Buffalo - The prime time for smallmouth buffalo is the warm half of the year, from spring through fall, with spring often the standout.
- Sockeye Salmon - For the landlocked kokanee, lake fishing runs spring through fall.
- Splake - Fall is excellent as cooling water pulls the fish shallow and triggers heavy feeding.
- Spotted Bass - Fall is outstanding as cooling water sends them chasing shad, sometimes schooling and breaking on the surface.
- Spotted Gar - The spotted gar is a warm-water fish, so the prime season is the warm months from late spring through summer and into early fall, when...
- Spotted Sunfish - The warm months, from spring through early fall, are prime, with the fish most active and cooperative when water is warm.
- Steelhead - Winter steelhead enter coastal rivers from late fall through early spring and are the classic target.
- Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) - Freshwater & Hybrid - Fall is the other peak - cooling water sends shad shallow, and stripers follow with violent surface schooling that can be the most exciting...
- Tiger Muskie - Then comes the celebrated fall period: from early autumn until the water grows very cold, tiger muskies feed heavily, putting on weight...
- Tiger Trout - Spring and fall are prime, with comfortable water temperatures pushing fish into the shallows and onto the prowl, often within range of...
- Walleye - Fall brings another strong feeding push as walleye fatten for winter, sometimes producing the biggest fish of the year.
- Warmouth - Fall offers steady fishing as the fish feed before cooler weather.
- White Bass - Summer and fall offer outstanding open-water fishing as schools chase shad and erupt in surface frenzies, with dawn and dusk the prime...
- White Catfish - Late spring through early fall is the prime stretch, when warm water has the fish feeding hard.
- White Perch - Summer and fall both produce well as schools roam and feed.
- White Sturgeon - Bites also peak around runs of food - shad in late spring and early summer, smelt and eulachon in the lower Columbia, and salmon eggs and...
- White Sucker - Fall offers reliable bottom fishing as the fish feed ahead of winter.
- Yellow Perch - Fall is a sleeper season - cooling water triggers heavy feeding as perch fatten up, and jumbos roam shallow again.
🌊 Saltwater 48
- Atlantic Bonito - Along much of the Atlantic coast they show up as the water warms, giving action through the warmer months and often a strong push in the...
- Atlantic Cod - Where seasons are open, the best angling is typically in the colder months - late fall, winter, and early spring - when cod move onto...
- Atlantic Mackerel - A secondary showing can occur in fall as fish move back through.
- Black Drum
- Black Grouper
- Black Sea Bass - Generally, the warm months from late spring through fall offer the most consistent inshore action in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, while...
- Blackfin Tuna
- Bluefish - Fall is the standout: the southbound migration produces explosive blitzes and the year's hardest, fastest fishing, roughly September...
- Bonefish - South Florida and the Keys offer bonefishing much of the year, but the prime windows are the warmer months of spring through fall, when...
- Bonnethead Shark - As the water heats up in late spring, summer, and into early fall, the sharks push onto the flats and into the bays where anglers can reach...
- California Halibut - California halibut can be caught year-round across much of their range, but the fishing typically peaks from spring through fall.
- Crevalle Jack - Crevalle jacks can be caught year-round across the warmer parts of their range, particularly Florida and the Gulf, but they are most active...
- False Albacore - False albacore are the marquee fish of the fall run, and autumn is by far the prime season.
- Florida Pompano - Along much of the coast the peak runs occur in spring and fall as the fish migrate, with spring being especially celebrated by surf anglers.
- Flounder - Flounder are available much of the year inshore, but the standout period is the fall "flounder run." From roughly September through...
- Gag Grouper - Biologically, fish can be caught on structure whenever anglers can reach it, with fall often a strong period as gags move and feed, and...
- Goliath Grouper
- Gray Triggerfish - Spring through fall is prime for most of the range, with triggerfish readily mixing into reef and bottom-fishing trips alongside snapper...
- Great Barracuda
- Greater Amberjack - They are often most concentrated and aggressive in the warmer months from spring through fall, with spring (around the pre-spawn period)...
- Grouper
- Hogfish
- King Mackerel - In the Gulf and South Atlantic, the prime seasons are spring and fall as kings migrate along the coast - roughly April through June and...
- Lingcod - Lingcod fishing is closely tied to season and to the regulations that govern it, and the prime windows vary by region but generally favor...
- Mahi-Mahi - Off Southern California, late summer and fall warm-water years bring mahi within range.
- Mangrove Snapper
- Mutton Snapper
- Permit - Permit can be found in South Florida and the Keys throughout much of the year, with the warmer months of spring through fall offering the...
- Pinfish
- Pollock - Like cod, pollock are a cold-water fishery, and the best angling generally comes in the colder months - late fall, winter, and spring -...
- Redfish - Redfish can be caught year-round across most of their range, but fall is prime time.
- Sailfish - Off southeast Florida the peak runs from late fall through winter and into early spring, when cold fronts and north winds stack migrating...
- Scup / Porgy - For most of the Northeast, scup fishing peaks from late spring through fall.
- Snook - Fall offers excellent fishing as snook feed heavily before cooling water.
- Southern Kingfish / "Whiting" - Whiting can be caught through much of the year across the warm Southeast, but many beaches see the best runs in the cooler months and the...
- Spanish Mackerel - In the Gulf and South Atlantic, the season runs as water warms - roughly spring through fall, with prime fishing often from April or May...
- Spotted Seatrout - Fall is a feeding frenzy as trout fatten ahead of winter - many anglers' favorite season.
- Striped Bass - Fall is the legendary season: the southbound migration produces blitzes and the year's best surf and boat fishing, roughly September...
- Tarpon - Late summer and early fall offer continued action as fish feed and scatter.
- Tautog - Tautog are a classic cool-weather fishery, and the two prime windows are spring and fall.
- Tripletail - Along the Gulf and southeastern coasts, the best action comes in the warmer months, spring through fall, when tripletail move into coastal...
- Vermilion Rockfish - Where the season is open, fishing is productive across the warmer months and into fall, with summer and early autumn being the classic...
- Wahoo - In many Atlantic and Gulf areas the cooler months - fall through spring - produce concentrated, predictable wahoo fishing, and dedicated...
- Weakfish - Weakfish are a warm-season inshore fish, showing up in the bays and surf in spring and providing action through fall before moving off as...
- White Seabass - Good fishing can extend into late summer and fall, and there is often a secondary push, but the spring squid run is the classic window that...
- Winter Flounder - In much of the range the prime windows are late fall and especially early spring, when the fish are concentrated in the shallow inshore...
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Yellowtail Snapper
❄️ Winter December - February
56 species activeThe slow season for most species. Fish hold deep and feed little, so slow presentations and the warmest part of a mild day pay off. Ice fishing takes over in the north.
🎣 Freshwater 29
- Blue Catfish - Blue catfish bite year-round, and they are famously a strong cold-water fishery - winter is prime time for trophy blues, which feed heavily...
- Bluegill - Fall offers steady action as bluegill feed up for winter.
- Brown Trout - Winter fishing is productive on tailwaters.
- Burbot - Burbot fishing is, above all, a winter sport.
- Chain Pickerel - Late fall, winter, and early spring are prime, when pickerel are among the most active fish in the lake.
- Chum Salmon - Chum are a late-season run, typically arriving from fall into early winter, later than most other Pacific salmon.
- Cisco - Through winter, ice anglers enjoy some of the best cisco action of the year, jigging small spoons and jigs.
- Clown Knifefish
- Cutthroat Trout - Coastal sea-run cutthroat are a fall and winter target in tidal rivers.
- Dolly Varden - Spring can also be productive as fish feed after the long winter.
- Lake Sturgeon - Some of the most famous regulated opportunities, such as Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago system, occur in winter under the ice.
- Lake Trout - Winter is excellent - lake trout are a premier ice-fishing species, aggressive even in frigid water, and reachable in lakes where summer...
- Lake Whitefish - Winter is the signature season for lake whitefish, and ice fishing is how most sport anglers pursue them.
- Mayan Cichlid
- Northern Pike - Fall is the trophy season; as water cools, large pike feed heavily and aggressively to fatten for winter, producing many of the year's...
- Pumpkinseed Sunfish - In winter, pumpkinseeds are a reliable ice-fishing target in shallow weedy bays.
- Rainbow Trout - Fall fish feed hard ahead of winter.
- Sauger - Fall and winter are the marquee seasons for sauger.
- Splake - Winter ice fishing is a marquee season for splake in many northern lakes, with fish willing to chase spoons and jigs beneath the ice.
- Spotted Bass - Spotted bass bite year-round and are one of the better cold-water black bass - winter fishing in deep water can be excellent for them.
- Spotted Gar - As the water cools in fall the bite tapers, and in winter, especially in the northern parts of the range, the fish become sluggish and far...
- Steelhead - Runs are split into summer-run and winter-run strains.
- Tiger Muskie - Then comes the celebrated fall period: from early autumn until the water grows very cold, tiger muskies feed heavily, putting on weight...
- Tiger Trout - Winter is a genuinely strong season where waters stay open or freeze safely: tiger trout remain active in cold water and are a popular...
- Walleye - Fall brings another strong feeding push as walleye fatten for winter, sometimes producing the biggest fish of the year.
- White Perch - White perch are also a popular ice-fishing target through the winter in their northern range, so the fishing genuinely continues all year.
- White Sturgeon - Winter and spring are often excellent in the lower Columbia and the California Delta, while in the heat of summer the fish hold in cool...
- White Sucker - Fall offers reliable bottom fishing as the fish feed ahead of winter.
- Yellow Perch - Winter through early spring offers excellent action as perch school densely in deeper basins.
🌊 Saltwater 27
- Atlantic Cod - Where seasons are open, the best angling is typically in the colder months - late fall, winter, and early spring - when cod move onto...
- Black Drum - From late winter into spring - roughly February through April depending on latitude - enormous schools of bull drum stack into passes...
- Black Grouper
- Black Sea Bass - Generally, the warm months from late spring through fall offer the most consistent inshore action in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, while...
- Bonefish - Cold fronts in winter can push bonefish off the flats into deeper, warmer water and shut the bite down temporarily.
- Crevalle Jack
- False Albacore - Timing varies by latitude, running later into fall and even winter the farther south you go and earlier up north.
- Goliath Grouper
- Great Barracuda - In winter and early spring, big barracuda move onto the shallow flats to sun themselves and ambush bait, providing the famous sight-fishing...
- Greater Amberjack
- Hogfish
- King Mackerel - Winter pushes the fishery into the southernmost range.
- Lingcod - In many areas the fishery opens in spring and runs into fall, with early season often excellent as fish are active and feeding aggressively...
- Mangrove Snapper
- Mutton Snapper
- Permit - Cold fronts in winter push fish off the shallow flats into deeper, warmer water, much as they do with bonefish.
- Pinfish
- Pollock - Like cod, pollock are a cold-water fishery, and the best angling generally comes in the colder months - late fall, winter, and spring -...
- Redfish - From September through November, bull reds gather to spawn near passes and beaches, and slot-sized fish gorge in the marsh ahead of winter.
- Sailfish - Off southeast Florida the peak runs from late fall through winter and into early spring, when cold fronts and north winds stack migrating...
- Scup / Porgy
- Sheepshead - Winter and early spring are prime time.
- Striped Bass - Winter fishing is limited to the southern range and holdover fish in some estuaries.
- Tautog - As winter deepens and inshore water turns frigid, the fishery shifts to deeper offshore wrecks where larger tog hold, and dedicated anglers...
- Winter Flounder - As the name suggests, the winter flounder fishery is a cold-season affair.
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Yellowtail Snapper
Ready to pick a day? The solunar calendar shows the best feeding windows, and every species links to a full guide with tackle and technique. New to it all? Start at the beginner's guide.