BizkFishBizkFish

Plan your season

Fishing Guides by Season and Region

Fish don't follow the calendar — they follow water temperature, bait, and light. These guides organize everything we've published by when and where you're fishing, so you can start with the season outside your window or the region you're planning to visit.

By season

Spring fishing

As water climbs through the 50s, fish leave their wintering holes and slide toward shallow, sun-warmed banks to feed and spawn. It is the most forgiving season of the year — but only if you time the pre-spawn and spawn windows instead of fishing the calendar.

Summer fishing

Heat pushes fish deep, nocturnal, or both. Success in July and August is about fishing low-light windows, reading thermoclines, and understanding how water temperature changes what fish are willing to chase.

Fall fishing

Cooling water triggers the year's most aggressive feeding as fish pack on weight before winter. Shad migrations, falling water levels, and the first cold fronts all concentrate fish in predictable places.

Winter fishing

Cold water slows metabolisms and shrinks strike zones, but it also groups fish tightly around deep structure. Anglers who slow down and downsize catch fish all winter — and it is also the season to plan, repair gear, and study regulations for the year ahead.

By region

The South

Warmwater country: trophy bass lakes, year-round seasons, and saltwater within a short drive of most cities. Mild winters make the South the best region for anglers who want to fish twelve months a year.

The Rockies and the West

Cold, clear water and wild fish. From Montana's blue-ribbon trout rivers to Alaska's salmon runs, the West rewards anglers willing to travel — and to learn how moving water works.

The East Coast

A thousand miles of coastline plus some of the country's most underrated river systems. Striped bass on the beaches, catfish in the big rivers, and small towns where fishing is still a way of life.

Trips and family fishing

Fishing is easier to share than most hobbies. These guides cover where to take kids, how to plan a road trip around the water, and why some of the best fishing in America is inside city limits.

Looking for something specific?

Browse every article we've published, or search by species, technique, or place.

Browse all articlesSearch the site