Daily fishing verdict · 2026-07-19

Water dropped 7 degrees — smallmouth could wake up.

Published: 2026-07-19 Written from: the dock at 1511 Oak Orchard River Rd, Waterport, NY

A nearly 7°F temperature drop has the river sitting at 68.9°F, right at the edge of smallmouth's sweet spot. Flow is rising to 209 cfs and turbidity is creeping muddier, so visibility won't be great — but that DO range topped 7.7 mg/L yesterday, and a sunny afternoon should push it back up. Cautiously optimistic, though the muddying water is worth keeping an eye on.

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