Lakes, ponds and rivers in your state
Find your next place to fish
Search by lake name, town or ZIP. Each water shows what the state has stocked, a shoreline map, the forecast and other spots nearby.
What's on each water page
You'll see where the water is and the closest town, its mapped size and shoreline, recent stocking by species, size and date, the fish likely in that watershed, and the weather forecast.
When a USGS stream gauge is nearby, the page links to its live readings. When the state publishes an online regulations page, the water page links to it.
How to search
Pick a state, then type a lake name, a town, a ZIP, or a mix like Cayuga Lake Ithaca. On the search page you can use your location to see waters near you, and filter by species, distance, size and recent stocking.
Rather look around? Open the map and zoom in, or browse the state lists below. Every water page also links to waters nearby and others in the same county.
Where the data comes from
Water names and locations come from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Shoreline outlines and mapped acreage come from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD).
Stocking records come from state fish and wildlife agency reports. Likely species come from USGS Aquatic GAP fish ranges, which work at the watershed level rather than counting fish in a single lake. Forecasts come from the National Weather Service, gauge readings from USGS, and nearest towns from the US Census Bureau.
Browse waters by state
Pick a state to see its waters by county. The number is how many waters we list there so far, mostly ones with stocking records.
- Alabama (1)
- Arizona (60)
- California (2)
- Connecticut (260)
- Florida (1)
- Georgia (2)
- Massachusetts (137)
- Minnesota (1)
- Missouri (2)
- Montana (607)
- New Hampshire (320)
- New Jersey (66)
- New York (651)
- Ohio (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (67)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (4)
- Virginia (7)
- Washington (528)
- Wisconsin (775)
Featured waters
Some of the bigger waters with a write-up, largest first.
- Lake Erie, Ohio
- Lake Okeechobee, Florida
- Lake Champlain, Vermont
- Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota
- Lake Tahoe, California
- Kentucky Lake, Tennessee
- Guntersville Lake, Alabama
- Oneida Lake, New York
- Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
- Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire
- Clear Lake, California
- Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia
- Table Rock Lake, Missouri
- Lake George, New York
- Quabbin Reservoir, Massachusetts
- Lake Buchanan, Texas
- Hartwell Lake, Georgia
- Lake Travis, Texas
- Theodore Roosevelt Lake, Arizona
- Squam Lake, New Hampshire
- Lake Lyndon B Johnson, Texas
- Wachusett Reservoir, Massachusetts
- Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey
- Lake Austin, Texas
Questions
Where does the stocking information come from?
From stocking reports published by state fish and wildlife agencies. Each record keeps the species, number and size of fish and the date the agency lists, when the report includes them.
Does Cast the Water list fishing regulations?
No. Rules change and vary by water, so always check the state agency before you go. Water pages link to the state's official regulations page when one is available.
Why does the mapped acreage differ from other sources?
Mapped acreage is measured from the USGS NHD shoreline outline. Reservoir levels and map dates vary, so it can differ from the surface area an agency quotes.
What does likely species mean?
It lists fish whose known range covers the watershed around the water, based on USGS Aquatic GAP data. It is a guide to what may be there, not a survey of that lake.
Why isn't my state in the browse list?
The browse list only covers states we've opened for county browsing so far. You can still pick any state in the search box and look up waters by name, town or ZIP.
Can I search for waters near me?
Yes. On the search page, allow location access to see the closest waters, or enter a ZIP code instead.