Recreational Fishing Reports
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries interviews anglers throughout the coast to estimate marine recreational fishing catch. The following regional fishing reports are updated weekly and compiled by DMF port agents as they observe and interview fishermen at access sites along the coast — more than 500 anglers are interviewed each week.
Please note: New fishing reports are posted each week during the height of fishing season.
Interested in fisheries statistics, including updated recreational tuna and billfish landings? Learn more on the Fisheries Statistics page.
Regional Reports
For more information regarding the Northern District Fishing Reports, please contact Brian Melott.
For September 4 - September 10
Ocean
Unfavorable weather conditions limited fishing effort, but the billfish catch and release action was fantastic on days the boats were able to get out. A handful of Wahoo were caught, including some very nice citation-sized fish. A variety of other species were caught, as well, including Almaco jacks, blueline tilefish, great barracuda, and vermillion snapper. Nearshore activity was limited to bluefish and Spanish mackerel, but catches were inconsistent. Offshore catches via Oregon Inlet were similar, with billfish providing the most action. Moderate amounts of dolphin, wahoo, blueline tilefish, and both yellowfin and blackfin tuna were caught, also. Nearshore anglers had a more diverse catch than their Hatteras counterparts, including high numbers of both Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. Black sea bass, amberjack, bluefish, triggerfish, red drum, and little tunny (false albacore) were also caught.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays
Fishing from Hatteras north to Oregon Inlet continued to offer limits of bluefish and spotted seatrout on a semi-consistent basis. A few cobia, flounder, and over-slot red drum were caught, as well. From Oregon Inlet northward, spotted seatrout and red drum of all sizes were the predominate catch, along with moderate amounts of bluefish and a mixed bag of other species in low amounts.
Pier/Beach
Anglers saw modest improvements in their catches. Red drum and kingfish (sea mullet) were available when seas were rough and little else was biting. Large-sized spots were caught in the nearshore surf zone, with mole crabs (sand fleas) being the bait of choice. Some good-sized bluefish and a few Spanish mackerel were caught as well, but the action was not very inconsistent.
For more information regarding the Central District Fishing Reports, please contact Jacob Stain.
For September 4 - September 10
Ocean
Anglers bottom fishing offshore primarily caught vermillion snapper, spottail pinfish (ringtail porgy) as well as some undersized black sea bass and grouper. Anglers trolling caught nice-sized king mackerel and dolphin.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays
Spanish mackerel fishing was good around the turning basin. Anglers fishing in and around the local inlets have had nice catches of red drum and spotted seatrout. Black drum and sheepshead were caught by anglers fishing around area structure.
Piers/Beach
Fishing off the piers was great after Tropical Storm Idalia passed through. Anglers saw a mixed bag of good catches, including red drum, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, Florida pompano, and kingfish (sea mullet). Anglers fishing off the beaches near the inlet started to see more schools of Spanish mackerel chasing bait.
For more information regarding the Southern District Fishing Reports, please contact Dennis Trowell.
For September 4 - September 10
Ocean
Anglers trolling offshore had some decent catches of wahoo and dolphin, along with a handful of sailfish releases. Bottom fishing was slow, but anglers were still able to bring back vermilion snapper, gray triggerfish, and a few groupers. Closer to shore, the king mackerel fishing was good, with fish being caught from the beaches on out to the 8-to-10-mile range. Spanish mackerel and bluefish were caught by anglers trolling along the area beaches.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays
Fishing improved over the last couple of weeks. Finger mullet began to get more active, which in turn had the drum, trout, and bluefish feeding on them. The New and Cape Fear Rivers, as well as the marshes and creeks in lower Brunswick County around the North Carolina/South Carolina line, produced good catches of both drum and trout. The 2023 flounder season opens on September 15th and will run through the 29th. Limits are 1 fish per angler with a minimum size of 15 inches.
Piers/Beach
Fishing was hit or miss, with the weather playing a large role in success rates. Tropical storms and large rain events muddied the water. When water conditions were favorable, very good catches of Spanish mackerel and bluefish were caught. There was a lot of bait, consisting of both Atlantic menhaden and mullet, moving down the beaches, which in turn had both Spanish and king mackerel feeding. Even with the unfavorable water conditions, a good number of king mackerel were landed. Low numbers of spot, Atlantic croaker, and kingfish (sea mullets) were observed as well. Surf fishing has been producing some slot-sized red drum, along with a handful of bluefish, pompano and kingfish.