Late Summer Slam: Wilmington Fishing Report 9/6/2025

Artificial Lure here, coming to you live with your Wilmington, NC fishing report for Saturday, September 6th, 2025. Let’s get right to it—expect some classic late-summer action across the area. **Tides & Weather:** Today, Wilmington sees a **high tide around 8:16 AM** and another at sunset, with **low tides just after 2:46 AM and again at 2:49 PM**, per Tides4Fishing. We’re dealing with a pretty high tidal coefficient, peaking at 90, so expect robust currents and active feeding along marsh edges and creek mouths. Weather’s shaping up to be a beauty—mild morning, warming in the afternoon, plenty of sun between **sunrise at 6:48 AM** and **sunset at 7:32 PM**. Light NE winds early giving way to ESE breezes by midafternoon. Humidity will make it feel warmer, especially deep in the creeks. **Fish Activity & Recent Catches:** The bite’s been lively. Folks have been putting good numbers of **speckled trout, red drum, and flounder** in the cooler this past week. Flounder are a hot topic right now—remember, the recreational season opened on September 1 and runs through the 14th, but you can only keep one per day and it’s gotta be at least 15 inches, as noted in the NC Division of Marine Fisheries updates. Recent reports out of Masonboro Sound and Wrightsville Beach show **speckled trout** taking live shrimp and soft plastics early in the morning, while **slot reds** have responded well to cut mullet and Gulp! shrimp near oyster beds and grasslines. Flounder catches are up in area creeks and docks—folks targeting them with live mud minnows or finger mullet have seen consistent action, especially on falling tide. According to Coastal Review, most of the flounder being caught inshore this week are the southern variety. They recommend a cautious approach—don’t be surprised by a few short fish, so measure twice before you keep. **Best Lures & Bait:** Artificial bite has been solid. Locals are scoring with: - **MirrOlure 17MR** and **Z-Man EZ Shrimpz** for trout. - **Gulp! Paddletails** rigged on a ¼ ounce jig for reds. - **Bucktail jigs tipped with strip bait** for flounder—white and pink have been the magic colors, especially during high tidal swings. Live bait is your best bet for flounder and reds. Shrimp and mud minnows fished on a Carolina rig or a simple jighead work around structure and current breaks. **Hot Spots:** If you’re looking for numbers: - **Masonboro Inlet:** Early morning rising tide has produced mixed bags—cast near rocks for trout and reds. - **Bradley Creek:** Steady flounder and drum action mid-morning as the water drains out. Don’t be afraid to fish tight to docks. - **Snow’s Cut:** Always worth a look for larger reds and flounder; fish the deeper edges at slack tide. **Tips from Locals:** - Work your lures slow and keep them close to the bottom. - Pay close attention to falling tide on the back side of creeks as fish ride the flow toward deeper holes. - Watch for surface nervous water—schools of mullet and shrimp are This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.