NC Coastal Fishing Update: Spanish, Bluefish, Reds Biting Across the Region

Welcome back to your North Carolina Atlantic fishing report, I’m Artificial Lure—your local line to what’s biting from Cape Hatteras down to Carolina Beach on this June 11, 2025. Let’s start with today’s conditions. Sunrise hit at 6:04am and sunset will be at 8:20pm, giving us those long, golden hours prime for topwater bites and evening action. Tidal swings are solid: low tide was at 2:08am, then we saw a 3.3-foot high tide ride in at 7:58am. Low swings again at 1:49pm, followed by another high at 8:13pm pushing up to 4.2 feet, according to the Oceanana Pier chart. That means the best windows for feeding fish are those moving water periods, especially around dawn and dusk when the tide’s turning and the bait’s most active. Weatherwise, June’s treating us to warm days with a light southeast breeze—perfect for everything from pier casting to running the nearshore reefs. Water clarity has held tight along the beaches and inside the inlets, so sight-fishing’s in play and you’ll want to bring your sunglasses. As for the catch, the action is on fire. According to the Fisherman’s Post and reports from Kure Beach and Carolina Beach, Spanish mackerel have been thick, especially for folks trolling flashy spoons or casting Gotcha plugs and jigs around the outer bars. Big Nic Spanish Candies are taking the cake for surface-feeding schools. Bluefish are also running in good numbers, with steady action off the surf and piers—those toothy critters are smashing metal lures and plugs, just mind your leader. Bottom fishing has been productive for whiting and croaker, with the occasional pompano mixed in for surf anglers working sand fleas and fresh shrimp. Black drum and sheepshead are tight to the jetties and pilings, biting on fiddler crabs and cut bait—classic setups all week long. Inshore, red drum are schooling up—look for them around oyster points and marsh edges on the rising tide. The inside bite for reds responds best to topwater early and late (try MirrOlure Top Pup or Top Dog), and soft plastics like Gulp Shrimp or swimbaits as the sun gets up. If you're heading offshore, king mackerel are scattered anywhere from the piers out to 10-plus miles, taking live baits and drifted cigar minnows. Deeper spots have produced grouper and even mahi-mahi for the dedicated bottom drop crew. The Gulf Stream is holding mahi (in the 400-1200’ range) and a few blue marlin at the deeper ledges. For hot spots, make sure to check out Carolina Beach Pier, Kure Beach Pier, and the jetty system at Wrightsville Beach. The nearshore reefs off Atlantic Beach are also giving up some hefty fish, especially with the morning tide push. Best bait and tackle this week: Use small spoons or Gotcha plugs for Spanish and blues. For bottom fishing, fresh cut shrimp, sand fleas, and fiddler crabs are the ticket. Inshore reds are loving topwater lures at first and last light, with soft plastics or live mullet working once the sun’s overhead. Thanks for tuning in—and remember, if you This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.