North Carolina Fishing Report - Fall Transition Picks Up

Artificial Lure here with your Atlantic Coast North Carolina fishing report for Saturday, September 13, 2025. Sunrise came at 6:48 AM, with sunset expected around 7:16 PM. Today's tides for the N.C. State Fisheries area: low tide rolled in at 7:22 AM, high tide will hit about 1:38 PM, and the next low will be near 8:39 PM, according to Tides4Fishing. Solunar activity is average today, so bite windows may be shorter than last week’s wild runs. Weather-wise, the National Weather Service is calling for NE winds 10 to 15 knots, seas 3 to 5 feet offshore but closer to 2 feet inside, and fair skies once the morning haze lifts. Waters are choppy early but calming through midday. Pay attention—Hurricane Erin is swinging offshore soon, which will boost rip currents and surf, so take those beach warnings seriously and fish with care. Let’s talk fishing action! The fall transition is picking up steam, and this week’s catches show it. Surf anglers have been landing solid numbers of bluefish—most in the 1-3 pound range—mixed with a handful of Spanish mackerel. According to weekend reports from area piers, Spanish mackerel are still biting hard, but be aware: NOAA Fisheries warns commercial harvest of mackerel closes September 20th in federal waters off the Carolinas as quotas fill. Recreational catches remain legal and lively for now. Red drum and speckled trout have fired up in the inlets and inside the sounds. Kayakers working the marsh edges near New River and Bogue Sound report slot reds chasing paddle tails at sunrise. Soft plastics in pink or white, and gold spoons, are top picks. Those targeting trout have found success at daybreak on MirrOlure 52M’s in natural shades, with some keepers pushing 20 inches—try the deeper bends around Bear Creek or the Haystacks. Bottom rigs off the beach keep producing good numbers of sea mullet and spot, especially on falling tides near the piers. Peel shrimp remains the go-to bait, closely followed by fresh-cut bloodworm. Reports are trickling in of early fall flounder as well—though most are undersized, a few 18-inchers have been grabbed drifting mud minnows at the mouth of the inlets. Offshore, the bite is tougher today with choppy seas, but boats braving the swells are still picking up mahi and an occasional wahoo in the 20- to 25-mile range, trolling with ballyhoo and bright skirted lures. Nearshore wrecks have black sea bass and grunts stacking up for those dropping double-bucktail rigs tipped with squid strips. Looking for hot spots? For surf and pier action, try the stretch from Bogue Inlet Pier down to Surf City Pier—not only are the blues and Spanish active, but the drum patrols have been cruising the sloughs at first light. For the inshore crowd, Sneads Ferry and the creeks off Swansboro are both putting up strong trout numbers, with plenty of oyster bars holding fish on the outgoing tide. Best baits and lures for today: - **Surf/pier**: Gotcha plugs (silver with pink or chartreuse), mullet strips, cu This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.