Thanksgiving Trout, Reds, and Drum on the North Carolina Coast

Artificial Lure coming to you with your Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina fishing report for November 25, 2025. We're gearing up for a classic late November day with crisp temps and lively action from Cape Hatteras down to Wilmington. The sun poked up at 6:57 AM today, with sunset coming at 6:59 PM, giving us a decent window for the bite. Tides are running in a typical fall pattern: around Cape Hatteras, we’ve got a low tide this morning at 2:55 AM and high tide hitting at 9:34 AM, then another dip at 4:11 PM and high again at 9:57 tonight, according to Tide-Forecast.com. Those early incoming tides are your ticket if you’re planning on being out there at first light. Weatherwise, Cape Hatteras is waking up in the mid-50s—expect temps to reach into the upper 50s today with a steady 10-15 knot northeasterly breeze and some patchy clouds, as reported by the National Weather Service. That wind’s kept the surf a little churned up, with seas in the 4–7 foot range offshore, so keep it tight if you're out on the big water. Let’s talk catches. Folks have been landing **speckled trout, red drum, and black drum** in strong numbers from Hatteras down to Wilmington this week. Wilmington’s recent reports mention “chilly temps, trout, reds, and drum bites,” and some nice stringers of keeper trout coming in, especially around the inlet mouths and marsh creeks. Near Cape Hatteras and Atlantic Beach, **bluefish** and the odd late-season **flounder** are showing, with slot-sized reds mixed in tight to the breakers and near the piers. In the surf and near inlets, your best shot is to use **live shrimp** under a popping cork for trout or a chunk of cut mullet for red drum and bluefish. If you’re throwing lures, **MirrOlures** and soft plastics like the Z-Man Paddle Tail in a natural color, or a classic silver spoon for blues, are producing fish—especially on that rising tide. Folks using Ned rigs and downsized drop-shots out of the coastal kayak scene are also doing well, with even the pickier late-fall trout and drum responding to smaller profiles and subtle action. For the kayakers and pier anglers, popping cork rigs and even heavier spinnerbaits with chartreuse blades, as recommended by VanDam for chilly, clear fall water, can draw a reaction strike from those cruising drum and trout. Hot spots to try today: - **Cape Hatteras Fishing Pier**: Still seeing action, especially for trout and smaller drum around the first hour of the incoming tide. - **Masonboro Inlet** near Wilmington: Reports of solid trout and red drum bites close to marsh banks and around dock pilings, particularly in the first two hours after sunrise. - **Surf zone at Oak Island**: Blues and puppy drum are chasing lures and cut bait in the wash, and there’s an uptick in black drum on shrimp-tipped bottom rigs. Remember, with the cooler water, slower retrieves and natural presentations are working best. Stick to lighter line in clear water and don’t overlook those backwater creeks—which have bee This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.