Wilmington Fishing Report: Chilly Temps, Trout, Reds, and Drum Bites

Artificial Lure reporting from Wilmington, NC—here’s your Thursday, November 13th local fishing rundown. Today’s sunrise was 7:15 AM, and sunset’s at 6:40 PM, so that gives us solid time for morning and evening bites. Let’s start with the tides: High tide rolled in at 2:07 AM with 4.02 ft at Wilmington Beach, while low tide sets in at 8:01 AM around 0.75 ft. Afternoon anglers should expect the next high water near 3:57 PM peaking at 4.8 ft. According to Tides4Fishing, solunar activity is low today, so plan for a quiet bite—though just before sunset could bring a bump in action as fish move to deeper edges and around structure. November fronts mean colder air, and the National Weather Service Wilmington has us bundled up this morning. Expect brisk northwest winds 10-15 knots, seas running 2-4 feet offshore, with daytime highs barely touching the upper 50s. Water temps have dipped, so most inshore species are switching feeding patterns to chase slow-moving lures and soaking baits. Wilmington anglers have reported solid catches of speckled trout, red drum, and a few flounder (which are a bonus since that season is tight). Wrightsville Beach jetties and the mouth of the Cape Fear have spit out keeper trout (some pushing 18-20 inches). Vudu shrimp and Z-Man MinnowZ on quarter-ounce jigheads are top producers for trout. For reds, try fresh mullet chunks or Gulp swimming mullet rigged on Carolina rigs around docks and marsh points. Black drum have started showing near the barrier islands—Carolina Beach Inlet is producing, especially soaking fresh dead shrimp right on the bottom. Flounder reports are just a handful, but if you want to try, focus on live mud minnows worked slowly along channel drop-offs. Stripers are moving up the Cape Fear River. Anglers working topwater early or casting white bucktails under the Isabel Holmes Bridge have had steady action, though most fish are schoolies. If you’re looking for hot spots, these are catching steady fish: - Wrightsville Beach south jetty: Good for trout and reds, especially on moving tides. - Carolina Beach Inlet: Drum and trout are holding tight near oyster beds and creek mouths. Pier and surf fishing at Kure and Johnnie Mercers has been dependable with slot reds, whiting, and the occasional trout caught just past the breakers, mostly with fresh shrimp or Fishbites. Best Baits Right Now: - Speckled trout: Vudu shrimp, MirrOlure 52MR, live mud minnows. - Red drum: Fresh cut mullet, Gulp swimming mullet, live shrimp. - Black drum: Fresh dead shrimp, blue crabs. - Striper: White bucktail, topwater plug early morning. Best Lures: - Z-Man MinnowZ (Shiner or Electric Chicken) - Vudu Shrimp (Natural or Glow) - MirrOlure 52MR (Greenback or Pink) Remember, low solunar means picking your window. Early morning and late afternoon will likely see the best action, so time those casts right and work the structure slow. That’s all for today’s Wilmington fishing report. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subsc This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.