Wilmington Fishing Report: Early Fall Bite Heats Up on Cape Fear and Coastal Waters

Artificial Lure here, bringing you the Wilmington, NC fishing report for Friday, October 10, 2025. The early fall bite is on, and folks up and down the Cape Fear and out around Wrightsville and Carolina Beach are feeling the pull. If you’re heading out, here’s what you need to know to put fish in the box and smiles on your face. Today’s tides are strong, with that tidal coefficient rolling around 83—plenty of movement to stir up the action. We’ve got a low tide at 6:44 a.m. and a big high right around 12:42 p.m. If you fish the beach, expect that first push of water after sun-up to really get things going. Slack tides will be brief, and those faster moving currents are your friend for predators on the hunt. Sunrise is at 7:13 a.m., sunset at 6:43 p.m. for the day, and that early morning light is prime time for topwater strikes and chasing bait balls[2][4]. Weather’s looking to be classic October—cool morning in the low 60s and heading up near 76 by afternoon, with light northeast winds picking up by afternoon and a small craft advisory looming for later in the day[17][19]. Layer up if you’re starting early. The water temps offshore are hovering in the low 70s, perfect for about everything from flounder to false albacore. The fish don’t mind the calendar, and they sure haven’t disappointed lately. Inshore, the Cape Fear River and its creeks are loaded with speckled trout and slot reds, with some flounder still hanging on the drop-offs and edges. Reports from Masonboro and the docks around Bradley Creek say folks are finding limits early, especially on the outgoing tide. Best baits right now: *live mullet minnows*, mud minnows, and shrimp if you can get ‘em. Gulp! baits in natural colors have been a staple, and MirrOlure 52MRs in greenback or pink have been crushing the trout when the water clarity holds. Reds are hitting popping corks and soft plastics—try a Z-Man MinnowZ in “Bad Shad” or “Opening Night,” bounced just above the oysters. Topwater bite at first light is hot, especially Heddon Super Spook Jrs and Rapala Skitter Walks over grass or shallow flats. Surf and pier anglers are seeing plenty of action, too. Carolina Beach Pier has been producing nice black drum and a few pompano on sand fleas and fresh cut shrimp. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are blitzing the nearshore bars in the later morning—Diamond jigs and Got-Cha plugs are your ticket when you see the birds working past the surf. Offshore, king mackerel are active on slow-trolled dead cigar minnows and Drone spoons over the nearshore wrecks out to the 10-mile box—most being caught in the 10–20 pound class. A couple of hot spots for you: Wrightsville Beach bridge and the nearby marsh pots are still stacked with trout and reds. The Carolina Beach State Park basin is a solid bet if you want to hide from any wind and work the deeper holes on a falling tide. Word is, folks have been catching steady numbers—most boaters are reporting easy limits of keeper trout in the morning, and a This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.