Wilmington Fishing Report - Fall Patterns Set In, Reds, Flounder & More Biting Offshore

Artificial Lure with the Wilmington, NC inshore and offshore fishing report for September 3, 2025. The Labor Day crowds have thinned and fall patterns are setting in. Marine conditions are settling down—after a brisk start to the week with northeast winds up to 25 knots and seas around 4 to 6 feet, things are calming as high pressure builds in, making for much more manageable water by this afternoon and into the rest of the week, per the National Weather Service Marine Forecast. Early birds were fishing on a receding tide, but with sunrise at 6:46 a.m. and sunset at 7:36 p.m., you’ve got a good daylight stretch for chasing that bite. Tides today in Wilmington: the morning high tide came through around 5:30 a.m., with the next high about 6:12 p.m. Low tide hit at 11:32 a.m. Plan to work those moving waters before and after slack for best results, especially around the morning and evening windows, as tidal swings are moderate this week, per Tide-Forecast.com. Fishing action? The late summer bite is active, but shifting. Inshore, red drum (slot reds) are stacking up around the creeks and marsh edges, especially at the mouth of Bradley Creek and the shell banks by the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge. Flounder are still holding around docks and rock piles—remember, check NC regulations, as keeper seasons can vary. Speckled trout are just starting to make more appearances as the water begins to cool, especially early and late or on cloudy mornings. Live mullet minnows, mud minnows, and shrimp under popping corks are top producers, but Gulp! swimming mullet and Z-Man Diezel Minnowz in electric chicken or new penny can be deadly, especially for those searching for reds and flounder. Off the beach, Spanish mackerel schools are tightening around the inlets. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting epoxy jigs when you see birds diving has been the ticket. King mackerel are scattered from AR 370 out to the 10-mile boxcars, with cigar minnows on drift rigs and deep-diving plugs bringing the action. CaptainExperiences.com reports plenty of happy anglers pulling in limits of Spanish, keeper kings, and even a few mahi over the weekend in the bluewater, plus a handful of bull reds caught and released right along the surf line on cut mullet. If surf fishing is your game, Masonboro Island and the south end of Carolina Beach are both producing. Early and late, you’ll find pompano, sea mullet, and a stray bluefish or two. Sand fleas and fresh cut shrimp are your go-to baits, while gotchas and silver spoons work for bluefish. Today’s weather is shaping up pleasant after a breezy start, high in the mid-80s and dropping humidity. Water clarity is improving with dropping wind and calmer seas expected by late afternoon according to NOAA’s marine forecast. Look for the bite to pick up as the water settles and cleaner tides move in. A couple of hot spots to call out: - Wrightsville Beach drawbridge and the adjacent spoil islands at first light or incoming tide for reds and flou This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.