Wilmington Fishing Report March 2025 Trout Reds Flounder Mackerel and More

Hey there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Wilmington fishing report for March 21, 2025. We've got a beautiful spring day ahead of us, with temps reaching the mid-70s and partly cloudy skies. Sunrise was at 6:15 AM, and we'll see the sun dip below the horizon at 7:22 PM. Tides are looking good today, with a high tide at 9:18 AM and a low tide at 3:42 PM. The water's warming up nicely, sitting around 68°F inshore and 71°F nearshore. Let me tell you, the fishing has been on fire lately! Inshore, the speckled trout bite is really heating up in the creeks and along the ICW. Anglers have been having great luck using soft plastics like Z-Man MinnowZ in electric chicken color or live shrimp under a popping cork. I've been hearing reports of some nice 20-inchers being caught, with a few gators in the 24-inch range mixed in. Redfish are also active, especially around oyster beds and docks. We've been seeing good numbers of slot-sized reds, with a few over-slot bruisers making appearances. Try using cut mullet or Gulp! shrimp on a jighead for best results. Speaking of Gulp!, the new penny color has been absolutely slaying them. Flounder are starting to show up more consistently, particularly around the inlet areas. Bucktails tipped with Gulp! or live mud minnows are your best bet for these flatties. Remember, the season doesn't open until later in the year, so it's catch and release only for now. Offshore, the king mackerel bite is picking up steam. Boats running out 15-30 miles are finding good numbers of kings in the 10-20 pound range. Slow-trolling live menhaden or blue runners has been the ticket. Don't forget to bring some Clarkspoons and planers for the Spanish mackerel that are starting to show up as well. Bottom fishing remains solid, with plenty of black sea bass, grunts, and triggerfish coming over the rails. Squid and cut bait on double-drop rigs are working well. For you surf anglers, whiting and black drum are biting well in the suds. Fresh shrimp or sand fleas are your go-to baits here. We've also been seeing some nice pompano starting to show up, so keep an eye out for those tasty critters. As for hot spots, I'd recommend trying around Masonboro Inlet for some mixed-bag action or heading to the rocks at Fort Fisher for some quality sheepshead fishing. If you're looking to stay in the Cape Fear River, the area around Snow's Cut has been producing some nice reds and specks. Remember to swing by Tex's Tackle or Intracoastal Angler for all your bait and gear needs. Those boys always have the inside scoop on what's biting and where. Tight lines, everyone! This is Artificial Lure, signing off until next time. See you on the water! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.