Wilmington Fishing Report: Perfect Tide and Solunar Times for Reds, Trout, and Drum

Hey y'all, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to fishing guide right here in Wilmington, NC. It's Friday morning, February 20th, 2026, and we're lookin' at a prime day on the water. Sunrise hit around 7:03 AM, sunset's at 5:50 PM or so—plenty of daylight with solunar activity rated average to high, per Tides4Fishing charts, meanin' fish are feedin' steady 'round major times from 2:37-4:37 AM and 3:03-5:03 PM. Tides today from tides4fishing.com and NOAA: Low at 3:05 AM hittin' 0.1 ft, high 8:54 AM at 4.8 ft, low again 3:26 PM at 0.2 ft, and evenin' high 9:09 PM at 4.6 ft. Fish the incomin' tide mid-mornin' and late afternoon when currents pull baitfish into the mix—solunar peaks line up perfect. Weather's mild for February, highs in the low 60s, light northeast winds 5-10 knots accordin' to National Weather Service marine forecast, with partly cloudy skies. No big fronts, so reds and specks'll be active in the estuaries. Recent catches 'round here been hot on red drum, speckled trout, and black drum—folks pullin' limits off the ICW and nearshore reefs last week, with some stripers mixin' in. Mullet schools drawin' 'em up shallow. Best baits: live shrimp or mud minnows on a fish-finder rig. For lures, go with **gold spoons** like Johnson Silver Minnow for reds, or **soft plastics** in paddle tails on 1/4 oz jigheads—mirrolure twitchbaits for trout in murky water. Hit these hot spots: **Carolina Beach Inlet** for drum on the flood tide, or **Masonboro Island flats** for sight-fishin' reds wadin' the shallows. Launch from the state park ramp and stay safe out there. Thanks for tunin' in, y'all—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.