Wilmington Fishing Report: Red Drum, Black Drum, Speckled Trout, and More Heating Up the Spring Bite

Good morning, anglers! Here’s today’s fishing report for Wilmington, NC, and the surrounding waters on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. The spring bite is heating up, and it’s shaping up to be a great day on the water. The weather forecast shows temperatures ranging from the mid-50s in the morning to the lower 70s by midday with light winds from the southeast. Sunrise was at 6:49 AM, and sunset will be at 7:33 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to hit your favorite fishing spots. The tidal chart for the Cape Fear River shows a high tide occurring mid-morning and low tide in the mid-afternoon, so plan your fishing around those movements for the best results. The fishing in and around Wilmington has been stellar lately. Inshore waters are producing consistent catches of Red Drum and Black Drum. Most of the Red Drum are on the smaller side, but there are some slot-sized fish mixed in. Black Drum are being caught around docks and other structure, especially at high tide, with dead shrimp proving to be the top bait. For those targeting Red Drum in the backs of creeks or shallow bays, soft plastics like Gulp shrimp or Z-Man scented baits fished slowly are working well. Speckled Trout are starting to get more active, especially in the backs of creeks, though the larger spring spawners have yet to show up in big numbers. MirrOlures and other suspending hard baits are a solid choice to entice these fish. For a live bait option, try mud minnows or shrimp under a popping cork. In the nearshore waters, anglers are seeing good action on Black Sea Bass in the 15-20 mile range. These fish are responding well to two-hook bottom rigs tipped with squid or fresh shrimp. The Atlantic Bonito are expected to make an appearance soon as water temperatures creep above 60°F, so be ready with casting jigs or small trolling spoons. If you want to target larger species, the Cape Fear River’s brackish waters are holding nice catches of Catfish and the occasional Flounder. Jerk baits and live minnows can work well in these areas. For those interested in a mix of inshore and nearshore fishing, the Masonboro Inlet is an excellent spot. This area is producing Red Drum and Speckled Trout, with Flounder also starting to move in. Hot spots to check out today include the creeks off the Cape Fear River for inshore action and the Masonboro Inlet for mixed bags of inshore and nearshore species. For surf anglers, Carolina Beach is an excellent choice for catching Whiting, Croakers, and even some Dogfish Sharks or Skates. Best lures and baits today include: - Gulp or Z-Man scented soft plastics for Red Drum - Dead shrimp for Black Drum - MirrOlures for Speckled Trout - Two-hook bottom rigs with fresh shrimp or squid for Sea Bass - Small metal jigs or Clark spoons for Bonito (once they show up) Tight lines and good luck out there! Remember, spring fishing along the Wilmington coast only gets better from here! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.