Wilmington Fishing Report: Reds, Trout, and Offshore Action for a Stellar June Day

Artificial Lure here with your Friday, June 6th, 2025 fishing report for Wilmington, North Carolina and the surrounding coastline. Sunrise hit at 6:00 a.m. this morning and sunset’s set for 8:19 p.m., giving you a long window to chase that early summer bite. Today’s weather is classic June—warm but breezy, with the wind laying down nicely in the morning before picking up a little in the afternoon. Water temps are sitting comfortably in the upper 70s, keeping fish active and spread throughout all our favorite haunts. Today’s tides are running in a classic summer pattern with a high tide just before dawn and again late this afternoon. According to Tide-Forecast.com, you’re looking at low water mid-morning around 10:00 a.m., and high again near 4:00 p.m. These switching tides have red drum cruising the marsh edges and oyster points right after the tide starts to rise. The low-light hours—just before sunrise and again before sunset—are absolute prime time for trout and flounder, especially around creek mouths and along grassy banks. The inshore report is red hot: redfish are in their summer rhythm, moving into less pressured pockets. Topwater lures like MirrOlure Top Dog Juniors or Top Pups are working great at first light, especially when worked along the grass lines and over oyster beds. Later in the day, switch to a 5-inch paddle tail swimbait or a Gulp shrimp on a weighted hook to probe deeper holes and around docks. Live or cut menhaden on a Carolina rig is a go-to if the bite gets finicky. Trout are scattered, but the best action is coming during those low-light periods on smaller hard baits and soft plastics. Don’t overlook the classic popping cork rig with live shrimp if you can find it. Flounder are starting to show in better numbers, especially in the ICW and Cape Fear River—target drop-offs and dock pilings with live finger mullet or a slowly bounced jig. The nearshore game is all about Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Trolling Clarkspoons behind a planer has been the ticket just outside the beach and over the nearshore reefs. Early risers are even getting in on surface busts, with Spanish blitzing glass minnows—keep a rod rigged with a small metal jig or Gotcha plug ready for fast casting. Bottom fishing offshore is solid for black sea bass, vermilion snapper, grouper, and the occasional triggerfish over the deeper ledges. For those hunting cobia, live menhaden around the AR reefs remains your best bet. Hot spots to check today: Wrightsville Beach’s Masonboro Inlet for reds and trout at first light, and the nearshore reefs like AR-372 for Spanish mackerel and a mixed bag on the troll. Thanks for tuning in—make sure you subscribe for daily updates and tips straight from the water. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.