Wilmington Fishing Report: Trout, Reds, Mackerel Biting in Mild Fall Conditions

Good morning folks, Artificial Lure here with your Wilmington, NC fishing report for Monday, November 17th, 2025. As the sun rose at 6:45 this morning and will set close to 5:07 pm, anglers hit the water early to take advantage of prime conditions, with a gentle fall breeze and highs expected near 76 degrees, making for another classic southeast North Carolina day. Water temps are holding steady in the mid to upper 60s, nice and comfortable for both fish and fishermen, and conditions are clear with moderate winds out of the northwest according to Wilmington Beach local weather updates. Tides today are running spot on for good fishing windows. The first high tide came through at 5:29 am with a respectable 4.9 feet, and we'll have a low tide about 11:45 am at just over half a foot, setting up classic tidal push and pull in the marshes and inlets. The next incoming tide will fire off strong action right before sunset, so plan those afternoon trips accordingly according to Tide-Forecast and Surfline tide charts. Now for what every local wants to know—what’s biting? The inshore scene remains red-hot; anglers over the weekend and into this morning have reported strong numbers of speckled trout, especially around the Cape Fear River flats and creeks off the ICW. Captain Experiences trips have seen crews limiting out on trout, with plenty of decent slot reds mixed in, and the occasional flounder still showing though many are throwbacks this late in the season. The Carolina Beach and Wrightsville Beach bridges have produced keeper black drum and some surprise sheepshead for folks fishing fresh shrimp and fiddler crabs. Out at the jetties and nearshore wrecks, the king mackerel bite is still going on, especially for those trolling live menhaden or slow-twitching big spoons. Spanish mackerel reports fell off a bit but a few are still around. For those bottom bouncing, black sea bass and a few grouper (though they’re out of season to keep) are responding well to cut bait. For lure anglers, MirrOlure MirrOdines in natural shad and bright chartreuse have been the ticket on the trout. Z-Man soft plastics on 1/8th ounce jigheads in shrimp or opening night have also done real damage around creeks and drop-offs. Scented baits like Gulp! Swimming Mullet (white or pink) remain top producers, especially paired with DOA popping corks for covering water. For redfish, gold spoons, paddle tail grubs, and cut mullet or live mud minnows are getting it done in the marsh. Live baiters should look to finger mullet, mud minnows, or live shrimp, either under floats or Carolina-rigged for top action. Fresh shrimp is the best bet for black drum and sheepshead near pilings and docks. The bite has been best at daybreak and again late afternoon—solunar tables flag those hours around 6-8 am and 4-7 pm as peak fishing times, so time your casts around those windows. For hot spots, try Bradley Creek for specks and slot reds, the Snow’s Cut area for a bit of everything, and the ou This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.