Wilmington NC Fishing Report - Early Fall Bounty, Tropical Watch, and Hotspot Tips for 9/28/2025

This is Artificial Lure and here’s your Wilmington, NC fishing report for Sunday, September 28th, 2025, coming to you bright and early. We’ve got a classic early fall feel. Sunrise hit at 7:04 this morning and sunset will come at 6:59, giving us just under twelve good hours on the water. The tides are on the gentler side, making for steady but not rowdy water movement. High tide came through at 2:11 AM at just over four feet and it’ll swing back up again at 2:42 PM, with low tides at 7:59 this morning and again at 9:22 tonight—so you’ve got windows for both bottom dwellers and fish chasing the outgoing flow, all data courtesy of Tide-Forecast.com. Weather’s mild, with the early hours cool and clouds thickening up through the day. Light east wind, not much swell to mention—good conditions for inshore and nearshore trips. But there is talk of tropical weather from the south. The StarNews warns that Tropical Depression Nine is organizing, so keep those eyes on the radar if you’re planning a late trip or stretching out into Monday. Fish have been on the move. Morning and afternoon bites have both been productive, especially around tidal switches. Local anglers and podcast regulars at Wilmington NC Fishing Report Daily say it’s been a true mixed bag: Spanish mackerel and blues are still working the inlets and jetties—topwater lures at dawn and dusk have drawn frantic hits. Try a silver Got-Cha plug or small white paddle-tail if they’re not up top. The Cape Fear backwaters are producing gorgeous slot reds, especially around grass points and oyster beds. Live mud minnows and finger mullet have been best, but in muddy pockets, popping corks with gulp shrimp are cleaning up. Trout are showing stronger with the cooling trend, especially at first light—MirrOlure 52MR in a natural color and Z-Man soft plastics on a light jig head are staples. Don’t overlook the docks and deeper creek bends. Flounder numbers are holding but seeing a lot of throwbacks; the keeper ratio is low, but they’re snapping on white bucktails tipped with Gulp swimming mullet. Jetty edges and creek mouths around Carolina Beach are the best spots if you’re chasing a flatty. Surf action is decent and should pick up this week. Whiting and pompano are hitting sand fleas and fresh shrimp at Wrightsville Beach, while cut bait is tempting small black drum and croakers at Masonboro. For a hot spot, try the bend at Bradley Creek bridge—trout have been rolling there at dawn. Another solid option: Snow’s Cut bridge pilings, especially in the evening with live bait drifted on the edge. Looking forward, keep an eye on the barometer and wind direction as that weather system develops. Low tides with moving water on the outgoing flow will be your best bet for active feeding. Thanks for tuning in to the Wilmington fishing report—your daily bite from Artificial Lure. Be sure to subscribe for more updates and tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. G This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.