Wilmington, NC Fishing Report: Reds, Trout, and Mackerel Bite as Autumn Arrives

Artificial Lure here, bringing you your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report for Wednesday, November 5, 2025. We’ve got a classic autumn pattern setting up on the Lower Cape Fear. Sunrise hit at 6:41 a.m. with sunset coming up at 5:09 p.m., so get on the water early to maximize your bite window. Today’s weather is shaping up seasonably cool—upper 40s at dawn warming up to the mid-60s by afternoon, mostly sunny skies, and a moderate northwesterly breeze that'll keep things comfortable for both inshore and nearshore anglers. According to the National Weather Service’s Wilmington office, no rain is expected and wind should hold pretty steady, gusts up to 12 knots, so bay and creek conditions are ideal for all types of boats. Tide-wise, we’ve got a true November mix. Wilmington Beach saw low tide just before dawn, with a high tide cresting around 12:21 p.m., and back to a moderate low around 6:49 p.m. That means prime current swing—and best bait movement—will be around mid-day and just after lunch. Fish those moving water periods hard if you want to up your numbers, especially for the inshore game. The fish have been hungry with water temps sitting in the upper 60s and dropping steadily. Local guides like Captain Tristan from Captain Experiences say redfish are pushing into creeks and oyster beds with the cooler water, and speckled trout have been thick in the river and tidal creeks, especially around grass lines and structure. Over the past week, anglers reported strong catches of slot reds—several 24-inchers landed—and an uptick in flounder action, with some keepers taken on mud minnows and Gulp! plastics. Big bull reds were spotted at the jetties on falling tides, with a couple of crews hauling in fish over 40 inches last weekend. Trout numbers are solid, with limits coming on MirrOlures, soft plastics in white or chartreuse, and live shrimp under popping corks. The flounder bite isn't as hot as September, but if you drift the deeper holes with finger mullet or scented artificials, you might just be rewarded. Off the beach, king mackerel are still hanging around the nearshore reefs, and a few late-season Spanish and false albacore have been blitzing bait balls off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting epoxy jigs into actively feeding fish is your best bet right now. For hotspots, two spots stand out: - **Masonboro Inlet:** The north jetty is stacked with redfish on the outgoing, plus specks on the edges at first light. Try a Z-Man MinnowZ or a live mullet. - **Cape Fear River backwaters:** Work the feeder creeks just north of Snow's Cut—this stretch has been loaded with trout and slot reds on moving water, especially at the main creek mouths. Best baits and lures right now: for trout, nothing beats live shrimp, but MirrOlure 52MRs, Vudu Shrimp, and Z-Man Slam Shady paddletails have been killing it. Redfish are slamming cut mullet and Gulp! jerk shads. For the surf guys, fresh shrimp or sand fleas are picki This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.