Winter Fishing Report for Wilmington, NC: Reds, Trout, and More on the Rise

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from around Wilmington, where it finally feels like winter on the water. Tides4Fishing for Wilmington Beach shows a strong morning flood with low just after 2:20 a.m. and a big high pushing in around 8:50–9:00 a.m., then easing back toward a mid‑afternoon low around 3:10 p.m. That’s a healthy 6‑plus‑foot swing, so expect plenty of current in the inlets and along the ICW edges. SolunarForecast lists today as “season’s best,” with a major bite window late morning into early afternoon and a minor bump around sunrise, so plan to fish hard from first light through lunch. Weather Service Wilmington has us on the chilly side: morning temps in the 40s, stiff north to northeast breeze 10–15 knots along the beaches, seas 3–4 feet, and clear, high‑pressure skies. US Harbors for Wilmington Beach has sunrise just after 7:00 a.m. and sunset right around 5:00 p.m., so you don’t get many daylight hours—make ‘em count around that rising tide. Inshore, the redfish are still the headliners. Local chatter from the tackle shops in town has reds schooled tight on the flats behind Masonboro and in the creeks off the ICW toward Carolina Beach—pods of 20–50 fish. Most folks are picking 3–8 reds a trip when they find the school, with a mix of 18–27 inch fish and a few upper‑slot brutes. Best producers have been **cut mullet** or **fresh shrimp** on a Carolina rig, plus **Z‑Man paddletails** and **Gulp! shrimp** on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads in new penny and root beer. Slow that retrieve; the water’s cooled off and they won’t chase far. Speckled trout are still cooperating around Wrightsville and down the Cape Fear. Recent reports have 5–15 trout a boat when you stick to the deeper bends, bridge pilings, and rock edges—lots of 14–18 inchers with an occasional 20‑plus. Top offerings have been **MirrOlure MR17s**, 3–4 inch **soft plastics on 1/8 oz heads**, and live shrimp under a popping cork if you can find them. Work those suspending baits with long pauses; most hits are coming on the stall. Black drum are thick along dock lines and in the creeks behind Wilmington, with a handful of keeper fish plus plenty of smaller ones. **Fresh shrimp on a small circle hook** right on the bottom is all you need. Flounder are mostly a by‑catch this time of year, and with tight regs folks are snapping a quick picture and letting them go. Nearshore, when the ocean lays down, boats running just off the beach from the jetties to the ARs have found scattered **false albacore** and a few big **bluefish** busting bait. **1–2 oz metal jigs** and slim epoxy jigs burned near the surface have been the ticket. Bottom guys on the nearshore reefs are still boxing **sea bass** and a few **sheepshead** on fiddler crabs and shrimp. If you’re looking for hot spots today, I’d start: - On the **Masonboro Inlet jetty and adjacent ICW banks** for trout and reds on the rising tide. - Up the **Cape Fear around Snow’s Cut and Carolina Beach Inlet** for reds and drum on bait a This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.