Artificial Lure here with your June 7th, 2025, Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina fishing report. Summer’s in stride and the bite is heating up—grab your gear and let’s dive in.
First light this morning broke at 5:56AM, with colors stretching over calm seas and a warm, southern breeze. Expect sunset tonight at 8:24PM. Today’s tides for Atlantic Beach are high at 5:09AM and 5:34PM, with low water at 11:04AM—prime for planning those creek and surf sessions around moving water, when fish feed most aggressively according to Surfline’s Oceanana Pier tide calendar.
Weather’s friendly—temperatures rising into the mid-80s, light winds, and moderate humidity, classic early June. Water temps are solidly in the low to mid-70s. According to Captain Jot Owens, June is one of the best months for variety and action, with lighter winds and long, fishable days.
Let’s start inshore. The red drum bite is solid around grass edges and oyster rocks. Early mornings and evenings, topwater lures like the MirrOlure Top Dog Jr. or Top Pup are drawing explosive strikes—work that ‘walk-the-dog’ action over shallow structure. If the sun’s up and bite slows, switch to Berkley Gulp shrimp or Powerbait on a jighead, or slow-roll a swimbait like a 5” Powerbait CullShad near docks and deeper holes. Live bait, especially finger mullet or menhaden under a popping cork, is producing fish if plastics aren’t working. Don’t linger too long in pressured spots—cover ground until you find active fish.
Flounder are showing up thick in the ICW and Cape Fear River. Target them with live mud minnows or Gulp grubs on a Carolina rig, bouncing near docks and channel edges. Black drum are biting on fresh cut shrimp, especially at oyster points on a rising tide.
Off the beach, Spanish mackerel are thick, especially for anglers trolling small spoons behind planers or casting jigs like Big Nic Spanish Candies to surface-feeding schools, as reported by Fisherman’s Post and Crystal Angler Magazine. Bluefish are mixed in, and surf casters are finding whiting, croaker, small sharks, and some pompano on shrimp and sand fleas.
Offshore, Hatteras Harbor Marina reports limits of dolphin (mahi), with scattered blackfin tuna and the occasional wahoo. Boats have also released blue marlin this week—so it’s prime time if you’re chasing the big stuff.
For bait, stock up on live finger mullet, menhaden, or shrimp if you can catch them; artificials like Gulp, soft plastics, and topwater plugs are working around structure and tidal changes.
Hot spots to check: Wrightsville Beach marsh edges and docks for reds, Carolina Beach Inlet for flounder and black drum, and Oceanana Pier or Hatteras surf for a mixed bag of bottom fish and Spanish mackerel.
Thanks for tuning in to today’s report! Make sure to subscribe for daily updates, tips, and the latest action.
This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.