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Wilmington Fishing Report: Reds, Trout, and Sheepshead Bite Heats Up in the Lower Cape Fear
Good morning from the lower Cape Fear, this is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington fishing report for April 16, 2025.
We kicked off the day with a sunrise at 6:45 AM, and you can expect sunset around 7:40 PM. Tides are running strong today with a low tide just after 3:30 AM, high at 9:26 AM, another low in the afternoon near 3:54 PM, and a solid evening high right around 9:49 PM. These swings mean you’ll have good water moving around both ends of the day, perfect for targeting the inshore bite when fish are feeding close to structure and edges[5][7].
Weather’s been a spring classic—mid 60s to maybe low 70s by afternoon, overcast through the early part of the morning, and light southeast winds. That cloud cover will keep fish feeling comfortable and out roaming the shallows during low-light periods[7][5].
Inshore, the red drum and black drum are definitely waking up. Folks are catching reds around oyster beds, creek mouths, and docks in the ICW and Cape Fear River, especially on the incoming tide. Top baits are dead shrimp on a Carolina rig and live mud minnows or cut mullet, though Z-Man soft plastics and Gulp shrimp on a jighead are pulling their weight, too. Try topwaters like Top Pup or Top Dog Jr. around dawn for some explosive action, especially along marsh edges and points[2][5][6][7]. Black drum are steady around hard structure and rocky jetties—dead shrimp is still the ticket here[2][5][7][9].
Speckled trout are making an appearance, mostly in the backs of creeks and shallow bays. Suspending plugs like the MirrOlure 17MR and jerkbaits should be in your box, and don’t be shocked if you see a few nice fish as water temps creep up[2][5][6][9]. Sheepshead are starting to move around bridges and docks, picking at barnacles and fiddler crabs, but the bite will only get better.
Surf anglers are reporting mixed bags with Virginia mullet, bluefish, and the occasional red drum or sea mullet showing up, mostly on bottom-rigged shrimp or bloodworms. Nearshore, black sea bass are in strong numbers 15-20 miles out, and reports of sea mullet in the deeper channel edges are solid[2][9][7].
A couple of hot spots to circle on your map today: the Cape Fear River creek mouths for red and black drum action, and the Masonboro Inlet jetties, which are producing solid bites for drum and the start of the sheepshead run. If you’re working surf or pier, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach are holding mullet and blues right now[2][5][7][9].
Best advice: fish the moving tides, target structure, and keep a mix of natural bait and soft plastics in rotation. Topwater lures at daybreak, then transition to jigheads and subsurface baits as the sun climbs. Looks like another prime day to be on the water. Tight lines!
We kicked off the day with a sunrise at 6:45 AM, and you can expect sunset around 7:40 PM. Tides are running strong today with a low tide just after 3:30 AM, high at 9:26 AM, another low in the afternoon near 3:54 PM, and a solid evening high right around 9:49 PM. These swings mean you’ll have good water moving around both ends of the day, perfect for targeting the inshore bite when fish are feeding close to structure and edges[5][7].
Weather’s been a spring classic—mid 60s to maybe low 70s by afternoon, overcast through the early part of the morning, and light southeast winds. That cloud cover will keep fish feeling comfortable and out roaming the shallows during low-light periods[7][5].
Inshore, the red drum and black drum are definitely waking up. Folks are catching reds around oyster beds, creek mouths, and docks in the ICW and Cape Fear River, especially on the incoming tide. Top baits are dead shrimp on a Carolina rig and live mud minnows or cut mullet, though Z-Man soft plastics and Gulp shrimp on a jighead are pulling their weight, too. Try topwaters like Top Pup or Top Dog Jr. around dawn for some explosive action, especially along marsh edges and points[2][5][6][7]. Black drum are steady around hard structure and rocky jetties—dead shrimp is still the ticket here[2][5][7][9].
Speckled trout are making an appearance, mostly in the backs of creeks and shallow bays. Suspending plugs like the MirrOlure 17MR and jerkbaits should be in your box, and don’t be shocked if you see a few nice fish as water temps creep up[2][5][6][9]. Sheepshead are starting to move around bridges and docks, picking at barnacles and fiddler crabs, but the bite will only get better.
Surf anglers are reporting mixed bags with Virginia mullet, bluefish, and the occasional red drum or sea mullet showing up, mostly on bottom-rigged shrimp or bloodworms. Nearshore, black sea bass are in strong numbers 15-20 miles out, and reports of sea mullet in the deeper channel edges are solid[2][9][7].
A couple of hot spots to circle on your map today: the Cape Fear River creek mouths for red and black drum action, and the Masonboro Inlet jetties, which are producing solid bites for drum and the start of the sheepshead run. If you’re working surf or pier, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach are holding mullet and blues right now[2][5][7][9].
Best advice: fish the moving tides, target structure, and keep a mix of natural bait and soft plastics in rotation. Topwater lures at daybreak, then transition to jigheads and subsurface baits as the sun climbs. Looks like another prime day to be on the water. Tight lines!
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By Quiet. PleaseGood morning from the lower Cape Fear, this is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington fishing report for April 16, 2025.
We kicked off the day with a sunrise at 6:45 AM, and you can expect sunset around 7:40 PM. Tides are running strong today with a low tide just after 3:30 AM, high at 9:26 AM, another low in the afternoon near 3:54 PM, and a solid evening high right around 9:49 PM. These swings mean you’ll have good water moving around both ends of the day, perfect for targeting the inshore bite when fish are feeding close to structure and edges[5][7].
Weather’s been a spring classic—mid 60s to maybe low 70s by afternoon, overcast through the early part of the morning, and light southeast winds. That cloud cover will keep fish feeling comfortable and out roaming the shallows during low-light periods[7][5].
Inshore, the red drum and black drum are definitely waking up. Folks are catching reds around oyster beds, creek mouths, and docks in the ICW and Cape Fear River, especially on the incoming tide. Top baits are dead shrimp on a Carolina rig and live mud minnows or cut mullet, though Z-Man soft plastics and Gulp shrimp on a jighead are pulling their weight, too. Try topwaters like Top Pup or Top Dog Jr. around dawn for some explosive action, especially along marsh edges and points[2][5][6][7]. Black drum are steady around hard structure and rocky jetties—dead shrimp is still the ticket here[2][5][7][9].
Speckled trout are making an appearance, mostly in the backs of creeks and shallow bays. Suspending plugs like the MirrOlure 17MR and jerkbaits should be in your box, and don’t be shocked if you see a few nice fish as water temps creep up[2][5][6][9]. Sheepshead are starting to move around bridges and docks, picking at barnacles and fiddler crabs, but the bite will only get better.
Surf anglers are reporting mixed bags with Virginia mullet, bluefish, and the occasional red drum or sea mullet showing up, mostly on bottom-rigged shrimp or bloodworms. Nearshore, black sea bass are in strong numbers 15-20 miles out, and reports of sea mullet in the deeper channel edges are solid[2][9][7].
A couple of hot spots to circle on your map today: the Cape Fear River creek mouths for red and black drum action, and the Masonboro Inlet jetties, which are producing solid bites for drum and the start of the sheepshead run. If you’re working surf or pier, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach are holding mullet and blues right now[2][5][7][9].
Best advice: fish the moving tides, target structure, and keep a mix of natural bait and soft plastics in rotation. Topwater lures at daybreak, then transition to jigheads and subsurface baits as the sun climbs. Looks like another prime day to be on the water. Tight lines!
We kicked off the day with a sunrise at 6:45 AM, and you can expect sunset around 7:40 PM. Tides are running strong today with a low tide just after 3:30 AM, high at 9:26 AM, another low in the afternoon near 3:54 PM, and a solid evening high right around 9:49 PM. These swings mean you’ll have good water moving around both ends of the day, perfect for targeting the inshore bite when fish are feeding close to structure and edges[5][7].
Weather’s been a spring classic—mid 60s to maybe low 70s by afternoon, overcast through the early part of the morning, and light southeast winds. That cloud cover will keep fish feeling comfortable and out roaming the shallows during low-light periods[7][5].
Inshore, the red drum and black drum are definitely waking up. Folks are catching reds around oyster beds, creek mouths, and docks in the ICW and Cape Fear River, especially on the incoming tide. Top baits are dead shrimp on a Carolina rig and live mud minnows or cut mullet, though Z-Man soft plastics and Gulp shrimp on a jighead are pulling their weight, too. Try topwaters like Top Pup or Top Dog Jr. around dawn for some explosive action, especially along marsh edges and points[2][5][6][7]. Black drum are steady around hard structure and rocky jetties—dead shrimp is still the ticket here[2][5][7][9].
Speckled trout are making an appearance, mostly in the backs of creeks and shallow bays. Suspending plugs like the MirrOlure 17MR and jerkbaits should be in your box, and don’t be shocked if you see a few nice fish as water temps creep up[2][5][6][9]. Sheepshead are starting to move around bridges and docks, picking at barnacles and fiddler crabs, but the bite will only get better.
Surf anglers are reporting mixed bags with Virginia mullet, bluefish, and the occasional red drum or sea mullet showing up, mostly on bottom-rigged shrimp or bloodworms. Nearshore, black sea bass are in strong numbers 15-20 miles out, and reports of sea mullet in the deeper channel edges are solid[2][9][7].
A couple of hot spots to circle on your map today: the Cape Fear River creek mouths for red and black drum action, and the Masonboro Inlet jetties, which are producing solid bites for drum and the start of the sheepshead run. If you’re working surf or pier, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach are holding mullet and blues right now[2][5][7][9].
Best advice: fish the moving tides, target structure, and keep a mix of natural bait and soft plastics in rotation. Topwater lures at daybreak, then transition to jigheads and subsurface baits as the sun climbs. Looks like another prime day to be on the water. Tight lines!