Wilmington NC Fishing Report Today

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Wilmington fishing report.

We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up along the Cape Fear. Around Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, expect a light southwest breeze this morning, building a bit by afternoon, with warm, muggy air and only a slight shot at a pop-up storm inland. Skies are partly cloudy, with enough sun to heat things up and push bait to the shade lines and deeper edges. Sunrise hit right around 6:00 a.m., with sunset near 8:30 p.m., giving you a long window to work that low light.

Local tide tables for Masonboro Inlet and the Cape Fear River show low water early this morning, a strong incoming through late morning, then high mid‑day and falling water through the evening. That rising tide has been the money window for inshore trout and reds, especially when it starts pushing clean ocean water up into the creeks.

Inshore, the red drum bite has been steady. Anglers in the creeks off the ICW between Wrightsville and Carolina Beach have been picking off slot reds along flooded grass edges and oyster bars. Live shrimp under a popping cork and mud minnows on Carolina rigs are producing, but Gulp shrimp on a 1/8‑oz jighead and gold spoons are pulling plenty of fish for the artificial crowd. A few upper‑slot reds and the odd over‑slot have been reported in the lower Cape Fear around the docks and rock walls.

Speckled trout are still around, especially at first light. The bridges and deeper bends in the creeks are giving up decent numbers of schoolies with a few better fish mixed in. Work MirrOlure MR17s, small paddle tails in natural colors, or topwaters like Spooks and Skitterwalks right at daybreak over current seams and drop‑offs.

Flounder action has picked up around Wrightsville Beach and Snow’s Cut. Most are shorts, but keepers are coming from the inlet rocks and ICW docks on live finger mullet, menhaden, and 3–4 inch soft plastics on heavier jigheads bounced right along the bottom.

Nearshore, boats running just off the beach are finding Spanish mackerel and bluefish around the inlets and along the shoals. Small Clarkspoons behind planers or casting metal jigs to surface feeds have been the ticket. Early and late in the day are best when the boat traffic dies down and the fish push closer to the surface.

A couple of hot spots to circle today:

- Masonboro Inlet jetties and the ICW stretch from the inlet back toward Wrightsville for reds, trout, and flounder on that incoming tide.

- The lower Cape Fear near Southport, working the rock walls and nearby flats for a mixed bag of reds and trout, especially around moving water and bait pods.

Best baits right now: live shrimp, mud minnows, and finger mullet. Best artificials: Gulp shrimp and mullet in natural hues, gold spoons, and early‑morning topwaters.

That’s the word from the water. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report.

We’re sitting under a classic early‑summer pattern along the Cape Fear coast. Light southwest wind this morning, building to a 10–15 knot sea breeze this afternoon, warm and humid with highs in the upper 80s to near 90. Skies are partly cloudy, with a stray afternoon storm possible inland pushing outflow toward the river and ICW later in the day.

Along the beaches and in the river, local tide tables from the Cape Fear River gauge at downtown Wilmington show a pre‑dawn high tide, falling through the morning, with low tide mid‑day and another flood pushing in late afternoon into evening. That gives you moving water most of the day if you plan it right. Sunrise is just after 6 a.m. and sunset just after 8:20 p.m., so you’ve got long low‑light windows to work topwater.

Inshore, folks have been steady on **red drum**, **speckled trout**, and a mix of **flounder** around Wrightsville Beach, Masonboro, and down toward Carolina Beach. Local tackle shops in the area report slot reds chewing best on the last of the falling and first of the incoming tide, especially along marsh points, creek mouths, and the edges of oyster bars. Specks are still hanging in slightly deeper bends and along drop‑offs in the ICW and feeder creeks. Flounder catches are scattered but improving around inlets, docks, and the river rock walls.

Best lures right now:

- For reds: 3–4 inch paddle‑tail plastics in natural or new penny on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads, and gold spoons slow‑rolled over grass edges.

- For trout: small paddle‑tails and jerk shads in white or chartreuse, plus topwaters like a Spook Jr. at first light along current seams.

- For flounder: Gulp shrimp or mullet on a jig, hop‑and‑dragged along the bottom near structure.

Top baits: live **mud minnows**, **finger mullet**, and **shrimp**. Reds have been hammering live bait under popping corks; trout are responding to live shrimp drifted with the tide; flounder are taking live minnows on Carolina rigs fished tight to pilings and rock.

Nearshore, anglers running just off the beach to the AR reefs and livebottom are finding **Spanish mackerel**, the odd **king**, and **bluefish**. Small Clarkspoons and other chrome spoons behind planers or mackerel trees are producing Spanish, especially when you find glass minnows flipping on the surface. Early morning is key before that sun gets high.

Out at the jetties and along the river, there have been a few **black drum** and **sheepshead** caught on fresh shrimp and fiddler crabs, fished tight to the rocks and pilings. Use just enough weight to keep your bait in place in the current.

A couple of local hot spots to circle on the map:

- **Masonboro Inlet and surrounding marsh**: Work the inlet edges and nearby grass lines on the moving tide for reds and trout; then slide inside and pick at flounder on the drops.

- **Carolina Beach Inlet and Snows Cut area**: Current‑swept structure, docks, and rock hold a good mix of reds, trout, flounder, and the occasional drum when the water is moving.

Focus on tide changes, keep an eye out for bait getting nervous on the surface, and match your lure size to the bait in the water. Light leaders in that 15–20 lb range will get more bites in the clear water around the inlets.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Wilmington fishing report.

We’ve got a classic summer setup along the lower Cape Fear. Light southwest breeze early, building 10–15 by afternoon, with scattered clouds and that sticky coastal humidity. Air temps climbing through the 80s, nearshore water temps riding in the upper 70s. Sunrise was right around 6 a.m., sunset just after 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got a long window, but the best bite is stacking up early and late.

Tide-wise on the Cape Fear and around Masonboro, you’re looking at a morning incoming that tops out mid‑morning, then a falling tide through the afternoon. That clean, pushing water on the first half of the flood has been money in the creeks; the first two hours of the outgoing are firing around the inlets and jetties.

Inshore, redfish and speckled trout have been the headliners. Local charter captains around Wrightsville and Carolina Beach report solid numbers of slot reds on the grass lines and oyster edges, especially where there’s a little current wrap and bait stacked up. Trout have been chewing at first light on the ICW drop‑offs and around the bridges. Flounder catches are picking up too, with a mix of keepers and shorts around dock pilings and creek mouths.

Best inshore lures:

- For reds: 3–4 inch paddle‑tail soft plastics in new penny or dark mullet colors on 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigheads; topwater walkers in bone or chrome at daybreak along the grass.

- For trout: small paddletails in pearl or gray on light jigs, MirrOlure style twitchbaits, and spook‑style topwaters at first light.

- Flounder: Gulp shrimp or mullet on a jig slowly bounced along the bottom, or a simple live mud minnow on a Carolina rig.

Best baits: live finger mullet, mud minnows, and shrimp under a popping cork on the edges of the marsh. That cork‑and‑shrimp combo has been putting mixed bags of reds, trout, and the occasional black drum in the boat.

Nearshore, just off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach Inlets, boats have been finding Spanish mackerel and some big bluefish on the tide lines and near the nearshore reefs. Glass minnows and small menhaden are thick; when you see birds dipping and bait spraying, slide in and cast. Good producers are small Clarkspoons and Yo‑Zuri style minnows trolled on light planers, or 1/2 oz metal spoons and gotcha plugs cast into the schools. A few king mackerel have been coming off the closer reefs on slow‑trolled live baits.

A couple of local hot spots to circle on your map:

- Masonboro Inlet: work the jetty rocks and nearby creek mouths on that incoming tide for trout, reds, and flounder.

- Carolina Beach Inlet and the Snow’s Cut area: good current, structure, and plenty of bait – redfish and flounder have both been coming from that stretch.

If you’re bank fishing, hit the public docks along the ICW at first light with live shrimp or mud minnows; plenty of folks have been walking away with dinner lately. For surf anglers, fish the deeper cuts and sloughs with shrimp or sand fleas for sea mullet, small drum, and the occasional pompano.

That’s the rundown from around Wilmington. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your coastal fishing rundown for the Wilmington, North Carolina area.

We’re sitting under a classic early-summer pattern: warm, muggy air, light southwest breeze this morning building to 10–15 knots by afternoon, and a small sea breeze chop on the beach. Air temps are running mid‑70s at first light, climbing into the mid‑80s by mid‑day. Skies are partly cloudy with a chance of a brief afternoon shower or rumble inland. Sunrise hit right around quarter after six, and you’ll have light on the water until about 8:30 this evening, so there’s a long window to work both ends of the day.

Tides around the Cape Fear are on a moderate cycle. Inshore creeks and the river are seeing a solid push of water on the flood through mid‑morning, then a draining ebb through early afternoon. Around Wrightsville and Carolina Beach inlets, the strongest currents are lining up mid‑tide; that’s been the sweet spot for feeding fish along the jetties and the bars. Plan your moves around that moving water—slack has been as dead as it sounds.

Fish activity’s been good if you pick your windows. Inshore, the red drum bite has stayed steady on the higher stages of the tide, especially along flooded grass edges and oyster points. Anglers are picking up mixed slots and a few over‑slots; a half‑dozen fish in a tide cycle is realistic if you stay mobile. Speckled trout are still chewing in the deeper creek mouths and along the Intracoastal ledges early and late, with a mix of schoolies and the occasional 20‑inch class fish. Flounder are nosing into the inlets and around docks; numbers aren’t crazy, but a couple of keepers per serious trip has been common.

On the nearshore side, just off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach, folks have been seeing good numbers of Spanish mackerel and blues along the color changes and around the nearshore reefs. A decent king mackerel or two has been coming from the 5–10 mile range, and the bottom guys are picking up sea bass and grunts with a few grouper deeper.

Best producers inshore have been **live shrimp** and **mud minnows** under a popping cork or on a Carolina rig for reds and trout. Cut mullet soaked on the edges of oysters has been key for the bigger reds. Artificial‑wise, work **3–4 inch paddletails** in natural colors on 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigheads along dropoffs, and **MirrOlure‑style hard baits** at first light for trout. For flounder, a white or chartreuse Gulp swimming mullet on a jighead dragged slowly along the bottom has been putting fish in the box.

Nearshore, **small metal spoons** and **Clark‑style spoons** pulled behind planers or mackerel trees have been hot for Spanish and blues. For kings, slow‑trolled live menhaden on stinger rigs around bait pods and livebottom has been the ticket. If you’re bottom fishing, squid strips and cut cigar minnows on basic two‑hook rigs are all you need.

A couple of local hot spots to circle on your mental map:

– **Masonboro Inlet and the adjacent jetties**: good mix of reds, trout, and flounder on the inshore side early, plus Spanish and blues just outside when the bait stacks up.

– **Snow’s Cut and the Carolina Beach Inlet area**: steady red drum and flounder action around the bridge, docks, and dropoffs, with current breaks holding fish on the moving tides.

Work the low‑light hours, respect the storms that build after lunch, and fish that moving water and you’ll put some bend in the rod today.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report.

We’ve got a classic early‑summer pattern setting up along the Cape Fear coast. Around Wilmington, first light fishing is key. Sunrise is right around 6:00 a.m. with sunset near 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got long feeding windows on either side of the day. Local tide tables for the Cape Fear River and Masonboro area show a pre‑dawn incoming tide, flipping to outgoing mid‑morning, then another push back in late afternoon. Work those tide changes hard.

Weather is warm and muggy, with daytime highs climbing into the upper 80s to low 90s, a light southwest breeze and typical coastal humidity. Expect scattered clouds and the chance of a pop‑up shower after lunch, but winds stay manageable for inshore and nearshore boats. That southwest flow stacks bait along the beaches and in the inlets.

Inshore, the red drum bite has been steady. Anglers are picking up slot reds along flooded grass edges and oyster bars on the rising tide. Best baits: live or cut mullet, live shrimp under a popping cork, and mud minnows on a Carolina rig. If you’re throwing artificials, tie on a 3–4 inch paddle tail in natural mullet or new penny colors, or a gold‑blade spinnerbait slow‑rolled along the bank. Folks working creeks off the Intracoastal are also finding a mixed bag of reds and flounder around dock pilings.

Speaking of flounder, they’ve been coming off sandy drops near inlet mouths and around the jetties. Live finger mullet or mud minnows on a fish‑finder rig are producing, along with white or glow bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp swimming mullet. A few keepers are showing up, but expect to weed through some shorts.

Speckled trout action is fair but worth the effort at first and last light. Look around deeper bends, grass points, and current seams. Topwater plugs in bone or chrome early, then switch to soft plastics on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads once the sun climbs. Mirrored jerkbaits and shrimp‑imitating plastics under a cork are good bets if the water’s a bit stained.

Nearshore, small boats running a few miles off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach are finding Spanish mackerel and bluefish around bait pods and near the inlets. Troll Clark spoons, small drone spoons, or flashy casting jigs behind planers and #1 planing boards. When they’re busting on top, you can have a blast casting gotcha plugs and small metals into the feeds. King mackerel action is starting to pick up on the nearshore live‑bottom and wrecks with live menhaden slow‑trolled on wire stinger rigs.

A few cobia are still wandering the nearshore waters. Keep a heavier spinning rod rigged with a bucktail jig or a live bait ready if you see one cruising behind rays or hanging around wreck buoys.

Couple of hot spots to circle on your chart today:

– **Masonboro Inlet and the adjacent jetties**: solid mix of reds, flounder, and trout on the inside; Spanish and blues just outside on the tide lines.

– **Carolina Beach Inlet and Snows Cut**: good current, lots of bait, and a dependable bite for reds, flounder, and the occasional trout, especially around the bridges and rock edges.

Focus on moving water, keep an eye out for nervous bait and birds, and don’t be afraid to switch between live bait and artificials until you dial in what they want.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local fishing updates.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report.

We’re working a mid‑June pattern now. Air temps are running in the low 70s early, pushing into the mid‑80s by afternoon, with light southwest to south winds most days and the usual sticky coastal humidity. Skies are partly cloudy with a good chance of pop‑up thunderstorms after lunch when that sea breeze kicks in, so plan morning and late‑day trips and keep an eye on the horizon.

Water temps around the Cape Fear, ICW, and beaches are sitting in the upper 70s to low 80s, which has inshore fish chewing best on the moving tides. Sunrise is right around 6 o’clock, with sunset close to 8:30, giving you a long window to work that low‑light bite.

Tides today around Masonboro Inlet run a morning high just after daybreak with a good falling tide through mid‑morning, then an afternoon low and a late‑day flood. That dropping water has been the ticket all week—bait gets flushed off the flats and the predators stack on the edges.

Inshore, red drum have been steady in the creeks off the ICW and along the marsh banks from Figure Eight down to Carolina Beach. Most fish are slot‑sized, with a few over‑slots mixed in. Anglers have been doing well on live mud minnows and finger mullet under popping corks, and on cut mullet on the bottom near creek mouths. Artificial‑wise, 3–4 inch paddle‑tail plastics in natural “mullet” or “salt and pepper” colors on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads are money, especially bounced along shell points.

Speckled trout are still hanging in there despite the heat, especially at first light along deeper banks, dock lines, and the jetties. MirrOlure MR17s, small suspending twitch baits, and 3 inch soft plastics on light jigs are producing. If you’re throwing live bait, small shrimp or mullet on a light cork rig will get bit. Expect mostly schoolies with a few nicer keepers in the mix.

Flounder are showing decent numbers around docks, bridge pilings, and sandy drops near the inlets. Folks soaking live finger mullet, mud minnows, or gulp‑style soft plastics on 1/4–3/8 oz jig heads are picking up enough fish to keep it interesting. Work slow, right along the bottom, and be patient on the hookset.

Nearshore, just off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach, small kings and Spanish mackerel are cruising the nearshore reefs and bait balls. Trolling Clark spoons behind planers, or small bow‑colored spoons, has been very productive. Early and late have also produced some nice topwater Spanish on small glass‑minnow‑style plugs and tiny metals burned just under the surface.

On the surf, whiting, pompano, and the odd bluefish are coming off the bars on shrimp, sand fleas, and Fishbites. Use double‑drop rigs with 2–3 oz pyramid sinkers and keep your baits in the deeper sloughs, especially on a rising tide.

A couple of local hot spots to consider:

- Masonboro Inlet jetties: solid mix of reds, trout, and flounder on the falling tide, especially with live bait and jigged soft plastics.

- Snows Cut and the nearby ICW docks: good current, plenty of structure, and a nice blend of reds and flounder, with a shot at trout in the early hours.

If you’re packing the tackle bag, don’t leave home without: 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads, 3–4 inch paddle tails in natural colors, a couple of topwaters and suspending plugs for early morning, and plenty of live or cut mullet and shrimp if you’re fishing bait.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Good morning, this is **Artificial Lure** with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report for today.

Early June around the Cape Fear is bringing that classic summer transition: warm water, steady bait movement, and bite windows that are strongest around moving tide. **Today’s tide info and live weather weren’t available in the search results**, so before you launch, check a local tide app and radar for the freshest conditions. For timing, the most productive stretches are usually the **last hour of falling tide and the first push of incoming water** around the inlets, creek mouths, and marsh edges.

As for the bite, **red drum, speckled trout, flounder, sheepshead, and bluefish** are the main players this time of year in and around Wilmington. In the inshore creeks and estuaries, expect reds to be cruising shell edges and oyster bars, trout to be holding near deeper bends and grass edges, and flounder to be lying tight to the bottom around dock pilings and creek mouths. Around structure, sheepshead will be picked off with patience, and if the bait is thick, bluefish can show up fast and hit hard.

The **best bait** right now is hard to beat with live offerings: **mud minnows, finger mullet, live shrimp, and fiddler crabs** for sheepshead. If you’re working artificials, keep it simple and natural. The **best lures** are soft plastics on light jigheads in shrimp, mullet, or paddle-tail profiles, plus gold spoons, topwater plugs early and late, and small bucktail jigs bounced near bottom structure. If the water is dirty after rain, go a little louder and brighter; if it’s clear, downsize and fish more subtly.

A couple of **hot spots** to keep on your list are the **Cape Fear River marsh edges and creek mouths** where bait gets funneled, and the **inlets and nearshore structure around Masonboro and Figure Eight** when the tide is moving. Dock lines, oyster points, and deeper channel bends can also turn on quickly if the bait stacks up.

The **sunrise and sunset** matter this time of year because the morning and evening lows are prime feeding windows, but those exact times weren’t available in the search results, so it’s worth checking your local tide and sun table before heading out. If the wind stays light and the water stays moving, you’ve got a real shot at a solid mixed bag today.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your coastal Carolina fishing report for the Wilmington area.

We’re sitting under a classic early‑summer pattern: warm, muggy air, light southwest breeze, and a mix of sun and clouds. Offshore storms are possible later, but the morning starts fairly calm with a light chop inside the river and around the inlets. Air temps climb fast into the upper 80s to low 90s, so plan on that mid‑day heat bearing down hard.

First light hits not long after 5:45 a.m., with sunrise just before 6, and sunset just after 8:20 p.m., giving you a long window to work low‑light periods. Those dawn and dusk hours will be your best bet for topwater and shallow‑water action.

On the tide, the Cape Fear around Wilmington and down toward Carolina Beach is seeing a higher morning tide, falling through late morning and into early afternoon, then a rising tide late day and into the evening. That dropping tide pulling water off the grass and out of the creeks has been the key feeding window the last few days, especially for redfish and flounder staging on the edges.

Inshore, the red drum bite has been solid in the marshes behind Wrightsville and Carolina Beach. Anglers have been picking off slot reds in 2–4 feet of water along oyster points and flooded grass edges. A 3–4 inch paddle‑tail on a 1/8 oz jighead in natural baitfish colors, or a gold spoon slow‑rolled along the banks, has been producing. Live shrimp or mud minnows under a popping cork are still hard to beat, especially on that first hour of the falling tide.

Speckled trout are a little spottier in the heat, but folks working deeper creek mouths and dock lines early with MirrOlure‑style hard baits, small topwaters, and soft plastics on light jigheads are still finding a few keepers mixed with shorts. If you can get live shrimp, slip them under a cork in 4–6 feet near current breaks and shade.

Flounder reports around the inlets and river ledges have picked up. Most are just keeper size, with a few bigger fish taken from the Cape Fear rock walls and Carolina Beach Inlet. Finger mullet and mud minnows on Carolina rigs, or Gulp! swimming mullet on a jig dragged slowly along the bottom, are the go‑to offerings. Focus on the last of the falling and the first push of the incoming tide.

On the piers at Wrightsville and Carolina Beach, bottom rigs tipped with fresh shrimp, cut mullet, or sand fleas have been putting croaker, spots, sea mullet, and a few pompano in the bucket. Early and late, you’ve got a shot at Spanish mackerel and blues chasing glass minnows just outside the breakers—cast small metal spoons or Gotcha plugs and work them fast.

Nearshore, the Spanish bite has been steady on the wrecks and hard bottom within a few miles of the beach. Trolling small Clark spoons behind planers or mackerel trees has been producing good numbers, with the occasional king mixed in. If the water stays clean and that southwest wind doesn’t crank too hard, expect that to continue.

Couple of hotspots to circle for today:

– The marsh and creek network behind Masonboro Island, especially drains dumping into the ICW on the falling tide, has been giving up reds and a few flounder.

– The Cape Fear River rock walls and nearby ledges down toward Southport have been holding flounder, reds, and some mixed drum and trout where the current breaks behind structure.

Best all‑around artificial lineup right now: 3–4 inch paddle‑tails in white, silver, and new penny; gold spoons; small topwaters in bone or mullet patterns; and Gulp! soft baits for bumping the bottom. Best bait: live shrimp, finger mullet, and mud minnows, followed by fresh cut mullet.

Hydrate, watch those storms, and mind the afternoon sea breeze when it kicks up. That’s your Wilmington‑area fishing rundown from Artificial Lure.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report.

We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up along the Cape Fear. Light southwest breeze this morning, climbing toward the mid‑80s this afternoon with humidity creeping up and a small chance of a pop‑up thunderstorm late day. Water temps are running in the upper 70s to low 80s inshore and nearshore. According to the National Weather Service marine outlook, seas are sitting around 2 to 3 feet with a light chop inshore.

Tide-wise, NOAA’s Cape Fear River and Masonboro Inlet gauges show a predawn low tide, a strong incoming through the morning, and a mid‑afternoon high. That gives you a great moving‑water window from first light through late morning, then again late day as the water dumps out.

Sunrise is right around 6 a.m. and sunset near 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got a long day of low‑angle light to work those shadows along docks, marsh edges, and oyster bars.

Inshore, red drum and speckled trout have been the headliners. Local inshore reports say slot reds are chewing around the ICW docks from Wrightsville down toward Carolina Beach—especially where there’s shade and current. Anglers have been finding 2–4 fish per stop on the better docks, with a few upper‑slot and over‑slot reds mixed in. Specks are still hanging in creek mouths and along grass points with good current; most catches are in that 14–18 inch range, with a few keepers pushing 20 inches.

Flounder action has picked up around inlets and deeper creek bends. Several local tackle shops reported anglers catching 3–6 flounder a trip, with a mix of shorts and a few solid keepers near structure and channel edges.

Nearshore, the Spanish mackerel bite has been steady at the inlets and along the beaches on the early‑morning tide, especially just off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach in 20–40 feet. Most boats trolling light spoons are reporting double‑digit bites when the fish push bait to the surface. A few kings have been caught on slow‑trolled live baits around the nearshore wrecks and ledges.

Best lures right now:

- For reds: 3–4 inch paddle‑tail plastics on 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig heads in natural baitfish or new penny colors, plus gold spoons slow‑rolled along grass edges.

- For trout: small paddletails and shrimp imitations under popping corks, along with suspending hard baits worked slow at daybreak.

- For flounder: Gulp shrimp or swimming mullet on a heavier jig, hopped along the bottom around inlets and docks.

- For Spanish: small Clark or casting spoons, and glass‑minnow‑style metal jigs ripped fast on light wire or fluoro.

Best natural baits: live mud minnows, small finger mullet, and live shrimp. A Carolina rig or a simple jig head with a live minnow is still putting the most flounder and reds in the boat. For Spanish and kings, cigar minnows and live menhaden slow‑trolled over structure are hard to beat.

Couple of hot spots to keep on your radar:

- Masonboro Inlet and the jetties: solid mix of reds, specks, and flounder around the rocks and nearby bars on that incoming tide.

- Snow’s Cut and adjacent ICW docks: good current, plenty of shade, and consistent redfish and flounder when you work each piling thoroughly.

Work the moving water, keep an eye out for birds and bait flipping on the surface, and be ready to downsize your tackle if the water gets clear and the fish finicky.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report.

We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up from the river to the beach. Around Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, weather today is warm and muggy with light southwest winds building in the afternoon, scattered clouds, and a small chance of a pop-up shower. Air temps are pushing the upper 80s to low 90s, so plan on a hot one by lunchtime.

Sunrise over the water is right around a quarter after six, with sunset just after eight-thirty, giving you a long window to work the low-light bite. First light and the last hour of daylight are still your best bets for topwater and shallow-water action.

For tides, the Cape Fear and Intracoastal are seeing a morning high followed by an outgoing tide through late morning, then a low midafternoon and a strong incoming into the evening. That falling water has been key around creek mouths, docks, and marsh edges, especially for speckled trout and red drum.

Inshore, anglers have been picking up good numbers of **red drum**, **speckled trout**, and **flounder**. The reds have been cruising flooded grass and shell banks on the higher water, then dropping to deeper edges as the tide falls. Gulp shrimp on a 1/8-ounce jighead, gold spoons, and weedless paddletails in natural colors have been producing. For bait, live mud minnows and finger mullet under a popping cork around oyster points and creek mouths have been solid.

Speckled trout are hanging in deeper bends and around current breaks on the last of the falling and first of the incoming tide. MirrOlure-style hard baits, small paddletails, and live shrimp under a cork are doing the work. Early, you can still get some blowups on topwater walkers over grass lines and along the ICW.

Flounder reports have been improving with keeper fish coming off Carolina rigs and jigheads tipped with live minnows or Gulp along the bottom near inlets, bridges, and sandy drops. Work slow and stay in contact with the bottom.

Nearshore, within a few miles of the beach, folks are finding **Spanish mackerel**, **bluefish**, and some **king mackerel** on the nearshore reefs and hardbottom. Small Clarkspoons and mackerel trees behind planers have been loading up on Spanish, especially on the early-morning tide. Slow-trolling live menhaden around nearshore structure is a good play for kings.

Offshore, boats running to the Gulf Stream and deeper structure have been into **mahi**, **blackfin tuna**, and some **sailfish**, along with a steady **bottom bite** of snapper, grouper, and beeliners when conditions allow.

A couple of local hot spots to consider:

– **Masonboro Inlet and surrounding jetties**: Great mix of trout, reds, flounder, and Spanish. Work the rocks with jigs and live bait on the moving tide.

– **Carolina Beach Inlet and Snow’s Cut**: Productive for reds and flounder around docks, rock walls, and deeper holes, especially on that dropping tide.

If you’re wading or fishing from shore, the surf along Carolina Beach and Kure Beach is giving up sea mullet, pompano, and some slot reds on shrimp, sand fleas, and small Fishbites-style baits on double-drop rigs.

Best overall lures right now:

– Paddletail soft plastics in natural baitfish colors

– Gulp shrimp or swimming mullet on light jigheads

– Gold spoons and small topwaters for reds and trout

– Small metal spoons and mackerel trees for Spanish

Best baits: live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, and fresh cut mullet.

That’s your Wilmington fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn