Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, November 26th fishing report for Wilmington, North Carolina and surrounding waters.

We’re kicking off with **tide and weather**—you’ve got low tide early at 4:37 am and the high coming in at 11:21 am, both easy to target if you’re up before or around first light. According to the National Weather Service, expect mild conditions with morning clouds clearing to a high near 74. Winds will be light and variable. Rain chances are slim, so it’s a great day to be outside.

**Sunrise hit at 6:54 am and sunset checks in at 5:05 pm**—plenty of daylight for morning and evening runs. Solunar tables from Tides4Fishing call today an average fishing day, noting a major period right at dawn through 6:24 am and another strong bite window in the late afternoon between 4:52 pm and 6:52 pm. If you can, fish those early or late slots for your best chance at a solid hook-up.

Let’s talk **current fish activity and catches:** Folks on local docks, bridges, and the surf are pulling in a healthy mix. Speckled trout are thick in the inlets—look for limits around Carolina Beach Inlet, especially on moving water. Red drum and black drum catches have ticked up near the Masonboro Island drop-offs and along the Wrightsville Beach jetties. Recent reports have flounder mixed in as well, though remember to check this year’s regulations if you plan to keep any.

In the creeks and river mouths, you’ll find striped bass and even a few late-season sheepshead sticking close to structure. Reports from Wrightsville and Snows Cut show folks regularly landing slot reds and some upper-slot trout, mainly on the outgoing tide.

**Bait and lure selection:** The water’s mid-60s, so fish are tuned in to smaller and more natural presentations. For trout, go with 3–4” paddle tail soft plastics in electric chicken, pearl, or chartreuse. MirrOdines and small jerkbaits in silver and gold are producing well at sunrise, especially with a slow jerk-jerk-pause retrieve.

Red drum are chasing popping corks with live shrimp or mud minnows underneath. If you’re fishing artificials, a gulp shrimp on a quarter-ounce jighead is still hard to beat. For those pitching baited rigs for black drum or sheepshead near pilings, use fresh shrimp or fiddler crabs.

If you want to chase larger bluefish or the occasional late fall Spanish mack in the surf, try casting silver spoons in the rips and cuts near Fort Fisher.

Now, a couple of **local hotspots** to hit today:
- *Wrightsville Beach south jetty:* Excellent structure for trout and reds on the high tide fall.
- *Masonboro Inlet rocks and drop-offs:* Trout and flounder actively feeding, especially if you drift with the tide and use natural baits.

For shore anglers, the Carolina Beach State Park docks and bank accesses have produced steady catches of drum and even the occasional striper during dusk hours.

Tackle shops around town confirm speckled trout numbers are way up, with several anglers logging double-digit days—most on soft plastics and MirrODines, but don’t sleep on live shrimp if you can find them.

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Artificial Lure here, giving you the lowdown on fishing around Wilmington, North Carolina, for Tuesday, November 25th, 2025.

It’s a cool start this morning—temps hanging close to 55 degrees, with the afternoon only nudging a notch higher. Winds will be brisk off the coast, so expect some chop on open water. Sunrise hit at 7:25 a.m. and we’ll see sunset right around 5:04 p.m., giving you a solid window to work your favorite spots inshore or surfside.

According to NOAA tide tables, we’re working with a low at 3:47 a.m. and a high tide coming in at 10:34 a.m., so the bite’s best mid-to-late morning. With a moderate solunar activity rating today, plan to fish moving water just as the tide’s peaking and starting to drop. The afternoon should also see a decent uptick around 3:30-5:30 p.m., so don’t pack up too early.

Recent catches have leaned heavy on speckled trout, red drum, and black drum. Folks along the Wrightsville Beach causeway and Carolina Beach Inlet are reporting strong speckled trout numbers, especially on cooler mornings; most fish are coming in keeper size, with the occasional gator trout mixed in. Red drum are biting around marsh drains and grassy points, especially if you’ve got live shrimp or finger mullet. Local guides also say flounder are still turning up, mostly in deeper creek holes and under docks, though you’ll have to release them for now thanks to the current closure.

As far as lures go, it’s hard to beat a MirrOlure 52MR in chartreuse or electric chicken, or a Z-Man soft plastic on a 1/8 oz jighead for trout. Paddletails in pink or white, worked slow along the bottom, have been deadly—especially around structures where reds are prowling. Gulp! shrimp in new penny or natural colors are a classic for a reason. For cut bait, mullet or menhaden chunks will call in the drum and black drum, while live shrimp under a popping cork is the ticket if you can still find them from the shops.

If you want red-hot action, target Masonboro Inlet on the incoming, drifting soft plastics near the rocks. Bradley Creek is another solid bet for kayak anglers chasing trout and slot reds when the sun warms things up later. For you surf casters, Carolina Beach pier has seen some late-season pompano and sea mullet mixed in with the inevitable dogfish—shrimp-tipped bottom rigs are the way to go.

Mullet runs are all but done, but straggler pods can still be found, and if you’re lucky enough to snag some, they make fantastic cut bait for drum. According to Captain Experiences trip reviews, offshore trips have landed gag and red grouper plus some nice mangrove snapper when boats could run out safely—not a bad time to book if you’re looking to fill the cooler.

Weather-wise, dress in layers—morning chill gives way to some sun, but the breeze stays up most of the day. Marine forecasts from the National Weather Service for southeast NC are calling for higher winds near the inlets, so mind the conditions and check your VHF before running the Cape Fear River mouth.

To sum it up, hit the water around high tide for your best shot. Trout and drum are hungry, artificials and live bait both getting solid hookups, and the inlets and creeks around Wilmington are red hot for late-November. Try Masonboro Inlet’s jetties, Bradley Creek, or surf at Carolina Beach for consistent action.

Thanks for tuning in to your Wilmington fishing update. Don’t forget to subscribe for your daily dose of inshore intel. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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# Artificial Lure's Wilmington Fishing Report - Monday, November 24th

Well, folks, it's your boy Artificial Lure coming at you with your Monday morning fishing breakdown for our beautiful Wilmington waters.

Let's start with what Mother Nature's serving up today. We're looking at mostly sunny skies with temperatures hovering around 19 degrees Celsius—that's about 66 degrees for you old-school anglers. Perfect November conditions if you ask me.

Now, tide-wise, we caught a low tide early this morning at 3:04 AM running just 0.58 feet. Your next high tide came through at 9:51 AM at 4.81 feet. That high tide window is money time for shallow-water hunters—redfish and speckled trout are gonna be pushing up on those flats. If you're just getting out now, you're sitting pretty in that post-high tide window where baitfish get pushed around.

Speaking of redfish and speckled trout, those two species are absolutely your bread and butter out here. Folks have been crushing it recently with everything from red grouper and gag grouper to mangrove snapper and snook. This time of year, you can't sleep on mahi mahi either, and kingfish are definitely patrolling the deeper channels.

For tackle, you'll want to throw artificial lures—topwater is phenomenal this time of year when the sun's up. Cut bait and live bait fishing are your best conventional play if you're working the structure. Bottom fishing around those deeper holes will connect you with grouper and snapper.

Hot spots? Freeman Park's your spot if you've got a 4x4—that drive-on beach experience is legendary. The points on either side of the main beaches usually hold some serious fish, especially during twilight hours.

Sunrise was at 6:52 AM this morning, and you're looking at sunset around 5:04 PM, so get after it while you've got daylight.

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# Artificial Lure's Wilmington NC Fishing Report - Friday, November 21, 2025

Well folks, it's Artificial Lure here with your Friday morning fishing report for the Cape Fear River and our coastal waters around Wilmington. Let's break down what we're working with today.

**Tides and Timing**

We've got a low tide coming in at 1:11 AM this morning, with a high tide pushing through at 7:55 AM at about 5.17 feet. Sun's already up at around 7:01 AM, and we'll see sunset around 5:01 PM, giving us a solid fishing window. Your major fishing times are looking good from 2:37 AM to 4:37 AM and again from 3:03 PM to 5:03 PM. Minor bites should pop off around 10:29 AM to 11:29 AM and again 8:42 PM to 9:42 PM. This is shaping up to be an average-plus day on the solunar chart.

**What's Biting**

The reports coming in from recent trips show reds, trout, and drum are biting strong in the Cape Fear River right now. Those slot-sized red drum are our bread and butter this time of year, and the spotted seatrout are hitting solid around structure. Black drum are also putting on a show if you're targeting them with harder baits.

**Best Approach**

For live bait, get yourself some mullet or shrimp—you can't go wrong. If you're throwing artificials, focus on topwater early in that 7-8 AM window and work darker colored soft plastics and paddle tail shads once the sun gets up. Gold and silver spoons will draw strikes from aggressive reds when they're feeding hard on that incoming tide.

**Hot Spots**

Head out to the deeper holes near the Wrightsville Bridge area where the structure holds those keeper trout and reds. The jetties at Carolina Beach Inlet have been productive too, especially on the incoming tide we're seeing this morning.

Thanks so much for tuning in to your morning fishing report. Make sure you subscribe for daily updates, and remember to check local regulations before you head out. This has been a quiet please production. For more, check out quietperiodplease.com.

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**Artificial Lure's Wilmington Fishing Report – Thursday, November 20th**

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Thursday morning fishing update for Wilmington and the surrounding waters.

We've got some solid conditions shaping up today. The sun came up at 7:31 this morning and won't be calling it quits until 6:19 this evening, so we've got plenty of daylight to work with. We're looking at low tide hitting around 12:46 AM this morning, which means we're in that transition period where the water's starting to build back up—prime time for feeding activity.

Let me tell you what's been biting around here lately. Just this week, anglers have been hammering red drum off Ocracoke Island in the surf, alongside sharks, rays, and bluefish. The speckled trout are still cooperating—we've had reports of folks limiting out on trout while picking up reds and the occasional flounder. Red grouper and gag grouper have been showing up offshore, and snook have been active minutes from the dock.

For today's presentation, you can't go wrong with light tackle and live bait if you're targeting inshore species. Fresh-cut bait works fantastic too, especially squid and mullet for your reds and grouper. If you're throwing artificials, focus on the standard Wilmington offerings—topwater plugs and soft plastics work great for trout and reds in the shallow water.

Here's where I'd be headed: Fort Fisher's been consistent, and the inlets around Carolina Beach are always productive. Both spots have decent structure and current flow to concentrate baitfish.

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Morning folks, Artificial Lure here with your fishing report for Wednesday, November 19th, 2025, covering Wilmington and the bite from the river all the way out to the beaches.

We’re up before the sun this morning, with first light hitting at 7:20 and sunset rolling in about 6:32 this evening. Tides are running strong today: look for low tide just after midnight at 12:03 AM, then a solid high around 6:42 AM pushing just over five feet, with another low at 12:50 PM before the water fills in again tonight. That means your early morning and late afternoon windows are prime, especially at creek mouths and along the marsh edges. The tidal swing today is on the high side—perfect for moving bait and waking up those predators—so you’ll want to fish the moving water for best results. According to the Wilmington chart for today, the best major bite times are 4:24 to 6:24 AM and again 4:52 to 6:52 PM.

Weather’s seasonably cool and clear, with a touch of northwest wind, not enough to keep you off the water but it’ll put a light chop on open areas. Water temps are moderate, meaning speckled trout and flounder are both active with redfish sliding into the creeks and marshes as things cool down overnight. Don’t be surprised to find trout topping off your stringer if you get after ‘em at dawn—anglers are reporting limits this week throwing soft plastics like the Z-Man MinnowZ in opening night and new penny colors, as well as the ever-reliable Mirrolure MR17s when the fish get picky.

Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach piers have seen good action on slot reds and some over-the-slot releases—cut bait and live mullet are still the ticket, but Gulp! shrimp in natural or pink are putting in work. Black drum and smaller sheepshead are showing up around the bridge pilings and docks, especially if you’ve got fiddler crabs or fresh shrimp to slip down the pilings.

If you’re hunting for flounder, remember, keeper season is closed, but catch-and-release has been fun with plenty of 16–18 inchers showing up at the creek mouths on bucktails tipped with Gulp! Swimming Mullet. Stay mobile and hit the main points at falling tide.

This week, inshore hauls are mostly speckled trout—lots of action, plenty of two- to three-pounders, with some short fish mixed in. Redfish are schooled up in the bays, particularly north of Snow’s Cut and in the backwaters off Masonboro. A few folks made it out offshore early this week and picked up some black sea bass and a couple of nice gag grouper, but with the wind kicking up, most have kept it close.

If you’re itching for a hotspot, try Bradley Creek for trout at sunrise, especially around the oyster beds. For redfish, the flats inside Masonboro Inlet are always worth a drift, and Snow’s Cut has been reliable late in the afternoon. Those fishing the Northeast Cape Fear around the railroad trestles have pulled in some chunky stripers as a bonus.

Most popular baits this week are live shrimp under popping corks and finger mullet, but plenty of folks are catching just fine tossing artificials—topwater early, then switch to soft plastics as the sun gets up. The darker the color, the better in stained water, and don’t sleep on a white jerk shad when you find cleaner pockets mid-day.

Appreciate y’all tuning in and good luck on the water today. Make sure to subscribe for your daily fishing fix. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Artificial Lure here with your Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, fishing report for Wilmington, North Carolina, and the waters that wrap around this coastal gem.

Tides will play a big role today with a high tide rolling in at 6:07 AM, reaching about 5.1 feet, and a low tide set for 12:26 PM at 0.5 feet, according to Tide-Forecast.com. That means your best shots at surf and inshore action will come right after dawn as the water moves in and again in the early afternoon as it swings back out.

Today's weather is classic late fall Carolina—clear, crisp morning near 40 and climbing to the low 60s with abundant sun. Winds out of the northwest at 5-10 mph won’t create too much chop, so the water should fish clean and manageable. No rain in the forecast and not much wind means light tackle will shine whether you’re working creeks, docks, or piers, as per the NWS marine forecast and local marineweather.net updates.

Daybreak arrives at 7:01 AM; sunset is at 5:01 PM, so you’re looking at just about 10 hours to work the water. Major fish activity peaks are forecast from 4:24 to 6:24 AM and again from 4:52 to 6:52 PM, with minor periods near mid-day, making those windows prime for topwater hits or that magic hour dock bite from redfish and trout. Solunarforecast.com ranks today as a “Good” day, so action should be steady.

Recent catches have been textbook November for these parts. Speckled trout numbers are strong—plenty of reports of limits coming from both Wrightsville Beach jetty and the Cape Fear backwaters, especially on moving tides. Shrimp-pattern soft plastics and MirrOlure 52M and MR17 suspending baits in natural or pink/white have been most productive, as relayed by the Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina Fishing Report Today podcast. Live shrimp under a popping cork will outfish most things if you can snag some.

Red drum are still cruising the creeks and marsh edges, with several slot keepers reported around Masonboro Inlet. Quarter-ounce jigheads paired with Z-Man MinnowZ (electric chicken color) and Gulp! swimming mullet seem to be the ticket. For the bottom dwellers, sheepshead continue their run along bridge pilings and bulkheads—bring fiddler crabs or sand fleas for best results.

On the surf, black drum, slot reds, and even some late-season flounder have been caught from Carolina Beach State Park access and the north end of Kure Beach. Fresh cut mullet, sand fleas, and Fishbites E-Z Shrimp have been effective.

If you’re looking for hotspots today, don’t pass up the Wrightsville Beach south jetty for early trout and reds on the drop or slack tide. Hewitt’s Creek and Bradley Creek are holding trout and an occasional surprise flounder near creek mouths. If pier fishing is your game, Johnnie Mercers Pier has been steady for drum and the occasional striper this week.

A quick equipment note: Casting spoons and switchblade lures have been producing for guys targeting Spanish mackerel and blues on any late-running baitballs, according to recent tackle shop chatter and a press mention for that new patented Switchblade lure. Give them a rip if you spot birds or breaking fish just outside the breakers.

Thanks for tuning in to your local Wilmington fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an update. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Good morning folks, Artificial Lure here with your Wilmington, NC fishing report for Monday, November 17th, 2025. As the sun rose at 6:45 this morning and will set close to 5:07 pm, anglers hit the water early to take advantage of prime conditions, with a gentle fall breeze and highs expected near 76 degrees, making for another classic southeast North Carolina day. Water temps are holding steady in the mid to upper 60s, nice and comfortable for both fish and fishermen, and conditions are clear with moderate winds out of the northwest according to Wilmington Beach local weather updates.

Tides today are running spot on for good fishing windows. The first high tide came through at 5:29 am with a respectable 4.9 feet, and we'll have a low tide about 11:45 am at just over half a foot, setting up classic tidal push and pull in the marshes and inlets. The next incoming tide will fire off strong action right before sunset, so plan those afternoon trips accordingly according to Tide-Forecast and Surfline tide charts.

Now for what every local wants to know—what’s biting? The inshore scene remains red-hot; anglers over the weekend and into this morning have reported strong numbers of speckled trout, especially around the Cape Fear River flats and creeks off the ICW. Captain Experiences trips have seen crews limiting out on trout, with plenty of decent slot reds mixed in, and the occasional flounder still showing though many are throwbacks this late in the season. The Carolina Beach and Wrightsville Beach bridges have produced keeper black drum and some surprise sheepshead for folks fishing fresh shrimp and fiddler crabs.

Out at the jetties and nearshore wrecks, the king mackerel bite is still going on, especially for those trolling live menhaden or slow-twitching big spoons. Spanish mackerel reports fell off a bit but a few are still around. For those bottom bouncing, black sea bass and a few grouper (though they’re out of season to keep) are responding well to cut bait.

For lure anglers, MirrOlure MirrOdines in natural shad and bright chartreuse have been the ticket on the trout. Z-Man soft plastics on 1/8th ounce jigheads in shrimp or opening night have also done real damage around creeks and drop-offs. Scented baits like Gulp! Swimming Mullet (white or pink) remain top producers, especially paired with DOA popping corks for covering water. For redfish, gold spoons, paddle tail grubs, and cut mullet or live mud minnows are getting it done in the marsh.

Live baiters should look to finger mullet, mud minnows, or live shrimp, either under floats or Carolina-rigged for top action. Fresh shrimp is the best bet for black drum and sheepshead near pilings and docks.

The bite has been best at daybreak and again late afternoon—solunar tables flag those hours around 6-8 am and 4-7 pm as peak fishing times, so time your casts around those windows.

For hot spots, try Bradley Creek for specks and slot reds, the Snow’s Cut area for a bit of everything, and the outflow to Masonboro Inlet if you’re looking for action with flounder and the bigger reds. The surf at Carolina Beach is starting to give up some nice trout on falling tide as well, with a few puppy drum mixed in.

That’s the scoop for today—lotta fish, cool weather, and great tides. Thanks for tuning in to the Wilmington fishing report with Artificial Lure. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a tide or bite. This has been a Quiet Please production; for more check out quietplease dot ai.

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Artificial Lure here with your Wilmington NC fishing report for Sunday, November 16, 2025. If you’re up with the sun, it’s rising at 7:18 AM and setting at 6:36 PM, giving you a nice wide window to hit the water. Today’s weather is classic coastal fall—expect cool early temps warming up by midday, light winds under 10 knots, and mostly clear skies. That’s a prime setup for active fish and comfortable casting.

Tide action’s the story this morning. Wilmington Beach sees a high tide around 4:49 AM at 4.7 feet, and low tide right at 10:59 AM dropping to about 0.6 feet. Those mid-morning hours on the dropping tide should have the fish feeding hard, especially as water drains from the marshes and flats bringing baitfish out of hiding. Solunar activity is rated “average”—not peak, but definitely worth getting after the bite.

Angler buzz from Saturday and earlier this week highlighted solid catches: slot reds holding in the creeks, nice speckled trout biting around the jetties and deeper cuts, and flounder coming in on sandy drop-offs near Masonboro and Wrightsville Beach. According to local guide reports, boats heading out near Carolina Beach snagged red and gag grouper, mangrove snapper, and even some early-season snook—rare but not unheard of this far north when the water stays mild.

Best producers right now are **soft plastics** in natural shrimp or minnow styles—think Z-Man or DOA paddle tails—fished slowly near structure. A popping cork rig with live shrimp is deadly on trout at daybreak, and cut mullet remains king for reds working the mouths of feeder creeks. Artificial jerkbaits and MirrOlures have tricked bigger trout, especially as that post-cold-front push moves them out of deeper channels at low tide.

Looking for a couple hotspots? Here’s where I’d put my time today:
- **Wrightsville Beach South End Jetty:** Trout and reds hold tight at first light, then move into the channel as sun climbs.
- **Masonboro Inlet flats:** Flounder and slot reds stack up where shallow currents dump into deeper runs—bring some live mud minnows to drift just above the sand.
- **Snows Cut and Carolina Beach State Park:** Sheepshead working pilings, reds just off the grass edges.

Reports from fishingreminder.com and Captain Experiences also confirm mahi and king mackerel are still a possibility for nearshore folks trolling spoons or cigar minnows beyond the breakers, though action slows with cooler water this time of year.

Bait shops are moving plenty of frozen finger mullet, but the real trick is grabbing live shrimp early. If you’re fishing artificials, go subtle—light jigs, slow retrieves, and keep your color anchored on the natural side unless the water muddies up with strong tides.

Overall, fish are chewing—amounts depend on effort and tide: trout catches reported into the double digits around the bridges, reds are running a mix of slot fish and a few over, with bonus flounder and sheepshead in rocky areas. Be safe on the ramps, be courteous, and don’t forget the coffee—it’s brisk before first light.

Thanks for tuning in to the Wilmington NC fishing report! Hit subscribe so you never miss what’s biting next—this has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This is Artificial Lure, checking in with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report for Saturday, November 15th, 2025.

Early risers got started before the 7:17 a.m. sunrise this morning, and there’s plenty of daylight ahead with the sunset rolling in at 6:37 p.m. According to Tides4Fishing, today’s tides in the Wilmington area have us starting with a high tide at 5:21 a.m. (4.2 feet), hitting low at 11:52 a.m. (0.4 feet), and back up to high at 5:56 p.m. (4.6 feet). With a tidal coefficient at 49, that’s on the low side, so you’ll want to time your fishing for those key tide swings. Solunar tables point to minor feeding activity midday, so target those transitions for your best bet.

Weather-wise, the National Weather Service out of Wilmington’s calling for cool, crisp fall conditions—temps climbing from the mid-50s at sunrise into the low 60s by mid-afternoon. Winds are light out of the northwest at 7 to 10 knots, with a modest chop in the rivers and creeks and just a little roll on the beach front.

This week’s catches have been strong. Reports from local charter captains and folks at docks from Wrightsville Beach down to Carolina Beach tell the tale: speckled trout are still running well with plenty of schoolies in the creeks and some bigger gators mixed in. Anglers working the Cape Fear River and the outflows around Snow’s Cut have been finding consistent slot red drum action, with a handful of upper-slot and over-slot catches too. Flounder are still being picked up by those fishing live mud minnows on Carolina rigs, though remember the state’s tight regulations should always be checked before heading out.

Offshore, the king mackerel bite is still rolling when the weather’s right, with a few reports of late false albacore runs near the inlets. Surf anglers up at Masonboro have landed decent numbers of black drum and a few keeper-sized puppy drum, especially along deeper holes at high tide.

Top-producing lures this week include MirrOlure MR17s and 52M series in pink and chartreuse for trout, alongside soft plastics like Z-Man MinnowZ in natural baitfish colors pinned on 1/8-ounce jigheads. Reds are hitting well on Gulp! shrimp in new penny and natural, as well as gold spoons slow-rolled over oyster bars. For live bait, nothing beats a good finger mullet or the classic live mud minnow under a popping cork for trout or a Carolina rig for reds and flounder.

If you’re looking for a couple of hot spots, don’t sleep on the docks and rock piles up Bradley Creek for trout around first light. For red drum, fish the grass edges and creek mouths inside Carolina Beach State Park as the tide falls. Surf-side, the south end of Wrightsville Beach around the jetty is holding drum, and the northern bars at Kure Beach are still producing if you’re tossing fresh cut bait.

That’s your Wilmington roundup—fish are hungry, fall is fading, and conditions are prime for a big bend in your rod all weekend long. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe for the latest updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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