Wilmington’s fishing scene is lighting up this Friday, June 20th, and the early risers are in for a treat. Sunrise hit at 6:00 AM and sunset will be at 8:26 PM, giving anglers over 14 hours of daylight to chase a mixed bag all across our coastal waters. Today’s tides: a morning high at 4:58 AM, a midday low at 11:48 AM, and another high rolling in at 5:46 PM. The tidal swing is solid, with a coefficient right in the mid-60s—meaning enough current for active fish, but not so much that it’ll be a grind on docks or grass edges.

Weather’s holding classic June with warm temps, light winds, and a chance for a pop-up afternoon shower—nothing you haven’t seen before. Water clarity remains decent, and with bait thick in the creeks—mullet, pogies, and shrimp—there’s no shortage of menu options for gamefish.

Inshore, the redfish are in summer mode, scattered across shoreline grass and oyster rocks, especially around that rising and falling tide. The topwater bite for drum has been as good as we’ve seen in years, especially early and late. Local guides recommend MirrOlure Top Dog Jr. or Top Pup, but you can’t go wrong with a popping cork and a live mullet. Later in the day, switch to soft plastics like Berkley Gulp or Powerbait Bonga Shrimp, probing dock pilings and deeper holes—reds are picking off both artificials and cut bait when the sun’s high. There’ve been good numbers of slot-sized and underslot reds this week, and plenty of trout as bycatch—some just shy of the 30-inch mark, so don’t be surprised by a big strike.

Flounder are thick in the ICW and Cape Fear River, with many anglers reporting limit catches. They’re hitting on live finger mullet and mud minnows, but a white curly tail on a jighead has been a top artificial. Black drum have been active around docks and deeper structure on fresh shrimp, while sheepshead are showing up in good size—drop fiddler crabs or sand fleas right to the pilings.

For pier and surf anglers, it’s a classic summer mix: whiting, croaker, pompano, and a flurry of bluefish and Spanish mackerel for those casting jigs or Gotcha plugs. King mackerel reports have slowed a bit, but the nearshore bite can pop anytime, especially with a slow-trolled dead cigar minnow or live bait.

Hot spots to hit:
- Wrightsville Beach’s marsh edges and docks for drum and flounder.
- The mouth of Masonboro Inlet for trout and mixed bag action.
- Kure Beach Pier early for blues and Spanish, and bottom rigs for whiting and croaker.

That’s the scoop from your local waters today. Thanks for tuning in, y’all—don’t forget to subscribe for more reports and tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.