Today, 2 pm–11 pmRed drum
The bite peaks at 65. Water is 66°, inside their 65–85° range, and a solunar period lands on the window.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now
Red drum range 65–85°
From the north
Sunrise 7:25 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are North Carolina regulations for these waters.
Red drum prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 18–27" slot, 1 fish/day. Anything over 27" must be released.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina
Season here: Apr–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on red drum
Bluefish prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–50 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. No minimum size. 5 fish/day from shore or private boat; 7/day on for-hire vessels.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina
Season here: Apr–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on bluefish
Spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 14–20" slot, 3/person/day, with one over 26" allowed. DMF can close the fishery by proclamation after a winter cold stun.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina
Season here: Apr–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on spotted seatrout
Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.
Right in summer flounder's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–100 ft down.
Out of season here today. Check the agency before fishing. 2026 season Sep 1–14 only (Proclamation FF-27-2026): 15" minimum, 1/person/day, hook and line or gig, and every flounder kept must be reported to DMF. A separate ocean-only Gulf flounder season ran Mar 9–22 south of Portsmouth Island. Seasons are set each year by proclamation.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina
Season here: May–Oct, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an outgoing tide. More on summer flounder
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. NC Wildlife Resources Commission has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories
A Pleasure Island beach town south of Wilmington, with a beach-driving area at its north end. Red drum and speckled trout in the surf and sloughs, summer flounder in summer, bluefish in spring and fall.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Carolina Beach you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Carolina Beach is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Bluefish, Summer Flounder, Spotted Seatrout. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Carolina Beach against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Carolina Beach has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.
state agency regulations apply at Carolina Beach. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
Yes. Carolina Beach sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
