Ranked by what is normally around now and whether the water is the temperature they want. The size and bag limits beside each one are North Carolina's current rules.
Full summer. Spanish and kings are in, and the sounds fish best at first light.
The break and the Gulf Stream
These limits are copied from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries table effective July 1, 2026, last checked August 22, 2026. Several species are governed by proclamations that change mid-season, and this app is not the authority. Check the current DMF table or call 252-515-5500.
Peak month, and 78°F is right in their band.
The nearshore reefs in Onslow Bay hold them through late summer and autumn. A big one is usually caught close in, not far out.
North of Cape Hatteras the limit is 15 per day and the season runs May 1 to Dec 31.
Peak month, and 78°F is right in their band.
The dependable bottom fish over the artificial reefs. Bring a descending device — it is required.
The whole snapper-grouper complex runs on proclamations and federal seasons that open and close through the year. Red snapper, Nassau, Goliath, Warsaw grouper and speckled hind are prohibited outright. Check the current proclamation for everything else.
Peak month, and 78°F is right in their band.
The most regulated fishing you will do here, and the rules genuinely change mid-season. A descending device and a dehooking tool are legally required.
Peak month, and 78°F is right in their band.
Fastest thing you will hook. Wire, or it bites straight through.
A federal HMS permit is required for the vessel. Some tuna must be reported.
Around now, and 78°F suits them.
A long run from these inlets. Watch the fuel maths and the weather window, not just the fish reports.
Shown so you know what you are holding when one turns up anyway — and what the rules are for it.
Not normally around in October. They turn up again around April.
Find the weed line, the temperature break or anything floating and you find them. Keep one hooked in the water beside the boat and the rest of the school stays with you.
A federal HMS permit is required and landings must be reported.
Not normally around in October. They turn up again around May.
Almost everybody releases them. The size limits exist so that keeping one is a deliberate act.
A licence is required to fish in coastal waters. Fish do not read calendars — the months and temperatures here are what normally happens on this stretch, not a promise. If you catch something that is not on this list, put it back until you know what it is and what the rule for it says.