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October on this coast

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.

SouthportWilmingtonWrightsville BeachSurf CitySwansboroBeaufort
Water temperature
78°F

Full summer. Spanish and kings are in, and the sounds fish best at first light.

Measured at NDBC 41110 · Masonboro Inlet · 75 min ago
EverythingInshoreInletsStructureSurf & piersNearshoreOffshore

From the beach or a pier

Confirm before you keep anything.

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.

Worth going for right now

Red drum

Redfish, puppy drum, spottail
InshoreInletsSurf & piersStructure
OpenPeak now
You may keep them within the limits below.
Size
18" total length to 27" total length
Limit
1 per person per day

A slot: under 18" or over 27" goes back. Cannot be gigged, speared or gaffed.

Peak month, and 78°F is right in their band.

The one fish you can catch here every month of the year. Autumn is when the big schools push through the inlets and along the beach.

Cut bait on the bottomSoft plasticsTopwater at dawnLive mullet
Normally 55–88°FGear list →

Bluefish

Blues, choppers
InletsSurf & piersNearshore
OpenPeak now
You may keep them within the limits below.
Limit
3 per person per day on a private boat; 5 per person per day on a for-hire vessel

The creel is set by proclamation and changed in January 2026 — check before you go.

Peak month, and 78°F is right in their band.

Wire leader or you lose everything. When they blitz on the beach you can catch one on every cast for twenty minutes and then they are gone.

Casting metalTrolling small spoonsCut bait in the surf
Normally 58–84°FGear list →

Spanish mackerel

Spanish
NearshoreInletsSurf & piers
Open
You may keep them within the limits below.
Size
12" fork length
Limit
15 per person per day

Around now, and 78°F suits them.

Show up when the water crosses about 68°F and leave when it drops back through it. Look for birds working just off the beach — often within sight of the inlet.

Trolling Clark spoons behind planersCasting metal into breaking fishSmall live baits
Normally 68–86°FGear list →
Size and bag limits — N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, effective 2026-07-01. Water temperature — NDBC buoy observation. Seasons and temperature bands are local rule of thumb, not regulation.

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.