OBX/Northern Beaches – July 2025
Kyle, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers bottom fishing with fresh shrimp, sand fleas, and artificial bait strips are producing mostly sea mullet. Spot, croakers, and bluefish are also mixed in.
Down near the inlet, anglers fishing cut baits are catching puppy drum, and sharks and stingrays are hitting cut baits up and down the beach.
Local piers are seeing spanish mackerel, with anglers having a lot of success throwing Gotcha plugs to surface-feeding schools. Mixed in with the spanish are plenty of bluefish.
Some cobia have recently been caught from the pier.
Bottom fishing from the piers is producing a mixed bag of sheepshead, spadefish, spot, and croakers.
Back in the sound, red drum are prevalent on the flats near the inlet, with speckled trout occasionally mixed in.
Plenty of bluefish are around the deeper channels and on the flats all the way up into the sound. Anglers fishing around the Oregon Inlet Bridge are catching sheepshead, and bottom fishing deeper areas in the inlet is producing scattered red drum.
Offshore, a solid tuna bite has persisted. As water temperatures keep warming, the action should turn more to mahi.
Mixed in the offshore action is the occasional wahoo and billfish (blue and white marlin).
Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise Charters, reports that bluefish action can be found on topwater plugs both in the sound and off the beach.
The local reef anglers are catching triggerfish with cut squid.
Out around the shoals, large red drum are biting.
A nice push of cobia happened in the area, with anglers having the best success casting bucktail jigs. Oranges and pinks were the most productive colors.
John Kampanis, of Kitty Hawk, landed this 32″ speckled trout in the Pamlico Sound on a soft plastic.
Vincent, of Stick Em Fishing Adventures, reports that red drum (18-50”) are scattered on the flats around the inlets. Outer Banks Lures soft plastics (paddle tail or ball tail) under popping corks or on jig heads have been the top setups.
Speckled trout (to 30”) have been found in really skinny water around the shoals. They are hitting the same popping cork setups used to target reds.
Outside the inlet, the spanish mackerel bite has been on fire for anglers sight-casting jigs or trolling.
Deeper structures are producing amberjacks, triggerfish, and black sea bass for those looking to bottom fish.
Les, of Fishing Unlimited, reports that anglers are catching spanish mackerel nearshore, with fish up to 5 lbs. in the mix. Anglers are also hooking bluefish, spadefish, and some cobia just off the beach.
Surf anglers are fishing a variety of baits on bottom rigs and are finding sea mullet, pigfish, croakers, and a few pompano.
Local pier fishermen are catching loads of spanish mackerel with Gotcha plugs.
Little Bridge anglers are landing a wide variety of fish that includes speckled trout, black drum, sheepshead, and bluefish, as well as croakers and a few spots.
John, of Drumbeat Charters, reports that offshore anglers have seen a great tuna bite. The tuna will be settling down, though, during the transition to mahi, which will be active out in the 20+ mile range (with scattered fish in closer).
Nearshore trolling is producing spanish mackerel, bluefish, and some false albacore.
Nearshore reefs are holding triggerfish and black sea bass for those fishing cut bait, and amberjacks are out around the towers.
Large red drum are being caught by anglers soaking bait in the inlet and around the shoals.
The sheepshead fishing around structure in Oregon Inlet is warming up.
In the sound, red drum fishing is steady, with some smaller speckled trout in the mix.
Jack, of Afishionado Charters, reports that tuna fishing for both yellowfin and bigeyes has been spectacular since late May. The most productive lures for anglers have been Big Whams and Sea Witches rigged with ballyhoo. Action has been scattered from the Point up to Norfolk Canyon.
McKayla, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that offshore boats have seen excellent tuna fishing, with large yellowfin tuna (including some citations) and bigeyes.
Mahi numbers are ramping up as they migrate into the area.
Wahoo, blackfin tuna, and billfish (blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish) round out the rest of the offshore trolling action.
Nearshore trips are catching spanish mackerel and bluefish when trolling or sight-casting jigs, and the occasional cobia is being found when cruising off the beaches.
Merv Rubiano, of Nags Head, landed this 60 lb. yellowfin tuna on a Mikros Pop 170 popper 40 miles east of Oregon Inlet. He was fishing with Capt. John Berquist of Drumbeat Charters.
Meredith, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that recent trips are seeing mahi catches. An excellent yellowfin tuna bite is mixed with some blackfin tuna, sailfish, and the occasional bigeye tuna.
Bottom fishing is producing tilefish.
Closer to the beach, spanish mackerel are plentiful, with bluefish, black sea bass, and the occasional cobia also being caught.
Brian, of Nags Head Pier, reports that spanish mackerel fishing has been on fire. Anglers are finding success casting Gotcha plugs in a wide variety of colors to surface-feeding schools. The early morning and late afternoon hours have been best.
Plenty of bluefish are around and hitting the same casting jigs.
A few cobia have been caught.
Bottom fishing is producing croakers, sheepshead, and the occasional puppy drum.
Joe, of Avalon Pier, reports great action on both spanish mackerel and bluefish. Gotcha plugs have been the best lure for both species.
Some smaller cobia are cruising around the area.
Bottom fishing efforts have been producing mostly smaller species.
Paul, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers have been catching ample bluefish, and those looking to target spanish should be out on the sand early or late.
Bottom fishing is producing sea mullet and a few scattered pompano.
Back in the sound, anglers are catching red drum, with some speckled trout mixed in.
Deeper areas or channels are holding bluefish and spanish mackerel.
