OBX/Northern Beaches – June 2025
Ward, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that cobia are cruising off the beach. Sight-casting is the top tactic, with anglers grabbing larger, colorful bucktail jigs to pitch.
Schools of spanish mackerel and red drum are also off the beach.
Sheepshead are starting to work their way back inshore. Anglers on the local piers and down around the Bonner Bridge/Oregon Inlet Bridge are seeing a majority of the catches.
With water temperatures moving up, surf fishing has been picking up as well. Catches include bluefish, sea mullet, and puppy drum.
Action on local piers has almost matched the surf, with a mixed bag of bluefish, puppy drum, spanish mackerel, and sea mullet.
Offshore anglers have been finding a lot of yellowfin tuna and wahoo, as well as some billfish releases.
The springtime dolphin bite has kicked off, and anglers have seen gaffers mixed in the catch.
Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise Charters, reports that anglers have been sight-casting to huge “chopper” bluefish on the sandy shoals. If unable to spot them on top, some cut mullet will also do the trick.
Slot and over-slot red drum are hitting both topwater plugs and cut baits on grass lines closer to the inlet.
Speckled trout have been around in good numbers.
Cobia made a quick appearance off the beaches, and now local anglers have to wait for the next push of fish as they migrate through our area up towards the Chesapeake Bay. With the cobia, sight-casting Meathog or Cobiakiller bucktail jigs to surface cruising fish is the main tactic.
Vincent, of Stick Em Fishing Adventures, reports that cobia fishing is in full swing. Some schools of citation-class red drum are also around, and both the cobia and big red drum can be caught with Meathog jigs and larger Outer Banks Lure Company paddle tail trailers.
Spanish mackerel are thick off the beaches, and a nice bonus has been a showing of Atlantic bonito.
The black sea bass season is open, and they’re stacked up heavy on nearshore reefs. Amberjacks are also hanging on the deeper nearshore wrecks.
Large schools of bluefish are around, with anglers casting jigs at the surface-feeding frenzies under birds.
Inshore anglers are seeing a mix of red drum and speckled trout on flats around the inlet. Popping cork setups with 1/8 oz. jig heads and Outer Banks Lure Company ball tails (or paddle tail baits) have enticed most of the strikes.
Bill Doran and Justin Perry, of Wilmington, with a 50 lb. cobia caught on a live eel while sight fishing out of Oregon Inlet. They were fishing with Capt. Guion Lee (right) of Green Creek Outfitters.
Les, of Fishing Unlimited, reports that surf anglers on the northern beaches are finding a mix of bluefish, puppy drum, sea mullet, and some spanish mackerel.
The local piers are catching spanish mackerel and at least one cobia.
Little Bridge anglers are finding speckled trout, small bluefish, and pinfish.
Down at the Bonner Bridge, sheepshead and bluefish make up the majority of the catch.
John, of Drumbeat Charters, reports that bluefish have been the target up and down the coastline (15-30’ range) and back into the sound. Spotting these large schools has been obvious due to the large number of birds working above them. For the blues, the best tactic is to cast 3/4 oz. Stingsilvers and quickly retrieve them back through the schools.
Some excellent spanish mackerel fishing is happening just outside the inlet. Trolling smaller Clarkspoons at higher speeds (7 mph) helps to keep bluefish bites from happening.
Sheepshead are starting to move into the sound and can be caught with fiddler crabs or sand fleas around most bridge pilings.
Speckled trout fishing has been consistent in the sound.
Offshore trips have seen the first mahi of the spring showing up, and the mahi fishing only gets better moving into June.
Jack, of Afishionado Charters, reports a great start to the yellowfin tuna season and the yellowfins don’t look to be going anywhere soon. The numbers are here, but anglers have had to be flexible in utilizing multiple methods (trolling and kite fishing) to get them to bite.
Mahi are trickling in, but the fleet is still waiting for that big push of late spring fish.
Blue marlin are around in solid numbers for anglers who look to run deep and pull larger ballyhoo setups.
McKayla, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that the mahi have arrived and now join the plentiful yellowfin tuna and wahoo in fish boxes. Billfish won’t be too far behind.
Nearshore anglers are focused on sight-casting to cobia during their short migration through the area, with some schools of big red drum mixed in.
Inshore trips are catching red drum and scattered speckled trout on flats around the inlet.
Meredith, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that offshore trolling trips are seeing catches of mahi, yellowfin tuna, blue marlin, and white marlin.
Those that stop to bottom fish are finding tilefish and black sea bass.
Nearshore trips have been catching cobia, bluefish, and spanish mackerel.
Brian, of Nags Head Pier, reports that the majority of the action has been focused on spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Bottom fishing has been slower, with most of the target species (drum, trout, and mullet) still yet to make a big push into the area.
Joe, of Avalon Pier, reports that anglers are mostly catching bluefish with cut bait.
Paul, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the recent surf action has been all about big bluefish. Anglers are finding bluefish (to 30”) with both casting jigs and cut bait.
Some red drum are mixed in, more so for anglers soaking cut bait.
A good sea mullet bite is happening for those fishing artificial bait strips and cut shrimp.
In the nearshore areas, the action is focused on sight-casting bucktails to cobia. While searching for cobia, anglers have also stumbled upon some schools of big red drum.
Spanish mackerel are around, and they’re being caught with casting jigs worked into surface feeding schools.
