OBX/Northern Beaches – September 2025
Meredith, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that bottom fishing efforts from the surf and piers has been producing good numbers of sea mullet and croakers.
Red drum fishing continues to improve, and with cooler temperatures, the drum will be a more common catch this fall.
Casting efforts, especially when the surf and piers have good water conditions, has produced bluefish and spanish mackerel.
Anglers on the local piers have also landed keeper cobia and big red drum (to 48”).
Nearshore runs are seeing false albacore, spanish mackerel, bluefish, triggerfish, and some mahi.
In the sound, the speckled trout bite is going strong, with the action only going to improve as water temperatures continue to cool.
Red drum are starting to feed better and more consistently, with the big drum slowly becoming more active, too.
Flounder have been mixed in the action both in the sound and from the surf.
Some sheepshead are being caught by anglers fishing around the Oregon Inlet Bridge pilings.
The offshore boats are enjoying great billfish action, highlighted by a bunch of white marlin and some huge blue marlin (to 800+ lbs.).
Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise Charters, reports that nearshore anglers have been on a surprise summertime cobia bite. Sight-casting is still the name of the game, with bucktails in a variety of color patterns being the most successful tactic.
In the sound, red drum and speckled trout have started to fire up more as the water temperatures work their way down from the mid-summer heat. The red drum have been tuned into soft plastics, such as No Live Bait Needed, and the best tactic is to fish for them up on the flats.
Speckled trout are more tuned into the topwater action.
Grayson and Ryeland McCormack, of Virgina, and John Koenig, of Kitty Hawk, caught this mahi east of Oregon Inlet while trolling a SLC lure. They were fishing with Capt. John Berquist of Drumbeat Charters.
Vincent, of Stick Em Fishing Adventures, reports that nearshore boats have been running off the beach to catch amberjacks, as well as big barracudas, on bait and bucktails out around the towers.
The nearshore wrecks are holding triggerfish and black sea bass.
Bigger red drum are being caught while soaking bait around ledges close to grass banks. The evening bite has seen the better action. Anglers looking to fish soft plastics are having a lot of success with local Outer Banks Lure Company, A.M. Fishing, Saltwater Assassin, or Z-Man.
The citation red drum bite is about to starting to fire off around the inlet. Soaking big baits is the best way to get hooked up.
Les, of Fishing Unlimited, reports that anglers fishing on the northern beaches and local piers are catching a mix of pompano, spot, sea mullet, croakers, and the occasional red drum.
Some good runs of spanish mackerel are around as well.
The Little Bridge has been producing speckled trout early, with spot and croakers around throughout the rest of the day.
Down at the Bonner Bridge Pier, anglers are landing bluefish, sheepshead, and red drum (the red drum bites are coming mostly after dark).
Matthew Bawden, of VA, caught this mahi offshore of Oregon Inlet on cut tuna. He was fishing with Capt. Aaron Kelly of Rock Solid Fishing.
Jack, of Afishionado Charters, reports that anglers are starting to see solid numbers of white marlin showing in the area. Getting closer to fall, the fleet only expects that trend to continue. Most of the strikes are coming from pulling medium-sized ballyhoo rigged with circle hooks and accompanied by a couple teasers. That setup has easily been the favorite and most productive up and down the coast.
If stumbling upon some flotsam or grass, it’s almost certainly loaded with mahi.
McKayla, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that offshore trips have done really well catching billfish (both blue and white marlin).
Boats are also returning with limits of mahi and a few blackfin tuna.
Nearshore anglers have been finding good numbers of spanish mackerel, bluefish, and the scattered false albacore.
Bottom fishing is generating catches of triggerfish and black sea bass.
Inshore trips are hooking red drum, bluefish, and speckled trout
Meredith, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that offshore trips are catching yellowfin tuna and limits of mahi.
The fleet has also been able to fly marlin release flags when coming back to the docks.
Nearshore boats are seeing a great variety of fish, such as triggerfish, false albacore, bluefish, spanish mackerel, black sea bass, and even some mahi.
Inshore anglers are catching speckled trout and red drum.
Brian, of Nags Head Pier, reports that spot and sea mullet are around in both size and numbers.
Croakers are also plentiful, with the occasional throwback flounder mixed in the action.
Joe, of Avalon Pier, reports that anglers out doing some bottom fishing have started to catch good-sized spots.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been good for those throwing Gotcha plugs.
John, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers are seeing a good mixed bag of fish. Bottom fishing catches have included spots, croakers, whiting, bluefish, and pompano.
Anglers are having some success casting jigs to schools of bluefish and spanish mackerel when they can be spotted moving down the coast.
Soundside anglers are landing red drum and speckled trout anywhere from the Nags Head area down to the inlet.
Off the beach, a bunch of spanish mackerel and bluefish are being caught with trolling spoons.
