Southport/Oak Island – April 2026
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that inshore anglers have had good success targeting sheepshead as they work their way back inside after the winter.
The speckled trout bite is also starting to pick up. Recent warm stretches have helped get the trout on the move.
Not much activity is happening from the beach just yet, but surf and pier anglers expect to see some whiting showing up any time.
Josh, of Oak Island Sporting Goods, reports that anglers on the beaches have started to catch a few whiting and pufferfish. This action is off to a slow start, but a stretch of warmer weather should help fire off the action.
Inshore anglers are finding some red drum in the backs of creeks. These reds will begin sliding out into the waterways as more sunny days help warm the water.
Zane, of Falling Tide Fishing Adventures, reports that red drum action continues to pick up as we move into April. The warming trends have these fish starting to move out of the backs of creeks and shallow marsh bays that have been winter holdover locations. The reds haven’t quite broken up out of their larger winter schools yet, so anglers can expect to move around a bit to find a school.
Another advantage to these warmer water temperatures is it really gets the artificial bite going. The best artificial tactic is throwing a lot of Gulp soft plastics, with scent more important this time of year than color choice. As with early spring, the snot grass is starting to break up, and rigging baits weedless is a good idea. If fishing over oysters, you can throw lightly weighted jig heads as the grass is less of an issue there. Of course, Carolina-rigged cut bait can also get strikes.
Speckled trout fishing is pretty slow.
Some sheepshead are moving inside for anglers targeting docks and pilings around the inlet.
Anglers haven’t seen that big push of gray trout and sea mullet into the inlet and river mouths just yet, but it’ll be coming any day.
The big news nearshore is that the Atlantic bonito and bluefish have started arriving off the beach. Tie on a variety of metals on lighter tackle and either sight cast at surface feeding schools or jig up fish from marked schools around bait or structure.
Jim Bean, of Wyoming, landed this red drum on the fly in the Cape Fear River. He was fishing with Capt. Allen Cain of Sightfish NC.
Steve, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that red drum will start sliding into their spring patterns if this warm weather trend continues. There’s already some movement from way back in the creeks where the reds held over the winter, with fish now beginning to spread out all the way from the backs of creeks up to the creek mouths.
Both red and black drum are best found by targeting hard structures such as dock pilings or oysters. With water temperatures still cool, Carolina‑rigged shrimp will get bites, but the artificial game for red drum is just now starting to come into play.
Some speckled trout are mixed in and mostly being caught by anglers fishing deeper ledges or current bends and breaks in the creeks.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that water temperatures off the beach remain on the cold side, which makes it (still) a great time to hit the shallower black sea bass spots with plenty of cut bait.
Any day now we should start hearing more about those traditional early spring signs—Atlantic bonito pushing nearshore and whiting beginning to move in around the inlets.
Mckenzie Edwards, of Southport, doubled up on black sea bass while 25 miles offshore of Bald Head Island. She was using squid and cut bait.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that bottom fishing remains a great April option, with black sea bass, vermilion snapper, and grunts all around in good numbers right now.
The king mackerel are still holding mostly offshore of the Tower and will stay out there until nearshore water temps climb back into the mid‑60s.
Atlantic bonito should start showing up off the beaches. Trolling is a great way to put fish in the boat while looking for schools on the surface to sight cast to. Throwing metal lures is the standard when it comes to casting.
Brian, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that dogfish shark and ray action remains steady with the colder water temperatures.
The pier has started to see some whiting being caught, and that bite only gets better moving into April.
Gina, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are finding some rays and skates to battle with as anglers wait for the water temperatures to come up a bit more.
One of the first arrivals should be whiting, and that could happen any day.
