Southport/Oak Island – September 2025
TJ, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that surf action has been steady, including some speckled trout being caught in the early mornings with live shrimp. Scattered red drum are also in the surf, and they’re hitting live or cut mullet.
A bunch of whiting and croaker can be caught from the sand using cut shrimp, sand fleas, or artificial bait strips.
The shark bite from the beach has been consistent, and their favorites are cut baits.
Inshore anglers are hooking sheepshead and black drum around structure with live crabs or dead shrimp.
Big speckled trout have been caught now that the water temperatures have started to cool off.
Working the shoreline banks with live mullet, menhaden, or soft plastics is producing red drum and flounder.
Josh, of Oak Island Sporting Goods, reports that pier anglers have been catching speckled trout in the early mornings with either live shrimp or finger mullet.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are both hitting Gotcha plugs. The bite is often all day long, but early and late in the day is best.
Bottom fishing has been producing a bunch of small sharks, whiting, and croakers.
Inshore anglers have been seeing really good sheepshead fishing around docks, bridges, and other hard structure.
Red drum and black drum are being caught around docks in the ICW, and speckled trout action has been picking up with the slightly cooler conditions.
Some tarpon are being hooked up in the river and out along the beachfronts.
Walker Jenkins, of Oak Island, caught this 35” red drum at the “Hot Hole” off Oak Island on a pogie.
Hunter, of Dockside Fishing Charters, reports that water temperatures cooling down have really helped the speckled trout bite, as have all the live shrimp in the area.
Nearshore, boats are finding some bigger spanish mackerel (3-6 lbs.) right outside the inlet with live mullet.
Big menhaden are off the beach, and soon the king mackerel will move back in.
A few bull red drum are being caught moving down the beachfront, though there’s not enough of a bite to target them yet.
Slot-sized red drum are scattered around the inshore waters, and the bite is starting to ramp up with bait numbers picking up. A Carolina rig with a live mullet has been best.
Zane, of Falling Tide Fishing Adventures, reports that the best action for speckled trout has been topwater plugs. With current water temperatures, this is still an early or late bite. The cooler mornings will get the trout even more active, and they will also begin to feed later into the day.
Red drum fishing is steady, with pockets of fish scattered all over. Topwater plugs are enticing some of the action, but live or cut baits are the best option.
Flounder season should be successful, with a live mullet as the key to getting bites.
Spanish mackerel fishing off the beach has been much more consistent. Anglers are sight casting jigs into schools of fish breaking the surface.
Moving into September, anglers should start keeping an eye out for schools of citation-class reds showing up off the beach. These big reds will be found hanging under bait balls or around ledges.
Steve, of Reel Em Up Charters, reports that anglers are doing well targeting red drum inside thanks to all the bait that’s moving around. Finding bait-sized menhaden has been a little tough, but there are plenty of mullet to be had. Targeting oysters and grass banks around creek mouths has been the best strategy.
These same bottom-rigged live baits will be great for putting a keeper flatfish in the boat.
Speckled trout are making a better showing.
Weeks Lloyd (age 5), of Charlotte, landed this 21″ spanish mackerel from the surf at Oak Island using a live finger mullet. He was fishing with his great uncle, Capt. Wayne Ayers of Reel Good Surf Fishing.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are showing up better along the beaches. The good news is that there’s not just improvement in the numbers of spanish, as more of the bigger fish are around as well.
King mackerel should be showing up on the beach any day. Schools of big menhaden are all over the beachfront, and their presence is usually what helps kick off the fall bite.
While cruising nearshore, keep an eye out for tarpon which have hung around the area. It’s also more likely now to see the schools of big red drum. However, most of the big drum are currently holding deeper and being caught by anglers on shark trips.
Moving forward, September is a great month to get out and bottom fish. Trips out to the reefs and ledges in the 100-120’ range will produce limits of vermilion snapper, scamp grouper, graysbys grouper, and big black sea bass.
Anglers can also start the day off in that 100’ area trolling for some of the bigger king mackerel that hold in that zone.
Troy, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that bottom fishing is producing croakers, spot, and whiting, and a bunch of speckled trout are being caught with shrimp.
Anglers fishing at night are seeing black drum being caught with shrimp on the bottom.
The spanish mackerel action has started ramping up now that water temperatures are cooling off some.
Sharon, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers have had success catching bluefish, croakers, and some smaller pompano.
Some keeper speckled trout have also been landed.
