Swansboro/Emerald Isle – April 2026
Morgan, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that the surf action is still off to a pretty slow start. Water temperatures haven’t quite matched the recent warm fronts, and dogfish sharks continue to make up the majority of the action. As soon as those temperatures hold above 55 degrees, anglers should start seeing a mix of pufferfish, sea mullet, and some black drum in the surf.
Anglers fishing docks and bridges are beginning to find a mix of sheepshead and black drum.
The red drum action has been steady, though scattered, as these fish begin transitioning out of their winter areas in the creeks and shallow marshes.
Off the beach, black sea bass continue to make up most of the action.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that with temperatures still on the cooler side, the reds remain schooled up on the shallow mud flats. Sight‑casting with light soft plastics (Zoom or Gulp) remains a favorite approach, with cut bait or live mud minnows fished on Carolina rigs or under corks also producing strikes.
Speckled trout aren’t being heavily targeted yet, but anglers working creek mouths and just inside the creeks are starting to find a few moving around. Lightly colored suspending lures or paddletail soft plastics will work well for the specks.
Bottom fishing inside should kick off soon, with sea mullet and gray trout hitting cut shrimp or Fish Bites strips in the deeper holes from the inlets back into the ICW.
Matt, of Friendly City Fishing Charters, reports that this is one of the best times of the year to sight fish for reds, with clear water conditions paired with warm weather getting them more active. The red drum should continue holding in their winter schools in the shallow bays of the marsh until the mullet start showing up. Light soft plastics rigged weedless with a touch of Pro‑Cure scent remain the go‑to setup, with a Carolina rig and cut bait serving as a solid fallback when the fish are acting spooky.
Black drum can be found along the ICW or back in the creeks. Fresh frozen shrimp on a Carolina rig with a smaller circle hook is the best bet when fishing around hard structure such as docks and rocks.
The trout bite is still up and down as the fish haven’t fully left their deeper holes in the backs of creeks yet.
Jeff Morton, of Jacksonville, landed this 25″ speckled trout in the downtown Jacksonville area on a Slick Junior. He was fishing with Capt. Ricky Kellum of Speckled Specialist Fishing Charters.
Jacob, of Southern Tides Fishing Charters, reports that the creeks have been a solid place to target a mix of red drum and black drum in the 16-24” range. Fishing dead shrimp on a jig head has been the most efficient way to bounce from hole to hole and draw strikes from either species.
Soft plastics in the creeks are starting to see better success with each uptick in water temperature. Red drum and a few speckled trout will both hit the soft plastics, with darker or natural color patterns currently working best.
Out in the marsh bays, the schools of red drum are beginning to move as the shallow waters warm. After a long winter of steady pressure, these schools can be finicky.
There haven’t been any reports yet of gray trout or sea mullet pushing in through the inlets, but that should happen anytime in April. Cut shrimp will be the top choice for sea mullet, while metal jigs or soft plastics shine when gray trout are around. For both species, anglers should focus on the deeper holes inside the inlet and back into the ICW.
Fred Pope, of Jacksonville, landed this 27″ red drum near Bear Creek on a 4″ Gulp shrimp. He was fishing with Capt. John Parks of Early Riser Fishing Charters.
Scott, of King Mackerel College, reports that as more weather windows open up moving into April, wahoo will remain the top target for anglers pushing offshore. With water temperatures still on the cooler side, tactics won’t change much—ballyhoo rigged under skirts and fished on the planer rod will likely see the most action.
A few scattered reports of king mackerel are coming in from offshore, but anglers haven’t yet seen that true push of springtime kings.
For anglers looking to stay closer to the beach, Atlantic bonito will be the first arrival. Breaking out the jigs to sight‑cast into surface frenzies is the preferred approach, though jigging them up works when conditions don’t allow for surface activity. Schools have been seen holding farther off the beach, so the wait may not be much longer.
John, of Early Riser Fishing Charters, reports that red drum action in the marshes has really picked up as water temperatures climb. These fish are still holding in large groups, with many being a solid class of upper‑slot reds. The warmer conditions have them feeding more aggressively, and topwater plugs and sub walker‑style baits have been producing plenty of strikes.
Off the beach, anglers are still waiting on the Atlantic bonito to show. Reports are beginning to trickle in from just offshore, so another good stretch of weather may be all it takes to push them in.
Anita, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that with water temperatures still on the cold side, most of the action has come from rays and dogfish sharks.
