Swansboro/Emerald Isle – September 2025
Amit, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that inshore anglers have been seeing mixed action on red drum and speckled trout.
The hard structures are holding sheepshead and some black drum, and flounder are all over the place.
Nearshore anglers are catching a mix of spanish mackerel and bluefish while trolling.
Some king mackerel are holding a little deeper. The bite should pick up, and the fish should move in closer, in the coming weeks.
Offshore runs are producing wahoo and some mahi.
The surf zone conditions have remained clean despite all the rain. Catches include spanish mackerel, bluefish, sea mullet, and some pompano.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that numbers of good red and black drum are scattered throughout the sound and ICW. On higher tides, live shrimp under a cork has been hard to beat when floated up around marsh banks. On lower tides, switch gears and focus on fishing larger live mullet around docks or deep channels, especially near creek mouths.
Some speckled trout are around, and they’re mostly hanging in the deeper channels. Rigging a live mullet or live shrimp on a jig head has been the best way to get a bait down to entice them.
Getting off the beach, spanish mackerel have shown up well. Anglers are finding a bigger class of fish out over nearshore ledges while using live bait. Closer to the beach, trolling spoons is best for producing numbers, with casting jigs also having success when the spanish are found breaking the surface.
Jana Tucker, of Sanford, caught (and released) this 22″ flounder in Brown’s Inlet using a jig head baited with finger mullet.
Matt, of Friendly City Fishing Charters, reports that red drum fishing remains the best day-to-day inshore option. The little cool down has helped the reds be more active as they feed on cut mullet. These fish are still scattered, but they’re plentiful, with just about any shoreline bank with nearby oyster structure producing bites. Catch one or two, and then move on down the bank.
Black drum fishing has been strong. Throwing out a live shrimp along the ICW anywhere a red drum may be is producing bites. Some good numbers of black drum are also up the White Oak River.
Speckled trout are making a better showing around the inlets. Artificials in the mornings are still producing most of the bites. Live shrimp will obviously have the best success, but too many junk fish are still around to waste baits. A moving tide is key, and look for deeper holes.
Anglers fishing around the Swansboro bridges are catching a bunch of sheepshead.
Flounder have been all over the place and are being caught as bycatch when targeting reds with cut mullet, but soft plastics worked along the bottom and covering ground will produce the most flatfish.
Jacob, of Southern Tides Fishing Charters, reports that red drum fishing remains the best bite in the Swansboro area. A Carolina-rigged live mullet is hard to beat as fall approaches. The shallower bays and oysters in the area have been the most productive areas.
The cooler weather started to get anglers in the mood for speckled trout. A live shrimp under a slip cork is a setup that’s hard to beat, and the junk fish haven’t been too terrible. The better trout (to 4 lbs.) have been found up the White Oak, with more fish but smaller fish closer to the inlet.
Fishing shrimp around oysters is also producing black drum.
Some larger sheepshead (to 22”) have moved into deeper holes near the inlet.
Bluefish (often the larger ones) are scattered.
Big flounder are holding around docks.
Scott, of King Mackerel College, reports that wahoo fishing will soon pick up in the 180’+ areas, both in numbers and quality. Anglers will likely find skirted ballyhoo the favorite setup, with darker color patterns such as black/red, purple/black, or dark blues enticing most strikes. Breaking out the planer rod is a good idea, as it usually out fishes the baits on top.
Sailfish and other billfish will be mixed in this same range and hitting all the same lures.
King mackerel will soon be moving back to the nearshore areas (60-90’), and live baiting is going to be the most productive tactic.
Evan Moyel, from Pennslyvania, caught this black drum and speckled trout near Bear Island using live shrimp under a popping cork. He was fishing with Capt. Rob Koraly of Sandbar Safari Guide Service.
John, of Early Riser Fishing Charters, reports that this is a great time of year to find a nearshore sailfish.
King mackerel have been hit or miss, so anglers have focused efforts around the nearshore heavy structure in search of amberjacks and barracuda. While fishing these areas, take advantage of the NE winds and do some kite fishing. This opens up the opportunity to catch kings, mahi, sailfish, and big amberjacks, just to name a few possibilities.
Inshore, red drum have been a super reliable target all summer long, and live mullet have produced best.
Speckled trout should make a good push as cool mornings and light NE winds become the pattern. These conditions make for the perfect opportunity to throw topwater plugs.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers have had some great action casting jigs and Gotcha plugs for spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Bottom fishing has been successful, with a mixed bag of sheepshead, spots, spadefish, and pompano.
A few keeper speckled trout (to 5 lbs.) have also been landed off the pier.
